How's My Pert Little Turtledove?

1st Bird: How's my pert little turtledove this early, pearly murmuring morn?

2nd В i r d: I think I'm worse. I can't turn on my perch. And I'm permanently thirsty — burning, burning. It's murder.

1st Bird: My poor, hurt bird. The world's astir. I've heard that even the worms are turning. A worm! You yearn for a worm!

2nd Bird: I'm allergic to worms. Ugh! Dirty, squirming worms!

1st Bird: I'll search under the fir trees and the birches. I'll circle the earth — and I'll return with a superb firm earthworm for my perfect turtledove.

2nd Bird: What an absurd bird! You're very chirpy, Sir. I wish I were. All this fervid verse. I find it disturbing so early. I prefer a less wordy bird.

1st Bird: No further word, then. I'm a bird with a purpose. Er — I'd better fly; it's the early bird that catches the worm — or so I've heard!

57. Read the rhymes and learn them.

    1. There was a little girl And she had a little curl Right in the middle of her forehead. When she was good, She was very, very good, But when she was bad, She was horrid.

    2. There was an old person of Burton, Whose answers were very uncertain, When they said. "How ďyou do?" He replied, "Who are you?" This distressing old person of Burton.

58. Transcribe the proverbs and learn them.

1. First come, first served.

2. A light purse is a heavy curse.

3. Many words hurt more than swords.

4. It is the early bird that catches the worm.

5. Virtue is its own reward.

6. The work shows the workman.

7. A bird in the hand is worth two in the bush.

8. One good turn deserves another.

9. Old birds are not caught with chaff.

Sound [V]

59. Track 19. Tick the words a) or b) that you hear in the sentences:

    1 a) cock	□	b) cook	□
    2 a) lock	□	b) look	□
    3 a) god	□	b) good	□
    4 a)cod	□	b)could	□

60. First practise the sound [V] in some of the words from this unit. Read the words aloud.

    good book foot cook look took should could would full sugar football bookshelf cookery shouldn't couldn't wouldn't

61. Track 20. Listen to the dialogue, paying attention to the target sound.

A lost book

MR COOK: Could you tell me where you've put my book, Bronwen?

MRS COOK: Isn’t it on the bookshelf?

MR COOK: No, The bookshelf is full of your cookery books.

MRS COOK: Then you should look in the bedroom, shouldn't you?

MR COOK: I’ve looked. You took that book and put it somewhere, didn't you?

MRS COOK: The living room?

MR COOK: No. I’ve looked. I’m going to put all my books in a box and lock it!

MRS COOK: Look, John! It's on the floor next to your foot

MR COOK: Ah! Good!

Practise reading the dialogue aloud.

Sound [h]

62. Track 21. Tick the words a) or b) that you hear in the sentences.

    1. a) look	□	b) Luke	□
    2. a) full	□	b) fool	□
    3. a) pull	□	b) pool	□
    4. a) fullish	□	b) foolish	□
    5. a) would	□	b) wooed	□

63. First practise the sound [u:] in some of the words and phrases from the dialogue. Read the words aloud.

    who school soup threw unit rudeness rudest student continue computer chewing gum excuse me good afternoon it was you!

64. Track 22. Listen to the dialogue, paying attention to the target sound. Then read the dialogue and guess which words are strongly stressed. The number in brackets tells you how many strong stresses there are in that line. The first line has been done.