Lesson Thirty-One
Section One:
Tapescript.
Dialogue 1:
Passenger: West London Air Terminal, please. I have to be there by 11.10.
Taxi Driver: I can’t promoise, but I’ll do my best.
Taxi Driver: You’re just in time. Seventy pence, please.
Passenger: Thanks a lot. Here’s eighty pence. You can keep the change.
Dialogue 2:
Passenger: Do you think you can get me to Victoria by half past？
Taxi Driver: We should be OK if the lights are with us.
Taxi Driver: You’ve still got five minutes to spare. Seventy pence, please.
Passenger: Thanks very much indeed. Here’s a pound, give me twenty pence, please.
Dialogue 3:
Passenger: Piccadilly, please. I have an appointment at 10.30.
Taxi Driver: I think we can make it if we get a move on.
Taxi Driver: Here we are, sir. Eighty pence, please.
Passenger: Many thanks. Let’s call it a pound.
Dialogue 4:
Passenger: Paddington, please. I want to catch the 11.15.
Taxi Driver: We’ll be all right if there are no hold-ups.
Taxi Driver: This is it, sir. Seventy pence, please.
Passenger: Thank you. Here’s the fare, and this is for you.
Section Two:
Tapescript.
A. Probability:
— No luck then, John？
— Afraid not, sir. Not yet, anyhow. We’re still checking on stolen cars.
— Mm.
— Where do you think he’ll head for, sir？
— Well, he definitely won’t try to leave the country yet. He may try to
get a passport, and he’ll certainly need clothes and money. He’ll probably get in touch with Cornfield for those, so I expect he’ll make for Birmingham.
— Right. I’ll put some men on the house.
— Yes, do that. Mind you, I doubt if he’ll show up there in person.
Hammond’s no fool, you know. I should think he’ll probably telephone.
— What about his wife？
— Mm. I shouldn’t think he’ll go anywhere near her—though he
might get her to join him after he’s left the country. And when he does leave, he probably won’t use a major airport, either. So you’d better alert the coastguard, and keep an eye on the private airfields.
— Right, sir. I’d better get his description circulated.
— Yes. He may change his appearance, of course, but I don’t expect
he’ll be able to do much about the tattoos ... And John—be careful. He could be armed. And if I know Hammond, he certainly won’t give himself up without a fight.
B. Job Hunting:
A lot of young people today find it difficult to get a job, especially in the first few months after they leave school. This is much more of a problem now than it has ever been in the past. In some parts of the country sixty or even seventy per cent of young people in the last years of school will be without a job for a whole year after leaving school.
Our Jobs Information Service has been in touch with thousands of young people over the last two or three years, talking to them about their hopes and their fears, and we have in fact been able to give a lot of help and advice to young people who have just left school.
Are you recently out of school and still without a job？ Or are you still at school and worried about getting a job when you leave？ We have found that many people don’t know who to talk to and sometimes don’t know what questions to ask. That is why our experience at Jobs Information Service is so important. It will cost you nothing—just a phone call. If you would like to talk to us—and we are here to talk to you—then please phone 24987 any day between 9.00 and 5.30.
C. The Movies:
Man: I want to do something tonight for a change; let’s go out.
Brian: All right, let’s go to the movies.
Woman: In this heat？ Are you joking？
Brian: We can go to an outdoor movie. Do you think I’d suggest an indoor one in the middle of the summer in San Diego？
Man: I’d rather go out for a meal.
Woman: Yes, that sounds a better idea. The outdoor movies are so uncomfortable.
Brian: Why don’t we do both at the same time？ We could pick up some take-away food and eat it in the movie.
Man: That sounds like fun. What a good idea.
Woman: But they never show any good films in the summer. At least not any of the new ones. All you get is the old classics.
Brian: And what’s wrong with them？
Woman: Oh nothing, it’s just that we’ve seen them all half a dozen times.
Brian: But that’s why they’re classics. They’re worth seeing again and again.
Man: You’ve got a point there, Brian. My main objection to outdoor movies is that you can never hear properly. You hear all the traffic from outside.
Brian: Well, we can find a foreign film with subtitles, then you don’t need to hear the sound.
Woman: Supposing it’s a musical.
Brian: Oh trust you to say that！ I think it would be fun to sit watching an old film and eating a meal at the same time.
Woman: Last time I went to an outdoor movie, I bought a bar of chocolate to eat as I went in. It was a horror film and I was so shocked I just sat there holding my bar of chocolate until the interval when I found it had melted in my hand and run all down my dress. That was an expensive evening out.
Man: Well, we won’t go and see a horror film, darling, and take-away meals don’t melt.
D. Radio Program:
Presenter: Good evening and welcome to “Interesting Personalities.” Tonight we’ve got a real treat in store for you. We have here in the studio Mrs. Annie Jarman of Bristol.
Mrs. Jarman: Hello. That’s me.
Presenter: Say hello to the listeners, Mrs. Jarman.
Mrs. Jarman: I just did. Hello again.
Presenter: Now Mrs. Jarman is eighty-four years old.
Mrs. Jarman: Nearly eighty-four.
Presenter: Sorry, nearly eighty-four years old and she holds...
Mrs. Jarman: Not quite.
Presenter: Yes, I explained. Now Mrs. Jarman holds the English record...
Mrs. Jarman: Eighty-three years, ten months and fifteen days.
Presenter: Good, well, now that we’ve got that out of the way. Mrs. Jarman holds the English record for having failed her driving test the most times.
Mrs. Jarman: I’m still trying.
Presenter: Quite. Now precisely how many times have you failed your driving test Mrs. Jarman？
Mrs. Jarman: Well, the last attempt last Wednesday brought it up to fifty-seven times.
Presenter: Over how long a period？
Mrs. Jarman: Twenty-eight years.
Presenter: What do you think is the cause of this record number of failures？
Mrs. Jarman: Bad driving.
Presenter: Yes, quite. Well, it would be. But in what way do you drive badly？
Mrs. Jarman: Every way.
Presenter: Every way？
Mrs. Jarman: Yes. I hit things. That’s the really big problem, but I’m working on that. Also I can’t drive round corners. Each time I come to a corner I just drive straight on.
Presenter: Ah, yes, that would be a problem.
Mrs. Jarman: It causes havoc at roundabouts.
Presenter: I can imagine. And how many examiners have you had in all this time？
Mrs. Jarman: Fifty-seven. None of them would examine me twice. Several left the job, said it was too dangerous. One of them got out of the car at the end of the test, walked away and was never seen again.
Presenter: Oh dear. But why do you drive so badly？
Mrs. Jarman: I blame the examiners. It’s all their fault. They don’t do their job properly.
Presenter: Really？ In what way？
Mrs. Jarman: They distract my attention. They keep talking to me. Turn left, turn right, park here. By the time I’ve turned round to ask them what they said we’re half way through a field or slowly sinking into a pond surrounded by ducks. They should keep quiet and let me concentrate.
Presenter: But they have to tell you where to go, Mrs. Jarman.
Mrs. Jarman: Then they should give me time to stop each time before speaking to me. Why do you think they have those notices on the buses, ‘Do not speak to the driver’, eh？ I’m surprised there aren’t more accidents.
Presenter: How long do your tests usually last, Mrs. Jarman？
Mrs. Jarman: Two or three minutes. Not longer. They’ve usually jumped out by then. Except the last one.
Presenter: And how long did that last？
Mrs. Jarman: Four hours and twenty-five minutes, exactly, from beginning to end.
Presenter: Four hours and twenty-five minutes？
Mrs. Jarman: Yes. You see, I’d got on the motorway and as I told you I can’t turn right or left so we didn't stop until I hit a post box just outside London.
Presenter: And was the examiner still with you？
Mrs. Jarman: Oh, yes, he’d fainted much earlier on.
Presenter: Well, there we are. That’s the end of “Interesting Personalities” for this week. Thank you Mrs. Jarman for coming along and telling us about your experiences with cars.
Mrs. Jarman: Can I just say a word？
Presenter: Er ... yes. Go head.
Mrs. Jarman: I’d just like to say if there are any driving instructors in the Bristol area listening in, well, I’d like to say thank you very much and my offer to pay double still holds good if any of them will come back. Thank you.
Presenter: Thank you, Mrs. Jarman, and good night.
Mrs. Jarman: I won’t give up.
Section Three:
Tapescript.
A. A Little Crime:
A psychiatrist who has studied the legend of Bonnie and Clyde compares the characters of the two.
Interviewer: So in your book why do you focus more on Bonnie than you have on Clyde？
Shivel: Bonnie had something which Clyde completely lacked. Style. And she was also far more intelligent than he was. Without her, there never would have a legend. He was just a rather stupid hoodlum who got into difficult situations almost by accident and then started shooting wildly. She was a much warmer, more generous person.
Interviewer: But she could be very ruthless, couldn’t she？ I mean what about that policeman she shot in Grapevine, Texas？ Didn’t she laugh about it？
Shivel: Well, first of all, we don’t know if that’s what actually happened. A farmer says he saw her shoot the second policeman and then laugh. That’s the only evidence we have that she actually did that. But even if the story is true, the whole incident illustrates this warmer, almost motherly, side to her character.
Interviewer: Motherly？ How does the incident of shooting a policeman illustrate that she was motherly？
Shivel: Well ... uh ... just let me finish. You see, the day before the shooting, Bonnie and Clyde were driving about with a pet rabbit in the car. Bonnie’s pet rabbit. Clyde started complaining because the rabbit stank. So they stopped and washed the rabbit in a stream. The rabbit almost died because of the shock of the very cold water. Bonnie got very worried, and wrapped the rabbit in a blanket and held it close to her as they drove on. Then, the next morning, when the rabbit still wasn’t any better, she made Clyde stop and build a fire. She was sitting in front of that fire, trying to get rabbit warm when the two policemen drove up and got out. Probably the policemen had to idea who was there. They just wanted to see who was burning a fire and why. A moment later, as we know, they were both dead. All because of that pet rabbit which Bonnie wanted to mother. And ... uh ... perhaps ... in a strange way, Clyde was something like a pet rabbit, too. She was attracted to him because he was weaker than she was and needed someone to mother him. It’s strange, you know, but strong, intelligent women are often attracted to such
men ... weaker than they are ... men who are like children, or pet rabbits.
B. Psychiatrist:
Psychiatrist: Goodbye Mr. er ... um ... er ... Just keep taking those tables and you’ll be all right in no time. Next please. Good morning, Mrs. er ... your first visit, is it？
Mrs. Parkinson: Yes, doctor.
Psychiatrist: I see. Well, let me just fill in this form. Name？
Mrs. Parkinson: Parkinson. Enid Parkinson. (Crunch) Mrs.
Psychiatrist: So you’re married, Mrs. Parkinson.
Mrs. Parkinson: (Crunch) Yes.
Psychiatrist: I see. Now, your date of birth, please.
Mrs. Parkinson: Wednesday the twelfth of June.
Psychiatrist: No, not your birthday, Mrs. Parkinson. Your date of birth.
Mrs. Parkinson: (Crunch) Twelfth of June 1946. But not a word to my husband, mind, he thinks it was 1956.
Psychiatrist: 1946. Right. Now, what seems to be the trouble？
Mrs. Parkinson: (Crunch) Well, it’s nothing very much, doctor. It’s just that (crunch) I can’t stop (crunch) eating these crisps (crunch).
Psychiatrist: Yes, I had noticed that you seemed to be getting through rather a lot of them. Er ... do you mind picking up those two empty bags off the floor, please？ Thank you. Now, when did this problem start？
Mrs. Parkinson: (Crunch) About six months ago. My husband and I won a huge box of crisps in a talent competition. And we’ve not been able (crunch) to stop eating them ever since. It’s costing us a fortune. (Crunch)
Psychiatrist: I see. Now, what do you think about when you’re eating these crisps？
Mrs. Parkinson: More (crunch) crisps.
Psychiatrist: I see. And what do the crisps remind you of？
Mrs. Parkinson: (Crunch) Potatoes. (Crunch) Potato crisps. (Crunch) All nice, crisp and golden brown with plenty of salt on them.
Psychiatrist: I see. But don’t they remind you of anything else？
Mrs. Parkinson: (Crunch) Cheese. Cheese crisps. Cheddar crisps. Roquefort
crisps. Edam crisps. Oh, I’d definitely say they remind me of cheese.
Psychiatrist: Yes, they certainly seem to do that. Does anything else come to mind when you’re eating these vast amounts of crisps？
Mrs. Parkinson: Not much, apart from crisps, doctor. (Crunch) If I’m really on form I can work up an appetite for, oh, paprika crisps, or shrimp crisps or even ham and bacon crisps.
Psychiatrist: And have you made any effort to stop eating these crisps？
Mrs. Parkinson: Oh, no. I wouldn’t want to (crunch) eat anything else. I like my crisps.
Psychiatrist: But if you don’t want to stop eating them, why come to a psychiatrist？
Mrs. Parkinson: (Crunch) Well, it’s the noise, doctor. (Crunch) My husband complains he can’t hear the telly. And the neighbors bang on the walls late at night. (Crunch) Say they can’t sleep. I’ve offered them a whole box so that ... so that they can do the same, but (crunch) they say they’d rather sleep.
Psychiatrist: I should have thought earplugs would have been a more sensible thing to offer them.
Mrs. Parkinson: Earplugs！ That’s it！ The problem’s solved. (Crunch) Thank
you. Thank you very much, doctor.
Psychiatrist: Er ... Mrs ... um...
Mrs. Parkinson: Parkinson.
Psychiatrist: Parkinson, yes. Er ... could I have a crisp？
Mrs. Parkinson: Certainly, (crunch) doctor. Here, have a couple of bags.
Psychiatrist: Oh, thank you, Mrs. Parkinson. Oh, paprika with cheese. (Crunch) Thank you so much and good day. (Crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch, crunch)
Lesson Thirty-Two
Section One:
Tapescript.
News Item 1:
Presenter: Now before the weather report, we have some road news for you from Philip Thomson.
Philip Thomson: Yes, well, the A41 is still very busy at the Dome roundabout this morning. Harrow Road, the A404, Harrow Road is now flowing freely, no
problems there. The other congestion we have is in the A1M up near Hatfield. The M1 is heavy but at least is moving along, a little bit slower than normal. In Hammersmith, road repairs between Ridge Street and King Street are causing delay. Finally, a demonstration march at twelve thirty will cause congestion in central London.
News Item 2:
Presenter: And now our weather report. Nice sunshine all day long today, soon becoming very warm, but there will be some relief from the heat with something of a breeze developing. Even so, the temperature will get up to twenty-five degrees later today; it’s already up to nineteen degrees Celsius now, at nine in the morning, and it’ll go on rising. Very little cloud at any stage during the day, just a few clouds drifting around early in the afternoon, so we should end up the day with a good fourteen hours of sunshine going into the record books. That breeze is an easterly one that’s going to keep the coastal areas a little bit colder during the day but still quite pleasant. Over the night, clear, dry weather, still a little bit of the breeze and the temperature down to sixteen in central London and twelve or thirteen out of town.
Section Two:
Tapescript.
A. Accommodation:
Visitor: Where can I stay in this town？
Resident: There are lots of hotels, but they tend to be fairly expensive. And then there are bed and breakfast places, which are much cheaper—and you can find out about them through looking in the paper, or else just walking around the streets, and they have signs in the window saying ‘Bed＆Breakfast’. And then there are youth hostels.
Visitor: What are the youth hostels like？
Resident: The youth hostels are OK. All you get is a bed, but they do tend to be very cheap.
Visitor: Do I have to become a member？
Resident: Yes, you do, in fact. But it’s very easy to join, and there’s an office along the road, where you can go and sign on.
B. Schedule in the Nursing Home:
Mrs. Weston is describing her schedule in the nursing home.
I usually get up at 6.30. I’ve always been an early riser. When my husband was alive, we had to be up by five o’clock. He was a long distance train driver, you see. Before breakfast I have a cup of tea and I listen to music on the radio. Then between seven and eight I get dressed and eat breakfast—a boiled egg and a large
glass of orange juice—I never have anything else. Then at eight o’clock I always watch breakfast television—for the news and the weather and the chat. And then I usually have a nap until lunch. That’s always at twelve. We have a big lunch here at Twybury’s—soup, roast meat, potatoes, vegetables, always a pudding. After lunch I like being taken out in my wheelchair, or even in a car, if there’s anyone to take me. I hate staying indoors. I like looking in the shop windows, or sitting in a park and watching the world go by. Sometimes someone will read to me or write some letters. I usually fall asleep about three, and then of course we have our tea around five—nothing heavy—cold meats and salads and fruit, and that kind of thing. In the evening we play cards, or do knitting, and then I’m in bed by eight. I am getting on a bit, you know. I’m nearly eighty-three.
C. Free Samples:
Man: Good morning, love.
Woman: Morning.
Man: Sleep well？ I’ve made some tea; there you are.
Woman: Thanks. Any post？
Man: Not really. There’s a postcard from Aunt Lil and there’s a questionnaire to fill in from the company which gave us the free samples of tinned meat to try out for them.
Woman: They’ve got a nerve！
Man: But we did say we’d return the questionnaire when we took the samples.
Woman: What do they want to know？
Man: If we like it.
Woman: If we liked it？ Are they joking？ You’re not filling it in now, are you？ What for？
Man: We did promise and if I do it now I can post it on my way to work.
Woman: Well, write ‘we didn’t like it.’
Man: I’ll put ‘not much.’ That sounds nicer. Then it says ‘If not, why？’
Woman: No flavour. Too much fat.
Man: ‘How did you cook it？’ is next.
Woman: Fried it like they said, didn’t I？ Took a mouthful and gave it to the cat.
Man: ‘Guests’ comments, if any’！
Woman: The cat became ill. Poor thing, her fur went all green.
Man: ‘Did guests ask for the brand name？’
Woman: Tell them that our cat can’t speak.
Man: ‘Will you be buying our product regularly？’
Woman: Certainly not！ They must be out of their minds.
Man: ‘Did you find the tin attractive？’
Woman: Cut myself opening it. Nearly lost my thumb. Couldn’t use it for a week. I thought it was infected.
Man: ‘Any other comments？’
Woman: Well, tell them we’re too polite to answer that.
C. Murders in the House:
Mrs. Woodside: Well, Mrs. Long, how do you like it here？
Mrs. Long: Oh, since we had the house redecorated, it’s much nicer to live in. But there are still a few things that bother us.
Mrs. Woodside: Oh, what sort of things？
Mrs. Long: Nothing to do with the house, really. It’s just that our daughter, Jane, hasn’t been ... uh ... well, she hasn’t been sleeping well lately. I mean, she’s had a few nightmares.
Mrs. Woodside: Oh, I’m sorry to hear that.
Mrs. Long: Uh, excuse me, Mrs. Woodside, but ... do you mind if I ask you something？
Mrs. Woodside: No, of course not. Go ahead.
Mrs. Long: What ... what do you know about ... the people who lived here before？
Mrs. Woodside: Not very much. Nobody has stayed here very long since ... well, since ... you know...
Mrs. Long: Since？... Since when？
Mrs. Woodside: Well, since those ... surely you must know about it？
Mrs. Long: No, I don’t know. What are you talking about？
Mrs. Woodside: Those terrible murders that happened here more than twenty
years ago？
Mrs. Long: Murders？ What murders？
Mrs. Woodside: But I thought you knew！ This house once belonged to a ... I really thought you knew ... to a man who’s supposed to have murdered three or four women！ Right here！ In this house！ Afterwards, he’s supposed to have cut up their bodies ... right here ... in the kitchen.
Mrs. Long: What？ Are you serious？
Mrs. Woodside: Oh, dear. I hope I haven’t said anything to ... well, to upset you.
Mrs. Long: I can’t believe it.
Mrs. Woodside: Neither could I. Not at first, at least. He seemed such a nice man.
Mrs. Long: Who？
Mrs. Woodside: Taplow. Gordon Taplow. He didn't seem like the kind of man who could do such things, at all.
Mrs. Long: You mean you knew him？
Mrs. Woodside: Yes, of course I did. Not very well, but I used to see him in the street occasionally ... We said hello to each other. He was a very quiet man. You wouldn’t have thought he could have hurt a mouse. Once, I remember, he invited me in for a cup of tea.
Mrs. Long: And what happened？
Mrs. Woodside: Nothing. I ... I never got round to it ... to coming in for a cup of tea. I was always too busy. I suppose it was a good thing, wasn’t it？
Mrs. Long: What？
Mrs. Woodside: That I never came in for a cup of tea.
Section Three:
Tapescript.
A. Banking:
Bank Manager: Now, Miss Andrews, how much do you actually want to deposit with us in your new account？
Helen Andrews: Well, it’s just around two thousand pounds that I won on the premium bonds.
Bank Manager: Right. I now need your full name and address.
Helen Andrews: Helen Andrews. 33 Bedford Road...
Bank Manager: Helen Andrews. Would you please spell that？
Helen Andrews: A-N-D-R-E-W-S.
Bank Manager: Address？
Helen Andrews: 33 Bedford, that’s B-E-D-F-O-R-D....
Bank Manager: So 33 Bedford....
Helen Andrews: Road, London E14.
Bank Manager: Right, er ... now do you want a deposit or a current account？
Helen Andrews: Well, I want to be able to take my money out at any time.
Bank Manager: I see. So you probably want a current account.
Helen Andrews: Well, if you say so. I’ve only had a post office savings account until now.
Bank Manager: Well, with a current account you can ... have a cheque book, or
you can come into the bank and take the money out as you like. Of course, there’s no interest on a current account.
Helen Andrews: Not at all？
Bank Manager: No. If you put it into a seven day’s deposit account, of course, you get interest, but in a current account, none.
Helen Andrews: Well, most people have current accounts, don't they？
Bank Manager: Well, they do if they’ve not got an awful lot of money and they need to use it regularly. Eh ... so that’s probably the best thing for you.
Helen Andrews: Well, you'll give me a cheque book, won't you？
Bank Manager: I’ll give you a cheque book immediately, yes, er...
Helen Andrews: Do you need my signature？
Bank Manager: Ah yes, we’ll need er ... two or three specimen signatures...
Helen Andrews: OK. And I will get a cheque card ... I mean one of those cards which I’m allowed to use for up to fifty pounds a day.
Bank Manager: Eh, eh, now we don’t actually give a cheque card until you’ve had an account with us for six months.
Helen Andrews: Six months？
Bank Manager: Yes, we have to see how the account’s going, you see.
Helen Andrews: But that’s crazy. I mean I used to work in a shop and we’d never accept cheques without a cheque card. I mean no one will accept my money.
Bank Manager: Well, er ... this is how we work, I’m afraid.
Helen Andrews: Well, I’ll have to reconsider everything again, I think. I had no idea you were as strict as this...
B. How to Advertise for a Bank:
If you ask someone, they’ll say that the bank is where you can cash a cheque. But it’s more than that and we have to tell people that in our advertisements. There are several things to think about. When do you start？ I mean at what age. That is the first problem. I think you must start very young. So we said: ‘Let’s introduce the name of the bank to children and they will never forget it.’ The next question is this: How do you attract the different ago groups？ My partner said ‘Why don’t we use a gimmick for each age group？ Give them something for nothing—money boxes for young children, T-shirts for teenagers, gold pens for young executives.’ That always works. But what do you give to your best customer？ That’s another question. What about leather diaries, for example？
Banks are very competitive. How do you think of something new？ That’s always a problem. We were one of the first banks to have drive—in banks and to open on Saturdays, but now many banks do. Of course, most banks now offer insurance and travel services, and all the usually standing order and direct debit services. The other thing about advertising is where. Where do you put the ads—on television, of course, but which journals and newspapers？ And when and how often？ These are questions you have to ask yourself.
Lesson Thirty-Three
Section One:
Tapescript.
News Item 1:
Actress Virginia Darlington, who plays Judy in the TV soap opera Texas, got married yesterday surrounded by armed bodyguards at the most luxurious hotel in Texas, the Mansion. The 39-year-old star exchanged vows with plastic surgeon Henry Jones under a bough of ivy and gardenias, wearing a wedding-dress designed by Britain’s Saunders. Because this is the second time she has married a flautist marked the celebrations by playing ‘Love is Wonderful the Second Time Around.’
News Item 2:
The Football Association Secretary Mr. John Gamer says he’s delighted with the decision to lift the worldwide ban on English soccer clubs. As a result of serious incidents of hooliganism in European and international matches, football’s international ruling body FIFA decided last June that English teams should not be allowed to play outside Britain. FIFA announced its new decision to lift the worldwide ban this morning, but the ban on European matches still stands. Now, the Football Association Secretary says it’s up to the English fans to improve themselves and if they do behave the ban could be lifted in as short a time as twelve months.
News Item 3:
A group of twelve women are working hard to become the first all—female crew to sail around the world. At the moment the crew are busy trying to raise the three hundred and fifty thousand pounds needed to buy and equip a sixty-two foot yacht to make the record attempt. As part of their fund—raising the crew have been repainting the famous boat Gipsy Moth 4, on show at Greenwich, which was raised one thousand two hundred and fifty pounds from the British Yachting Association. The crew are also busy training to get ship—shape for their round—the—world sailing race which starts in September. The crew skipper says she doesn’t think the fact the crew are all women will lesson their chances of winning.
Section Two:
Tapescript.
A. Eskimos:
— Well, it’s got two big wheels one behind the other, and there’s a kind
of metal frame between the wheels that holds them together. And there’s a little seat above the back wheel that you can sit on, and above the front wheel there’s a sort of metal bar that sticks out on both sides. And you sit on the seat you see, and you put your hands on this metal bar thing—and the whole thing moves forwards—it’s amazing.
— What makes it move forward, then？
— Ah well, in the middle you see, between the two wheels, there are these
other bits of metal and you can put your feet on these and turn them round and that makes the wheels go round.
— over？
Hang on—if it’s only got two wheels why doesn’t the whole thing fall
— Well, you see, um, well I’m not sure actually...
B. Shoplifting:
Speaker A: Well, to be honest, I’m not sure what I would have done. I mean, it would have depended on various things.
Interviewer: On what, for instance？
Speaker A: Well, on ... hmm ... on how valuable the things the boys stole were. The next doesn’t ... it doesn’t say whether they had just stolen a tin of peas or something like that. So, I can’t really say ... except well, ... I think I would have told the shopkeeper if they had stolen something really valuable. Otherwise, I suppose I would have just ... I don’t know ... minded my own business, I suppose.
Speaker B: Well, I think it’s quite clear what I should have done. The boys had broken the law. You can’t allow that sort of thing to go on, can you？ After all, it affects all of us. If you let boys or anybody else get away with theft, they’ll just go on stealing！ So, I think the woman should have told—what’s his name？ — the shopkeeper.
Interviewer: Mr. Patel.
Speaker B: Patel. She should have told him and if necessary she should have held the boys while he got the police, or she should have gone for the police herself.
Interviewer: So you’re saying that that’s what you would have done？
Speaker B: Exactly. If I had been in that situation, that’s exactly what I would have done. At least ... at least, that’s what I ought to have done. That’s what I hope I would have done！
C. Frogs:
Fred: A funny thing happened to me the other night.
Man: Oh, yes？ What happened, Fred？
Fred: Well, you know I usually go out for a walk every night just after dark. Well, I was out the other night taking my usual walk and I heard a funny noise coming out of the building site down the road, you know, the one where they dug a big hole lately. Going to make it into an underground garage, I believe.
Man: Yes, I know it; go on.
Fred: Well, as I said. I heard this funny noise and I thought perhaps there was a kid down there, you know how kids go playing on building sites. But as I got nearer I could tell it wasn’t a kid, it sounded more like an animal. I thought it must be some dog or cat that had got itself trapped or something.
Man: So, what did you do？
Fred: Well, I went down there to investigate. I climbed down, ruined my trousers because of all the mud. You see it had been raining heavily for three or four days.
Man: Yeah.
Fred: Well, when I got down there I found the hole was full of water and the water was full of frogs.
Man: Frogs？
Fred: Yes. You know, those green things that jump up and down and go croak croak. So I thought ‘What are they going to do when the bulldozers come to work tomorrow？’ So I climbed back out, went home and got some plastic bags, big ones, like you use for the rubbish.
Man: What for？
Fred: I’ll tell you. I went back and started collecting the frogs and putting them into the plastic bags. I thought I’d take them to the pond in the park. They’d be happy there.
Man: I suppose they would.
Fred: Next thing I know there are sirens screaming and bright lights everywhere.
Man: What was going on then？
Fred: It was the police. Two cars full of police with flashlights and dogs. Somebody had reported seeing me going into the building site and thought I was a burglar.
Man: Well, what happened？
Fred: They put me in one of the cars and took me down to the Station.
Man: Why didn’t you tell them what you were doing？
Fred: I tried to in the car, but they just told me I would have to talk to the inspector on duty. Luckily I still had one of the bags on me full of frogs. A couple of them got out while the inspector was questioning me and you can imagine what it was like trying to catch them.
Man: So what happened in the end？
Fred: Oh, the inspector turned out to be a bit of an animal lover himself and he sent the two cars back to the building site and told his men to help me collect all the frogs. We did that and then they drove me home and I invited them all in for a cup of tea and we all had a good laugh.
Man: Well, I never. If you wrote that in a book they’d say you made it up.
D. Newspaper Editors:
A newspaper has a complex hierarchy. The easiest way to show this is in the form of a chart.
At the top of the chart there are four major positions. These are the Executive
Editor, who talks to the unions and deals with legal and financial questions. Then there is the actual Editor of the paper and his deputy. The Editor makes decisions about what goes into the paper. The deputy has close contact with the House of Commons and the political contact. Finally there is the Managing Editor, who sees that everything runs smoothly. Below this there are three Assistant Editors and the heads of the five departments. Each of the three Assistant Editors has a different responsibility. For example, one is responsible for design. The five departments are City News, which deals with financial matters, then the Home, Foreign, Sports and Features. Features are the special sections including films, books and the Woman’s page. So on the second level there are three Assistant Editor and the five Department Heads. Also on this level is the Night Editor. He looks after the paper, especially the front page, in the afternoon and evening, preparing material for publication the next morning. Below the second level there are the reporters and specialists, who write the reports and articles, and the sub editors, who check and prepare the copy for the printer. There is also full secretarial back-up.
Section Three:
Tapescript.
A. A Tour of the Airport:
This lift is taking us to departures on the first floor.
We are now in departures. Arrivals and departures are carefully separated, as
you have seen. Just to the left here we find a 24-hour banking service, and one of three Skyshops on this floor—there are two in the departure lounge. And here, as you can see, you can buy newspapers, magazines, confectionery, souvenirs and books. If you will turn around now and look in front of you, you can see the seventy-two check-in desks, are next to the entrances on the far left and far right, and straight ahead is the entrance to the departure lounge and passport control. Shall we go airside？
We have now cleared passport control and security, and you can see that security is very tight indeed. You are about to enter a departure lounge which is a quarter of a mile in length. But don’t worry. There are moving walkways the length of the building, so you don’t have to put on your hiking boots.
Straight ahead of you is a painting by Brendan Neiland. As you can see it is a painting of Terminal 4 and it measures twenty feet by eight feet. On the other side of it are the airline information desks. Let’s walk around to those. Now, if you face the windows you can see the duty—free shops. There is one on your left and one on your right. They have been decorated to a very high standard, to make you feel like you are shopping in London’s most exclusive shops. The duty—free shops sell the usual things but they also have outlets for fine wines and quality cigars.
If we turn to the right and walk along in front of the duty—free shops, we will come to a buffet and bar opposite. You see, this one is called the Fourth Man Inn—all the bars, restaurants and cafeterias have names including the number four, and many of them have jokey signboards like this one, to brighten up a traveller’s
day.
If we turn left out of here and go back along the concourse, we come to the plan—ahead insurance desk, on the far side of the first duty—free shop, with public telephones alongside. Notice that here we can see what is going on outside, through the windows. Opposite the insurance desk, next to the other duty—free shop, is the international telephone bureau. Let’s just go across there. Across from this dury—free shop is an area just like the one we have just seen, with a buffet, bar and skyshops, and now let’s go along the moving walkway to the gates, shall we？
B. Lost Handbag:
Mary Jones: Excuse me. Excuse me.
Man: Yes, madam？
Mary Jones: Can you help me. Please, look, I’m desperate. Are you responsible for lost property？
Man: Yes, I am.
Mary Jones: Well, I’ve got something to report.
Man: What is it you’ve lost？
Mary Jones: I’ve lost my handbag.
Man: Your handbag？
Mary Jones: Well, it’s terrible. I don’t know what to do.
Man: Where did you lose your handbag, madam？
Mary Jones: On the train, on the train. Look, we’ve got to stop the train.
Man: Which train？
Mary Jones: I’ve just come off the tube, this last train, in from Paddington.
Man: Yes, the last train tonight. There isn’t another one.
Mary Jones: On the circle line, on the circle line.
Man: Yes, yes.
Mary Jones: Oh, it’s terrible. We haven’t got much time, I mean I have got so many valuable things in that bag.
Man: Will you ... will you please explain...
Mary Jones: I was asleep on the train. I must have dropped off. I woke up,
almost missed my station, so I rushed off the train and then I realised my handbag was still on it.
Man: Yes？
Mary Jones: By that time the doors were shut and it was too late.
Man: So your handbag is still on the train.
Mary Jones: It’s on the train travelling...
Man: All right. All right, just a moment. Now, can I have your name and address？
Mary Jones: Well, look the thing I’ve got to tell you is that there’s money in that handbag.
Man: Yes, we realise this, madam. We need your name and address first.
Mary Jones: OK. My name’s Mary Jones.
Man: Mary Jones. Address？
Mary Jones: 16...
Man: 16...
Mary Jones: Craven Road.
Man: Craven Road. That’s C-R-A-V-E-N？
Mary Jones: Yes.
Man: Now, can you tell me exactly what was in the handbag？
Mary Jones: Well, there was money...
Man: How much？
Mary Jones: Nearly thirty pounds. I had my driving licence...
Man: So thirty pounds, driving licence, yes...
Mary Jones: I had my keys, and I had the office keys, they’ll kill me when I go to work tomorrow, and I’d just been to the travel agent, I had my ticket to Athens...
Man: Just ... just one moment. House and office keys, ticket to Athens.
Mary Jones: Yes, hurry please. You’ve got to phone the next station...
Man: Yes, all right, just a moment. Anything else？
Mary Jones: I had my season ticket.
Man: Your season ticket for travelling on the tube.
Mary Jones: And a very expensive bottle of perfume, and ... and ... and I had a...
Man: Yes, well, I’ll get the guard to look in ... the train...
Lesson Thirty-Four
Section One:
Tapescript.
Listen to these people talking about videos.
1. I borrow videos every week. I can watch cartoons of adventures at any
time and I can watch them over and over again. I never watch children’s programs on television any more.
2. My wife likes the video because she doesn’t speak any English. But I say,
if she doesn’t hear English, how can she learn it？ She needs to learn English to meet people and make friends.
3. Videos are ruining the cinema, of course. Too many people copy films
instead of buying or borrowing them. There are too many pirates. Of course, more
people can see their favourite films now. Videos are obviously cheaper than the cinema, but they don’t have the same effect, do they？
4. I watch the video every day while I knit—mostly old films, ice skating and
pop videos. I used to watch television all the time—news, talk shows, soap operas—anything that was on. Now I can choose what I watch and when I watch it.
5. A lot of educational videos are made with government money and video
is used by a lot of schools now. Videos can be used at any time of the day and they can be stopped and replayed. When I was learning to be a teacher we were filmed and we could see our mistakes. Of course some teachers just put the video on and let it do the work, but it can be extremely valuable in the classroom.
6. I use the video for three things: I record programs when I’m not at
home and I watch them when I have time. At work we use videos for training new employees; and I hire films at weekends and my friends come to watch. It makes quite a nice social evening.
Section Two:
Tapescript.
A. Discussion:
Speaker A: Well, hunk is a verb. And it means to carry something, particularly
something that’s heavy and difficult to move. So you can say something like ‘When I saw the men they were hunking the piano down the stairs.’
Speaker B: Actually, hunk is the cry made by an elephant, especially when it’s angry, or it’s trying to contact other elephants. The word sounds like the noise they make ‘hunk, hunk.’ So you can say, for example, ‘The elephants are hunking a lot tonight.’
Speaker C: No, no the truth is, hunk is a noun. And it means a piece of something, a big thick piece. So if you cut a thin piece of bread, that’s not a hunk. When you tear off a thick piece of bread, that’s a hunk. Today, for example, I had a big hunk of bread and cheese for my lunch.
B. Mark:
Tony: Whew. The disco wasn’t bad but I’m glad to escape from the noise. Aren’t you？
Richard: Ummmmm.
Tony: Richard, I’d forgotten. You’ve got a letter. Now where did I put it？ There it is. Under the gas bill.
Richard: From my brother.
Tony: Good. How many brothers have you got？
Richard: Only one.
Tony: Name？
Richard: Mark.
Tony: Older or younger？
Richard: Much older.
Tony: How much？
Richard: Five years.
Tony: Get on all right？
Richard: Yes, all right.
Tony: Tell me about Mark. You must have a lot in common. Such as problems.
Richard: Well, when I have a real problem I usually discuss it with Mark.
Tony: And what is a real problem？
Richard: Money is one. But Mark never minds helping me out.
Tony: You say money is one problem. I suppose you mean there are others.
Richard: Well, yes. Of course there are. Friends and possessions. He knows who my friends are and I know who his friends are. But when we meet we hardly ever speak. His friends aren’t interested in talking to my friends. And my friends think his friends are boring and patronising.
Tony: Go on, Richard. You mentioned possessions. What about possessions？
Richard: I can never find my favourite cassettes. Mark and his friends keep borrowing them. I suppose Mark has a point when he says he can’t find his calculator. I use it whenever I can find it.
Tony: So ... if you were in real trouble, who would you contact first？
Richard: Mark, of course.
C. Gardening:
Chairman: Now Mr. Grant has a question, I think, on gardening. Mr. Grant？
Mr. Grant: Can the team please suggest any suitable gardening task that could be given to young children between eight and twelve years old.
Chairman: I usually get them to wash my car. But a gardening task, well, what do you suggest. Peter？
Peter: There’s a great tendency among some people I know to treat young children like slave labor. I don’t think you should. I think you should give them a job which is going to be useful to you, not one that you would object to doing yourself and, if possible, one which is going to be of some educational benefit to them. A job I would suggest is hand weeding.
Chairman: You must have thought about this, Jeff. What job would you give them？
Jeff: Well, I’d sooner have them eating ice cream. No, seriously, I like having young people in the garden. One thing that they enjoy doing, because they get very messy, is cleaning tools, you know spades, rakes and things like that. I mean you give a little boy an old rag to clean them with and he is so happy. Another job they love and which I hate absolutely is edging. You know, trying to give a shape to the lawn. They make a horrible mess of it cutting it smaller and smaller and giving it no shape at all, but they thoroughly enjoy it. The other thing that I like to give them to do is pot washing. They’re not so keen on that but I get them to wash the pots. But anything that’s going to get them messy, lovely！
Chairman: What do you say, Susan？
Susan: Well, I would say heaven help any young boy or girl who came into my garden because their life would be made a misery. The only way I would let anybody touch my garden is if I was in the garden with them and working alongside, so I think the only thing to do is, whatever you do, work with them and
make sure (a) that it’s done properly and (b) that they’re happy while they do it.
D. Violence in Sport:
Three people are giving their opinions about boxing.
Speaker 1: When I look at a picture like this I feel ... hmm ... I feel ... I’m not really sure how I feel.
Interviewer: Disgusted perhaps？ Horrified？
Speaker 1: No, no, I wouldn’t say that.
Interviewer: Are you excited, perhaps？
Speaker 1: Excited？ No, no, not at all. What’s there to be excited about？
Interviewer: Well, a lot of people who go to boxing matches seem to be excited.
Speaker 1: Yes, I know. But I really can’t understand why anybody should do that sort of thing at all.
Interviewer: What？ Go to a boxing match？ Or box in one？
Speaker 1: No, the first. I ... I think ... well ... it’s hard to understand why
people should want to earn their living by fighting, but I think I can. I mean, it’s the money, isn’t it？ No, I meant going to a thing like that and watching it. I ... I just can’t understand it. That’s all.
Speaker 2: Well, before ... I used to be disguested by the idea of this sort of thing. Men fighting for money. Blood. All that sort of thing.
Interviewer: And now？
Speaker 2: Well, since I’ve started going to a few boxing matches with my boyfriend, I think I see something ... something else in it.
Interviewer: What？
Speaker 2: Well ... perhaps you’ll be surprised when I say this ... but I think there’s a real element of skill. Yes. Skill.
Interviewer: What kind of skill？
Speaker 2: Physical skill. Those men are really ... fit. And if you watch two good boxers ... boxers who know what they’re doing ... you can see the skill. The way they ... they ... the way they watch each other and wait for an opening. That sort of thing. It’s quite exciting, really. A bit like ... a chess game. Yes.
Speaker 3: To me it’s just disgusting. A brutal, disgusting spectacle. It ought to be banned. It sickens me ... the very thought of it sickens me.
E. Films:
Woman: Well, what did you think of the film, Margaret？
Margaret: Oh, I enjoyed it actually. But I do like musicals and I think Julie Andrews is wonderful.
Woman: Lovely voice.
Margaret: Oh, beautiful.
Woman: And a lovely face.
Margaret: Oh, she’s very very attractive.
Woman: I can’t think why so many people criticize her.
Margaret: Oh well, a lot of people do, but I think it’s a snob thing with a lot of people.
Woman: I’ve always enjoyed her films. Very well produced, too.
Margaret: Oh, excellent, yes.
Woman: Those lovely scenes in the Alps.
Margaret: Yes, where she was doing that number where she was dancing on the hills.
Woman: Mm, and that scene in the school. It brought tears to my eyes. What about next week then？
Margaret: Yes, what are we going to see next week？ Do you know what’s on？ I haven’t looked at the local paper to see what’s on next week.
Woman: Well, I’d better give you a ring about it.
Margaret: All right. I hope there’s another musical on.
Woman: Well, I believe there’s Guys and Dolls on, if I remember well.
Margaret: Really？ Are they bringing that back again？
Woman: I believe so. But it’s on at the Odeon, on the other side of town, so it would involve quite a bit of travelling.
Margaret: Oh, yes, but I’d go anywhere to see Frank Sinatra.
Woman: I’d forgotten he was in it, so he is. Well, let’s try and see that if we can.
Margaret: I have seen it before, of course, but they’re always bringing it back.
Woman: What do you say, shall we meet for tea and then take in a matinee？
Margaret: Yes, that’s a good idea. Where shall I meet you？
Woman: Now what about the Odeon cafe. Four o’clock？
Margaret: Fine. Which day？
Woman: Tuesday？
Margaret: No, I can’t make it Tuesday. How about Thursday？
Woman: Yes, Thursday is all right. My husband likes to go off to his club on Thursday.
Margaret: So Thursday, four o’clock, have tea and then go and see Guys and Dolls. Well, that’ll be nice because I do like Frank Sinatra. So I’ll see you on
Thursday. I have to be off now. Goodbye.
Woman: Bye.
Section Three:
Tapescript.
A. Boat Trip:
Angela Rogers in describing a boat trip which she took with her husband down the Nile.
It was the summer of last year when we went. It was a special package holiday which included three days in Cairo, and a week cruising down the Nile. It sounded lovely in the brochure. Relaxing, luxurious, delicious food—all the usual things. And the boat looked nice in the picture. In fact, when we got there, and on the boat, it was exactly the opposite of luxurious. It was positively uncomfortable. It was too small to be comfortable. And too hot. The only air-conditioning was from the wind, and inside, in the cabins, it was too hot to sleep, and the dining room was stifling.
My husband and I paid the special rate for the best cabin. I’m glad we didn’t have to stay in the worst one. The cabins were very poorly equipped, there wasn’t even a mirror, or a socket for a hairdrier, or even a point for the electric razor. There was a shower, but the water pressure wasn’t high enough to use it. The cabin was badly designed as well. There wasn’t enough room to move. The beds took up three-quarters of the space.
The brochure also talked about the mouth—watering French cuisine available on board, but you could hardly call it food. It was boring, and practically inedible. There was nothing to do, really. There was a table-tennis table, but one bat was broken. In the daytime the desks were so crowded, there wasn’t even enough room to sit. We did stop now and then for a swim, but who wants to swim in that filthy river？ I certainly didn’t.
B. Interview:
Professor Ernest Taylor is a sociologist and the author of a number of books. He was interviewed recently on CBC radio by Norman Blunt.
Blunt: Now Professor, in your latest book Granny Doesn’t Live Here Any More, you suggest that Granny is a problem, and she is going to become even more of a problem in the future. Am I correct？
Taylor: Yes, in fact it’s not only Granny who is a problem, it’s Grandfather, too, and old people in general.
Blunt: Now, is this a peculiarly British phenomenon？ It seems very sad that parents should give so much of their lives to bringing up their children and then, when they become old, be regarded as a problem.
Taylor: Our research was mainly carried out in Britain. In many countries it is still regarded as quite natural that a widowed mother should go to live with one of her married children, but in Britain, certainly during the last thirty or forty years, there has been considerable resistance to this idea.
Blunt: Now why do you think this is？ Surely having a Granny about the place to take care of the younger children, and give a hand with the housework, can take a lot of pressure off a young wife, can’t it？
Taylor: Yes, I think this is true. But remember the old people themselves are often totally opposed to the idea of going to live with the young family. And modern houses and flats are very small; much smaller than the sort of homes people used to live in.
Blunt: And when Granny gets very old, then the situation becomes ever worse, doesn’t it？
Taylor: Yes, as long as old people are able to look after themselves, the system works quite well. But as soon as they need anything in the way of care and attention, the situation becomes very difficult indeed.
Blunt: Well, presumably a point comes when old people have to go into a nursing home or something similar.
Taylor: Yes, but it’s not as simple as that. Because of improvements in medical science, life expectancy is increasing all the time. The birth rate has fallen. This means that an ever smaller working population is having to provide for an ever larger number of old people, in need of care and attention. The number of places in old people’s homes provided by the State is strictly limited. There are private nursing homes, but the cost is way out of reach of the average family.
Blunt: And how do you see the situation developing in the future？
Taylor: Well, obviously a lot of money is going to have to be spent. But it’s
difficult persuading people to do this. There aren’t many votes for policians in providing nursing homes for elderly.
Blunt: You don’t see a reversal of this trend, with Granny going back to live with the family.
Taylor: I think this is most unlikely.
Lesson Thirty-Five
Section One:
Tapescript.
A. Tastes in Common:
Woman A: I can’t stand places like Majorca of the Costa Brava.
Man: No, nor can I.
Woman A: You know, where you have to share the beach with thousands of other people and everyone speaks English.
Woman B: Oh, I don’t mind that.
Man: Oh, I do. I never go to places like that. I like to get right away from all the
tourists, go somewhere that’s really quiet and peaceful, like an island of something.
Woman A: Yes, so do I—where no—one speaks English.
Woman B: What’s wrong with people speaking English？ I like meeting people when I’m on holiday. I like places with a good night life, and plenty of men around, and ... well, you know, where you can have a good time...
B. Monologue:
I remember sailing on a pond that used to be by my grandfather’s sawmill—we had a boat, and we used to go sailing on this. Also, we used to do a lot of climbing trees. We used to climb these trees for apples, which we then are and made ourselves very sick. And my mother would come along and complain very strongly, but I don’t think that stopped us at all. And of course in those days I had a bike, too, and I remember I used to push it up this very long hill near our house and then I’d get on and ride down as fast as I could go. My mother used to complain about that, too.
Section Two:
Tapescript.
A. Recipe:
Doris: Hello. What’s all this then, Harry？
Harry: What’s all what？ I’m making a cake.
Doris: Yes. We can see what you’re up to. Obviously you’re making a cake. What else would you be doing with a cake tin and a rolling pin on the table and the place absolutely covered in flour. Yes, we can see what you’re doing. But why are you doing it？
Man: Yes, it’s rather unlike you, Harry.
Harry: Well, I just decided I’d try and make one for a change instead of cake. You can’t buy them like this. And while you’re here, Doris, do you mind beating up half a dozen eggs in that blue bowl over there？ You’ll find a fork and egg whisk, whichever you prefer, in the drawer on the left.
Doris: OK. I don’t mind. But what’s so special about this cake？
Harry: It’s a surprise cake.
Man: A surprise cake？
Harry: Yes. Doris, don’t forget to add five tablespoons of sugar.
Doris: No, dear. But tell us about this surprise cake.
Harry: Well, it was an idea I had while I was lying in bed last night.
Man: Do you usually think of food in bed？
Harry: I wasn’t thinking of food. I decided to have a party for some old friends of mine, but I want to give them a surprise.
Man: What kind of surprise？
Harry: Can you add a half of a pint of cream to that, Doris？ That’s right, drip it in slowly and then beat it up again until it becomes all sticky. That’s the way.
Doris: I have made a cake before, you know. Now, come on, what’s the surprise？
Harry: Well, it’s quite simple, really. You see I serve the cake with candles on it. Then I switch out the lights and I slip out of the room. But before this I tell them that they must count to twenty before trying to blow out the candles and they’ll get a surprise.
Man: And then？ (Explosion effect)
B. Waiting:
— Listen！ I’m terribly sorry I’m late.
— Oh, that’s all right. It doesn’t really matter, does it？ I haven’t got
anything better to do, have I？
— Just let me explain, will you？
— I’ve only been waiting for over an hour, that’s all.
— Yes, I know, and I would have...
— After all, my time isn’t really that important, is it？
— Please don’t be like that. Just let me explain. I ... I tried to get here in
time but just after I left home, the car broke down.
— The car broke down？
— Yes, and ... well ... luckily ... there was a garage near me. And ... and it took
them a while to repair it.
— Why didn’t you at least phone？
— I would have！ But I didn’t know the number of the restaurant.
— You could have looked it up in the telephone book！
— Yes, but ... you’ll never believe this ... I couldn’t remember the name of
the restaurant. I knew where it was, but forgot the name.
— I see. Well, at least it was lucky you found a garage to repair your car.
— Yes. It was something I couldn’t do myself. It didn’t take too long, but
that’s why I’m late, you see.
— Hu huh. Which garage, by the way？
— Pardon？
— Which garage did you take it to？
— Uh ... the one near my flat. You know. Lewis Brothers.
— Yes, I know that garage. It’s the only one near your flat.
— Hmm. Well now, let’s have something to eat. Uh, what about some...
— I know the garage very well！
— Yes. Let’s see now. Yes, I think I’ll have some...
— A pity it’s Sunday.
— Pardon？
— A pity it’s Sunday. That garage is closed on Sunday！
C. Hiking:
Donald: Isn’t it a relief to see people and lights, Walter？ Now, let me see. Where are we exactly？ According to my map, this must be Chagford.
Walter: You’re right, Don. That sign says Chagford Town Hall. But there’s a more interesting notice on the other side of the square. Do you see what it says？ ‘Open for Devon Cream Teas’.
* * *
Donald: Oh, yes, so it does. Hold on a moment. I must get a newspaper. There’s a newsagent next door.
Walter: What do you want a newspaper for？
Donald: To find out what’s been happening, of course.
Walter: I don’t need a newspaper to find out what’s been happening. We must have been walking for at least six hours. My feet have been hurting for about four hours and I’ve been starving since we shared that tin of cold beans.
Donald: You don’t mean you’re hungry again？ I see what you mean. That tea shop does look interesting. We could plan tomorrow’s walk while we were
having tea, couldn’t we？
* * *
Walter and Donald have just finished their Devon Cream Tea, but they don’t seem to want to leave.
Waitress: I really don’t know what to do, Mrs. Adams. The two gentlemen at table four have had complete Devon cream teas, with additional sandwiches and cakes, and another order of scones. They don’t seem to want to leave and it’s a quarter past five and I should be going off...
Mrs. Adams: Never mind, Mary. You go. Poor lads. They must have been walking all day by the look of them. They must have been starving.
Walter: I feel a hundred per cent better. How about you Donald？
Donald: I must admit that a Devon cream tea is better than a tin of cold beans. In fact, it’s better than almost anything I can think of ... except a good newspaper. Do you ever buy a newspaper？
Walter: Not often. But I watch television a lot.
Donald: Television！ It only scratches the surface.
Walter: I don’t know what you mean by that. Television coverage is very
dramatic.
Donald: Dramatic, yes. You learn what happened but never why it happened.
Walter: Rubbish. The television pictures show you what happened and then the people concerned are interviewed and they tell you why it happened.
Donald: They say what they saw, but they aren’t in a position to fill in the background.
Walter: Yes, they are. They were there.
Donald: That doesn’t mean they’re in a position to fill in the background. Anyway, the television pictures don’t show you the whole truth. They only show you the bits that happened while the cameraman was filming. Very often he missed the most important bits.
Mrs. Adams: Excuse me. I’m afraid it’s almost half past five and we must close. Could I just give you your bill？
Donald: Yes, of course. See to it, will you, Walter. I must get a newspaper before the newsagent closes.
Walter: ... er ... Don...
Donald: Yes？
Walter: Could you get me a paper, too？
Donald: What do you want a paper for？
Walter: To find out what’s on television.
D. Giving Directions:
Alan: Yes, well ... good ... that sounds great ... thanks a lot ... haven’t been to a party for ages. I’ll drop round then. Er ... tell me how I get there.
Caller: I just told you, Alan.
Alan: You didn’t. You just reminded me it was somewhere near Willesden Green.
Caller: I told you exactly how to get here.
Alan: Then I wasn’t listening. Tell me again and I’ll write it down.
Caller: All right. Take a 46 bus.
Alan: A what？
Caller: A 46.
Alan: It can’t be a 46.
Caller: It is, it is.
Alan: Look, the 46 goes in the opposite direction. It goes towards the Elephant and Castle.
Caller: No, it doesn’t.
Alan: It does.
Caller: Listen, it may go towards the Elephant and Castle on its way back but before that it’s headed in the opposite direction because I happen to catch it every day on my way home from work.
Alan: All right, but I’ve seen the 46 going the opposite way, I’m sure. I didn’t want to end up at the wrong end of town, that’s all.
Caller: In any case, what you may have seen is the 46B. That goes from here down to the Elephant on its return journey.
Alan: But I seem to remember coming to your house one time on the 28. Am I right？ I used to catch it at Marble Arch.
Caller: Yes. It’s discontinued. It used to run from Tooting straight through to here. It’s a pity.
Alan: OK, so I catch the 46. Now where do I get off？
Caller: Get off at Boots the chemist’s on the corner, two stops after the railway bridge. Turn right and walk on until you come to the second set of traffic lights then turn right into Hartington Road.
Alan: Hang on ... let me write that down. So I get off at Boots the chemist’s after the railway bridge.
Caller: Two stops after you’ve gone under the railway bridge.
Alan: All right. Then what？
Caller: Then turn right and turn right again at the second set of traffic lights.
Alan: Right at the second set of lights.
Caller: Then first right into Hartington Road and I’m number one, second floor.
Alan: OK, I’ve got all that. Where do you think is the nearest place for me to catch the 45？
Caller: 46. The 45 would take you up to Wembley and you wouldn’t get here till the middle of next week.
Alan: All right the 46. Where do I catch it？
Caller: I should think Piccadilly Circus or Green Park would be the nearest to you.
Alan: Oh well, they’re both within walking distance. Have you any idea how often they run？
Caller: What？
Alan: The 46, do you know how often it runs？
Caller: I’ve no idea. I should think every ten or fifteen minutes. I never have to wait long.
Alan: Good, I should be there in about an hour. Thanks for the invitation. Cheers.
Caller: Cheers. See you later.
Section Three:
Tapescript.
A. Burglary:
Fred: Are you sure this is the right house？
Harry: Course I’m sure. I used to live next door, didn’t I？ It’s easy and safe. She’s not been out for twenty years. Frightened to go out in case someone pinches her money.
Fred: That’s just what we’re going to do, isn’t it？ Except she’s in. What if she hears us？
Harry: She won’t. Deaf as a post. Probably half blind, too. Living in the dark all those years. Come on, get in this window. Stand on my back and give me a hand up. Right, now come on. Let’s have a look around.
* * *
Wendy: Ah, good evening, you’ve come at last.
Fred: Blimey！
Harry: Oh ... er ... good evening. Yeah ... er ... sorry to be late.
Wendy: Late！ Oh, m you are naughty. Keeping me waiting here twenty years. And then trying to surprise me by coming in the window. And you’ve brought a friend, I see. Good evening. I hope you didn’t damage your clothes coming in the window like that. Harry’s such a silly boy. Still up to his tricks. Do take a chair. And you Harry, sit down and we can all have a nice cup of tea. You’d like that,
wouldn’t you？
Fred: Oh ... er ... yeah, er ... thanks very much. Er ... thank you.
Wendy: Lovely. Now, won’t be a minute. Harry, entertain your friend, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha, ha.
Fred: A right mess this is. Quick, back out of the window.
Harry: No. Calm down. Can’t you see？ It’s even easier. She thinks I’m her old boyfriend. Must’ve been waiting for him for twenty years. All I have to do is ask her for the money and she’ll give it to me. She’s off her head.
Fred: Do you think so？ Reckon it’ll be as easy as that？
Harry: Course it will. Now shut up. She’s coming back.
Fred: She didn’t even notice our masks.
Harry: Oh, shut up.
Wendy: Here we are. A nice cup of tea and a bun. Now, Harry, you haven’t introduced your friend.
Harry: Oh, no. Sorry. Er ... this is Fred. Yeah ... Fred. Fred this is...
Wendy: Hello, Fred. So pleased to meet you. I’m Wendy. Wendy Hartfelt.
Fred: Oh, very pleased, I’m sure.
Harry: Wendy, I wanted to talk you about money.
Wendy: Ah yes, Harry. I wondered. I wasn’t going to mention it quite so soon, but that ten thousand pounds I lent you must have acquired quite a lot of interest by now, and times are rather hard. Now, drink your tea like a good boy and we’ll discuss how you can pay it back. Twenty years is a long time to wait, after all. Harry？ Harry, what are you doing？ Come back in here at once. Oh dear. He is a naughty boy. But I know he’ll come back. Always did. But I’m afraid his tea will be cold. Ah...
B. The Empty Chair:
A friend of mine, Rob Jenkins, almost had a nervous breakdown last year. I told him to go to the doctor.
Doctor: Hello, Mr. Henkins. What can I do for you？
Mr. Jenkins: Well, doctor ... I’m very tense and nervous. I haven’t been able to sleep for several days.
Doctor: Hmm ... have you been working hard？
Mr. Jenkins: Oh, yes. I’ve been very busy. I’ve been working twelve hours a day.
Doctor: Have you been taking any pills？
Mr. Jenkins: No, but I’ve been smoking too much, and I’ve been drinking a lot of coffee.
Doctor: Well, you should take a holiday. You should go somewhere quiet and peaceful, like Cornwall. Why don’t you go there？
* * *
Rob decided to go to Cornwall the next weekend. Penquay was a very small fishing village on the north coast of Cornwall. There were no trains or buses to Penquay, so he had to drive. It was a long journey, and Rob arrived late on Friday evening. The landlady of the guest house, Mrs. Doone, answered the door and showed him to his room. Rob was very tired and went straight to bed. He slept well and didn’t wake up until nine o’clock the next morning.
Rob went downstairs for breakfast. Because there were no other guests, Mrs. Doone invited him to have breakfast with her and her daughter, Catherine. Catherine was already sitting in the dining room. She was about thirteen years old, with long, black hair and clear, grey eyes. Mrs. Doone went to the kitchen to prepare breakfast. Rob and Catherine looked at each other nervously for a few
seconds.
Mr. Jenkins: There are four places at the table. Is there another guest？
Catherine: Oh, no ... we never talk about the empty place.
Mr. Jenkins: The empty place？ What do you mean？
Catherine: Well, that used to be my father’s place.
Mr. Jenkins: ‘Used to be？’ I don’t understand.
Catherine: My father was a fisherman. Three years ago he went out in his boat, and he never returned.
Mr. Jenkins: What happened to him？
Catherine: Nobody knows. They searched everywhere, but they found nothing. My mother always keeps that place for him, and she makes his breakfast every morning. She thinks he’ll come back. That’s a photograph of him ... over there, on the wall. My mother’s been waiting for him for three years.
* * *
Rob said nothing, but he looked very worried. At that moment Mrs. Doone returned. She poured four cups of tea, and put one cup in the empty place. Rob
looked more worried and he stared at the empty chair. Suddenly, he heard footsteps outside the door and a tall man, with a black beard, walked into the room. Rob looked terrified. It was the man in the photograph！ He jumped up and ran out of the room.
Man: Who was that？ What’s the matter？
Mrs. Doone: I don’t know. I don’t understand. He’s a guest from London. He arrived last night while you were asleep.
Man: Catherine！ Do you know anything about this？
Catherine: No, I don’t, father. But he’s here because he’s very nervous. He says he’s hiding here because a tall man with a black beard is trying to kill him.
Man: Catherine, have you been telling stories again？
Catherine: (laughing) Stories, father？ Me？
Lesson Thirty-Six
Section One:
Tapescript.
A. Making a Reservation:
Robert Gordon is phoning to book a hotel room in Paris.
Receptionist: 45-21-. Allo？
Robert: Is that the Saint-Martine Hotel？
Receptionist: Qui. Yes, it is. Can I help you？
Robert: Have you got a double room for the night of 23rd July？
Receptionist: One moment please. I’ll just have a look. Yes, we have got a double room on the date.
Robert: Has it got a double bed or two singles？
Receptionist: Two singles, monsieur.
Robert: And is that with or without bath？
Receptionist: It’s a room with shower and toilet, monsieur.
Robert: That sounds fine. Is there a TV？
Receptionist: Could you repeat that, please？
Robert: Is there a color television in the room？
Receptionist: Yes, but of course. And a video, if you choose.
Robert: How much will it be for one night？
Receptionist: About four hundred francs.
Robert: And what does that include？
Receptionist: It includes morning newspaper, continental breakfast and service.
Robert: Where is the nearest metro？
Receptionist: Opera, monsieur. It’s only five minutes from here.
Robert: And is there an extra charge for children？
Receptionist: If the child is under sixteen and we put an extra bed in your room, the charge is seventy-five francs. Do you want the room？
Robert: Yes, for one night—23rd July.
Receptionist: Qui, monsieur. May I have your name, please？
Robert: Actually, it’s for my wife and two daughters—Mrs. Jean Gordon, Linda and Maggie.
Receptionist: Yes, monsieur. So you need an extra bed. And what time will they be arriving on July 23rd...
B. Vet:
Interviewer: Now you’ve been a veterinary doctor for some thirty years; what was it that made you become a vet in the first place？
Vet: Well, I studied as an ordinary doctor in the beginning but I slowly realised that I liked animals very much. I almost prefer animals to people. So I took an extra course in animal medicine. It’s as simple as that really.
Interviewer: And you still enjoy working with animals？
Vet: Oh, yes, very much so. In fact, more than ever now. I’ve got to know animals much better, you see, and I get on better with them in every way. Their owners sometimes get on my nerves, though.
Interviewer: Oh ... and why is that？
Vet: Well, some people know very little about animals and keep them in the wrong conditions.
Interviewer: What sort of conditions？
Vet: Oh, you know, some people buy a large dog and then try to keep it in a
small flat; they don’t take it out enough to give it proper exercise. Other people have a cat and try to keep it in the house all day, but a cat needs to get out and be free to come and go as it pleases. A lot of people don’t feed their animals properly. It’s very common to give pets too much food which is very bad for them, especially if they’re not getting enough exercise. Or not to feed them regularly, which is equally bad. An animal is a responsibility which is something many people don’t seem to realise.
Interviewer: You mean people keep pets for the wrong reasons？
Vet: Yes, some people want a pet because they’re lonely, or simply for decoration, or just to show how rich they are.
Interviewer: And just how do you deal with these people？
Vet: Well, I try to tell them what the animal needs; what is the right sort of food, the proper exercise. I try to teach them that animals are not toys and if they’re to be healthy, they have to be happy.
Interviewer: Yes, I suppose you’re right. In your thirty years as a vet you must have come across some interesting cases？
Vet: Oh yes, there are lots of interesting cases. I was once called to a lioness who was giving birth and having difficulty. Now that was really interesting.
Section Two:
Tapescript.
A. Monologue:
Well, now, ladies and gentlemen, that was our last item, and all that remains for me to do is to thank our performers sincerely on behalf of us all for the pleasure they have given us this evening. And of course I must express thanks to those who’ve worked behind the scenes. And especially our producer. But most of all I want to say thank you to all of you for coming here this evening and supporting this event, especially in such weather. I think perhaps I should take this opportunity to renew my sincere apologies to those sitting in the back rows. We’ve made temporary repairs to the roof, but unfortunately the rain tonight was unexpectedly heavy, and we’ve grateful to you for your understanding and cheerful good humor. I may say that we had hoped that temporary repairs would suffice. But we were recently informed by our surveyor that the whole roof will have to be replaced: which is of course a severe blow when you think it’s only five years since we replaced the roof of the church itself. And so we shall be having another concert soon, I hope.
B. Wrinkles:
Manager: Good morning, madam. And what can we do for you？
Woman: What can you do for me？
Manager: Yes, madam, what can we do for you？
Woman: You’ve already done it, thank you very much. And I want something done about what you’ve done for me.
Manager: Is something the matter, madam？
Woman: I’ll say there is; I want to see the manager.
Manager: I’m the manager, madam. Now ... now what seems to be the trouble？
Woman: Look at my face！
Manager: Your face？ Ah yes. Oh dear. Well, never mind. What’s wrong with your face？ What exactly am I supposed to be looking at？
Woman: My lines, my wrinkles.
Manager: Well, we can soon put that right, Madam. You need a bottle of our New Generation Wrinkle Cream. With this wonderful new cream your lines and wrinkles just...
Woman: Shut up！
Manager: ... just disap ... I beg your pardon？
Woman: I said shut up！ I was silly enough to listen to you before. I’ll listen to no more of it.
Manager: You say you’ve been here before, madam. I’m afraid I don’t recognise you.
Woman: Of course you don’t recognise me！ Last time I came in here I was a very attractive middle-aged woman. Now I look old enough to be even your grandmother.
Manager: Well, yes ... er ... some of us do age quicker then others.
Woman: It’s not a question of age, my man, it’s a question of your cream. I used it for two small lines under my eyes and I woke up next morning looking like Lady Frankenstein. Your advertisement says ‘Lose ten years overnight. For only five pounds you can look young and attractive again. Tried by thousands. Money back guarantee’. Well, I want more than my money back. I want you to pay for me to have plastic surgery.
Manager: But, madam, there must be some mistake.
Woman: I’ll say there’s been a mistake. My mistake was believing your advert and buying your silly cream. ‘It can do the same for you, too,’ it said. Well,
it’s certainly done something for me, but now what it did for the lady in the picture.
Manager: But our product is tested and approved by doctors. It was thoroughly tested on thousands of volunteers by experts before it was allowed to be sold on the market. This is the first complaint we’ve had.
Woman: I told you, I want you to pay for a face lift or I’m taking you to court！ So there！
Manager: Er, do you happen to have a ... a recent photograph, madam？
Woman: What ... whatever do you want with a photograph？ You can see the way I look.
Manager: I mean a photograph of you just before you used the cream.
Woman: Do you think I go to the photographers every day？ (Pause) Look, just give me the five pounds, will you？
Manager: Do you have your receipt with you, madam？
Woman: Er ... just a minute ... let me have a look. (Rummages in bag) Er ... no. No, I seem to have lose it？
Manager: Then there’s nothing I can do, madam. Sorry.
Woman: (Furious) I’ll take you to court. I’ll take you to court.
Manager: You can do as you please, madam. Good morning.
C. Shopping:
— Right, what do you want me to get then？
— Right, er ... well, go to the green grocer’s first.
— Yeah, the green grocer’s. Right, OK.
— Right, let me see, potatoes, but new potatoes, not mottled ones. I mean
they’re really not very good any more. Urm, three pounds...
— Hang on. I’m trying to write this down. New potatoes.
...
— Right.
— ... three pounds.
— Yes.
— Spring onions, one bunch.
— One bunch of spring onions.
— Yeah.
— OK.
— And ... a pound of bananas.
— And a pound of bananas. Right.
— And then, could you go to the supermarket as well？
— Yes, yes.
— Mm, let me see. A packet of sugar cubes.
— A packet of sugar cubes.
— Yeah. Cubes, mind you, not the other stuff.
— Right.
— Coffee, instant coffee, but yeah, get Nescafe, Nescafe gold blend.
— Nescafe？
— Yeah. I don’t really like other kinds.
— OK. Nescafe ... what did you say？
— Gold blend.
— Gold blend. Yeah.
— You know one of those eight-ounce jars.
— Eight ounces. Yes, yes.
— Cooking oil.
— Cooking oil.
— Sunflower ... you see, I need it for...
— What is it？ What’s that？
— Sunflower.
— Sunflower？
— I need it for a special recipe.
— Never heard of that.
— Sunflower cooking oil.
— Yeah.
— Right.
— Wine.
— Any special kind？
— Any dry white.
— Dry white wine. Yeah.
— And some bread.
— Some bread. Any, again, any particular kind？
— No, any kind.
— Any kind？
— Any kind, yeah.
— OK. Yeah. Anything else？
— No, I don’t think. Oh yes, hang on. I forget apples. Golden delicious,
urm, from the green grocer’s.
— Golden delicious apples. How many？
— Two pounds.
— Two pounds.
— Yes.
* * *
— Hi, I’m back.
— Ah, good. Right, well, let’s see what you’ve got them.
— Right, let’s see what we have got here. Three pounds of potatoes.
— Oh look. There’re old potatoes. I did say new potatoes. These, these are
no good.
— Oh, I’m sorry. It doesn’t make much difference.
— Yes, it does.
— I’m sorry. Well, actually, I couldn’t, I didn’t see any new potatoes.
— Mm., alright. What are these, onions？
— Onions, yes.
— But these are not spring onions.
— Oh, they are nice, nice big ones, though, aren’t they？
— Yeah, but not spring onions.
— Oh, sorry. I didn’t, I didn’t really know what spring onions were.
— Well, you know, there’s long ones...
— Oh, they have all sorts.
— ... and thin ones.
— Right. Some bananas.
— That, yeah, they are fine. Great.
— Good. Two pounds of apples.
— Cooking apples？ I did say golden delicious. These are for cooking. I
wanted some for eating. You know, for ... ho well...
— Oh well, I didn’t know. I thought they would do. They look nice.
— Mm, no.
— Right. A bottle of wine. Riesling, OK？
— Yeah, fine, great. That’s fine. And sugar cubes here. Great.
— Yes, yes.
— OK.
— Right. Now they didn’t have any Nescafe Gold Blend, so I got Maxwell
House. That’s all they had.
— Alright, alright. Never mind.
— Yeah. And oil.
— But not Sunflower oil.
— I couldn’t see that. I got this. I think it’s good stuff, good quality.
— Yes, it is good, but it’s olive oil and that’s not what my recipe wanted. I
need Sunflower oil.
— Well, I don’t think you’ll find it. And a loaf of bread.
— then.
That’s fine. All right. Well, I suppose I’ll have to go out myself again
— Well, sorry, but I don’t think it’s my fault.
— Mm.
Section Three:
Tapescript.
A. Success and Failure:
Hugh is on the telephone. Listen to his conversation with Herr Kohler.
Secretary: I have a call for you on line one, Mr. Gibbs. It’s Mandred Kohler in Dusseldort.
Hugh: Oh, yes. Put him through. Hello, Herr Kohler. How are you？
Hugh: Just fine.
Kohler: Glad to hear it ... uh ... I’ll come straight to the point, if you don’t mind. I’m sure you know why I’m phoning.
Hugh: Yes, of course. About the...
Kohler: Exactly. Are you in a position to give us a definite assurance that the goods will be delivered on time？
Hugh: Well, um ... you can count on us to do our very best, however...
Kohler: Hmm. Excuse me, Mr. Gibbs but I’m afraid that really isn’t good enough ... I beg your pardon, I don’t mean your best isn’t good enough, but will you meet the deadline or won’t you？
Hugh: I ... I was coming to that, Herr Kohler. I must be frank with you. We’ve run into a few problems.
Kohler: Problems？ What kind of problems？
Hugh: Technical problems. Nothing very serious. There’s no need to worry.
Kohler: I hope not, Mr. Gibbs, for your sake as well as ours. I’m sure you’re aware that there’s a penalty in your contract with us for late delivery and we’ll...
Hugh: Yes, Herr Kohler, I’m perfectly aware of that. But do you need the whole order by the 24th？
Kohler: We would certainly prefer the whole order to be delivered by then, yes.
Hugh: Yes, but do you need the whole order then？
Kohler: What exactly are you suggesting？
Hugh: You can count on us to get half of the order to you by then.
Kohler: Hmm ... and how long before the other half is delivered？
Hugh: Another week at the most！
Kohler: Hmm ... you’re sure that’s all？
Hugh: Yes, absolutely！ You can depend on us to get half the order to you by the 24th and the other half within a week.
Kohler: Hmm ... yes, that should be all right ... but there must be no further delays！
Hugh: There won’t be！ You can count on that.
Kohler: Very well, Mr. Gibbs.
Hugh: Thank you！ You’ve been very understanding.
Kohler: Goodbye, Mr. Gibbs.
Hugh: Goodbye, Herr Kohler. And thank you again！ Phew！ Well, ... that’s at least one problem out of the way！
B. Elvis Presley:
When Elvis Presley died on 16th August, 1977, radio and television programs all over the world were interrupted to give the news of his death. President Carter was asked to declare a day of national mourning. Carter said: ‘Elvis Presley changed the face of American popular culture.... He was unique and irreplaceable.’ Eighty thousand people attended his funeral. The streets were jammed with cars, and Elvis Presley films were shown on television, and his records were played on the radio all day. In the year after his death, one hundred million Presley LPs were sold.
Elvis Presley was born on January 8th, 1935, in Tupelo, Mississippi. His twin brother, Jesse Garon, died at birth. His parents were very poor and Elvis never had music lessons, but he was surrounded by music from an early age. His parents were very religious, and Elvis regularly sang at church services. In 1948, when he was thirteen, his family moved to Memphis, Tennessee. He left school in 1953 and got a job as a truck driver.
In the summer of 1953 Elvis paid four dollars and recorded two songs for his mother’s birthday at Sam Phillips’ Sun Records studio. Sam Phillips heard Elvis and asked him to record “That’s All Right” in July 19. Twenty thousand copies were sold, mainly in and around Memphis. He made five more records for Sun, and in July 1955 he met Colonel Tom Parker, who became his manager in November. Parker sold Elvis’s contract to RCA Records. Sun Records got thirty-five thousand dollars and Elvis got five thousand dollars. With the money he bought a pink Cadillac for his mother. On January 10th, 1956, Elvis recorded “Heartbreak Hotel”, and a million copies were sold. In the next fourteen months he made another fourteen records, and they were all big hits. In 1956 he also made his first film in Hollywood.
In March, 1958, Elvis had to join the army. He wanted to be an ordinary soldier. When his hair was cut thousands of women cried. He spent the next two years in Germany, where he met Priscilla Beaulieu, who became his wife eight years later on May 1st, 1967. In 1960 he left the army and went to Hollywood where he made several films during the next few years.
By 1968 many people had become tired of Elvis. He hadn’t performed live since 1960. But the recorded a new LP “From Elvis in Memphis” and appeared in a special television program. He became popular again, and went to Las Vagas, where he was paid seven hundred fifty thousand dollars for four weeks. In 1972 his wife left him, and they were divorced in October, 1973. He died from a heart attack. He had been working too hard, and eating and drinking too much for several years. He left all his money to his only daughter, Lisa Marie Presley. She became one of
the richest people in the world when she was only nine years old.
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