Tom: John Blake was accused of stealing an exhibit—a pendant—from a museum. He and his friend, Mary Green, decided to find the pendant and its thief. They went to Anthony Forset, a collector of old things. While Forset was telling them about the pendant, John noticed a photograph of Scarface on the table. Anthony Forset got angry and rude when he saw John looking at the photograph. He told them to leave. It was pitch dark in the garden. Suddenly, Mary heard a noise among the bushes. She thought it was a man. She thought that the man was watching them, looking at everything they did. He was watching them, and he followed them, and he overheard them.
Cathy: I know what “watch” means. “To watch” is “to look at something happening”. But can you explain what “overhear” means?
Tom: Of course, Cathy, I can. Listen.
Woman1: You know, Florence thinks a bit too much of herself.
Woman2: Yes. And she is ugly. And stupid, too.
Woman1: Shh. I think there’s someone outside the door. Open it.
Woman2: Oh, Florence, what are you doing here?
Florence: What are you doing here?
Woman2: Oh, nothing, nothing, talking about the weather.
Florence: Talking about the weather? I heard you. You were talking about me. I heard every word you said.
Woman1: You mean, you overheard us?
Florence: Yes, I overheard you. And now I know how ugly and stupid you think I am. What good friends I have!
Cathy: I see. If I’m talking to someone, and someone else happen to hear what I am saying, he overhears.
Tom: Quite right. The man in the bushes was watching them, and he overheard them.
(mysterious music)
Mary: It’s a man.
John: A man?
Mary: Yes. I’m sure it’s a man. He’s among the bushes. He’s following us.
John: We’re being followed?
Mary: And we’re being watched. We’re being watched from the bushes, by a man.
John: Oh, it’s a cat. We’re only being watched by a cat.
Mary: We’re being watched by a man.
John: Ridiculous.
Mary: We’re being watched, we’re being followed, and we’re being overheard.
John: We’re being overheard? By a cat?
Mary: We’re being overheard by that man in the bushes.
John: Where?
Mary: There.
John: You’re wrong. It’s a cat. I’m sure it’s a cat. It’s a big cat.
Mary: Let’s hurry back to the car.
John: All right then.
Mary: Hurry! Hurry!
John: I am hurrying.
Mary: Wait for me.
(quick footsteps)
Mary: Here is the car. Thank goodness. Get in.
John: You get in first.
Mary: All right. (she cries) Oh!
John: What’s the matter?
Mary: There’s something on the seat.
John: What?
Mary: Strike a light. Quickly. Strike a light.
John: I am looking for my cigarette lighter. I can’t find it.
Mary: There’s something there.
John: Where?
Mary: On the seat of the car. It moved. It’s alive.
John: Something alive on the seat? Is it a cat?
Mary: No, it’s not a cat. Strike a light.
Tom: When they got to their car, Mary found something on the seat. “Strike a light,” she said to John. “Strike a light.”
Man1: Oh! I’ve fallen down. Ouch! My leg.
Man2: It’s pitch dark. I can’t see you.
Man1: Come on! Oh, help me. My leg.
Man2: Wait a minute. It’s so dark I can’t see you. I must strike a light.
Man1: Have you got any matches? Strike a match.
Man2: (striking a match) The wind has blown it out. I’ll strike another match.
Man1: Strike a light. Use your cigarette lighter. Oh, my leg!
Man2: (striking his cigarette lighter) Just a minute. You’re right. The wind can’t blow the cigarette lighter out. Oh, blast, it’s out again.
Cathy: And what did they see when John struck a light? Did they see what was on the seat of Mary’s car?
Mary: There’s something there.
John: Where?
Mary: On the seat of the car. It moved. It’s alive.
John: Something alive on the seat? Is it a cat?
Mary: No, it’s not a cat. Strike a light. (John is striking his cigarette lighter) Ugh! It’s a snake!
John: I know it’s a snake. Look at it. It’s watching us. It’s alive. Don’t move.
Mary: I’m not moving. Do you know anything about snakes?
John: Some snakes are poisonous.
Mary: I know some snakes are poisonous. Is this snake poisonous?
John: I don’t know.
Mary: I touched it. Ugh!
John: It was put in the car by someone.
Mary: It was put on that seat.
John: But who put it there?
Forset: Ah, there he is.
Mary: Mr. Forset!
Forset: So you’ve found him. You’ve found my snake.
Mary: Yours, Mr. Forset?
Forset: Mine.
John: So, this is your snake, is it?
Forset: My pet snake. I keep unusual pets, I told you.
Mary: You keep very dangerous pets.
Forset: I said I keep dangerous pets.
Mary: Is this snake dangerous?
Forset: Ha-ha.
Mary: I said, is this snake poisonous?
Forset: I’m being asked too many questions.
John: Take that snake away.
Forset: Heh-heh.
Mary: You’re wearing very thick gloves.
Forset: Yes, I am. Thick gloves are being worn this year.
Mary: Why are you wearing thick gloves?
Forset: Because I keep a snake. I keep unusual pets.
John: The man with the scar—what about him? Is he one of your dangerous pets?
Forset: I beg your pardon?
John: Who is the man with the scar?
Tom: So, on the seat of the car, there was a snake. It was one of Anthony Forset’s dangerous pets. Snakes are dangerous animals. Snakes are poisonous.
Cathy: Poisonous?
Tom: Oh, don’t you know, what that means? Listen!
Woman: Oh, no! Don’t drink out of that bottle!
Man: Why not?
Woman: Can’t you see the skull and crossbones on it?
Man: I can see the skull and crossbones. So what?
Woman: They mean that there’s poison in the bottle. There’s something in the bottle that is poisonous. You might die if you drink it.
Man: I want to die.
Woman: Oh, no, no, what are you doing? Are you completely mad? (he laughs) Oh, no!
Man: Don’t be so frightened. I put whisky in the bottle. I wanted to frighten you.
Woman: Oh, you succeeded.
Tom: Mary and John found a snake on the seat of Mary’s car. They were terribly frightened. Suddenly Anthony Forset came out. John asked him about Scarface, but Anthony Forset didn’t answer.
Cathy: But he did answer. He said, “I beg your pardon?”
Tom: Well, that’s not a real answer. Listen.
Man1: Excuse me, sir. Could you tell me what the time is, please?
Man2: What?
Man1: Could you tell me what the time is, please?
Man2: I beg your pardon.
Man1: Tell me what the time is, please.
Man2: I beg your pardon.
Man1: What’s the time?
Man2: Oh, the weather is fine. Yes, it’s lovely.
Cathy: Oh, the old gentleman couldn’t hear well. So you say “I beg your pardon” when you don’t understand what the other person says?
Tom: That’s right. You say, “I beg your pardon?”, or you can use the short form, “Pardon?”. That’s also—au!
Cathy: I beg your pardon! I trod on your foot. I didn’t mean to.
Tom: That’s all right. But your apology is not all right. If you tread on someone’s foot or you bump into someone on a bus or a tram, you have to say, “I’m sorry”, or you can use the short form “Sorry”. If you want to be very polite, you say “I am so sorry” or “I am awfully sorry”.
Cathy: I’m awfully sorry then.
Tom: That’s all right. It doesn’t matter.
Cathy: So, these are the answers to an apology. “That’s all right” or “It doesn’t matter”.
Tom: Yes. What a clever girl!
Cathy: I beg your pardon?
Tom: I said what a clever girl!
Cathy: Oh, I heard it all right. Only I wanted to hear you say that nice sentence again.
Tom: You are naughty, Cathy.
Cathy: Yes, I am. Excuse me, Tom. By the way, when do you say “Excuse me”?
Tom: You say “Excuse me” when you want to inquire about something. “Excuse me, could you tell me the way to Westminster Abbey?” Or “Excuse me, could you tell me the time?” You can say “excuse me” for instance, on a crowded bus, when you want to get off but somebody is standing in front of you. If anybody is sitting in your seat in the theatre, you say, “Excuse me! I’m afraid this is my seat.” Of course, you also use “excuse me” when you want to apologise. For instance, “Excuse me for being late.” Or “Excuse me for not writing earlier.”
Cathy: I see. It’s quite clear. When John said, “The man with the scar, what about him? Is he one of your dangerous pets?”
Tom: Yes, you have a good memory.
Cathy: And Forset answered, “I beg your pardon?” He didn’t hear what John had said. Or perhaps he heard—but didn’t want John and Mary to know he had heard.
Tom: Very good, Cathy. You are improving very quickly. So now
EXERCISE YOUR ENGLISH.
Exercise 1
Listen to the example:
A: Someone is watching them.
B: They’re being watched.
Listen, speak, listen.
A: Someone is watching them.
[Your response]
B: They’re being watched.
A: Someone is following them.
[Your response]
B: They’re being followed.
A: Someone is asking them.
[Your response]
B: They’re being asked.
A: Someone is hurrying them.
[Your response]
B: They’re being hurried.
A: Someone is calling them.
[Your response]
B: They’re being called.
A: Someone is disturbing them.
[Your response]
B: They’re being disturbed.
A: Someone is deceiving them.
[Your response]
B: They’re being deceived.
A: Someone is using them.
[Your response]
B: They’re being used.
A: Someone is chasing them.
[Your response]
B: They’re being chased.
Exercise 2
In this exercise, listeners, you’re going to practice what to say if you don’t understand or hear a part of the sentence properly. Listen to the example:
A: Mr. Bootle’s waiting upstairs.
B: who
C: I beg your pardon? Who is waiting upstairs?
Listen, speak, listen.
A: Mr. Bootle’s waiting upstairs.
B: who
[Your response]
C: I beg your pardon? Who is waiting upstairs?
A: He’s coming here tonight.
B: when
[Your response]
C: I beg your pardon? When is he coming?
A: There’s poison in that bottle.
B: what
[Your response]
C: I beg your pardon? What’s in that bottle?
A: John’s going by plane.
B: how
[Your response]
C: I beg your pardon? How is he going?
A: The food cost 50 pence.
B: how much
[Your response]
C: I beg your pardon? How much did the food cost?
A: Mary is worried because John’s late.
B: why
[Your response]
C: I beg your pardon? Why is Mary worried?
A: Miss Haverel lives in an old house.
B: who
[Your response]
C: I beg your pardon? Who lives in an old house?
A: The snake was in John’s car.
B: where
[Your response]
C: I beg your pardon? Where was the snake?
Exercise 3
Listen to the example:
A: It was put in the car.
B: But who put it there?
Listen, speak, listen.
A: It was put in the car.
[Your response]
B: But who put it there?
A: It was thrown out.
[Your response]
B: But who threw it out?
A: It was torn.
[Your response]
B: But who tore it?
A: It was given to the museum.
[Your response]
B: But who gave it to the museum?
A: It was worn.
[Your response]
B: But who wore it?
A: It was taken outside.
[Your response]
B: But who took it outside?
A: It was returned.
[Your response]
B: But who returned it?
A: It was stolen.
[Your response]
B: But who stole it?
A: It was started.
[Your response]
B: But who started it?
A: It was stopped.
[Your response]
B: But who stopped it?
Tom: And now, here is our story once again. John and Mary were going back to their car. Suddenly they heard a noise in the bushes.
(mysterious music)
Mary: It’s a man.
John: A man?
Mary: Yes. I’m sure it’s a man. He’s among the bushes. He’s following us.
John: We’re being followed?
Mary: And we’re being watched. We’re being watched from the bushes, by a man.
John: Oh, it’s a cat. We’re only being watched by a cat.
Mary: We’re being watched by a man.
John: Ridiculous.
Mary: We’re being watched, we’re being followed, and we’re being overheard.
John: We’re being overheard? By a cat?
Mary: We’re being overheard by that man in the bushes.
John: Where?
Mary: There.
John: You’re wrong. It’s a cat. I’m sure it’s a cat. It’s a big cat.
Mary: Let’s hurry back to the car.
John: All right then.
Mary: Hurry! Hurry!
John: I am hurrying.
Mary: Wait for me.
(quick footsteps)
Mary: Here is the car. Thank goodness. Get in.
John: You get in first.
Mary: All right. (she cries) Oh!
John: What’s the matter?
Mary: There’s something on the seat.
John: What?
Mary: Strike a light. Quickly. Strike a light.
John: I am looking for my cigarette lighter. I can’t find it.
Mary: There’s something there.
John: Where?
Mary: On the seat of the car. It moved. It’s alive.
John: Something alive on the seat? Is it a cat?
Mary: No, it’s not a cat. Strike a light. (John is striking his cigarette lighter) Ugh! It’s a snake!
John: I know it’s a snake. Look at it. It’s watching us. It’s alive. Don’t move.
Mary: I’m not moving. Do you know anything about snakes?
John: Some snakes are poisonous.
Mary: I know some snakes are poisonous. Is this snake poisonous?
John: I don’t know.
Mary: I touched it. Ugh!
John: It was put in the car by someone.
Mary: It was put on that seat.
John: But who put it there?
Forset: Ah, there he is.
Mary: Mr. Forset!
Forset: So you’ve found him. You’ve found my snake.
Mary: Yours, Mr. Forset?
Forset: Mine.
John: So, this is your snake, is it?
Forset: My pet snake. I keep unusual pets, I told you.
Mary: You keep very dangerous pets.
Forset: I said I keep dangerous pets.
Mary: Is this snake dangerous?
Forset: Ha-ha.
Mary: I said, is this snake poisonous?
Forset: I’m being asked too many questions.
John: Take that snake away.
Forset: Heh-heh.
Mary: You’re wearing very thick gloves.
Forset: Yes, I am. Thick gloves are being worn this year.
Mary: Why are you wearing thick gloves?
Forset: Because I keep a snake. I keep unusual pets.
John: The man with the scar—what about him? Is he one of your dangerous pets?
Forset: I beg your pardon?
John: Who is the man with the scar?
Mary: Yes. Who is the man with the scar?
Forset: I don’t know a man with a scar.
John: Then who is the man in the photograph?
(theme music)