Agatha Christie was born in 1890 and died in 1976, and she was a record-breaking author known as the Queen of Crime.
Agatha Christie held titles for the best-selling novelist of all time.
Agatha Christie is the best-selling novelist in history, behind only Shakespeare and the Bible in total number of works sold.
And she created the iconic detectives Hercule Poirot and Miss Marple and wrote the world's longest running play The Mousetrap.
In fact, the mousetrap is still running in St.
Martin's Theatre in London, and it's been running, they have performed it, since 1952.
So there have been over, well over, 30,000 performances of the mousetrap play.
Today, I'm going to read you a short story by Agatha Christie, what we call a whodunit.
A whodunit is a detective novel, which can either mean who, Did it really?
Who murdered a certain person or how was something stolen?
And today is a B2 level story.
So I've taken this story from Agatha Christie and I have rewritten it at B2 level.
There'll be some interesting B2 vocabulary in there for us to look at and a little test on that vocabulary at the end of the story.
So, here we go.
Hello and welcome to Practicing English.
My name is Mike Bilbre and these are podcasts for students of English at B1 or B2 levels.
Would you like to see my books for learning B1 and B2 level English?
Then go to the show notes at your podcast app and just below today's lesson you'll see a link to Amazon and there you'll be able to read about my New B1 book and my B2 book.
Check it out today.
So here we go then.
Six phrases for you at B2 level.
I'll go through them.
These you'll hear in the story, so your task is to listen out for them as they're used in the story and identify the context they're used in.
The first one is peculiar.
Peculiar, peculiar.
So peculiar means strange or unusual in a way that is interesting or surprising.
Here is my example sentence.
There was a peculiar smell coming from the kitchen.
So it's interesting the word peculiar is unusual, but interesting and surprising.
What is that smell coming from the kitchen?
Smells good, but I'm not sure what it is.
Something nice to eat, I imagine.
My next word is worrying, so it's another adjective.
And worrying then, okay, you know the word worry as a verb and a noun.
And this is an adjective, same meaning, but it's at a B2 level when we use it as an adjective.
So it means making you feel anxious or concerned.
That's an isonym of worrying, concerned.
Okay, here is an example.
The doctor said the test results were worrying.
Okay, so they were not good then, the results of the test.
There was reason to be concerned.
My next expression is to play a joke on somebody.
To play a joke on somebody means to trick someone.
In a way for amusement, in a funny way.
To play a joke.
An example sentence.
My brother was playing a joke on me by hiding my phone.
So if you play a joke, you do something like that.
OK, for example, hiding somebody's phone, or it could be putting salt in somebody's coffee or something which is meant to be funny, perhaps.
So the word joke is also something verbal, something spoken.
So we tell a joke as well.
There's a word which my students use I don't know where they got it from, perhaps from the internet somewhere which is the word prank P-R-A-N-K.
Now you can play a prank on somebody And that is similar then to playing a joke on somebody.
Something physical okay, like putting salt in somebody's coffee or tea or hiding somebody's mobile phone.
OK, so both those words are similar there.
The difference between joke and prank is that you can tell a joke, but you can't tell a prank.
A prank is something physical, whereas a joke can be a physical thing, thing you do to make somebody laugh, or it can be physical.
A little story you tell to make somebody laugh.
My next one is strangely enough.
Strangely enough meaning surprisingly or in an unusual way.
So it's a nice little phrase that you can use in a writing or in a speaking, and you would use it usually at the beginning of a sentence.
Here is an example.
Strangely enough, I met my old teacher in another country.
I didn't expect to see her there.
Strangely enough, so something that happened which was surprising and unusual.
So you'd say strangely enough if you're writing it, followed by a comma, and then whatever happened.
My next one.
To be unclear about something.
So unclear here is an adjective.
The preposition which comes after is about.
And it means not understanding something very well or not being certain about it.
Here is my example sentence.
She's still unclear about the homework instructions.
She's still unclear.
She doesn't understand exactly what she has to do.
So the opposite of being clear.
If you are clear about something, you understand it well.
My last one, then, is at all costs.
Costs spelled C-O-S-T-S.
So that's in the plural.
And this means no matter what difficulties or dangers there are.
So it means something has to be done.
It's absolutely imperative that it must be done.
Very, very important.
Here is my example sentence.
He wanted to win the poker game at all costs.
Okay, so it was something which was very important for him.
To win a lot of money that he had gambled on the game.
And he had to win.
At all costs.
Those are my phrases to listen out for.
I'll just read them to you one more time quickly.
And as you're listening, you can try to listen for them in the story.
If you want to see them written, you can go to your podcast notes in the app that you're using, in the show notes of the app, or you can go to practicingenglishcom podcast 309.
The phrases are peculiar, worrying.
Playing a joke on, strangely enough unclear about, at all costs.
This is a story with one of Agatha Christie's favourite detectives, Hercule Poirot, who spoke French.
He was Belgian.
And when you listen to some of the things he says, you'll notice that he doesn't speak always like a British national might speak.
For example, As a lot of foreign speakers of English, he finds it difficult to use question tags.
So in the story you'll hear, you have seen her films many times, yes?
OK, so this is something which happens quite a lot among foreign speakers because of the difficulty of producing a question tag.
What is the question tag that goes in there?
You have seen her films many times, yes?
It would be, haven't you?
Here we go with the story.
The story is called The Adventure of the Western Star.
I was standing by the window in Poirot's apartment, watching the busy London street below.
How peculiar, I said quietly.
What is peculiar, mon ami? asked Poirot from his armchair.
Look there, I replied.
A fashionable young woman is wandering along the street by herself.
She keeps glancing up at the houses.
Behind her are three men and a middle-aged woman pointing at her excitedly.
What do you think is happening?
Is she a criminal being followed by detectives?
Or is she an innocent woman in danger?
Poirot smiled calmly.
My friend, the simplest explanation is usually the correct one.
He stood up and joined me at the window.
A moment later, he laughed softly.
As usual, Hastings, your imagination is too romantic.
That is Miss Mary Marvell, the famous film actress.
Those people are only watching her with admiration.
I laughed too, but felt some embarrassment because of my inaccurate detective work.
So, the mystery is solved already.
Poirot looked pleased with himself.
You have seen her films many times, yes?
At least twelve.
And I have seen her only once, yet I recognized her immediately.
Well, she looks different in real life, I argued weakly.
Poirot shook his head.
You notice unimportant details, Hastings.
A detective must observe what truly matters.
Before I could answer, the bell rang downstairs.
Poirot smiled confidently.
That will be Miss Marvell herself.
When she was glancing up, she was looking for this flat.
As always, he was right.
Mary Marvell entered the room a few minutes later.
She was young, fair-haired and elegant.
Newspapers constantly discussed her clothes, her wealth and especially her enormous diamond called the Western Star.
The jewel was said to be worth fifty thousand pounds.
Mr Poirot, she began nervously.
I hope you won't think I'm foolish, but I've received some odd letters and they are beginning to frighten me.
Please continue, madame, said Poirot politely.
She handed him three envelopes.
Poirot examined them carefully.
Cheap writing paper?
Printed writing?
Interesting.
Inside each envelope was a message.
I'll read you this last one, said Mary.
It is especially worrying.
You have been warned.
I first thought someone was playing a joke on me.
Mary explained.
But yesterday another letter arrived.
Strangely enough, all the letters were delivered by a Chinese man.
Poirot leaned forward.
And why does that bother you?
She continued, There was apparently some mysterious history connected to the jewels.
My husband Gregory said the cellar seemed terrified and desperate to get rid of it.
Poirot nodded thoughtfully.
And you believe these letters refer to your diamond, the Western Star?
Yes, Poirot asked calmly.
Do you have the diamond with you?
Mary hesitated, then pulled a chain from inside her dress.
A spectacular diamond sparkled in her hand.
Poirot stared at it with admiration.
C'est magnifique!
Magnificent, he whispered.
Normally, it stays locked safely in the hotel, she explained.
But I wanted to show it to you.
Poirot spoke seriously.
I strongly advise you to leave the diamond with me until after the full moon.
Mary looked uncomfortable.
I can't do that.
Why not?
Because on Friday my husband and I are visiting Lord and Lady Yardley at Yardley Chase and I intend to wear it there.
At once I remembered newspaper gossip.
Gregory Rolfe, Mary Marvell's husband, had once been connected romantically with Lady Yardley.
Poirot seemed to notice my expression.
He turned back to Miss Marvell.
"'You already know Lady Yardley?'
He asked casually.
"'My husband met her in America,' Mary replied quickly.
Then she picked up a magazine from the table.
"'There's an article here you should read.'
She read it herself aloud about another famous jewel called the Star of the East, owned by the Yardley family.
According to legend, the two diamonds had once been the eyes of a Chinese god.
One eye shall go west and one east until one day they meet again.
Mary read from the newspaper poirot smiled slightly.
A very dramatic story.
At that moment the door suddenly opened and Gregory Rolfe burst into the room.
He was handsome, confident and looked exactly like the film star he was.
I said I'd call round for you, Mary, said Gregory Rolfe, and here I am.
Well, what does Monsieur Poirot say to our little problem?
Just a ridiculous story, right?
That's what I say.
Poirot answered firmly.
I think your wife should not take the diamond to Yardley Chase.
I agree, said Rolf immediately.
But women like jewels too much.
There's no way of stopping her.
Mary looked at her husband angrily.
That's nonsense, Gregory.
I then thought Mary was unclear about whether she really felt she needed to take the diamond to Yardley Chase or not.
After they left, Poirot became thoughtful.
There is something hidden beneath this story, he said quietly to himself.
I must find out what is happening, at all costs.
Later that afternoon, another visitor arrived.
Ekubwako was out, so I received the visitor alone.
It was Lady Yardley herself.
She was tall, dark, elegant, but a clearly worried look was on her face.
Lady Yardley, I said confidently, as though I were the great detective himself.
You've received threatening letters too.
She stared at me in shock.
How did you know?
I smiled proudly.
It was logical.
She admitted that she had indeed received similar messages.
Unlike Mary's letters, however, hers had arrived by post.
There was a strange eastern perfume on them, she explained quietly.
Do you think chinese criminals really want the diamonds back?
I honestly don't know, i admitted.
When poirot returned He questioned me carefully about everything Lady Yardley had said.
Then he suddenly announced, "'Mon ami, we are visiting Lord Yardley tomorrow.'
Now, that is the end of part one of this story.
So I will continue with this.
Next time part two and the final part The Adventure of the Western Star.
Did you hear the language which I mentioned during the story?
The words were peculiar, worrying.
Playing a joke on, strangely enough, unclear about and at all costs.
The word peculiar was used right at the beginning.
When Hastings says how peculiar, I said quietly how strange.
In other words
The next one to play a joke on somebody was when Mary Marvell explained that I first thought someone was playing a joke on me.
And then she continues with the next one when she says strangely enough, all the letters were delivered by a Chinese man.
Strangely enough.
The next one unclear, was mentioned towards the end of the story and it was said by Hastings in the narration.
I then thought Mary was unclear about whether she really felt she needed to take the diamond to Yardley Chase or not.
And the last one at all costs was when the great detective himself says I must find out what is happening, at all costs.
OK, so here's a little test on those words.
Here we go.
OK.
Right, I'm just going to read a phrase and I'm just going to ask you to substitute certain words in the phrase with the words that we've been learning in the podcast.
Number one.
We must avoid making the same mistake if it's the last thing we do.
If it's the last thing we do?
What is another way of saying if it's the last thing we do in that context?
At all costs.
We must avoid making the same mistake at all costs.
Number two.
I'm not sure about what time the meeting starts.
What is another way of saying I'm not sure in that sentence?
I am unclear about what time the meeting starts.
Number three.
Well, I just thought that my friends were playing a prank on me.
So what is another way of saying playing a prank on somebody?
Playing a joke.
I thought my friends were playing a joke on me.
Number five.
Now be careful with this one.
I'm a bit concerned that so many students are absent today.
What is another way of saying I am a bit concerned?
It is worrying that so many students are absent today.
OK, so you can't say I am worrying.
It is worrying as an adjective.
And number six.
Well, he has a strange way of speaking very slowly.
What is another way of saying strange in this sentence?
Peculiar.
He has a peculiar way of speaking very slowly.
That is the end of my test.
I hope you enjoyed the first part of my Agatha Christie story.
It's the first time actually I've used an Agatha Christie story on this podcast.
And I think I'm going to continue with more stories because they really are quite fun and quite fascinating.
Until next time, goodbye for now.
À tout à l'heure, mes amis.
See you shortly, my friends.
