Dramatic Listening... The Podcast Where You Learn English By Listening To Radio Plays

Rumor has it... Bankrupt Rumor, Part 3: Don't tell another soul! Photo: © Bigstock Photo | AnetlandaBETTY: Now, don't tell another soul! Rumor of the Andrews’ bankruptcy ignites and spreads like wildfire （大肆流傳；沸沸揚揚）. It seems to take on a life of its own…there’s no stopping it! When scandalous news （醜聞） is leaked （被透露）, people want to share it. What is it about someone else's trouble that interests us so much? Can you imagine if this story took place in today's environment of social media? Betty is quite manipulative （巧妙處理的）, and she easily outsmarts Jughead. Jughead doesn't realize what he's doing until it is too late. When he finally understands her tactics, he has already 'let the cat out of the bag' （露餡）. That's another way of saying he's revealed the secret. FREE PDF: Keywords & Transcript Quizlet:  Have fun learning the keywords with English-Chinese Flashcards and Games. DL047 Keywords on Quizlet What do you think? Why do rumors spread? What do you think Betty’s motive was in telling the neighbo

Photo: © Bigstock Photo | dolgachovARCHIE: Jug, he’s in real trouble. He must have lost all his money, every cent. His business must be bankrupt! He’s even ready to beg or steal. Talkin' 'bout money, money Eavesdropping: In today’s episode, Archie and Jughead want to see a movie. Archie comes home to ask his dad for money, but he and Jughead overhear Archie’s parents discussing a serious situation. They're talking about money...and they don't seem to have any! Archie can't believe what he's hearing. They eavesdrop for a while. Something terrible must have happened, but Archie can't imagine what it was. Brainstorming: He pulls himself together, getting over the shock enough to start brainstorming. He's thinks of all the ways he could help his family with their financial problem. Some ideas are better than others. That's what brainstorming is like. It is a process of generating ideas without judging them so that your brain will keep coming up with new ideas. They say 'two heads are better than one', but I reall

Photo by Bigstock Photo: connelidFRED: Now Mary, look, I don’t want to learn any silly childish games. If the Jenkins’s are coming over, why can’t we play Bridge or something?MARY: Because they like to play Scrabble! Now, sit down and I’ll teach it to you. Anybody can learn how to play Scrabble. Bankrupt Rumor: Archie Comics: Archie Andrews is an old time radio show that ran from 1943-1953. It was based on the popular Archie comic strip by Bob Montana, which was published in newspapers from 1941-1975. The comic strip was based on Montana’s hometown, his own high school life, and the friends he’d made there. Jughead and Moose were based on his friends, Skinny Linehan and Arnold Daggett. In the story, Jughead is Archie’s childhood friend. Moose, although not too bright, is a star athlete at Riverdale High School and Archie is often his teammate. Reggie is Archie’s main rival (competition), both in sports and in romance. Speaking of Archie’s love life, there is an on-going love triangle between Betty, Veronica

Philip Marlowe and "The Feminine Touch" — Part 6: Photo by Bigstock Photo: AntonioGuilleAdrienne: Oh, oh, yes. Here…here it is, and… for all that you’ve done for me… Marlowe: Hey, cut it out! You’re supposed to be sick, Adrienne. Get back in bed. The unraveling: This is where the detective explains what happened and how he figured it out, so if you couldn’t keep up with Marlowe in scene 5, Eureka, then you can at least find out all about it after the fact. When you unravel something, like a sweater, you pull the wool thread until the whole sweater has come apart. In explaining the prime suspect, motives, and details of the case, Marlowe unravels it for us. Stop the show! At the end of scene 5, you’ll remember, Marlowe was desperate to stop the trick-riding act. He was sure that if the show went on, there would be another murder. He was desperate to stop Adrienne. Did he want to stop her from riding in the act, or stop her from committing murder? Whatever he knew, stop her he must! So he shot out the lights t

Philip Marlowe and "The Feminine Touch" — Part 5   || Photo by Bigstock Photo: Lijphoto Marlowe: I saw something else — something that didn’t sink in right away. It was a tiny iron skull on an iron chain hanging from the gold charm bracelet she wore on her right wrist. Discovery: When you figure something out, you might shout, “Eureka!” meaning, “I’ve got it! I’ve found the answer! 找到了!” In detective fiction, the detective often gets hit on the head and knocked out. But since he’s a hardboiled detective, he can take it; he’s tough. In fact, when he comes to, he is no longer in a fog. His thoughts are very clear, very lucid,  明朗. Everything comes into sharp focus, and he is able to come to an unmistakable explanation of the crime that took place. He’s able to put things together and crack the case. That’s what happens to Marlowe in today’s episode. It’s his eureka moment. Let’s get caught up on our story: First, Lou Bryant the stunt rider got killed, and at the end of our last episode, we heard a gunshot. Ma

Philip Marlowe and The Feminine Touch, Part 4  || Photo by Bigstock Photo: GeorgeColePhoto Marlowe: I ran for the drome on the off chance that I could find Micky North and a lead on Moon. I found her alone and on a bench in an almost dark out-of-the-way corner of an amusement pier half watching a couple of hungry seagulls who didn’t know when it was time to go to bed circle overhead.     It Couldn't Be Pepper! In this episode, Marlowe gets Micky talking. He tries to find out how she feels about her ex-boyfriend, Pepper Riggs, and what her take (her point of view) is on the tragic event of Lou's death. Does she see the tragedy as an accident or does she suspect murder? Although willing to consider the murder angle, she sees it as ‘out of character’ for Pepper to have committed the murder. But, she’s quite willing to finger someone else! The Give and Take of Getting a Lead Why does Marlowe trust Micky with his theory and hunches? He must not think she's involved. He has to take the risk that he is right about

Philip Marlowe: The Feminine Touch — Part 3  || Photo by Bigstock Photo: kotsThe bike swerved out of Lou Bryant’s control like it was something alive, and then it fell! Trust No One! So far in our story, Marlowe has heard several points of view. He got Pepper Riggs talking by pretending to be a journalist writing up Pepper's act on the Wall of Death for Spot magazine. It seems that Pepper would like to bring Adrienne into the act, so the other stunt drivers could definitely be feeling expendable — like they could easily be replaced by Adrienne. That makes Adrienne a threat to them, whether she sees herself that way or not. Marlowe also overheard a conversation between Jess Hadley, who runs the show, and Moon, the motorcycle mechanic. Through that talk, he learned that there was a lot of mistrust and suspicion within the group. No one knew who to trust. Excess Baggage In today's scene, Marlowe gets Adrienne talking. He tries to find out what her motives are and how far she is willing to go to achieve her goals

Philip Marlowe: The Feminine Touch — Part 2  || Photo by Bigstock Photo: NikkoliaPepper Riggs: It's my trademark, Buddy. I've been knocked off the wall seven times in the last three years and beat old skull face every time. Not much to go on Marlowe is on a mission. He has agreed to protect Adrienne Granville from whatever it is that is threatening her. In order to carry out his assignment, he first of all has to find her and see what she is involved in. Pepper Riggs Defies Death He tracks down Pepper Riggs, the boyfriend. Pepper has moved on from racing dirt bikes to being a motorcycle stuntman. Will he take Adrienne into his act? Maybe. Well, that could certainly be life threatening, but Marlowe is sure there is more to it than that. Otherwise, why the letter threatening her father to make her lay off Pepper Riggs? What kind of harm does someone have in store for her? Lou Blames the Bike In finding Pepper Riggs, Marlowe also finds Lou Bryant. He too is a stuntman in the motorcycle act on the Wall of Death.

The Adventures of Philip Marlowe: The Feminine Touch, Part 1 Photo by Bigstock Photo: Hecke Marlowe found his client puttering with his flock of exotic birds in his aviary. Granville: I…I’ve finally realized that Adrianne is all that really matters. Don’t let me down. Who is Philip Marlowe? I really enjoy the Philip Marlowe character. Marlowe was created by Raymond Chandler, a hard-boiled detective story writer who followed in the footsteps of Dashiell Hammett. Hammett is the father of the hardboiled sub-genre of detective fiction. He’s the one who took the detective story from the streets of London to the dark mean streets of American cities. Raymond Chandler then perfected the hardboiled detective character. Like Dashiell Hammett’s “Sam Spade” character, Chandler’s “Philip Marlowe” is tough — he can use a gun and can take a beating, but he is also ethical and won’t take a job if it doesn’t meet his standards. He’s seen so much of the bad side of human nature that he is cynical — he doesn’t trust people to h

~  You died last night  — Part 6  || Photo by Bigstock Photo: rolffimagesI asked Tony to satisfy my curiosity, to show me how his time travel gadget worked. A Heroic Move: We are going to wrap up this story, You Died Last Night, in this episode. We’ll find out what Joe did exactly to save the day, or more literally, to save planet Earth — and all of us. Perhaps you can make a pretty good guess. A Second Chance: Joe comes up with a temporary fix for all the destruction Tony has caused. It explains why you are still here to hear Joe’s tale even though Tony just blew us up. Thanks to Joe, we have a second chance. But because the fix is just temporary, it comes with a stern warning. FREE PDF: Keywords & Transcript Quizlet:  Have fun learning the keywords with English-Chinese Flashcards and Games. DL038 Keywords on Quizlet FREE MP3: Full Radio Play Review time: Listen to the whole play again, from beginning to end, Length: [Min:Sec]. What do you think? It was really important to Joe to tell this story a

~ You Died Last Night — Part 5   || I looked and hundreds of miles away I saw a tremendous burst of light followed by the most enormous mushroom-shaped cloud the world has ever seen. Whatever Happened to the Human Race? Joe continues his story of his encounter with the alien, Tony. In this part of the story, the two of them continue on with the tour of inspection — over New York, and then across the ocean to Europe and Russia. They see a puzzling mix of good and bad things about mankind. On the one hand, people are full of vitality, enjoying life. But on the other hand, people can be full of cruelty, taking life. Man's Cruelty to Man Seals our Fate They observe, and all the while, Tony records it as a movie for scientific analysis — the joy of celebration alongside the fear and cruelty of the Cold War. Suddenly, an event occurs that prompts Tony to take corrective measures without hesitation. He takes immediate action. FREE PDF: Keywords & Transcript Quizlet:  Have fun learning the keywords with English-

You Died Last Night ~ Part 4    || Photo composite: Aliens: Bigstock Photo - LuMaxArt, landscape: Bigstock Photo: benshots, UFO: Bigstock Photo: broukoidJoe: And would I be standing there looking at you the way I was?Tony: Uh, no, you’d be inside the ship because you are now. So the past would be changed. Going back backwards is a bit tricky, you see. We seldom do it.   Under Inspection In today’s episode, Tony begins his tour of inspection. He takes Joe along, so Joe is able to explain what is happening. Joe is hoping against hope that Tony likes what he sees. Knowledge is Power The episode starts off with Joe trying to get Tony talking so that he can hopefully find an angle. In other words, Joe is looking for information that Tony might be willing to share, unaware of it’s significance. Knowledge is power; it just might help Joe fight back.When you listen, try to find out if Tony reveals anything of use to Joe. Through Space and Time They get chatting about Tony’s space travel, and how long it took him to

You Died Last Night, Part 3: Photo by Bigstock Photo: hobbitfootTony: Oh, more than that. Reduce the population of the world to, say, 50 million people, and let them rebuild. But believe me, Joe, it would be quick and painless. Population Control What kind of measures are needed? Tony tries to calm Joe’s fears. He tells Joe that it may not be so bad. He may not need to take drastic action. He needs to survey Earth and mankind first, and from this data, decide on whether mild, severe, or drastic preventive measures are needed. But what does Tony mean by each of these levels of action? Offensive or 'Nice': Tony takes offense at Joe for referring to population control as Tony's "dirty work". Tony prefers to call it "pruning", something which is good and necessary. But when you are the one who will be wiped out, it is hard to look on Tony's mission in a positive light. Euphemisms: Tony and the Thonians aren't the only ones who think reducing the population is the answer to the world's problems. World leaders, the

You Died Last Night, Part 2   | “Side Talking” by ptrktn is licensed under CC BY 2.0Out of the orange spacesuit, he looked like a five-foot tall old man wearing some flowing green material. He was bald and had pointed ears. He had large green eyes that seemed…friendly. First Impressions: Inside the flying saucer, Tony doesn't need his red teddy bear spacesuit. Now he looks like a rather short old man in flowing green robes. Joe's impression of him is that he seems friendly. Bomb Threat: Tony pressed Joe to confirm some information he had. The Thonians knew that mankind had nuclear power and that a large atom bomb had exploded 15 years before Tony's arrival. They had picked up the radioactivity coming from Earth, and sent Tony to investigate. You see, nuclear power makes us a threat to them. Tony's mission was to determine whether mankind truly was a threat or not. FREE PDF: Keywords & Transcript Quizlet:  Have fun learning the keywords with English-Chinese Flashcards and Games. DL034 Keywords on Quizlet DL0

Crazy Narrator Photo by Bigstock Photos: GeorgeRudy "Don’t bother to say I’m off my rocker. I’m going to tell you, and I’m going to do my best to make all of you believe it, because if you don’t, all of you, I’ve got a pretty good idea you’re going to die again some night soon,"  Joe, the crazy narrator, warned.   “You Died Last Night” is another one of those sci-fi stories that takes place here on planet Earth. In today’s episode, we meet Joe. He’s our narrator, the guy telling the story. You’ll have to decide for yourself whether Joe is a believable, trustworthy narrator or a crazy, unreliable narrator you can ignore. Joe knows that his story sounds far-fetched, somewhat unbelievable, but he desperately wants you to believe him. The story begins with Joe out in the California desert prospecting. That means he’s looking for gold or some other precious stones. To Joe, this is just a fun thing to do for a holiday. So he hasn’t been out in the desert for years with no other human being to talk to. He doesn’

Gunsmoke, The Gambler, Part 3 By SMU Central University Libraries [No restrictions], via Wikimedia Commons "That was a Delaware Indian. He was my servant and he was my friend, the best friend I ever had. He was as good a man as you are, or any other white man." [Photo: Lapowinsa, (Delaware Indian) Chief of the Lenape, 1737] Racial Discrimination: At the climax of the story, we come to the confrontation between Ascombe and Cass. We find out about a situation in the past that Cass had dismissed from his mind. He considered it unimportant and of no consequence. It had to do with how he had treated an Indian. He didn’t think that anything would ever come of it, that nothing would happen as a result of this situation. It was a situation he thought he could simply forget about because "Indian's don't matter". His flippant attitude shows how racial discrimination can go unchecked when most people share and accept racist thinking. But Ascombe didn’t see it that way. He saw Indians as people. He had hunted Cass down t

Gunsmoke, The Gambler, Part 2: By Schneur Menaker (From its photographer, Schneur Menaker.) [CC BY-SA 3.0], via Wikimedia Commons Ascombe: Marshall, I’ve never had any trouble with the law. I don’t want any now. This has got nothing to do with you. Matt: A deliberate killing is the business of the law anywhere, Ascombe. Pro-Active Marshall Goes in Search of Missing Motive Matt Dillon is very perceptive. He can see that Ascombe hates Cass and probably wants to kill him. In Part 2, Matt tries to prevent a murder. Ascombe won’t tell Matt why he wants to kill Cass, so Matt goes in search of Cass. He wants to hear Cass’s side of the story. There must be an incident that happened in the past that triggered this. If only Matt could understand the missing motive behind Ascombe's hatred of Cass, he could help the two men negotiate and reconcile. FREE PDF: Keywords & Transcript Quizlet:  Have fun learning the keywords with English-Chinese Flashcards and Games. DL031 Keywords on Quizlet DL031 Supplementary Words on Qu

Gunsmoke - The Gambler (Aired on CBS Radio, Oct 7, 1956): Matt: I guess an empty belly will do you more good than a sermon. Chester: All right, Sir, but I think a sermon would do me good too. You know, all about the evils of gambling? Gunsmoke, best loved Western of all time: In this episode of Dramatic Listening, we’re starting a new story — and a new genre once again. It’s an episode from the best-loved Western of all time, ‘Gunsmoke’. Gunsmoke was aired on the radio for 10 years from 1952-1961 and was also adapted to TV and played from 1955-1975. The radio years formed the characters in the show, but none of them moved over to the television show. The head writer wrote for both radio and T.V. When the West was young: The writers wanted a show that showed how rough and violent the West was really in the late 1800s. They went for a flawed hero instead of a perfect hero like the Lone Ranger. They were writing for adults, so they included sexual crimes like rape, prostitution, and violence like scalping, ly

Ray Bradbury's 'The Rocket', Scenes 9 and 10: Photo by Bigstock Photo: Blend ImagesFIORELLO: Listen, keep your ears clean. Smell the smells of a rocket. Feel. Remember. So when you return, you will talk of it all the rest of your lives. Being 'In The Moment': Fiorello Bodoni is taking his kids on a weeklong trip to Mars. They are going to be living the dream. When they get back, life will return to normal, but they will be changed. They will have experienced space travel and will have the memory of it for the rest of their lives. Fiorello wants that memory to be rich and vivid, so while they travel, it’s important that his kids to be “in the moment” — that they experience the ‘present’ with all their senses — not only with their eyes, but also with their ears and sense of smell as well. FREE PDF: Keywords & Transcript Quizlet:  Have fun learning the keywords with English-Chinese Flashcards and Games. DL029 Keywords on Quizlet DL029 Supplementary Words on Quizlet FREE MP3: Full Radio Play Review time: Listen

Photo by Bigstock Photo: jezcHe bolted nine ancient automobile motors into the rocket’s empty engine room. Then he welded the engine room shut, so that none could see his hidden labor. Clever Innovation and Elbow Grease In today’s episode, Fiorello Bodoni dares to dream again. And not only to dream, but to see his dream become a reality. Inspired by his original dream, he sees how he can make something of what he has. With some clever innovation （發明才能） and 'elbow grease' (hard work), he can give his wife and kids the experience of a lifetime. He gets the necessary supplies delivered— a space suit, food packaged for space travel, but he has a lot of work ahead of him too.  His model rocket has to be transformed into a rocket that can really do something. Go It Alone Unfortunately, his wife has lost sight of his vision. Perhaps the problem is that he is being too secretive. He hasn't shared his new vision with her at all. How can he expect her to support him? She expects to be his partner, to have a say in the