Tom: John Blake had been trying to find the pendant that had been stolen from the museum and at last he and Mary Green found the man who had the pendant. It was Anthony Forset, the collector of old things. He had killed Mr. Egg, the bookseller, to get the diary with the drawing of the pendant. He had also tried to kill John and Mary by locking them into Mr. Egg’s shop and setting fire to it. Well, now Mr. Forset had got both the pendant and the diary, without which he couldn’t have found the secret compartment of the pendant containing the diamonds. Now he was planning to leave the country. John and Mary were following him in Mary’s car. They were driving like mad, paying no attention to the traffic on the road or the traffic lights.
Constable: Stop. Stop. The traffic lights are red. Can’t you see the traffic lights? They’re red.
(sound of a crash)
Woman: Oh, hello, constable. I seem to have made a little mistake.
Constable: Oh, you certainly did, miss. But now don’t worry. That’ll be all right. Next time watch the traffic lights, please.
Woman: Goodness, what a lot of traffic! You can’t see the road for cars. How ever will we get across?
Man: There should be a policeman here in such heavy traffic.
Tom: Well, Mr. Forset was trying to leave the country with the pendant. Mary and John were following him in Mary’s car. She was driving like mad.
(theme music)
John: Look out.
Mary: What’s the matter?
John: Didn’t you see the traffic lights?
Mary: Yes, I did.
John: They were red and we didn’t stop.
Mary: Forset didn’t stop either.
John: Don’t you think we should tell the police?
Mary: No, we can’t. If we stop to phone, we’ll lose Forset.
John: There’s a lot of traffic on the road.
Mary: But there’s Forset’s car in front of us.
John: Where’s he going? Isn’t there some way to stop him? Can’t we drive into him?
Mary: No, we can’t. This is my car. I’m not going to drive into him.
John: Can’t we keep closer to him?
Mary: No, we can’t.
John: Oh, what’s he doing now?
Mary: He’s turning back towards the town centre.
Tom: The traffic lights were red, but Mary didn’t stop. They tried to guess where Forset was driving. “Do you think he’ll drive to a port?” John asked. “Perhaps he’ll drive to an airport,” Mary answered. A port is a town at the seaside, where ships arrive and depart. An airport is a place where planes land and take off. Then John and Mary began to talk about the pendant. Mary said, “Doctor Haverel had given the pendant to the museum, but he hadn’t given the diamonds to the museum.” The diamonds were in the secret compartment in the pendant. Mary said, “If the diamonds are found, they’ll belong to Miss Haverel, won’t they?” Miss Haverel was Doctor Haverel’s sister, a strange old lady. While John and Mary were talking, they lost Forset’s car. There was a lorry on the road in front of them. The lorry was in the way, and they couldn’t pass it, and when it moved, they couldn’t see Forset.
Woman: Why are you hitting that poor horse?
Man: He won’t move. He refuses to go a step further. Get moving, you beast! Move!
Policeman: Hands up! Don’t move! Hear what I said? Hands up or I’ll shoot.
Woman: Fantastic! Look at him. He’s not frightened at all. He didn’t move a muscle.
Man: What did you expect? A dummy can’t move.
Man1: Brr, I’m cold. I’m frozen stiff.
Man2: Well, run, keep moving, then you’ll soon warm up. You must keep moving or you’ll really freeze.
Woman: Brr, I’m cold. I’m frozen stiff.
Man: Move your chair near to the fire.
Child: Mummy, I want to say sorry to Dad.
Mother: Don’t go to him now, dear, he’s terribly angry with you.
Child: But I want to say I’m sorry. I want to promise him I’ll be a good girl. I want to tell him I’ll never do it again, and I’ll—
Mother: Don’t go now, Nicky, don’t say a word. He is so angry that nothing will move him.
Woman1: Hello, Liz. How are you?
Woman2: Fine, thanks. How are you?
Woman1: Oh, we’re fine. We’ve just moved into a new flat. You know, the old one was too small with two children.
Woman2: Oh, where have you moved to?
Woman1: Into a very nice part of town. Come and see us sometime.
Man: What’s the time?
Woman: It’s midnight already.
Man: Oh, goodness. I think it’s high time we were moving.
Tom: John and Mary were following Mr. Forset. They were talking about the pendant.
Mary: I’ve been thinking about the pendant. Doctor Haverel gave it to the museum, didn’t he?
John: Yes, he did.
Mary: But he didn’t give the diamonds to the museum.
John: He didn’t know about the diamonds.
Mary: If he’d known about the diamonds, he wouldn’t have given them to the museum.
John: Wouldn’t he?
Mary: Would you?
John: I’m not Doctor Haverel.
Mary: If the diamonds are found, they’ll belong to Miss Haverel, won’t they?
John: Yes, I think they will.
Mary: If we catch Forset, we’ll give the diamonds to Miss Haverel.
John: Where’s Forset now?
Mary: I can’t see him. That lorry is in the way.
John: Oh, the lorry is moving, but… where’s he gone?
Mary: I don’t know.
John: Oh, we’ve lost him.
Tom: John and Mary were driving after Mr. Forset in Mary’s car. But suddenly a lorry got in their way. When the lorry moved, they couldn’t see Forset. In front of the railway station, they caught sight of Forset’s car. “It’s the railway station,” John said. “He’s going to take a train.”
Cathy: Oh, Tom, excuse me for interrupting you. You know, it’s never been quite clear to me, how to buy a ticket at the railway station in England. Could you explain it to me, please?
Tom: Of course, Cathy. It’s a very useful question. What about going to the railway station together?
Cathy: Oh, good idea!
Tom: Then let’s start. First, we have to go to the Booking Office.
Cathy: What for?
Tom: To buy the tickets, of course.
Cathy: And where’s the Booking Office?
Tom: The Booking Offices are in the Booking Hall. Come on, here we are. Two to Exeter, please.
Booking Office Clerk: Single or return?
Tom: Return, please.
Booking Office Clerk: Here you are, sir.
Tom: Thank you. Come on, Cathy.
Ticket collector: Tickets, please.
Cathy: Who is he?
Tom: He’s the ticket collector. He stands at the barrier to the platform and looks at the passengers’ tickets. He checks that every passenger has a ticket, then he lets you onto the platform where your train departs from.
Cathy: I see. And what if I don’t want to take a train, but go at a platform to see somebody off?
Tom: Then you have to buy a platform ticket. On most stations you can buy a platform ticket from a machine without going to the Booking Office. Then you can go onto the platform, but you can’t get on the train.
Cathy: I see. That was very interesting and useful. Thank you very much, Tom.
Tom: Not at all. But now it’s time we follow John and Mary.
Mary: Look, there’s the station car park. Perhaps he’s there.
John: Of course, it’s the railway station. He’s going to take a train. Let’s stop.
Mary: But we’re not sure he’s here, are we?
John: Yes, we are. Look! That’s his car, over there.
Mary: If that’s his car, he’ll be on the station. And if he’s buying a ticket, he’ll be in the Booking Hall. Come on.
John: Can you see him?
Mary: No, I can’t. There’re too many people. But he must be here.
John: If he’s going by train, he’ll buy a ticket. If he buys a ticket, he’ll come here. Then where is he?
Mary: There he is.
John: Where?
Mary: There, at the barrier.
John: But he didn’t buy a ticket.
Mary: He did, he bought a platform ticket.
John: A platform ticket?
Mary: Of course, from a machine.
Tom: Forset stopped in the station car park. He got a platform ticket, so that he could get on the platform.
Cathy: I’m terribly excited. Did he manage to get away with the pendant?
Tom: Cathy, really you don’t think I’m going to tell you what happened, do you? You’ll find out later, but first you have to exercise your English. So now,
EXERCISE YOUR ENGLISH.
Exercise 1
Listen to the example:
A: Can’t we drive into him?
B: No, we can’t. I’m not going to drive into him.
Listen, speak, listen.
A: Can’t we drive into him?
[Your response]
B: No, we can’t. I’m not going to drive into him.
A: Can’t we turn back?
[Your response]
B: No, we can’t. I’m not going to turn back.
A: Can’t we see her after the station?
[Your response]
B: No, we can’t. I’m not going to see her after the station.
A: Can’t we phone them?
[Your response]
B: No, we can’t. I’m not going to phone them.
A: Can’t we give them a lift?
[Your response]
B: No, we can’t. I’m not going to give them a lift
A: Can’t we buy a ticket for him?
[Your response]
B: No, we can’t. I’m not going to buy a ticket for him.
A: Can’t we take the morning train?
[Your response]
B: No, we can’t. I’m not going to take the morning train.
A: Can’t we go on?
[Your response]
B: No, we can’t. I’m not going to go on.
Exercise 2
Listen to the example:
A: Don’t you think we should stop him?
B: There’s no way to stop him.
Listen, speak, listen.
A: Don’t you think we should stop him?
[Your response]
B: There’s no way to stop him.
A: Don’t you think you should turn back?
[Your response]
B: There’s no way to turn back.
A: Don’t you think we should help her?
[Your response]
B: There’s no way to help her.
A: Don’t you think they should return the pendant?
[Your response]
B: There’s no way to return it.
A: Don’t you think they should save us?
[Your response]
B: There’s no way to save us.
A: Don’t you think we should contact the detective?
[Your response]
B: There’s no way to contact him.
A: Don’t you think you should keep an eye on him?
[Your response]
B: There’s no way to keep an eye on him.
A: Don’t you think we should wake the listeners up?
[Your response]
B: There’s no way to wake them up.
Exercise 3
Listen to the example:
A: We can’t stop him.
B: But there must be some way to stop him.
Listen, speak, listen.
A: We can’t stop him.
[Your response]
B: But there must be some way to stop him.
A: You can’t turn back.
[Your response]
B: But there must be some way to turn back.
A: We can’t help her.
[Your response]
B: But there must be some way to help her.
A: They can’t return the pendant.
[Your response]
B: But there must be some way to return it.
A: They can’t save us.
[Your response]
B: But there must be some way to save us.
A: We can’t contact the detective.
[Your response]
B: But there must be some way to contact him.
A: You can’t find him.
[Your response]
B: But there must be some way to find him.
A: You can’t wake the listeners up.
[Your response]
B: But there must be some way to wake them up.
Exercise 4
Listen to the example:
A: There’s the station car park.
B: And there he is, at the station car park.
Listen, speak, listen.
A: There’s the station car park.
[Your response]
B: And there he is, at the station car park.
A: There’s the police car.
[Your response]
B: And there he is, in the police car.
A: There’s the photo.
[Your response]
B: And there he is, in the photo.
A: There’s the slot machine.
[Your response]
B: And there he is, at the slot machine.
A: There’s the Booking Hall.
[Your response]
B: And there he is, in the Booking Hall.
A: There’s the barrier.
[Your response]
B: And there he is, at the barrier.
A: There’s the microphone.
[Your response]
B: And there he is, at the microphone.
Tom: And now, listen to the story once again. John and Mary were following Mr. Forset in Mary’s car.
(theme music)
John: Look out.
Mary: What’s the matter?
John: Didn’t you see the traffic lights?
Mary: Yes, I did.
John: They were red and we didn’t stop.
Mary: Forset didn’t stop either.
John: Don’t you think we should tell the police?
Mary: No, we can’t. If we stop to phone, we’ll lose Forset.
John: There’s a lot of traffic on the road.
Mary: But there’s Forset’s car in front of us.
John: Where’s he going? Isn’t there some way to stop him? Can’t we drive into him?
Mary: No, we can’t. This is my car. I’m not going to drive into him.
John: Can’t we keep closer to him?
Mary: No, we can’t.
John: Oh, what’s he doing now?
Mary: He’s turning back towards the town centre.
(theme music)
Mary: I’ve been thinking about the pendant. Doctor Haverel gave it to the museum, didn’t he?
John: Yes, he did.
Mary: But he didn’t give the diamonds to the museum.
John: He didn’t know about the diamonds.
Mary: If he’d known about the diamonds, he wouldn’t have given them to the museum.
John: Wouldn’t he?
Mary: Would you?
John: I’m not Doctor Haverel.
Mary: If the diamonds are found, they’ll belong to Miss Haverel, won’t they?
John: Yes, I think they will.
Mary: If we catch Forset, we’ll give the diamonds to Miss Haverel.
John: Where’s Forset now?
Mary: I can’t see him. That lorry is in the way.
John: Oh, the lorry is moving, but… where’s he gone?
Mary: I don’t know.
John: Oh, we’ve lost him.
Mary: Look, there’s the station car park. Perhaps he’s there.
John: Of course, it’s the railway station. He’s going to take a train. Let’s stop.
Mary: But we’re not sure he’s here, are we?
John: Yes, we are. Look! That’s his car, over there.
Mary: If that’s his car, he’ll be on the station. And if he’s buying a ticket, he’ll be in the Booking Hall. Come on.
John: Can you see him?
Mary: No, I can’t. There’re too many people. But he must be here.
John: If he’s going by train, he’ll buy a ticket. If he buys a ticket, he’ll come here. Then where is he?
Mary: There he is.
John: Where?
Mary: There, at the barrier.
John: But he didn’t buy a ticket.
Mary: He did, he bought a platform ticket.
John: A platform ticket?
Mary: Of course, from a machine.
John: Then we can buy a platform ticket as well.
Mary: Hurry.
John: I am hurrying.
Mary: If we don’t hurry, we’ll lose him. There he goes.
John: Where? Where’s he gone?
Mary: Down the Number 2 platform. Oh, hurry, John.
(theme music)