5 Minute Listening: Meet your school’s new exchange students

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Script

Tina: Hi, I’m Tina Barriston. Let me spell my surname because it’s a bit unusual. B-A-R-R-I-S-T-O-N. I’m Australian. I live in the town of Parramatta near Sydney in New South Wales.

I’m fifteen years old and my birthday’s November 12, if any of you want to send me a card. I was born in 2006. I have two younger brothers, Morris and Clive.

I’m very sporty and I’m in the New South Wales Girls’ Under 18s football team. I live to play football and my favourite subject is PE. I’d like to be professional one day, if I’m good enough.

This is my second visit to Hong Kong. My uncle used to work in a bank here about five years ago and we visited him for a holiday once. I’m really pleased to be back.

Patti: Hello. My name is Patti Rothery. That’s R-O-T-H-E-R-Y and I live in Eastern Canada. My hometown is Lunenburg. That’s L-U-N-E-N-B-U-R-G. It’s quite a cold place and we get lots of snow in winter.

I was born on May 7, 2004. I come from quite a big family. I have two older brothers who go to university and two younger sisters who go to the same school as me.

I spend all my spare time playing the piano. I’ve just passed an exam that’s the equivalent to a grade 8 certificate. My parents and my music teacher think I’m good enough to play the piano professionally, but I don’t know if I want to.

My best subject at school is biology. I love learning about the human body. I think I’d like to be a doctor.

Conor: Hi. I’m Conor Murphy and I come from Ireland. Murphy is the most common surname in Ireland. There are thousands of Murphys. Ha ha.

I have two sisters, one older than me and one younger. I’m the same age as Patti, and my birthday is next Thursday, May 4.

I live in the town of Tipperary in the south of Ireland. There is a lot of beautiful countryside around where I live. It’s a great tourist area for people who like unspoiled nature. I belong to a hiking club and I spend a lot of time in spring and summer out hiking. I love nature and would like to be a country park warden.

My favourite subject is science and I’d like to major in horticulture when I’m in university.

Bobby: Hello. I’m Bobby Winstanley. Winstanley, that’s quite a mouthful. W-I-N-S-T-A-N-L-E-Y. I live in the city of Blenheim at the top of the South Island of New Zealand.

I’m an only child, but I don’t miss not having brothers or sisters because I’ve got some brilliant friends. I was born on August 6th, 2003. When you’re an only child, your friends become your family.

Not surprisingly, my favourite subject at school is art and design. I love to draw. I prefer sketching to taking photos. I’ve brought my sketchbook with me to Hong Kong and I’ve already got some cool drawings of the city’s buildings.

My favourite is the Bank of China Tower. I could sit and draw that all day. I most certainly want to be a graphic designer when I graduate.

Answers

Tina Barriston

Hometown /country: Barriston/ Australia

DOB: November 12, 2006

Siblings: two younger brothers

Pastime: playing football

Favourite subject: PE/physical education

Professional ambition: professional football player

Patti Rothery

Hometown /country: Lunenburg/ Canada

DOB: May 7, 2004

Siblings: two older brothers and two younger sisters

Pastime: playing piano

Favourite subject: biology

Professional ambition: doctor

Conor Murphy

Hometown /country: Tipperary/ Ireland

DOB: May 4, 2004

Siblings: one older sister and one younger sister

Pastime: hiking

Favourite subject: science

Professional ambition: country park warden

Bobby Winstanley

Hometown /country: Blenheim/ New Zealand

DOB: August 6, 2003

Siblings: none

Pastime: sketching

Favourite subject: art and design

Professional ambition: graphic designer