Tom: John Blake wanted a job in the museum. He didn’t get it. While he was in the museum, he was accused of stealing an exhibit, a pendant, but the police let him go. He left the museum with his friend, Mary Green. On their way home they found a newspaper reporter hiding in Mary’s car. He got his story from them, but in exchange Mary asked him to help them. “You want the job,” the reporter said to John, “so you’ll have to find the pendant.” But how could John find the pendant? He didn’t know. The reporter had an idea. He told them to go to a man, who was a collector of old things.
Cathy: The reporter had an idea? It’s not quite clear, I’m afraid.
Tom: Yes, an idea. Listen.
(music)
Woman: (yawns) Ugh, I’m bored.
Man: Then let’s do something interesting.
Woman: Interesting? What could we do?
Man: Well…
Woman: You see? You haven’t got a single idea. (yawns) Oh, I’m going to sleep.
Man: You know, what? I have an idea. Let’s go to the cinema.
Woman: To the cinema? What a bad idea!
Man: Then let’s play ping-pong.
Woman: (yawns) That’s also a bad idea. It’s too hot to play ping-pong.
Man: Then let’s go for a swim. That’s a good idea, isn’t it?
Woman: No, it isn’t. I don’t feel like swimming.
Man: Then I have a really good idea. Leave me alone, and do whatever you want! Goodbye.
Cathy: Thanks, that’s clear now. And what is a collector?
Tom: Well, a collector is a man who collects something. There are people who collect stamps, there are others who collect books or old clocks or pictures or old coins.
Cathy: And the reporter told John and Mary to go to a collector like that. What does he collect?
Tom: Well, he collected—but it’s better if you listen.
Reporter: I’m sorry.
John: I’m sorry, too.
Reporter: Wait a minute.
John: Yes?
Reporter: I have an idea. Go to Anthony Forset.
Mary: Anthony Forset?
Reporter: Yes. Anthony Forset knows all about old things.
John: So, he knows all about old things.
Reporter: Yes, he does. I’m sure he’ll know about the pendant.
Mary: Why are you so sure?
John: Yes, why are you sure he’ll know about the pendant?
Reporter: Because he collects old things, he is a collector. Go to him and ask him.
John: It’s a good idea. Let’s go and ask him.
Mary: Yes, now.
John: Now?
Mary: Yes, let’s go and ask him now.
John: But it’s late.
Mary: I know it’s late. But let’s go now.
John: All right. Let’s go now.
Tom: So, John agreed. They got into Mary’s car. Anthony Forset didn’t live in the town. He lived in a big house in the country. It was a long drive to get there. On their way Mary noticed something. A car was following them. It was a red sports car. Mary watched it in her driving mirror.
Cathy: “Driving mirror?” What words you use!
Tom: That’s a mirror in the car. It is in front of the driver. When the driver looks into it, he can see everything behind the car.
Cathy: Oh, I see. This is beginning to be very exciting. Mary saw a red sports car following them.
Tom: When Mary drove fast, the sports car drove fast, too. When Mary drove slowly, that is, she slowed down, it slowed down, too. When Mary speeded up, that is, drove faster and faster, it speeded up, too. And it never passed them. It didn’t pass Mary’s car. It was always behind them.
Woman1: Look at that handsome boy! He’s coming after us.
Woman2: Yes, he is following us. Perhaps he likes us.
Woman1: He likes me. He is smiling at me.
Woman2: No, he likes me. He’s following me.
Woman1: No, no. Now he’s passing us.
Woman2: Yes.
Woman1: He’s in front of us, now. And he isn’t even looking back.
Woman3: Peter! Peter!
Man: Hello, darling.
Woman1: He wasn’t following us. He passed us because he came to meet that girl.
Woman2: What a pity.
Tom: Mary saw that the car didn’t pass them, but John still wasn’t sure it was following them. “Let’s find out,” Mary said. “Let’s find out, ” let’s make sure, let’s see whether it’s really following us, or just driving behind us. Mary drove around the bend and turned into a lane, a small, narrow road.
Cathy: A new word again—I don’t know what a “bend” is.
Tom: When the road is not straight, but turns to the right or to the left, there is a bend in it: a right bend or a left bend.
Cathy: So the red sports car couldn’t see that Mary turned into a lane, because the lane was around the bend. Is that right?
Tom: What a clever girl you are! But the story is very exciting. Let’s listen.
(Mary, driving a car)
Mary: That car is following us.
John: Following us? Are you sure?
Mary: Yes. Look behind us. That red car. It’s following us.
John: That red sports car?
Mary: I’m watching it in my driving mirror.
John: It’s driving behind us.
Mary: It’s following us. Watch it. I’m slowing down now. What is the car doing?
John: It’s slowing down as well.
Mary: It’s following us.
John: It isn’t passing us. No, it isn’t passing us, it’s following us. Or is it following us?
Mary: I don’t know.
John: Perhaps it isn’t following us.
Mary: Why isn’t it passing us?
John: I don’t know, but perhaps it isn’t following us.
Mary: Let’s find out.
John: Find out?
Mary: Look at that bend in the road. I’ll speed up, I’ll drive around that bend, and I’ll turn into a lane. Then we’ll wait and see. (after some time) Is the sports car passing us?
John: Yes, it is. It’s passing the end of the lane. It’s in front of us now.
Mary: Then we’ll go.
John: Let’s follow the sports car. Let’s follow it and watch it. (Mary driving) Look ahead! That’s the red sports car, isn’t it?
Mary: Yes, it is. It’s turning around.
John: Why is it turning around?
Mary: It’s coming towards us.
John: Yes, it’s coming towards us.
Cathy: Why did you stop it? It’s so exciting!
Tom: You’ll hear what happened next, but first you have to work a bit.
EXERCISE YOUR ENGLISH.
Exercise 1
In this exercise you’ll have to ask questions. Don’t forget about the intonation. Listen to the example:
A: The car is following us.
B: Following us? Are you sure?
Listen, speak, listen, and repeat what you have heard with the correct intonation.
A: The car is following us.
[Your response]
B: Following us? Are you sure?
A: It’s slowing down.
[Your response]
B: Slowing down? Are you sure?
A: It’s turning into the lane.
[Your response]
B: Turning into the lane? Are you sure?
A: It’s speeding up.
[Your response]
B: Speeding up? Are you sure?
A: It’s coming straight at us.
[Your response]
B: Straight at us? Are you sure?
A: It’s stopping.
[Your response]
B: Stopping? Are you sure?
A: We’re finishing this exercise.
[Your response]
B: Finishing? Are you sure?
Exercise 2
Listen to the example:
A: I’m slowing down. What’s the other car doing?
B: It’s slowing down as well.
Listen, speak, listen.
A: I’m slowing down. What’s the other car doing?
[Your response]
B: It’s slowing down as well.
A: I’m turning to the right. What’s the other car doing?
[Your response]
B: It’s turning to the right as well.
A: I’m speeding up. What’s the other car doing?
[Your response]
B: It’s speeding up as well.
A: I’m turning to the left. What’s the other car doing?
[Your response]
B: It’s turning to the left as well.
A: And now I’m stopping. What’s the other car doing?
[Your response]
B: It’s stopping as well.
Exercise 3
Listen to the example:
A: Go to Anthony Forset.
B: That’s a good idea. Let’s go to Anthony Forset.
Listen, speak, listen.
A: Go to Anthony Forset.
[Your response]
B: That’s a good idea. Let’s go to Anthony Forset.
A: Go to the collector.
[Your response]
B: That’s a good idea. Let’s go to the collector.
A: You’ll have to go now.
[Your response]
B: That’s a good idea. Let’s go now.
A: Turn around the bend.
[Your response]
B: That’s a good idea. Let’s turn around the bend.
A: Take a taxi.
[Your response]
B: That’s a good idea. Let’s take a taxi.
A: Phone the detective.
[Your response]
B: That’s a good idea. Let’s phone the detective.
A: Watch the red sports car.
[Your response]
B: That’s a good idea. Let’s watch the red sports car.
A: Speed up and follow it.
[Your response]
B: That’s a good idea. Let’s speed up and follow it.
A: Stop this exercise.
[Your response]
B: That’s a good idea. Let’s stop this exercise.
Exercise 4
Listen
A: It’s late.
B: I don’t feel like working because it’s late.
Listen, speak, listen.
A: It’s late.
[Your response]
B: I don’t feel like working because it’s late.
A: It’s cold.
[Your response]
B: I don’t feel like working because it’s cold.
A: It’s hot.
[Your response]
B: I don’t feel like working because it’s hot.
A: It’s raining.
[Your response]
B: I don’t feel like working because it’s raining.
A: It’s too early.
[Your response]
B: I don’t feel like working because it’s too early.
A: It’s dark.
[Your response]
B: I don’t feel like working because it’s dark.
A: It’s snowing.
[Your response]
B: I don’t feel like working because it’s snowing.
Exercise 5
I have an idea. How about making this the last exercise today?
What an idea! Well then, listen to the example:
A: How about swimming?
B: cold
C: What an idea! It’s much too cold.
Listen, speak, listen.
A: How about swimming?
B: cold
[Your response]
C: What an idea! It’s much too cold.
A: How about going to bed?
B: early
[Your response]
C: What an idea! It’s much too early.
A: How about working?
B: late
[Your response]
C: What an idea! It’s much too late.
A: How about going home?
B: early
[Your response]
C: What an idea! It’s much too early.
A: How about gardening?
B: dark
[Your response]
C: What an idea! It’s much too dark.
A: How about going out?
B: hot
[Your response]
C: What an idea! It’s much too hot.
A: How about finishing this exercise?
B: Now, that’s an idea. How about listening to the story once again?
Tom: John, Mary and the reporter are in Mary’s flat. They’re wondering, that is, thinking, how John could find the pendant.
Reporter: I’m sorry.
John: I’m sorry, too.
Reporter: Wait a minute.
John: Yes?
Reporter: I have an idea. Go to Anthony Forset.
Mary: Anthony Forset?
Reporter: Yes. Anthony Forset knows all about old things.
John: So, he knows all about old things.
Reporter: Yes, he does. I’m sure he’ll know about the pendant.
Mary: Why are you so sure?
John: Yes, why are you sure he’ll know about the pendant?
Reporter: Because he collects old things, he is a collector. Go to him and ask him.
John: It’s a good idea. Let’s go and ask him.
Mary: Yes, now.
John: Now?
Mary: Yes, let’s go now.
John: But it’s late.
Mary: I know it’s late. But let’s go now.
John: All right. Let’s go now.
(Mary, driving a car)
Mary: That car is following us.
John: Following us? Are you sure?
Mary: Yes. Look behind us. That red car. It’s following us.
John: That red sports car?
Mary: I’m watching it in my driving mirror.
John: It’s driving behind us.
Mary: It’s following us. Watch it. I’m slowing down now. What is the car doing?
John: It’s slowing down as well.
Mary: It’s following us.
John: It isn’t passing us. No, it isn’t passing us, it’s following us. Or is it following us?
Mary: I don’t know.
John: Perhaps it isn’t following us.
Mary: Why isn’t it passing us?
John: I don’t know, but perhaps it isn’t following us.
Mary: Let’s find out.
John: Find out?
Mary: Look at that bend in the road. I’ll speed up, I’ll drive around that bend, and I’ll turn into a lane. Then we’ll wait and see. (after some time) Is the sports car passing us?
John: Yes, it is. It’s passing the end of the lane. It’s in front of us now.
Mary: Then we’ll go.
John: Let’s follow the sports car. Let’s follow it and watch it. (Mary driving) Look ahead! That’s the red sports car, isn’t it?
Mary: Yes, it is. It’s turning around.
John: Why is it turning around?
Mary: It’s coming towards us.
John: Yes, it’s coming towards us. It’s coming straight at us!
Mary: John!
John: It’s coming into us!
Mary: Look, John!
(theme music)