Lesson 1 · Reading

Hi, everyone! My name is Clara. I was born in Warsaw, but now I live on the coast, in the east of the Cornwall region. I moved here two years ago because I love the sea. Most of the time it rains a lot here — it's 0 degrees outside in winter and the wind is quite noisy. But I prefer living here to living in a big city. There's nowhere to go in the evening in my village, but I enjoy walking alone over the river in the morning. It's a quiet place and I love it.

I work long hours — until ten at night sometimes. I'm a nurse and I need to look after people who are tired and ill. It's hard work, but I don't hate it. I want to earn more money one day, but right now I'm happy. The hospital is not far from my house, so I take the train only once a week to buy food at the main road market. It's cheaper there. People from outside the country sometimes come to the market too — it's close to each other, like a small Asia in a part of the country that is usually very quiet.

Does anyone want to make plans with me? I enjoy going through the town on my day off. There aren't enough cafés here, but there is one over the river — it's not far from the main road. I also like doing sports: I go running in the mornings. I'm not good at swimming, but I love trying. What time do you want to meet? I'm free after five. Let's go! That sounds nice, right?

My friend Mia is different. She hates going outside. She loves staying at home and watching films. She needs to follow the instructions of her doctor — she was born with a flight phobia, so she never travels to dangerous places or rich countries far away. She lives in the same place she was born — a small island, close to each other's villages. But she wants to visit Asia one day. She says: "I need to face my fears. I'm not sure when, but I want to!"