Tom: John Blake was trying to find out about a pendant that had been stolen from a museum. With his friend, Mary Green, he went to the shop of the bookseller, Mr. Egg. They found him dead, he had been murdered. Someone locked them in the room with the dead body, then set the house on fire. There was no way to get out, and the fire had already reached the room. In the midst of all their misfortunes, John proposed to Mary. “Mary, will you marry me?” he asked.
Man1: Bill, Bill!
Man2: Good Lord. What’s happened? Why are you so upset?
Man1: Bill, I proposed to Ann. I asked her to marry me. I asked her to be my wife. And she said “no”.
Man2: Then why are you so upset?
Man1: Don’t you understand? She said “no”.
Man2: I heard you, but in my opinion it would have been much more upsetting if she had said “yes”.
Cathy: Tom, I’m quite upset about your explanation of the word “upset”.
Tom: Of course. That’s women. Marriage is a subject you all get very easily upset about.
Cathy: Well, let’s change the subject then. I think “upset” has another meaning, too. When one feels sick, one says: “My stomach is upset.”
Man: You look very pale, my dear. What’s the matter with you?
Woman: I don’t know. I must have eaten something that upset my stomach. I feel sick.
Man: Bicarbonate of soda. That’s just the thing for an upset stomach. Wait a minute. I’ll get you some.
Tom: And now, let’s get back to John and Mary, but you mustn’t upset yourself about John’s proposal.
John: The floor’s burning.
Mary: If the fire engine doesn’t come soon, it will be too late.
John: I know.
Mary: Oh, hurry, hurry.
John: Mary, will you marry me?
Mary: What?
John: I said, “Will you marry me?”
Mary: You’re upset.
John: I’m not upset.
Mary: I’m upset.
John: Why?
Mary: Because the house is on fire, because the floor is burning, because we’ll both be killed.
John: Oh, good!
Mary: Good? Did you say “good”?
John: I said, “Will you marry me?”, and you didn’t say “no”.
Mary: You’re not serious.
John: I am serious.
Mary: I’m confused. Somebody has murdered Mr. Egg. The murderer has locked us in, and he set fire to the house. Now, you propose to me. Oh, John!
Tom: John proposed to Mary. He asked her to marry him. Mary said, “You’re upset. You’re not serious,” but John replied, “I’m serious.” He was serious, he wasn’t joking. He meant what he said. Suddenly they heard a big crash. The stairs leading up to Mr. Egg’s room had burned down and collapsed. The stairs fell down. They collapsed.
Man: Run. Run. The house is shaking. It’s going to collapse.
Woman: It has collapsed. If we hadn’t run quickly, we would now be dead.
Tom: And here are some other meanings of “collapse”.
Woman1: Eileen, Eileen, is anything wrong with you? You look so strange.
Woman2: I feel very weak. I feel so strange.
Woman1: Water, water! She has collapsed – she has fainted. Bring some water, quickly.
Woman1: And what did you say to him when he came back after such a long time?
Woman2: I couldn’t say a word. I started crying and collapsed in his arms.
Tom: The situation in Mr. Egg’s house wasn’t quite so romantic. The stairs had collapsed, and Mary and John were locked in the burning room, but… well, you had better listen.
Mary: That was the stairs.
John: What was it?
Mary: It was the stairs. They collapsed.
John: Listen.
Mary: John, we’ll be killed.
John: Listen. I heard a siren.
Mary: It’s the fire engine. John, it’s the fire engine.
John: Ah, they’re putting up a ladder.
Mary: We’re saved.
John: I think we’re saved.
Mary: Oh, John.
John: But you haven’t answered my question.
Mary: What question?
John: Will you marry me?
Mary: Didn’t I say “yes”? Oh, yes, John, yes.
John: Ah, Mary.
Tom: John and Mary were in a very dangerous situation, but in the last minute they heard a siren. It was the siren of a fire engine. A fireman put a ladder up to the window, and they climbed down to the ground. There were a lot of people watching them. They put several questions to them. First they asked, “Are you hurt?” “No, we’re all right,” John answered. Fortunately, nothing serious had happened to them. “I’ve torn my coat,” John remarked.
Cathy: Tom, the verb “tear” is worth mentioning, don’t you think?
Tom: Yes, it is. Listen to this.
Woman: Bob, don’t climb the tree in your brand-new trousers. You’ll tear them.
Child: No, I won’t. Don’t worry. Don’t worry about my new trousers. I won’t tear them. (he tears his trousers)
Woman: So, I shouldn’t worry. Well, now you should worry. Just wait till you climb down. I’ll teach you not to worry about tearing your trousers.
Man: Jimmy, why are you tearing downstairs?
Child: Didn’t you hear? Mummy said dinner’s ready.
Woman: Pussy, my dear little darling, Pussy. Pussy’s lost. She’ll never come home. Oh, Pussy, Pussy.
Man: She’ll come home. Don’t tear your hair. We’ll find that wretched beast.
Woman: Wretched beast? Is that all you can say about my little Pussy?
Man: Here she is. Now, stop tearing your hair for God’s sake.
Tom: Well, John and Mary were safe on the ground. Mary’s handkerchief was lost, and John’s coat was torn, but that was all. They were asked several questions.
Officer: Are you hurt?
John: No, we’re all right.
Mary: I’ve lost my handkerchief.
John: I’ve torn my coat.
Officer: But you’re all right.
Mary: Yes, thank you. We’re all right.
Woman on the street: Why didn’t you jump?
Mary: The window was too high.
Woman on the street: Were you frightened?
John: Oh, no, we weren’t frightened…
Mary: John! I was. I was very frightened.
John: We were – anxious.
Woman on the street: Where did the fire start?
John: It started in the shop.
Man on the street: Where were you then?
John: We were upstairs.
Woman on the street: Where’s Mr. Egg?
Mary: Look, the fireman has found him. He’s bringing him down.
Man on the street: He’s coming down very slowly.
Woman on the street: He’s careful.
John: Mr. Egg’s heavy.
Man on the street: He’s covered with a cloth.
Woman on the street: Why is he covered with a cloth?
John: He’s dead.
Woman on the street: Dead?
Man on the street: What happened to him?
Detective: I think you’ve said enough, Mr. Blake.
Mary: Why, it’s the detective! Hello.
Tom: The fireman brought Mr. Egg’s body down. A woman asked, why Mr. Egg’s body was covered with a cloth. John said, “He’s dead.” A man asked, “What happened to him?” But before John could answer, someone said, “I think you’ve said enough, Mr. Blake.” It was the detective who was trying to find the thief who had stolen the pendant.
Cathy: Did he think that John and Mary had murdered Mr. Egg? He must have thought so, as they were with his body in the burning house. Did he arrest them?
Tom: I can’t answer that question myself yet. But before we find out, you have to exercise your English. So now,
EXERCISE YOUR ENGLISH.
Exercise 1
Listen to the example:
A: Somebody has murdered Mr. Egg.
B: What did you say?
A: I said somebody had murdered Mr. Egg.
Listen, speak, listen.
A: Somebody has murdered Mr. Egg.
B: What did you say?
[Your response]
A: I said somebody had murdered Mr. Egg.
A: The murderer has locked them into the burning house.
B: What did you say?
[Your response]
A: I said the murderer had locked them into the burning house.
A: John has proposed to Mary.
B: What did you say?
[Your response]
A: I said John had proposed to Mary.
A: The stairs have collapsed.
B: What did you say?
[Your response]
A: I said that the stairs had collapsed.
A: They’ve put up a ladder.
B: What did you say?
[Your response]
A: I said they had put up a ladder.
A: Mary has lost her handkerchief.
B: What did you say?
[Your response]
A: I said Mary had lost her handkerchief.
A: John has torn his coat
B: What did you say?
[Your response]
A: I said John had torn his coat.
A: The firemen have found Mr. Egg’s body.
B: What did you say?
[Your response]
A: I said the firemen had found Mr. Egg’s body.
A: John hasn’t done anything wrong.
B: What did you say?
[Your response]
A: I said John hadn’t done anything wrong.
Exercise 2
Listen to the example:
A: You should marry him, Mary.
A: I told her to marry him.
Listen, speak, listen.
A: You should marry him, Mary.
[Your response]
A: I told her to marry him.
A: You should go to London, Peter.
[Your response]
A: I told him to go to London.
A: You should propose to her, Andrew.
[Your response]
A: I told him to propose to her.
A: You should stay with them this summer, Cathy.
[Your response]
A: I told her to stay with them this summer.
A: You should learn English, Ann.
[Your response]
A: I told her to learn English.
A: You should attend the summer course, David.
[Your response]
A: I told him to attend the summer course.
A: You should go by train, George.
[Your response]
A: I told him to go by train.
A: You should listen to our next programme, David.
[Your response]
A: I told him to listen to our next programme.
Exercise 3
Listen to the example:
A: Will you marry me?
B: What?
A: I am asking you if you will marry me.
Listen, speak, listen.
A: Will you marry me?
B: What?
[Your response]
A: I am asking you if you will marry me.
A: Will you go to London?
B: What?
[Your response]
A: I am asking you if you’ll go to London.
A: Will you propose to her?
B: What?
[Your response]
A: I am asking you if you’ll propose to her.
A: Will you stay with them this summer?
B: What?
[Your response]
A: I am asking you if you’ll stay with them this summer.
A: Will you learn English?
B: What?
[Your response]
A: I am asking you if you’ll learn English.
A: Will you attend the summer course?
B: What?
[Your response]
A: I am asking you if you’ll attend the summer course.
A: Will you go by train?
B: What?
[Your response]
A: I am asking you if you’ll go by train.
Exercise 4
Listen to the example:
A: Will you marry me?
A: I asked if you’d marry me.
Listen, speak, listen.
A: Will you marry me?
[Your response]
A: I asked if you’d marry me.
A: Will you go to London?
[Your response]
A: I asked if you’d go to London.
A: Will you propose to her?
[Your response]
A: I asked if you’d propose to her.
A: Will you stay with them this summer?
[Your response]
A: I asked if you’d stay with them this summer.
A: Will you learn English?
[Your response]
A: I asked if you’d learn English.
A: Will you attend the summer course?
[Your response]
A: I asked if you’d attend the summer course.
A: Will you go by train?
[Your response]
A: I asked if you’d go by train.
Tom: And now, here is our story once again. John and Mary were in the room above the burning shop. The fire had already reached Mr. Egg’s room.
John: The floor’s burning.
Mary: If the fire engine doesn’t come soon, it will be too late.
John: I know.
Mary: Oh, hurry, hurry.
John: Mary, will you marry me?
Mary: What?
John: I said, “Will you marry me?”
Mary: You’re upset.
John: I’m not upset.
Mary: I’m upset.
John: Why?
Mary: Because the house is on fire, because the floor is burning, because we’ll both be killed.
John: Oh, good!
Mary: Good? Did you say “good”?
John: I said, “Will you marry me?”, and you didn’t say “no”.
Mary: You’re not serious.
John: I am serious.
Mary: I’m confused. Somebody has murdered Mr. Egg. The murderer has locked us in, and he set fire to the house. Now, you propose to me. Oh, John!
(stairs collapsing)
Mary: That was the stairs.
John: What was it?
Mary: It was the stairs. They collapsed.
(siren)
John: Listen.
Mary: John, we’ll be killed.
John: Listen. I heard a siren.
Mary: It’s the fire engine. John, it’s the fire engine.
John: Ah, they’re putting up a ladder.
Mary: We’re saved.
John: I think we’re saved.
Mary: Oh, John.
John: But you haven’t answered my question.
Mary: What question?
John: Will you marry me?
Mary: Didn’t I say “yes”? Oh, yes, John, yes.
John: Ah, Mary.
(on the ground)
Officer: Are you hurt?
John: No, we’re all right.
Mary: I’ve lost my handkerchief.
John: I’ve torn my coat.
Officer: But you’re all right.
Mary: Yes, thank you. We’re all right.
Woman on the street: Why didn’t you jump?
Mary: The window was too high.
Woman on the street: Were you frightened?
John: Oh, no, we weren’t frightened…
Mary: John! I was. I was very frightened.
John: We were – anxious.
Woman on the street: Where did the fire start?
John: It started in the shop.
Man on the street: Where were you then?
John: We were upstairs.
Woman on the street: Where’s Mr. Egg?
Mary: Look, the fireman has found him. He’s bringing him down.
Man on the street: He’s coming down very slowly.
Woman on the street: He’s careful.
John: Mr. Egg’s heavy.
Man on the street: He’s covered with a cloth.
Woman on the street: Why is he covered with a cloth?
John: He’s dead.
Woman on the street: Dead?
Man on the street: What happened to him?
Detective: I think you’ve said enough, Mr. Blake.
Mary: Why, it’s the detective! Hello.
Detective: (sneezing) Will you come with me, please?
John: Where to?
Detective: To the police station.
Mary: But he hasn’t done anything, I’ve been with him all the time.
Detective: Will both of you come to the police station?
(theme music)