Tom: John Blake wanted a job in the museum. He didn’t get it, but while he was in the museum, someone stole an exhibit, a pendant. The director accused John, but the police detective let him go. Outside the museum, a newspaper reporter stopped him and his girlfriend, Mary Green. They didn’t want to answer the reporter’s questions. They went away in Mary’s car. John told Mary all about the pendant. When they stopped the car, they heard a sneeze. The sneeze came from the back of the car. Someone was hiding in the car. He was hiding – neither John nor Mary could see him. They didn’t notice him when they got into the car. They couldn’t see him, they couldn’t find him. He was hiding.
Mary: (someone sneezing) What was that noise? I heard a noise.
John: It was a sneeze. Someone sneezed. Someone is hiding in the car.
Mary: In my car? Come out, you there, come out!
John: Yes, come out! I’ll hit you—I’ll hit you with my umbrella.
Man: Hey, don’t hit me. I’m coming out.
Mary: Come out quickly.
John: Come on.
Man: I’m coming.
John: You’re the reporter.
Man: Yes, I’m the reporter.
Mary: You were hiding in my car.
Man: Yes, I was. I was hiding in your car.
Mary: But you ran away.
Man: I ran back to your car and hid.
John: Why were you hiding in the car?
Man: Because I wanted a story.
John: So, you were hiding because you wanted a story. And we were talking and you were listening.
Man: You were talking and I was listening. I heard everything.
John: Mary, he heard everything.
Mary: So, he got his story.
Man: Yes, I got my story. So now I’m going.
Mary: Oh, no. Come into my flat.
Man: But—
Mary: Come on, come into my flat. You got your story. Now you’ll have to help us.
Man: Can I help you?
Mary: Yes, you can. I’m sure you can help us.
(theme music)
Tom: Mary invited the reporter to her flat to help them find out what to do. Now, that the reporter had got his story, he had to help John and Mary to find the real thief. What should they do? The reporter still didn’t understand why the pendant had been stolen. He asked, “Is it old? Is it valuable?”
Cathy: You know, you’ll have to explain the word “valuable”.
Tom: Yes, valuable. If you want to buy a thing that is valuable, you have to pay a lot of money for it.
Cathy: I see. “Expensive”.
Tom: No, not exactly. “Valuable” and “expensive” are not the same. There’re valuable things you cannot buy at all. For example, pictures in a museum, old jewellery, old furniture, and so on, and so forth. They are valuable because they are beautiful. They are valuable because today people can’t make things like them. They are valuable because they are rare. There’re only one or two in the world.
(something breaking)
Woman: Oh, the vase! The vase!
Man: I’m awfully sorry. It was my mistake. Was it valuable?
Woman: Yes, it was very valuable. It was an old and very rare Chinese vase. There’re only a few other vases like that in the whole world.
Man: What shall I do? I can’t tell you how sorry I am.
Cathy: I see. So, this ring on my finger is valuable, for example. It’s expensive, too. It’s gold, there’s a diamond in it, you see. But it’s especially valuable to me because I got it from my grandmother. It’s an old family ring. It is much more valuable to me than anything else on earth.
Tom: You’re improving, Cathy. But let’s turn back to John and the reporter.
Cathy: So, the reporter wanted to know, whether the pendant was valuable.
Tom: Yes. He said, “Let’s ask the director of the museum.” But John didn’t want to ask him. “I insulted him,” he said.
Cathy: How did he insult him?
Tom: He called him a silly old man.
Cathy: Oh, I see. If I call someone names, I insult him.
Tom: That’s right.
Man: You are a silly old lemon.
Woman: What did you say?
Man: I said you’re a silly old lemon. And you’re a fool. And you’re a—
Woman: Policeman! Policeman!
Policeman: Yes, ma’am?
Woman: Constable, this young man insulted me.
Policeman: How did he insult you?
Woman: He insulted me. He called me names. He called me a silly old lemon. And a fool.
Policeman: Now, man, do you really think she’s a silly old crackpot?
Tom: So, John insulted the director, but the director insulted him, too. And all that was because of the pendant.
(theme music)
Reporter: … and so, the pendant is missing.
John: The pendant is missing, and the director is sure I stole it.
Reporter: Did you steal it?
Mary: No, he didn’t. Of course he didn’t steal it.
Reporter: I was only asking. Now, you want a job at the museum.
John: Yes.
Reporter: You’ll have to find the pendant.
John: Yes, I’ll have to find it.
Mary: But you’ll help us, won’t you?
Reporter: Yes. I’ll help you. But you have to tell me about the pendant.
John: I can’t tell you any more. I don’t know any more.
Reporter: Is it old?
John: Yes, it’s old.
Reporter: Is it valuable?
John: I don’t know.
Mary: I’m sure it’s valuable.
John: I don’t know. I don’t know anything about the pendant.
Reporter: Well, let’s ask the director of the museum.
John: Oh, no, I can’t. “Ask the director of the museum?” I insulted him.
Mary: He insulted you first.
John: I know he insulted me first, but I insulted him as well. I can’t ask him.
Mary: Then what can we do?
Reporter: Are you sure you don’t know anything?
John: Yes, I am. I’m quite sure. I know nothing about the pendant.
Tom: And what do you know about the lesson?
EXERCISE YOUR ENGLISH.
Exercise 1
Listen to the example:
A: I can’t give you a story.
B: But you must give me a story.
Listen, speak, listen.
A: I can’t give you a story.
[Your response]
B: But you must give me a story.
A: I can’t tell you about it.
[Your response]
B: But you must tell me about it.
A: I can’t ask the director.
[Your response]
B: But you must ask the director.
A: I can’t offer a solution.
[Your response]
B: But you must offer a solution.
A: I can’t answer the reporter.
[Your response]
B: But you must answer the reporter.
A: I can’t find the thief.
[Your response]
B: But you must find the thief.
A: I can’t help the detective.
[Your response]
B: But you must help the detective.
A: I can’t listen to each programme.
[Your response]
B: But you must listen to each programme.
A: I can’t give you a story.
[Your response]
B: But you must give me a story.
Exercise 2
Listen to the example:
A: The reporter must help John and Mary.
B: You know he can’t help them.
Listen, speak, listen.
A: The reporter must help John and Mary.
[Your response]
B: You know he can’t help them.
A: The reporter must get his story.
[Your response]
B: You know he can’t get it.
A: John must speak to the director.
[Your response]
B: You know he can’t speak to him.
A: John and Mary must find the thief.
[Your response]
B: You know they can’t find him.
A: Peter must pass his exam.
[Your response]
B: You know he can’t pass it.
A: My friend must get this job.
[Your response]
B: You know he can’t get it.
A: A team must win the championship.
[Your response]
B: You know they can’t win it.
Exercise 3
Listen to the example:
A: You’ll help us, won’t you?
B: Yes, I will, but you’ll have to help me, too.
Listen, speak, listen.
A: You’ll help us, won’t you?
[Your response]
B: Yes, I will, but you’ll have to help me, too.
A: You’ll give me a story, won’t you?
[Your response]
B: Yes, I will, but you’ll have to give me a story, too.
A: You’ll meet him, won’t you?
[Your response]
B: Yes, I will, but you’ll have to meet him, too.
A: You’ll ask the director, won’t you?
[Your response]
B: Yes, I will, but you’ll have to ask him, too.
A: You’ll hurry up, won’t you?
[Your response]
B: Yes, I will, but you’ll have to hurry up, too.
A: You’ll write to me, won’t you?
[Your response]
B: Yes, I will, but you’ll have to write to me, too.
Exercise 4
Listen to the example:
A: Come out quickly!
B: I’m coming.
Now, listen, speak, listen.
A: Come out quickly!
[Your response]
B: I’m coming.
A: Come out quickly!
[Your response]
B: I’m coming.