The Missing Jewel
Lesson 39
Tom: John Blake was trying to find out more about a pendant. The pendant had been stolen from a museum. With his friend, Mary Green, he went to the shop of Mr. Egg, the bookseller. They found Mr. Egg dead. A diary was lying by his body, with the drawing of the stolen pendant. They went to telephone the police. When they came back, the diary wasn’t there, and they found themselves locked in Mr. Egg’s room. Suddenly, Mary could smell smoke. They realised that the shop was burning. There was a fire in the shop. The house was on fire.
Woman1: Can you see that black cloud? Whatever can it be?
Woman2: It looks like smoke.
Woman1: Smoke? Goodness! The wood’s burning. There’s a fire in the wood. Go and phone the fire brigade.
Woman2: Hello. Come quickly. The wood at Gate hill is on fire. They’re coming.
Woman1: I wonder how the fire could have started.
Woman2: It must have been an accident.
Woman1: In this wet weather? I don’t think so. Someone must have done it on purpose. Someone must have set the wood on fire.
Woman2: Here come the firemen. They’ll find out everything.
Tom: Mr. Egg’s shop was on fire. Everything in the shop was burning. Mary could smell paper burning. She could hear flames crackling.
Cathy: Wait a minute, Tom. I have a problem. Are you saying Mary could smell paper burning and could hear flames crackling? That’s not what we learnt. Why didn’t you use the Infinitive?
Tom: There is a difference between the Infinitive and the “ing” form. See if you understand. Listen.
(blasting of a bomb)
Woman1: A bomb! Oh, goodness! I’ve heard a bomb drop.
Woman2: Don’t panic. It’s only the neighbours watching TV.
(water splashing)
Woman1: Can you hear the water splashing?
Woman2: Why, someone must be in the bathroom. What’s so unusual about that?
Woman1: My son is in the bathroom, and that is unusual.
Woman1: Can you feel the house shaking?
Woman2: Don’t be frightened. They started dancing in the flat above.
Woman1: You look very pale. What’s the matter with you?
Woman2: I thought the house shook. Didn’t you feel anything?
Woman1: Oh, I’m used to it. It’s one of my son’s chemical experiments. (noise of an explosion)
Woman1: Where is he?
Woman2: I can’t see him.
Woman1: Where ever could he have gone? I saw him crossing the street.
Woman2: Yes, I saw him while he was crossing the street, too.
Woman1: So did I. But I didn’t see him cross right over to the other side.
Woman2: Neither did I. But where is he then? He couldn’t have melted into thin air in the middle of the street.
Cathy: I see. So you can hear, see, feel, watch people or things doing something, that is, while they’re doing it. And you can hear, see, feel , watch people or things do something, that is, from beginning to end.
Tom: Quite right, Cathy. Mary could smell paper burning and could hear flames crackling.
(mysterious music)
Mary: I think I can smell smoke.
John: I can smell it, too. Something’s burning.
Mary: But we were downstairs a few minutes ago. We didn’t smell anything then.
John: Nothing was burning then.
Mary: What’s burning now?
John: I can smell woodsmoke. There’s some wood burning.
Mary: I can smell paper burning. I think the books are burning. John! There’s a fire in the shop. The house is on fire.
John: Don’t be frightened, Mary.
Mary: The shop’s full of paper. It’ll burn quickly.
John: Don’t worry. I’ll think of something.
Mary: The fire will soon reach us.
John: Don’t panic. I’ll think of something.
Mary: The house is burning and we can’t get out. We’ll be burned with the house.
John: Don’t cry, Mary, I’ll find a way out.
Mary: I can smell something else. I can smell petrol.
John: Petrol?
Mary: I’m sure I can smell petrol.
John: Then the fire is not an accident.
Mary: Someone set the house on fire. If we’re killed, the murderer will go free. Nobody will know how Mr. Egg was killed. Nobody will know how the book was stolen. Nobody will know how the fire started. We’ll be found with Mr. Egg, and we’ll be dead, too.
John: We’re not dead yet.
Mary: We’re locked in. The fire is getting worse. I can hear the flames crackling. Can you hear the flames?
Tom: Mary was terribly frightened. She could smell paper burning. “We’ll be burned with the house,” she said. She knew the shop was full of books, and paper burns quickly.
Woman1: Oh, the cup. I knocked it over.
Woman2: It doesn’t matter.
Woman1: But it was full of coffee, and now the coffee is all over my white dress.
Tom: The shop was full of paper, full of books. “It’ll burn quickly,” Mary said. John tried to calm her. “Don’t be frightened. Don’t worry. Don’t panic,” he said. John told Mary not to worry, but Mary was very worried. “I can smell something else. I can smell petrol,” she said.
Man: What’s happened? Can I help you?
Woman: I have run out of petrol. Is there a petrol station anywhere near?
Man: I’m not sure, but I can give you some petrol, if you like.
Woman: Oh, thank you so much.
Tom: Mary could smell petrol. Petrol burns even quicker than paper. So, the fire wasn’t an accident. “Someone set the house on fire,” Mary said. “If we’re killed, the murderer will go free.” He won’t be caught. “We’ll be found with Mr. Egg, and we’ll be dead, too.” But John didn’t panic. He tried to find a way out. First, he tried to break the lock, but it was too strong. Then he tried to break the door down. He was a strong man. He ran at it with his shoulder, but it was no use. Mary told him, “You can’t break the door that way. This door opens inwards.” You can’t break the door that way, that is, you have to try something else. You have to find some other solution.
Trainer: Up and down and touch the ground… up and down and touch the ground… up and down and touch the ground… Seira, why aren’t you touching the ground?
Seira: I’m sorry, Miss, I’m trying hard, but I simply can’t.
Trainer: But if you can’t do it that way, try it this way. Put your legs apart and bend right forward.
Seira: That way? All right, I’ll try.
Trainer: Up and down and touch the ground…
Seira: I can’t, I can’t touch the ground this way either.
Trainer: Then there’s only one way left: eat nothing but yogurt for a week. You won’t be so fat and you’ll be able to do the exercises. Now, up and down and touch the ground… up and down and touch the ground…
Tom: Well, John tried several ways to get out of the room, but he couldn’t get out.
John: I’m pulling the door-knob. If I pull hard enough, I’ll break the lock.
Mary: You can’t break the lock.
John: It’s a very strong lock, but don’t worry. I’ll break the door down. I’ll run at it with my shoulder.
Mary: You’ll hurt yourself.
John: No, I won’t. Look. (he runs against the door)
Mary: You can’t break the door that way.
John: I can try.
Mary: No, look, John, this door opens inwards, so you can’t break it that way.
John: Oh!
Mary: We can open the window. Come on. Let’s open the window.
John: All right.
Mary: Push. Push hard.
John: I am pushing.
Mary: Push harder.
John: Oh, it hasn’t been opened lately.
Mary: It hasn’t been opened for years. We can’t move it.
John: Then we must break it.
Mary: How can we break it?
John: We can break the glass with these big books. Stand back.
Cathy: Oh, dear. I can’t stand the excitement any longer. Tom, did they manage to get out of the burning house or not?
Tom: Don’t worry, Cathy, don’t panic! You’ll find out everything in due course. But first,
EXERCISE YOUR ENGLISH.
Exercise 1
Listen to the example:
A: The house is full of books.
B: There’re books all over the house.
Listen, speak, listen.
A: The house is full of books.
[Your response]
B: There’re books all over the house.
A: The park is full of small children.
[Your response]
B: There’re small children all over the park.
A: The garden is full of bees.
[Your response]
B: There’re bees all over the garden.
Exercise 2
Listen to the example:
A: We must prevent the accident.
B: But how can we prevent it?
Listen, speak, listen.
A: We must prevent the accident.
[Your response]
B: But how can we prevent it?
A: We must stop the fire.
[Your response]
B: But how can we stop it?
A: We must call the fire brigade.
[Your response]
B: But how can we call it?
A: We must get out of here.
[Your response]
B: But how can we get out of here?
A: We must find the emergency exit.
[Your response]
B: But how can we find it?
A: We must break the door.
[Your response]
B: But how can we break it?
A: We must stop this exercise.
[Your response]
B: But how can we stop it?
A: How? It’s as easy as ABC. Here’s the signature tune and that’s all.
Exercise 3
Listen to the example:
A: How was Mr. Egg killed?
B: Nobody knows how he was killed.
Listen, speak, listen.
A: How was Mr. Egg killed?
[Your response]
B: Nobody knows how he was killed.
A: How was the diary stolen?
[Your response]
B: Nobody knows how it was stolen.
A: How were John and Mary locked in?
[Your response]
B: Nobody knows how they were locked in.
A: How was the accident prevented?
[Your response]
B: Nobody knows how it was prevented.
A: How was the fire stopped?
[Your response]
B: Nobody knows how it was stopped.
A: How were John and Mary saved?
[Your response]
B: Nobody knows how they were saved.
Exercise 4
Listen to the example:
A: We can’t stay here, we’ll be burned.
B: If we stay here, we’ll be burned.
Listen, speak, listen.
A: We can’t stay here, we’ll be burned.
[Your response]
B: If we stay here, we’ll be burned.
A: We can’t jump out of the window, we’ll be killed.
[Your response]
B: If we jump out of the window, we’ll be killed.
A: We can’t go out, we’ll be frozen.
[Your response]
B: If we go out, we’ll be frozen.
A: We can’t wait for them, we’ll waste our time.
[Your response]
B: If we wait for them, we’ll waste our time.
A: We can’t watch the TV, we’ll be late for the theatre.
[Your response]
B: If we watch the TV, we’ll be late for the theatre.
Tom: And now, here is our story once again. John and Mary are in Mr. Egg’s room, above the bookshop. They’re locked in with Mr. Egg’s body.
(mysterious music)
Mary: I think I can smell smoke.
John: I can smell it, too. Something’s burning.
Mary: But we were downstairs a few minutes ago. We didn’t smell anything then.
John: Nothing was burning then.
Mary: What’s burning now?
John: I can smell woodsmoke. There’s some wood burning.
Mary: I can smell paper burning. I think the books are burning. John! There’s a fire in the shop. The house is on fire.
John: Don’t be frightened, Mary.
Mary: The shop’s full of paper. It’ll burn quickly.
John: Don’t worry. I’ll think of something.
Mary: The fire will soon reach us.
John: Don’t panic. I’ll think of something.
Mary: The house is burning and we can’t get out. We’ll be burned with the house.
John: Don’t cry, Mary, I’ll find a way out.
Mary: I can smell something else. I can smell petrol.
John: Petrol?
Mary: I’m sure I can smell petrol.
John: Then the fire is not an accident.
Mary: Someone set the house on fire. If we’re killed, the murderer will go free. Nobody will know how Mr. Egg was killed. Nobody will know how the book was stolen. Nobody will know how the fire started. We’ll be found with Mr. Egg, and we’ll be dead, too.
John: We’re not dead yet.
Mary: We’re locked in. The fire is getting worse. I can hear the flames crackling. Can you hear the flames?
John: I’m pulling the door-knob. If I pull hard enough, I’ll break the lock.
Mary: You can’t break the lock.
John: It’s a very strong lock, but don’t worry. I’ll break the door down. I’ll run at it with my shoulder.
Mary: You’ll hurt yourself.
John: No, I won’t. Look. (he runs against the door)
Mary: You can’t break the door that way.
John: I can try.
Mary: No, look, John, this door opens inwards, so you can’t break it that way.
John: Oh!
Mary: We can open the window. Come on. Let’s open the window.
John: All right.
Mary: Push. Push hard.
John: I am pushing.
Mary: Push harder.
John: Oh, it hasn’t been opened lately.
Mary: It hasn’t been opened for years. We can’t move it.
John: Then we must break it.
Mary: How can we break it?
John: We can break the glass with these big books. Stand back. (he breaks the window with a book) There. Now we can jump down into the street.
Mary: Oh, no. Look down there. We’re too high. We’re too high up.
John: Yes. If we jump, we’ll be killed.
Mary: But if we stay here, we’ll be burned.
(theme music)
