Dialogue 1

A: Are you alright, Ethan? You don't seem to be as cheerful as you normally are.

E: To be honest, Ava, I've just had a really bad day.

A: What happened?

E: First, I slept through my alarm and ended up two hours late to work.

A: What did your boss say?

E: He told me that if I showed up late one more, he'd fire me. He's so mean!

A: That's horrible. Was that the first time you'd shown up late to work?

E: That was my second time. The first time, I was in a car accident.

A: Is your boss Chinese?

E: No, he's from Australia. Before I met him, I thought Australians were supposed to be relaxed and easy-going. I had no idea he'd be so fussy about things.

A: What are you going to do?

E: I think I'm going to look for another job. I need to find a boss that is a bit more sensitive and optimistic than my current boss.

A: That sounds like a sensible plan. Do you want me to help you with your job search?

E: That's very generous of you. Thanks for the offer.

A: Don't mention it. That's what friends are for!

Dialogue 2

E: I don't know what to do about the people who live in the flat above me!

A: Why? What are they like?

E: They're incredibly selfish. They 're always up until the wee hours of the night playing their music so loudly that I have to wear earplugs in order to fall asleep!

A: Have you ever talked to them about it?

E: I tried to introduce myself to them when they moved in, but they were so arrogant that I didin't want to ever talk to them again!

A: What did they say?

E: They both just talk about how great they are all the time.

A: They soud like the neighbours from hell!

E: They are! Besides being loud and arrogant, they're also terrible gossips. They're always talking about everybody else in the apartment.

A: I thought you didn't talk to them much.

E: I don't, but they talk so loudly that I can hear what they're talking about from my bedroom - and it's not very nice.

A: What do the other poeple in your apartment think about them?

E: Most of my other neighbours are scared of them.

A: Maybe you should think about moving.

E: I can't afford to move right now.

A: Well, perhaps you should have a party and try to get to know them better. Maybe once you get to know them, they'll turn out to be more sensitive.

E: I think you're being a bit optimistic. If you met them, you'd understand.

A: Well, I don't know what else you could do then. Do you think bribing them with chocolate would work?