1.02 Задание 2. Задание на понимание в прослушанном тексте запрашиваемой информации

Alex: Hi, Mia. I haven't seen you for ages. How are you?

Mia: Oh, hi, Alex. I'm fine, thank you. How about you?

Alex: I'm okay, thanks. I see you are reading something. 

Mia: Oh, yes, I am. It's a book ‘My Life Without Money’ by Heidemarie Schwimmer. She comes from Germany and she has been living for more than 15 years without using any money, so she has described her own experience in the book.

Alex: That's hard to believe. I don't think it's possible to live without any money at all. Does she explain in the book what made her give up using money?

Mia: Sure. She started it as an experiment when she set up a so-called swapping circle. There, people could swap things and services without using money. For instance, you can give somebody a music class, but instead of money, you are paid with a second-hand mixer. That started the ball rolling.

Alex: I'm not sure you can get anything this way. What if no one needs your services?

Mia: She says you are certainly able to do something that people need. She used to be a very successful psychotherapist, but she rarely trades her sessions now. When she was writing her book, she was living in a student residence. There she could sleep, have a shower, and use computers, in return for cooking for the other students who lived there.

Alex: How very interesting. Is she trying to prove that instead of a job you hate, you can do what you like and still be happy without many possessions?

Mia: Exactly. She only has some clothes and very few personal belongings and she says she is happy.

Alex: I say, Mia, can you please lend me the book? I'd love to read it.

Mia: I think I should finish it by the end of the week. I'll give you a call as soon as I've finished it so that you can borrow it.

Alex: Do you think you could live a month without any money at all?

Mia: When I'm reading the book, I think it's possible, but as soon as I put it aside, I start to doubt it. I can't imagine myself living in somebody else's house, doing services for them in return for being able to sleep in their house.

Alex: It must be very difficult to live like that. I can understand her motivation and her message, but this way of life doesn't suit most people.

Mia: Who knows? If everybody chose to live like that, it might be possible after all. At least the book makes us think about buying fewer things.

Alex: I'm with you on that point. Look, Mia, I've got to go. Give me a call, okay?

Mia: Alex, I promise I will. Bye for now.