Tom: John Blake wanted a job in a museum. He went to see the director, but he made too many mistakes, so he didn’t get the job. While he was phoning his friend, Mary Green, someone broke one of the glass cases and stole a pendant. John heard the glass break and went there. The attendant saw him wave his umbrella. They started to fight. John fell down and banged his head. For a few minutes he was unconscious. When he woke up, the director was looking at him. John said: “Oh, my head. It aches.”
John: Oh, my head! It aches.
The attendant: You banged it, sir.
John: Am I in the museum?
The attendant: Yes, sir, you are in the museum. You banged your head.
The director: Mr. Blake, you are in trouble.
John: Um?
The director: You are in serious trouble.
John: Oh, but...
The attendant: I am sorry I hit you, sir.
John: I am sorry I hit you, too.
The attendant: That’s all right, sir.
The director: Come with me, Mr. Blake.
John: Oh, yeah...
The director: Wait here, please.
John: Wait here?
The director: Yes, please.
John: My head aches.
The director: Sit down then. Sit down. The police are coming.
John: Police?
The director: I’ve phoned the police. They are coming.
John: Oh! Are they coming soon?
The director: They are coming immediately.
John: Oh, good.
The director: Good? You broke that glass, didn’t you?
John: Me?
The director: Yes, you, you broke the glass case.
John: I didn’t break the glass case.
The director: The attendant saw you.
John: The attendant didn’t see me. I didn’t break the glass case. The glass was broken. I found it.
The director: You waved your umbrella. The attendant saw you.
John: I saw the broken glass. Then I waved my umbrella. I waved my umbrella, because the glass was broken.
The director: You hit the attendant.
John: The attendant hit me!
The director: You hit the attendant, then the attendant hit you.
John: He held my arms.
The director: Why did you hit the attendant?
John: I hit him, because he held my arms.
The director: The attendant held your arms, because you waved your umbrella. You waved your umbrella, didn’t you?
John: Yes, I waved my umbrella.
The director: And you broke the case.
John: I didn’t break the case. Don’t you believe me?
The director: No. I don’t believe you.
Tom: The director was sure that John had stolen the pendant. John was in trouble. The director called the police. He wanted to tell them that John stole the pendant. John was in serious trouble. He said: “I didn’t break the glass case,” but the director didn’t believe him. John was telling the truth. He said: “I didn’t break the glass case,” and that was the truth. He really didn’t break the glass case, but the director didn’t believe him. John called him a foolish old man. The director wanted John to apologise. He thought that John had stolen the pendant, and that he was hiding it. He thought that he had put it somewhere, where no one could find it.
The director: You are hiding the pendant, aren’t you?
John: The pendant?
The director: Yes. You stole the pendant, didn’t you? Now you are hiding it.
John: I didn’t steal it, and I am not hiding it.
The director: I don’t believe you.
John: I am telling the truth.
The director: The police are coming.
John: Oh, they are, are they?
The director: Yes, the police are coming.
John: Let them come.
The director: You’re a foolish young man.
John: And you’re a foolish old man.
The director: Oh, I am, am I?
John: Yes.
The director: Apologise!
John: Apologise?
The director: Apologise at once!
John: No! You are a foolish old man.
Cathy: They weren’t too polite to each other, were they?
Tom: No. But let them quarrel, while you
EXERCISE YOUR ENGLISH.
Exercise 1
Listen to the example:
A: The police are coming.
B: Are they coming soon?
A: They are coming immediately.
Listen, speak, listen.
A: The police are coming.
B: Are they coming soon?
[Your response]
A: They are coming immediately.
A: The detective’s coming.
B: Is he coming soon?
[Your response]
A: He’s coming immediately.
A: The doctor’s coming.
B: Is he coming soon?
[Your response]
A: He’s coming immediately.
A: The ambulance is coming.
B: Is it coming soon?
[Your response]
A: It’s coming immediately.
Exercise 2
Listen to the example:
A: Did you break the glass case?
B: No, it was already broken when I came.
Listen, speak, listen.
A: Did you break the glass case?
[Your response]
B: No, it was already broken when I came.
A: Did you damage the tape recorder?
[Your response]
B: No, it was already damaged when I came.
A: Did you wash up the dishes?
[Your response]
B: No, they were already washed up when I came.
A: Did you type the application?
[Your response]
B: No, it was already typed when I came.
Tom: And now, let’s get back to our story once again. John is in trouble. His head aches, and worse than that, the museum director thinks that he stole the pendant.
John: Oh, my head! It aches.
The attendant: You banged it, sir.
John: Am I in the museum?
The attendant: Yes, sir, you are in the museum. You banged your head.
The director: Mr. Blake, you are in trouble.
John: Um?
The director: You are in serious trouble.
John: Oh, but...
The attendant: I am sorry I hit you, sir.
John: I am sorry I hit you, too.
The attendant: That’s all right, sir.
The director: Come with me, Mr. Blake.
John: Oh, yeah...
The director: Wait here, please.
John: Wait here?
The director: Yes, please.
John: My head aches.
The director: Sit down then. Sit down. The police are coming.
John: Police?
The director: I’ve phoned the police. They are coming.
John: Oh! Are they coming soon?
The director: They are coming immediately.
John: Oh, good.
The director: Good? You broke that glass, didn’t you?
John: Me?
The director: Yes, you, you broke the glass case.
John: I didn’t break the glass case.
The director: The attendant saw you.
John: The attendant didn’t see me. I didn’t break the glass case. The glass was broken. I found it.
The director: You waved your umbrella. The attendant saw you.
John: I saw the broken glass. Then I waved my umbrella. I waved my umbrella, because the glass was broken.
The director: You hit the attendant.
John: The attendant hit me!
The director: You hit the attendant, then the attendant hit you.
John: He held my arms.
The director: Why did you hit the attendant?
John: I hit him, because he held my arms.
The director: The attendant held your arms, because you waved your umbrella. You waved your umbrella, didn’t you?
John: Yes, I waved my umbrella.
The director: And you broke the case.
John: I didn’t break the case. Don’t you believe me?
The director: No. I don’t believe you. You are hiding the pendant, aren’t you?
John: The pendant?
The director: Yes. You stole the pendant, didn’t you? Now you are hiding it.
John: I didn’t steal it, and I am not hiding it.
The director: I don’t believe you.
John: I am telling the truth.
The director: The police are coming.
John: Oh, they are, are they?
The director: Yes, the police are coming.a
John: Let them come.
The director: You’re a foolish young man.
John: And you’re a foolish old man.
The director: Oh, I am, am I?
John: Yes.
The director: Apologise!
John: Apologise?
The director: Apologise at once!
John: No! You are a foolish old man.
Secretary: The police, sir.
The director: Ah, the police. Send them in.
Announcer: Will the police discover the truth? Or will they too think that John stole the pendant? Will John be arrested? Listen to the next instalment of “The Missing Jewel”.