1. Two people are talking about a dangerous situation in a garden.
a Listen to Track 1 and answer the following questions.
1 How old was the narrator? ……………………………………….
2 What had the narrator’s mother done? Why? ……………………………………….
3 ‘I think I know what’s coming.’ Can you guess what’s going to happen next? ……………………………………….
b Listen to Track 2 and answer the following questions.
1 Why did the narrator get in the trunk? ……………………………………….
2 What happened immediately after that and what did the narrator do? ……………………………………….
3 ‘So what happened?’ Can you guess? ……………………………………….
c Listen to Track 3 and answer the following questions.
1 What did the narrator’s mother suddenly realise? ……………………………………….
2 What did she see? ……………………………………….
3 What did she do and how did the narrator feel? ……………………………………….
2. What do the following words, used in Tracks 2 and 3, mean?
a pirate: ……………………………………….
b trapped: ……………………………………….
c upstairs: ……………………………………….
d unconscious: ……………………………………….
e shocked: ……………………………………….
f claustrophobic: ……………………………………….
3. Listen to Tracks 1 to 3 again and complete the sentences below with the missing words.
a … there was an incident once, well, it could have ended in tragedy. It was ………………… ………………… .
b … and almost immediately got the idea that one of the trunks could be a boat, a pirate ship, that kind of thing. I thought it ………………… ………………… ………………… ………………… .
c What do you think? Of course I was. Pretty soon ………………… ………………… ………………… ………………… to be honest.
d It only took her a second to realise what had happened. She ………………… ………………… ………………… .
e … she pulled me out, half-unconscious, ………………… ………………… and frightened out of my wits!
Answers
1
a (1) 5 or 6 years old
(2) She had put some trunks on the lawn because she wanted to air them out.
b (1) Because he pretended it was a boat (and he was a pirate).
(2) The lid fell and shut tight. The narrator kicked and screamed. He called out for help.
c (1) She realised that she hadn’t seen or heard the narrator for some time.
(2) She saw that one of the trunks on the lawn was tight shut.
(3) She ran into the garden, opened the trunk and pulled the narrator out. The narrator was shocked and frightened.
2
a a sailor who attacks ships and steals their contents
b unable to escape or get out
c anything above the ground floor in a house
d without being able to think (like being asleep)
e very frightened
f feeling nervous or scared because you are in a small, enclosed space
3
a pretty frightening
b would be really exciting
c I was absolutely terrified
d was absolutely horrified
c seriously shocked
Audioscripts
Track 1
WOMAN: Have you ever been in a life-threatening situation?
MAN: No, no, of course not. Oh, wait a minute, yes there was an incident once, well, it could have ended in tragedy. It was pretty frightening. It was when I was a kid, probably about six-five or six. We lived in the country. We had a big garden in those days.
WOMAN: That doesn’t sound so terrible.
MAN: No … but listen … I was playing in the garden. I think it was in the summer. I was running around playing. And my mother had put these trunks out on the lawn.
WOMAN: Trunks?
MAN: Yeah you know, big suitcases. Old-fashioned things. She’d put them on the lawn to air them out. They were on their sides, open, so the sun and the air could get in.
WOMAN: I think I know what’s coming.
Track 2
MAN: Yes, you probably do. So I came round the corner of the house and saw these trunks, and almost immediately got the idea that one of the trunks could be a boat, a pirate ship, that kind of thing. I thought it would be really exciting. So I put it flat on the ground and got in. I was the pirate captain. It felt great. Until the lid fell and shut tight.
WOMAN: What did you do?
MAN: I don’t think I worried at first. I thought it would be easy to open it! Except that it didn’t open. I couldn’t get it open. I was trapped.
WOMAN: Oh no! You poor thing.
MAN: I tried everything. I pushed and screamed again and again. It was dark, very dark. I kicked with my feet. I called om for help, I remember.
WOMAN: Were you frightened?
MAN: What do you think? Of course I was. Pretty soon I was absolutely terrified, to be honest.
WOMAN: So what happened?
Track 3
MAN: Well, my mother was in the house, She was doing some housework or writing a letter, something like chat, and she suddenly realised that she hadn’t seen me or heard me for a bit and after a while she thought this was a bit odd. So she called my name, she said, but no answer, so she started looking around the house, thank heavens, and she looked out of one of the upstairs windows and she suddenly saw that one of the trunks was there on the grass, tight shut. It only took her a second to realise what had happened. She was absolutely horrified. She ran down the stairs and out into the garden and once she’d opened the lid she pulled me out, half-unconscious, seriously shocked, and frightened out of my wits!
WOMAN: I bet you were.
MAN: I certainly was. Do you know, I’d forgotten all about that until you asked me.
WOMAN: I’m surprised you’re not claustrophobic.
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