Lesson4
Musical Half-Notes
Text A
A musician who played Pop Music in a CLub lived in
boardinghouse in the centre of london. He always used to get back to his
room very late at night and sometimes inthe carly hours of
the morning. He was so tired when he got back that he would si ton the
edge of his bed ,take off his shoes and throw them on the floor and say.
'Thank goodness. another day is over.' He would thcn get into hcd and fall
fast aslecp.
But thepoor lodger who had the room under the
musician's was wokcn up cach night, or carly?in the morning. by the two
thuds that the two shoes made as thcy landcd On his ceiling.Finally, he
could not stand it any more and went and complained to thc musician.
Naturally the musician was very upset and promiscd
that, in future, aftcr taking off his shoes, he would put them down as
quictly as possible on the carpct.
The ncxt day, he got back from his club at about one o'clock in the
morning. went up to his room, sat on the edge of his bed, took off one
shoe and threw it on the floor.
He was just about
to do the same with the other when suddenly remcmbered the promise he had
made the day before. So with grcat care he put the second shoe down
silently on the carpet. Then he got into bed and fell fast aslecp. An hour
later, he was woken up by a violent knocking on his door. It was thc
lodger who slept in the room just under his.
'Plcase, plcase, please,' the Iodger plcaded, 'drop the
other shoe. I have been waiting for a whole hour for you to drop it. As
soon as you do I can go to sleep. '
Text B
Of all the men who ever liked fresh air, not one liked
it more than James Wilson. He took long walks in the fresh air. He ran
long distances in the fresh air. He played football and other games in the
fresh air. He liked to climb mountains and breathe the fresh air at the
top. He used to go to sit by the sea and watch the great waves in the
fresh air. He always slept with his windows wide open. He had an open car
with no roof, and he drove it madly through the fresh air.
If Wilson entered a room where the windows were shut,
he immediately opened them. He did this even when snow was falling
outside. If someone else shut the windows again, he walked out of the room
in a manner which showed his opinions without any doubt. When he travelled
by sea, he could usually be found in a place on board where the wild wind
was blowing through his hair.
One winter Wilson went to Finland on business. Good
hotels in Finland are heated during the cold winter, and this winter was
even colder than usual. When Wilson reached his room in the hotel. he
found that the windows were closed to keep the icy air out. He did his
best to open one , but failed. It was absolutely impossible to open it :
the manager had very wisely arranged that.
Wilson undressed and got into bed. He was a very angry
man.
The bedroom was very pleasant. Two or three pictures on
the walls showed views of some beautiful parts of Finland. There was no
noise at all. The bed was really excellent; but Wilson could not sleep. He
could not forget the closed window. No fresh air! It was terrible to think
of!
He got out of bed and tried once more to open the
window; but it was useless, and he sadly got back into bed.
At about one o'clock in the morning he was still awake, worrying about the
air in the bedroom. He had turned over in bed two hundred and thirty-six
times. He was very hot. As he turned over for the two hundred and
thirty-seventh time, one arm came out of the bedclothes and hung down
beside the bed. His hand touched the floor. It also touched something on
the floor. This thing was a shoe.
An idea came into his worried mind. Angry men act
quickly,
and the shoe was in his hand in less than a second. Where was the window?
He could see something that looked like glass over there. He threw the
shoe through the darkness with all the force of his strong right arm.
The shoe flew straight through the air and hit the
glass in the middle. A terrible sound of breaking glass filled the
bedroom,
but to Wilson's sad heart it seemed like the sound of sweet and beautiful
music.
"Now I have some fresh air in the room," he
thought. "NOW I need not die. "
Five minutes later he was peacefully asleep. He did not
move for many hours.
When daylight came gently through the window, he awoke
and lay with his eyes closed. Where was he? Oh, yes! He was in Fioland;
but what the matter? Was auytlting wrong'? There was something to worry
about What was it? Oh. the broken windmv! Yes, indeed. He would have to
pas?for that.How much.? Was it a big piece of glass? He could not
remember. He Opened his eyes to look.
Slowly he tnrned them towards the window. and then he
sat up suddenly in bed. He was very surprised: the window was not broken
at all. The glass was all in one piece. just as good as it had been the
might before. No fresh air was etitering the room through that window.
What,then,had happened when he threw the shoe?
He turned his eyes to the side and saw a broken picture
hanging on the wall.There was a shoe on the floor below it. He could see a
lot of broken glass round the shoe . and there was more inside it.
Additional Information
Here is what happened to Adrian Fox on the train one
day:
Adrian Fox lives in Devon and he is travelling home
from London by train. He decides to have a cup of tea. and goes to the
train buffet. While he is drinking his t.ea, an attractive girl comes and
sits at the same table. They begin talking and the girl tells Adrian she
is going to Devon on holiday. They are soon very friendly. Adrian finds
out that the girl hasn't yet found a hotel to stay in. Adrian's mother has
a spare room in her house, and Aclrian invites the girl to stay there. He
knows his mother won't mind. The girl accepts.
A few minutes later a man comes and sits beside the
girl. who introduces
hint to Adrian. He is her husband. Adrian didn't know the giri was
married, and he is a little angry. His mother won't like to have two
people staying in her house. Then three children arrive. Two of them are
carrying cats. and one has a small dog. They are the girl'a children. They
are all very happy, the girl says, to be staying in Adrian's mother's
house. Eut Adrian isn't so happy. When he reaches the station he phones
his mother. . .
|