Tom: John Blake was visiting a museum when a pendant was stolen. The museum director accused John. A police detective asked John a lot of questions, then let him go. At the same time, John saw a man in the museum, Scarface. John thought Scarface was the thief. He and his friend, Mary Green, learned that the pendant had been given to the museum by a dr. Haverel. Dr. Haverel was now dead, but his sister, Emily Haverel was still alive. They wanted to visit her. On the way, they met the man with the scar. They tried to follow him, but lost him. Suddenly, they saw a man who looked like him standing by a greengrocer’s shop. John ran up to him, but it wasn’t Scarface.
Cathy: “Green grocer”. How funny!
Tom: It’s not a green grocer, it’s a greengrocer.
Woman: Francis, darling!
Man: Hm?
Woman: Francis, darling!
Man: I am reading my newspaper.
Woman: Just a little favour. Would you pop down to the corner and get me something?
Man: All right. What do you want?
Woman: Only a bag of sugar and a packet of tea from the grocer’s.
Man: Sugar and tea from the grocer’s.
Woman: Oh! And some cheese and biscuits.
Man: Yes…
Woman: Oh, I’ve almost forgotten. A loaf of bread from the baker’s.
Man: First you said only the grocer’s.
Woman: Oh, darling, it’s next to the grocer’s, you know. A loaf of bread and some cakes from the baker’s. And some meat from the butcher’s, two pork chops, perhaps.
Man: Do you only want me to go to the grocer’s, baker’s and the butcher’s? Nowhere else? Are you sure?
Woman: Oh, darling! How nice of you! You could go to the greengrocer’s and get me a pound of apples, a pound of tomatoes, a nice big cabbage, some cucumbers, a pound of cherries, a dozen bananas—
Man: Shall I go to the fishmonger’s, the confectioner’s, and the dry cleaner’s as well? Shall I take your head to the hairdresser’s, and had your hair washed and set?
Woman: I was only asking a little favour…
Cathy: Oh, just like any husband and wife! But at least now I know what a greengrocer’s sells.
Tom: So, the man like Scarface was standing by a greengrocer’s shop. John ran up to him and caught him. “I’ve caught you,” he said. But the man was stronger.
John: Ouch! Let me go!
Man: What are you doing?
John: I’ve caught you.
Man: You’ve caught me, have you?
Mary: John, it isn’t him.
John: What?
Mary: It isn’t the thief. Oh, you’ve knocked the potatoes over. You’ve spilt the potatoes. Let him go.
John: Hm. He won’t let me go.
Man: Let me look at you, young man. Oh, it’s you, is it, sir?
John: Oh! Yes… it’s me.
Mary: John! Who is it?
John: (whispering) Mary, this is the detective.
Mary: How do you do!
Man: Yes, I’m the detective. A police detective. (sneezes) And I don’t like being pushed about.
Tom: Well, John tried to catch the man, but the man wasn’t Scarface. He was the police detective. They were struggling, and they knocked over some boxes of potatoes outside the greengrocer’s shop.
(noise of breaking glass)
Woman: What was that?
Child: I’ve knocked over a bottle.
Woman: What bottle?
Child: A milk bottle.
Woman: Have you knocked over a milk bottle or a bottle of milk?
Child: Well, a bottle of milk.
Woman: Ah, so you’ve spilt the milk, too.
Child: I’ve spilt the milk. I’m sorry. The bottle was on the floor. I pushed it and knocked it over.
Woman: Oh, dear. Pick up the pieces of glass, but don’t cut yourself.
Child: Don’t be angry, Mummy, I have a good idea. Come on, Pussy. I’ve spilt the milk. Lick it up quickly.
Tom: John pushed the police detective, the detective pushed John, and they knocked over some boxes of potatoes. The greengrocer ran out of the shop very angrily. He saw the potatoes on the ground and began to shout. But Mary was clever. “I’ll have a pound of apples, please,” she said. She made the greengrocer serve her. The greengrocer served her, that is, he gave to Mary the things she has asked for. He gave her a pound of apples, half a dozen bananas—
Cathy: Half a dozen? How many are half a dozen of bananas?
Tom: Six. Mary bought six bananas.
Cathy: And what did the greengrocer say about the potatoes that John and the detective knocked over?
Tom: Well, first he tried to say several things. Listen.
Greengrocer: What are you doing with my potatoes?
Mary: Here comes the greengrocer. He doesn’t like us either.
Greengrocer: My potatoes! You’ve been throwing them about.
Mary: I’m sorry.
Greengrocer: I don’t like it.
John: We didn’t throw your potatoes about; we’ve only pushed the boxes over.
Greengrocer: Oh, you like pushing boxes over, do you?
John: No, we don’t like pushing boxes over.
Greengrocer: You like picking potatoes up, don’t you?
John: Ah, it was an accident. I’m sorry.
Greengrocer: You’d better pick those potatoes up.
John: Ah… (picking the potatoes up)
Greengrocer: And you!
Detective: Me?
Greengrocer: I saw you. You pushed them over, too. You all pushed them over.
John: (whispering to the detective) He doesn’t know you’re a policeman.
Detective: (whispering) Don’t tell him.
John: I won’t tell him.
Greengrocer: You’ll all pick them up.
John: Oh.
Greengrocer: You’re not doing anything, Miss?
Mary: I’ll have a pound of apples, please.
Greengrocer: A pound of apples…
Mary: Perhaps you don’t like serving customers.
Greengrocer: I like serving customers, but I—
Mary: A pound of apples, please.
Greengrocer: I don’t like people look—
Mary: And I’ll have some pears. A pound of pears. You were saying something? You don’t like people—
Greengrocer: I said I don’t like people look—
Mary: And some bananas. I’ll have half a dozen bananas, please. Oh! Is that a pineapple?
Greengrocer: Yes, miss. A pineapple. It’s expensive.
Mary: I like pineapple. But you said you don’t like something. What was it?
Greengrocer: Oh, I forget.
Cathy: I see. First the greengrocer was very angry. “You’d better pick those potatoes up,” he said. But Mary calmed him down very quickly. Women can handle things much better than men, can’t they?
Tom: That’s true, I must admit. In the end the greengrocer forgot about the potatoes. He wasn’t angry anymore. But the two poor men who had to pick up the potatoes were fed up with the whole thing.
Mary: I like pineapple. But you said you don’t like something. What was it?
Greengrocer: Oh, I forget.
Mary: How much is that?
Greengrocer: Oh, that’ll
Mary: Oh, and what’s that inside the shop?
John: Oh, potatoes. Ah! I think that’s all.
Detective: No. There’s another potato.
John: Oh. Oh, and more here. Do you like potatoes?
Detective: No.
Mary: Thank you. Thank you very much. Oh, just a moment. D’you know where Orchard Street is?
Greengrocer: Orchard Street. Yes, I’ll show you.
Detective: (to John) You’re looking for Orchard Street, are you?
John: Yes, we’re going there now.
Cathy: So, they’re going to Miss Haverel. I’m getting excited. Do you think they’ll find her?
Tom: Don’t jump forward, Cathy!
Cathy: All right. Then let me jump back. You used the expression, “A man who looked like Scarface”. I’m interested in this “look like”.
Tom: You’re beginning to have an ear for the English language. Listen.
(a baby crying)
Woman1: Come in, Cristine, have a look at Nick. He’s woken up.
Woman2: Oh, isn’t he a lovely little darling? (she laughs)
Woman1: What are you laughing at?
Woman2: It’s fantastic. He looks just like your husband. Such a little baby. His eyes, nose and mouth are just like Frank’s. If you stuck a moustache under his nose, you couldn’t tell the difference. He even turns his head like your husband does. Such a likeness! He looks exactly like Frank.
(sound of an aeroplane)
Man1: What’s that?
Man2: It sounds like a plane.
Man1: Don’t be too hopeful, we’ll never get out of these mountains.
Man2: But it has the same sound. It really sounds like an aeroplane.
Man1: It sounds like a plane but it’s not. Perhaps it’s a big rock falling down.
Man2: A plane! A plane! It comes for us! It’s signalling. They’re going to rescue us. Hooray!
Man: What’s that smell? It smells like the dinner burning.
Woman: Smells like the dinner burning? Oh, goodness, I’ve forgotten about the meat. It’s completely burnt.
Woman: Oh, it’s pitch dark in here. I can’t see a thing. Oh!
Man: What’s the matter?
Woman: I touched something.
Man: What?
Woman: I don’t know. Ugh! It feels like velvet, but it’s warm and moving.
Man: It feels like velvet, but is alive? I’ll strike a light. Oh! It’s a little cat.
Man: What are you cooking?
Woman: A special soup.
Man: Give me a spoonful. Aw! It tastes like water.
Cathy: That reminds me: I am getting hungry.
Tom: You’ll have time for eating later, but now,
EXERCISE YOUR ENGLISH.
Exercise 1
Listen to the example:
A: Let’s dance.
B: Do you like dancing?
Listen, speak, listen.
A: Let’s dance.
[Your response]
B: Do you like dancing?
A: Let’s play cards.
[Your response]
B: Do you like playing cards?
A: Let’s watch the TV.
[Your response]
B: Do you like watching the TV?
A: Let’s drink.
[Your response]
B: Do you like drinking?
A: Let’s travel by bus.
[Your response]
B: Do you like travelling by bus?
A: Let’s pick flowers.
[Your response]
B: Do you like picking flowers?
A: Let’s swim.
[Your response]
B: Do you like swimming?
A: Let’s study.
[Your response]
B: Do you like studying?
Exercise 2
In this exercise, we’re all going to be housewives. Let’s go to the greengrocer’s together. Listen:
A: What can I do for you, Madam?
B: I’ll have a pound of apples, please.
A: Anything else?
C: (two pounds of potatoes)
B: I’ll have two pounds of potatoes, please.
Listen, speak, listen.
B: I’ll have a pound of apples, please.
A: Anything else?
C: (two pounds of potatoes)
[Your response]
B: I’ll have two pounds of potatoes, please.
A: Anything else?
C: (a pound of pears)
[Your response]
B: I’ll have a pound of pears, please.
A: Anything else?
C: (a pineapple)
[Your response]
B: I’ll have a pineapple, please.
A: Anything else?
C: (two pounds of tomatoes)
[Your response]
B: I’ll have two pounds of tomatoes, please.
A: Anything else?
C: (a cabbage)
[Your response]
B: I’ll have a cabbage, please.
A: Anything else?
C: (a pound of cucumbers)
[Your response]
B: I’ll have a pound of cucumbers, please.
A: Anything else?
C: (four pounds of cherries)
[Your response]
B: I’ll have four pounds of cherries, please.
A: Anything else?
B: Oh, no, thank you, that’s all.
Exercise 3
Listen to the example:
A: Close the window.
B: I’ve closed it. What shall I do next?
Listen, speak, listen.
A: Put away the script.
[Your response]
B: I’ve put it away. What shall I do next?
A: Take off your glasses.
[Your response]
B: I’ve taken them off. What shall I do next?
A: Put on your coat.
[Your response]
B: I’ve put it on. What shall I do next?
A: Open the door.
[Your response]
B: I’ve opened it. What shall I do next?
A: Say goodbye to the listeners.
B: Oh, I see. You mean we’ve finished today’s programme?
A: Well, wasn’t it enough for today? Or do you want to listen to the story?
B: I am all ears.
Tom: And here is our story once again. John and Mary followed Scarface, but lost him. Suddenly, they saw a man who looked like him. John ran up to him and caught him. But the man was stronger.
Man: What are you doing?
John: I’ve caught you.
Man: You’ve caught me, have you?
Mary: John, it isn’t him.
John: What?
Mary: It isn’t the thief. Oh, you’ve knocked the potatoes over. You’ve spilt the potatoes. Let him go.
John: Hm. He won’t let me go.
Man: Let me look at you, young man. Oh, it’s you, is it, sir?
John: Oh! Yes… it’s me.
Mary: John! Who is it?
John: (whispering) Mary, this is the detective.
Mary: How do you do!
Man: Yes, I’m the detective. A police detective. (sneezes) And I don’t like being pushed about.
Greengrocer: What are you doing with my potatoes?
Mary: Here comes the greengrocer. He doesn’t like us either.
Greengrocer: My potatoes! You’ve been throwing them about.
Mary: I’m sorry.
Greengrocer: I don’t like it.
John: We didn’t throw your potatoes about; we only pushed the boxes over.
Greengrocer: Oh, you like pushing boxes over, do you?
John: No, we don’t like pushing boxes over.
Greengrocer: You like picking potatoes up, don’t you?
John: Ah, it was an accident. I’m sorry.
Greengrocer: You’d better pick those potatoes up.
John: Oh… (picking the potatoes up)
Greengrocer: And you!
Detective: Me?
Greengrocer: I saw you. You pushed them over, too. You all pushed them over.
John: (whispering to the detective) He doesn’t know you’re a policeman.
Detective: (whispering) Don’t tell him.
John: I won’t tell him.
Greengrocer: You’ll all pick them up.
John: Oh.
Greengrocer: You’re not doing anything, Miss?
Mary: I’ll have a pound of apples, please.
Greengrocer: A pound of apples…
Mary: Perhaps you don’t like serving customers.
Greengrocer: I like serving customers, but I—
Mary: A pound of apples, please.
Greengrocer: I don’t like people look—
Mary: And I’ll have some pears. A pound of pears. You were saying something? You don’t like people—
Greengrocer: I said I don’t like people look—
Mary: And some bananas. I’ll have half a dozen bananas, please. Oh! Is that a pineapple?
Greengrocer: Yes, miss. A pineapple. It’s expensive.
Mary: I like pineapple. But you said you don’t like something. What was it?
Greengrocer: Oh, I forget.
Mary: How much is that?
Greengrocer: Oh, that’ll be…
Mary: Oh, and what’s that inside the shop?
John: Oh, potatoes. Ah! I think that’s all.
Detective: No. There’s another potato.
John: Oh. Oh, and more here. Do you like potatoes?
Detective: No.
Mary: Thank you. Thank you very much. Oh, just a moment. D’you know where Orchard Street is?
Greengrocer: Orchard Street. Yes, I’ll show you.
Detective: (to John) You’re looking for Orchard Street, are you?
Mary: Yes, we’re going there now.
Detective: Now, wait a minute.
John: Why?
Detective: Because I haven’t finished with you yet.
(theme music)