Part 1
Dave: Hi Sam. Have you done something with your hair?
Samantha: Why, yes! Thank you for noticing.
Dave: It looks good.
Samantha: Thank you. I thought it was time for a change. I was tired of my last style.
Dave: I like it. It suits you. Actually, speaking of changes: have you seen Philip recently? He looks totally different.
Samantha: Really? What has he done?
Dave: Well, you know he used to wear glasses? Now he has contacts. And he used to dress in those old clothes that made him look like a geography teacher. Now he looks like a model. It’s all very strange.
Samantha: I think I know why he has changed.
Dave: Why’s that?
Samantha: It’s obvious: he’s in love!
Part 2
Anna: Happy New Year Emili. Did you have a good New Year’s Eve?
Emili: Very good, although I drank too much. My New Year’s resolution is to drink less.
Anna: I should do that too. Any other resolutions?
Emili: I want to exercise more, smoke less, and watch less TV. How about you?
Anna: Lately I’ve been working too hard. I want to work less. And I want to start learning Spanish.
Emili: Really? I was thinking of learning Japanese.
Anna: You said that last year too. Stop talking, and start doing!
Emili: Yes mum.
Part 3
Last Friday night I went to a school reunion. Nearly all of my old classmates went, and it was interesting to see how everyone had changed.
When I was at school Harry Jones was a strong, athletic person. Now he is fat and is bald. Susie Peterson was a short girl with short brown hair; now she is taller than I am, has lots of tattoos, and her hair is dyed green. When we were all 15 years old, Daniel Goldson and Jenny Wiseman were dating. Now they are married and have two children. I can’t believe they are still together! And Richard Parker was a shy boy who never talked to anyone. These days he has a big beard, crazy hair, and lives in the woods. He still doesn’t talk to anyone.
I used to fancy Tanya Potts when I was at school, but now she looks terrible. She was drunk at the reunion, and smokes a lot. On the other hand, I never looked at Melanie Bishop. Now she looks really good. I guess time has changed all of us, including me.
Part 4
In 2011, Australian nurse Bronnie Ware released a book called ‘The Top 5 Regrets of the Dying’. The book was a collection of things of which people who would die soon wished they had done more. Here is the top 5:
1. I wish I had lived the life I wanted, not the life others wanted me to
2. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard
3. I wish I had said how I feel to people
4. I wish I hadn’t stopped talking to friends
5. I wish I had let myself be happy
It can be difficult for people to live the life they want after they get a job, get married, have a family, etc. Working hard is important to earn money. Sometimes people are scared of saying how they feel. Having a job and a family can mean not talking to friends. Some people think that if they are happy, they are being selfish.
Other common regrets are: not travelling; not having children; never going to university; not ending a fight; not getting the job or house you want; not living in your dream location.
What can a person do to not have these regrets? Is it possible to have a perfect life?