A pretty face Oxford Bookworms Library – YouTube Dictation Transcript & Vocabulary

1.domino's starter level [Music] a pretty face by john scott read by jennifer j myers [Music] chapter one zoe is angry zoe is 17 years old she works in a bookstore in the little town of newport zoe likes books and she likes her work but after work she likes to act in plays with the newport players the newport players do six plays every year and zoe is in most of them some plays are exciting and some plays are famous this week the play is romeo and juliet by william shakespeare a lot of people are coming to see it zoe thinks i must act well mike is 18 years old he is a student at newport college and he likes writing one day he wants to write plays for the theater and for television one day i want to be famous he thinks newport has a newspaper the newport weekly news is its name and mike's aunt peggy is the editor one morning she phones mike do you want to write a review of romeo and juliet for the newspaper mike she asks him the newport players are doing the play tonight at the little theater yes please aunt peggy mike says thanks for asking me that evening he goes to newport's little theater to see the play mike goes into the theater and sits at the front he gets out his notebook and pen ready to write notes for his review there are a lot of people in the audience five minutes later the play begins zoe acts the part of juliet's mother she knows all her words and speaks them well mike is watching her she's very pretty and she's doing her best he thinks but it's not easy to act the part of an older woman she's only 16 or 17 years old and we all know it he begins to write in his notebook two hours later the play ends and the audience leaves the theater mike goes home and writes his review for the newspaper he doesn't feel very happy it was a good play but what can i say about the girl acting the part of juliet's mother he thinks i want to be kind but i must be honest too at the bookstore on friday zoe reads mike's review of the play in the newport weekly news and zoe baker acts the part of juliet's mother she has a pretty face and she speaks her words well but she is a young girl in an older woman's costume and we all know it she can never make me believe differently zoe is angry she looks at the name under the review mike morrison who is this mike morrison she thinks what does he know about acting [Music] chapter 2 zoey has an idea [Music] on tuesday evening the next week zoe and her friend annie are drinking coffee in the newport cafe annie is a student at newport college and sometimes in the evenings she and zoe meet at the cafe suddenly zoe sees a boy sitting at a table across the room who's that boy she asks annie annie laughs do you like him he has a nice face she says his name's mike i often see him at the college mike zoe says mike who mike morrison annie says that's mike morrison zoe says she is furious yes why and he asks he writes reviews for the newport weekly news zoe says that's right annie says his aunt is the editor he oh she stops suddenly and looks at zoe the review of romeo and juliet right zoe says do you remember it zoe baker acts the part of juliet's mother she has a pretty face and she speaks her words well but she is a young girl in an older woman's costume and we all know it nice face or no nice face i hate him annie laughs okay go and tell him she says go and say i hate you mike morrison you write stupid reviews for the newspaper go on but zoe isn't laughing yes all right she says furiously and she begins to get up from her chair then she stops suddenly what's wrong annie asks are you afraid no zoe says i have a better idea does he come into this cafe often [Music] every tuesday and thursday evening i think annie says he has a writing class at the college and he comes here after it finishes zoe thinks for a minute or two that's very interesting she says at last is it annie says she looks across at mike morrison then at zoe why is it interesting what are you thinking of doing tell me am i a good actress zoe asks yes you are annie says but okay zoe says i'm a good actress and i want to prove it to mr mike nice face morrison how do you want to do that annie asks zoe smiles and begins to tell annie about her idea [Music] chapter 3 a difficult interview on thursday mike comes to the newport cafe after his writing class he asks for a cup of coffee then starts to read one of his books some minutes later a woman comes into the cafe she is carrying a magazine under her arm at first mike does not see the woman [Music] then she comes across to his table hello she says are you mike morrison mike is surprised yes he says that's me the woman smiles can i sit at this table she asks yes of course mike says my name is kate lawson the woman says i'm the editor of yes magazine do you know it she sits down and puts the magazine on the table in front of mike yes i know it mike says it's a magazine about famous people that's right kate says do you want to write something for it can you do an interview for me an interview mike says surprised why are you asking me you sometimes write theater reviews for the newport weekly newspaper she says is that right yes i do he says i want to write plays one day and well do this interview for my magazine then she says it's with a famous playwright he lives in newport todd marin is the only famous playwright in newport mike says he lives quietly and doesn't go out very often and he's famous for not talking to reporters from gossip magazines he throws them out of his house kate laughs are you afraid she says good reporters aren't afraid to do difficult interviews you want to write plays don't you well perhaps he can tell you something about playwriting mike thinks she's right perhaps i can learn something from todd maron okay he says when can i do it tomorrow morning kate says you must tell maron this interview is for yes magazine but tell him after you get into the house okay okay mike says end of side one side two chapter 4 todd marin's house [Music] later that evening zoe is speaking to annie on the phone so i say to him i'm the editor of yes magazine and can you interview todd marin zoe tells annie todd maron annie says but he throws gossip magazine reporters out of his house i know zoe says laughing and i want to stand outside his house and watch todd marin throw mike morrison out the next morning mike goes to todd marin's house it is a big house and there are lots of bushes and tall trees in front of it i don't like yes magazine very much but this is an important interview mike thinks and perhaps i can talk to todd marin about my play mike is writing a play for television he walks up to the front door of the house he is carrying his notebook and he has a list of questions to ask the playwright but he is a little afraid of the famous man zoe follows mike to todd marin's house she is careful and she follows mike very quietly zoe is acting the part of kate lawson again she has a black wig over her hair and she is wearing glasses she hides behind one of the bushes in front of todd marin's house and watches mike go to the front door it is a big dark house this is funny she thinks smiling when todd maron opens the door of his house mike begins to talk quickly hello mr marin he says i'm mike morrison i'm a student at newport college and i want to write plays do you todd maron says and i write reviews in the newport weekly news mike tells him what do you want from me todd maron asks can i ask you some questions mike says why marin asks is it for the newport weekly news that's a difficult question what do i do now mike thinks do i tell him a lie or do i tell him the truth then after a second or two he says it it's for yes magazine listen i know it's a stupid magazine but come into the house todd marin says suddenly [Music] chapter five zoe waits zoe is watching mike and todd marin from behind the bush she can see them but she cannot hear them speaking she sees todd marin open the door and she sees mike follow him into the house zoe smiles right he's in the house she thinks now let's wait for todd maron to throw him out todd marin takes mike to his study there are hundreds of books in the room and a big desk todd goes and sits behind the desk thank you for telling me the truth he says to mike i can see you're an honest young man you can ask your questions but not for yes magazine you're right it is a stupid magazine i hate gossip magazines why do people write for them because they pay a lot of money i believe mike says todd marin laughs yes you're right again he says but you can write about me for the newport weekly news is that okay yes that's okay mike says and he smiles at todd marin happily i like to help young writers with ideas when i can todd says kindly sit down mike sits down puts his notebook on todd's desk and opens it i read your reviews in the newspaper sometimes todd says they're very good well i think they're okay mike says but i want to write for the theater for tv and for movies i'm writing a play now are you tell me about it todd says can i mike asks well it's about a boy and a girl a boy and a girl that's right they todd marin sits back in his chair to listen and mike tells him the plot of his play mike is very nervous but todd marin does not speak he smiles at mike and he listens to him very carefully when at last mike stops speaking todd says thank you that's very interesting it's a good story and it's funny too but there are one or two things you can do to make it better to begin with zoe stays behind the bush and waits an hour goes by and nothing happens she is getting impatient what are they doing in there she thinks todd maron never gives interviews to gossip magazines so what are they talking about she remembers mike morrison's review of romeo and juliet in the newspaper she remembers his words about her acting and she wants to see his face when todd marin throws him out of the house how long must i wait she thinks [Music] impatiently chapter 6 telling the truth [Music] after an hour and a half mike morrison leaves todd marin's study and comes out of the house he and the playwright are smiling [Music] and mike is saying thank you they talk for two or three minutes and zoe watches them from behind the bush she is amazed what's happening she thinks why are they so friendly after a minute or two more they shake hands then todd marin goes back into the house and mike morrison walks away mike sees kate lawson waiting for him oh hello he says nervously he is surprised to see her so soon are you waiting for me yes she says impatiently i'm waiting for your interview look i can't lie to you he replies there's no interview for yes magazine mr maron always refuses to talk to reporters from gossip magazines but what kate begins what can two people talk about for an hour and a half mike says laughing about writing about characters and about plot nothing for yes magazine i'm afraid oh i have my list of questions and mr marin's answers but my interview is for the newport weekly news and i know a lot more about writing plays now he's very interested in my play your play kate says furiously yes i'm writing a play for tv mike says and mr maron wants to read it he can help me with the characters and the plot well that's nice she says say hello to mike morrison the famous playwright he writes stupid reviews for the newport weekly news but his plays are okay you're angry mike says listen i'm sorry about the interview for yes kate laughs no it's okay she says i'm not angry and then she does something very strange she takes off her hair she's wearing a wig mike thinks amazed next she takes off her glasses and she smiles at mike and now he knows her he begins to laugh you're not kate lawson he says you're that's right zoe says i'm a 17 year old girl in an older woman's costume mr mike morrison review writer for the newport weekly news mike's face is very red now he feels embarrassed what a trick so there is no kate lawson editor of yes magazine he says no there isn't zoe says laughing what do you think now does this prove something am i a good actress yes you are a good actress mike says laughing with her and i'm going to put that in the newport weekly news are you zoe says yes and thanks for making me go and see todd marin mike tells her he doesn't feel embarrassed anymore now i can get help with my play he says come on let's get a cup of coffee and i'm paying well i can't refuse a free coffee zoe says and she laughs end of side two