Peter lives in a big house on Ivy Street. It’s near the college campus. He shares the house with three other students. Their names are Bill, Tony, and Paul.

Who shares a house with John Smith?

Tom has a younger brother. He just started high school. He is 14 and lives with his parents. They live on Mulberry Street in Boston.

How old is Tom's younger brother?

I live in a house near the mountains. I have two brothers and one sister, and I was born last. My father teaches mathematics, and my mother is a nurse at a big hospital.

My mother is a...

My grandmother also lives with us. She came from Italy when I was two years old. She has grown old, but she is still very strong. She cooks the best food!

How old was I when my grandmother came?

My family is very important to me. We do lots of things together. My brothers and I like to go on long walks in the mountains. My sister likes to cook with my grandmother. On the weekends we all play board games together.

On the weekends, we...

Every year we go to Florida. We like to go to the beach.

My favourite beach is called Emerson Beach. It is very long, with soft sand and palm trees. It is very beautiful.

My favourite beach is called...

I like to make sandcastles and watch the sailboats go by. Sometimes there are dolphins and whales in the water!

What animals do I see in the water?

This year I want to learn to surf. It is hard to surf, but so much fun! My sister is a good surfer. She says that she can teach me. I hope I can do it!

What do I want to learn this year?

Mr. and Mrs. Smith have one son and one daughter. The son's name is Michael. The daughter's name is Sarah.

How many children do Mr. and Mrs. Smith have?

I just returned from the greatest summer vacation! It was so fantastic, I never wanted it to end. I spent eight days in Paris, France. My best friends, Henry and Steve, went with me. We had a beautiful hotel room in the Latin Quarter, and it wasn’t even expensive. We had a balcony with a wonderful view.

What city did they go to for their summer vacation?

The French food we ate was delicious. Steve’s favourite part of the vacation was the hotel breakfast. He said he would be happy if he could eat croissants like those forever. We had so much fun that we’re already talking about our next vacation!

What did Steve enjoy the most?

Lucas first class is English, and he likes that teacher very much. His English teacher says that he is a good pupil, which Lucas knows that she thinks he is a good student.

What is the class that is Lucas’ teacher tells him he is a good pupil?

My family lives in a small house. It’s simple but pretty. It has a large garden. I like to work in the garden but my sister hates to work in the garden. She prefers to read. She reads in the morning, in the afternoon and at night.

Who doesn’t enjoy working in the garden?

George is at the pet store, looking at what kind of pet he might want to get for his birthday. George asked if he could have a horse, but his parents said no because horses are too big.

What kind of pet did George want, but his parents said no because they were too big?

George sees the animals in tanks. The tanks full of water have fish and turtles in them. He thinks about a goldfish but decides he likes the turtles more. There are also tanks with rocks and sand that have snakes, spiders, and scorpions, but George is afraid of them.

Which kind of pet did NOT scare George?

George decides he wants to get a turtle for his birthday. He buys a book on how to take care of a turtle and a list of what types of turtles the store has.

What kind of pet did George decide to get for his birthday?

My name is Andrew. Each day I drive my kids to school. My daughter goes to a school that’s far from our house. It takes 30 minutes to get there. Then I drive my son to his school. It’s close to my job.

Which two places are near to each other?

My daughter is in the sixth grade and my son is in the second. They are both good students. My daughter usually sings her favourite songs when I drive. My son usually sleeps.

Which child is older?

I arrive at the office at 8:30 AM. I say good morning to all my workmates then I get a big cup of hot coffee. I turn on my computer and read my email. Some days I have a lot to read. Soon I need another cup of coffee.

When do I get my second cup of coffee?

My job is a long distance from my home, almost 50 miles away. I have to wake up early every morning, as I’m always in a rush. There’s never enough time for a relaxed breakfast. At exactly 6:00 AM, I get into my car and start the long drive.

When does he wake up every morning?

I usually like driving on the highway more than in the city. During the morning rush hour, it’s not very enjoyable. The heavy traffic is a little bit annoying.

How is driving during the morning rush hour?

So I always listen to my favorite classical music CD’s in the car – Chopin, Mozart, and Bach. That cheers me up a lot.

Which kind of music CD’s does he enjoy listening to in the car?

The drive to work takes about one hour. Going back home in the evening after work takes even longer, maybe around 70 minutes.

How long might the evening drive back home take?

Lately I’ve been thinking about trying to take the train to work instead of driving. That way, I could still listen to my music with headphones, and even read a novel at the same time.

What else does he think he could even do if he took a train to work?