I am no expert in the kitchen. So, please, be nice.

My recipe is Pasta
Caprese. Whoa! Listen carefully to the ingredients: Fusilli (short pasta in
spiral or corkscrew, you know it?), mozzarella, basil, tomato, garlic, toasted
pine nuts, oh and salt and pepper to taste. Did you take notes?

Kate: Okay, follow me. So first you have to cook the fusilli and then you mix
the cooked fusilli with diced mozzarella. All right, that's easy. Then you add
the chopped tomatoes. How many tomatoes? One or two.

Then, you add the basil. How much basil? I love basil. I use a lot of basil.
Then, to finish, you add the minced garlic and the toasted pine nuts.

Kate: And to make it perfect, you add salt and pepper. How much pepper?
Did I hear this question? As much as you want! I love pepper. And you can
enjoy it with a nice glass of white wine.

Louise
It was wonderful! I had a great time!
Kayla
Where did you go?
Louise
Actually, I went home, to my parents', in Santa Barbara.
Sophia
That's great - how long did you stay there?
Louise
Two weeks, I got back yesterday.
Kayla
I saw you posted some wedding pictures - whose wedding was that? Your
sister's?
Louise
Yeah! That was actually the main reason I planned my vacation in March.
But I must confess: it's not easy to see your baby sister walking down the
aisle!
Sophia
How did it feel?
Louise
I got very emotional! I cried the whole ceremony! See, I'm ten years older
than her! She'll always be my baby sister, no matter what!

1. Claire
Hello!
2. Mrs. Prost
Hi, Claire! How are things going?
3. Claire
 Hi, Mrs. Prost. Everything is under control. Nicole and I are having a good time
together.
4. Mrs. Prost
Great! Did she eat dinner?
5. Claire
Oh, yes. She ate very well. And I also gave her some pear. She loves it!
6. Mrs. Prost
Excellent! Is she behaving?
7. Claire
Of course! Nicole always behaves! We watched cartoons and then
we played together. Now it's shower and bed time.
8. Mrs. Prost
I still have a lot of work to do in the office. Do you mind if I get home about half
an hour late?
9. Claire
No, that's okay. I don't have any plans for tonight.
10. Mrs. Prost
Thank you so much, Claire. Please, tell Nicole her mommy says "hi." See you
later!

11. Claire

Okay, Mrs. Prost. See you!

Vegetarian Dish: Eggplant Lasagna

Total Time: 1 hour Prep: 20 minutes Cook: 40 minutes Yield: 6 to 8 servings

Ingredients: 2 medium eggplants, sliced 250g sliced mozzarella cheese 1 cup

lentils 2 cans crushed tomatoes 3 garlic cloves, chopped 1 onion, chopped 1
cup fresh basil leaves, chopped 3 tablespoons of olive oil Salt Pepper

Preparation: First, preheat the oven. Boil the lentils. Meanwhile slicethe
eggplants, chop the onion and the garlic. Heat olive oil in a pan and add garlic
and onion. Saute for 3 minutes, stirring frequently.

Add the crushed tomatoes and salt. Drain the lentils and mix them with the
tomatoes. To finish the sauce, add basil and some pepper. Spread some of the
sauce on a baking pan; lay the eggplant slices on top, followed by some more
sauce and the cheese.

Repeat it until you finish it with the cheese. Bake until bubbly and golden brown,
for about 30 minutes.

I don't like our modern lifestyle. No, I think the world is worse than it was in the
past. Look at all our wars and crimes. It's terrible.

I guess people paid more attention to details. Simple things, like having dinner
or lunch with their families. People talked to each other.

What's the worst thing in our modern world? People don't have their own
opinions, they like other people's opinions. They share someone else's opinion.
Like and share, that's what people do. I think that's so impersonal.

Sometimes, I like to go to museums and imagine the world as it was 200

hundred years ago.

People used to write letters. Sometimes, Grandma Maggie and I send letters to
each other. I know, she lives in New Jersey. It is really close, but nobody writes
letters anymore.

In my opinion, it is a beautiful and delicate thing. You have to write the letter, put
it in the envelope, post it, and wait. Nobody likes to wait anymore.

Call me old fashioned, but I believe it is so real to read a letter in someone's

handwriting.

"Dear Kate,

Today I prepared a lemon pie for my friend Lucy and saved some for you. I
know you'll love it. I bought a new washing machine and it is so complicated. I
need you to help me! Your Grandma is not very smart with electronic gadgets.

By the way, I think we talk to each other more often nowadays. You can call,
you can text, you can write, you can send a video message. It is amazing.
Come visit me.
Love, Grandma Maggie."

Hey, mom!

How are you? Thanks so much for encouraging me to take this trip by myself. I
was so down after my breakup that if it weren't for you, I wouldn't have had such
a great time!

Oh, and I had no problems at all with sea sickness! Well, I took those pills
you recommended, I must say. But everything went just fine.

There was a kind of night club in the ship, which was awesome, because I
quickly made some friends. I had so much fun! On our first day, we finished the
night singing karaoke. I also ate loads of seafood! It was amazing!

We stopped at several places during the cruise but the best one was Tenerife,
the largest and most populous of the seven Canary Islands. We were there for
two days and I simply loved it!

Now, I'm back to reality and already planning my next trip. I miss you.

Love, Leonard

That's the person I admire most. My big sister Caroline, who's holding her baby
Andrew in the picture. This picture gives us a snapshot of her life; she
is writing an e-mail and talking on the phone while she is taking care of Andrew.

I love my sister! I admire her because she knows what she wants for herself.
I guess that being a single mother it couldn't be different. Her husbandleft her
when she was four months pregnant. He had an offer to work in Asia and
he chose his career over his family.

She decided to go on with her pregnancy, even though she knew that she would
be facing the challenge of raising a child on her own.

Nowadays she has two roles in life: she is a loving mother and a very efficient
professional. She is the Human Resources director of a multinational company,
and someday I expect to be as successful in life as she is.

Kate: Going shopping with Grandma is no easy task. No, she has more energy
than all of us combined.

Grandma: How much does that cost?

Kate: Take a look at the price tag.

Grandma: Oh, no, that's too expensive. I'd have to sell my house to buy that.

Kate: But it's good quality.

Grandma: No, we're gonna find something else. Now you come with me, for
you, I'd spend that money but not for your Aunt. I couldn't do that...

Grandma: (eating a bagel at a park) Here, you want some? I need to buy a gift
for your Aunt Sheila. I don't know a bracelet, earrings, a watch. No, a purse, she
needs a purse. Because hers are so old and tacky.

Kate: How much do you want to spend?

 Grandma: I don't know - five dollars?

Kate: Are you nuts?

Grandma: Kate! Can we go to that crafts fair that you love? Can we? Perfect! I'll
find something there. Five dollars

Grandma: (at a street fair) I love these places. Oh! How much is that?

Kate: That is twenty dollars.

Grandma: That's cheap and it's good quality. What do you th - do you think your
Aunt Sheila would like that? Never mind, never mind...it's a gift. I'm gonna take
it.

Kate: I'll get myself some coffee. Would you like some?

Grandma: No, thanks! Could I see that?

Kate: (drinking her coffee) Grandma is this person who saves me from
madness. She is great, isn't she? She is taking a course on karma and past
lives. She says she was a dancer in Paris in her past life. Can you believe it?
Hi, Grandma Maggie.

Grandma: Hey listen, come here, I wanna show you something - you got your
name on it! Look, look, look: Kate!

Kate: So, people think my life is super fun, that I am this typical independent
New Yorker. When I rented this apartment, I thought I was. That's it. I got it. I
was wrong.

Kate: (going into her bedroom) Life in a big city. It is not easy. But you know, you
can always have your family around. And a grandmother who protects you from
anything. Good night

1. Saleswoman

Good evening, sir. How can I help you?

2. Customer

Good evening. I'm looking for a shirt and tie.

3. Saleswoman

I think I have the perfect match for you. Here it is!

4. Customer

HmmI'm not sure I like this color.

5. Saleswoman

Why don't you try it on? It's the best way to decide.

6. Customer

Ok. Wow! Actually, I like it a lot now that I'm wearing it. How much are they?

7. Saleswoman

Together they are only $32. It's on sale!

8. Customer

Really? That's really cheap! Do you have it in other colors?

9. Saleswoman

Let me see. I have it in gray.

10. Customer

Great! I'll take the gray ones too.

11. Saleswoman

Okay, sir. That will be 64 dollars. How would you like to pay?

12. Customer

Do you take debit cards from Canada?

13. Saleswoman
 I'm afraid we don't. But we take all credit cards.

14. Customer

Okay, no problem. Put it on credit then.

15. Saleswoman

Thank you, sir. Here's your purchase. Have a great day!

16. Customer

Thanks, you too.