Hello dear listeners and welcome back to Practicing English.
Today it's my B1 session and the continuation of my exciting story Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson at a B1 level, rewritten completely by myself at b1 level so that you can learn the b1 vocabulary that you need to pass your test or improve your english to an intermediate level.
Now today, the chapter is quite long.
It's chapter four we're doing today of treasure island, And so I'm not going to give a test at the end.
But what I'm going to do is to give you some language that you need to understand the story of this subject, which is about ships.
It's about pirates.
It's about war. going to see and there will be more vocabulary which is more technical if you like or relevant to this situation which is not B1 but it needs explaining so I'm going to go through that language today and you can listen out for those words while you are listening to the story So here we go with Chapter 4 of Treasure Island at a B1 level.
Hello and welcome to Practicing English.
My name is Mike Bilbre and these are podcasts for students of English at B1 or B2 levels.
For transcripts, please go to practicingenglish.com.
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Right then.
So, words which are in the story and not necessarily B1.
Today, we have words like treasure, T-R-E-A-S-U-R-E.
There I go, spelling words again, but you can see these words at your podcast app and also at my website practicingenglishcom podcast 296 treasure.
So treasure is that wonderful word which evokes, which makes us think of pirates.
It makes us think of adventure, tropical islands and a treasure chest, which I've already mentioned in previous chapters.
And when you open the chest, this big box, you open it and inside it's full of of jewels jewelry diamonds, gold coins, all those wonderful things.
Pearls is another one, isn't it?
OK, so that's treasure.
And that's what it's about.
I mean, the story is called Treasure Island.
Another word, which is to sail.
S-A-I-L which is the verb meaning to go on a ship at sea.
Now interestingly we still use this word for modern ships as well.
The sail, in fact, is the material, the sheet-like material, that ships used to use in the times of this story, for example, to go along blown by the wind.
They were sails, and so these ships are sailing ships.
But we still use the verb to sail when you get on a ferry, for example.
Cruise liner, ships obviously don't have any sails.
We still use that verb to sail.
Another word, which is B1 as well, is crew, C-R-E-W, and a crew are the people who work on a ship.
OK, also on an aeroplane as well.
We call them the cabin crew, the air steward, stewardess who work on a plane or also a ship.
Then we have the B1 word as well, important word, sailor.
Okay, so a sailor is somebody who works on a ship.
Now, usually when we think of sailors, we think mostly of those old ships with sails.
But the word is still used, especially if we're talking about the armed forces.
In the Navy, for example, we refer to the people working on that ship as sailors.
The next one is not a B1 word, but a word that we need to understand for the story today.
The docks.
And a dock, C-O-C-K, is an area where ships come in and are parked, if you like.
But you don't park a ship.
The word is to moor, actually.
Where ships are, and they can be boarded.
People can go on board the ship in the dock.
It's usually...
More of a commercial word.
So when you get on a boat, a ship, a ferry or a cruise liner, you probably think of a port where you get on.
Dock is more for commercial activity.
Loading the boat with merchandise.
To load is to put things onto the ship.
To load.
OK, so that's really when we talk about the docks.
It's more commercial than for passengers who would get on a ship in a port.
A telescope.
Well, in those days on ships, if you wanted to see what was happening far away, you need a telescope which is a long instrument you hold up to your eye and you can see things which are far away much closer.
And we're talking about pirates.
And I think the word pirate is first mentioned today in chapter four.
And pirates were really thieves or robbers, if you like, who lived on the sea and stole from other ships.
Okay.
And so all that typical clothing that we associate with pirates the loose baggy shirt, a scarf around their heads, long boots and a sword in their belt.
OK, so that's a typical pirate.
Now I've mentioned since the beginning, but I haven't explained about the character in the story called the Squire.
And the Squire is a person who is a landowner.
And a landowner is somebody who owns a lot of land and probably usually has a big house on that land.
And in those days they were looked up to, admired by the village people and people would salute them when they saw the squire in the street.
He would be an important person in the community and he is called the squire in this story.
He's a friend of Jim Hawkins, the boy Jim Hawkins, Squire Trelawney, his name is okay, so that's what the word squire means.
I've got an expression here all hands on board, all hands on board, which means everybody in the crew to get on board the ship on board is actually a b1 expression but they say all hands, rather saying everybody, all hands on board.
They say now, here's a nice, interesting old english word which is i.
Now I here is spelled A-Y-E and it means yes.
And it's very typical among these sort of people, like pirates and sailors on these ships, to say aye aye, captain.
Aye aye, captain.
Okay.
So instead of saying yes, they say aye.
All right.
Interestingly, if you go to Scotland today.
I went last summer and it was interesting to see how the Scottish people use this word I meaning yes.
When you're talking to them, they use the word I still, which is from this old English.
And my last word, well, it's definitely not a B1 word.
It's a schooner, a schooner.
And this is referring to a type of ship.
OK, so this is a ship with masts, which are those long poles, long wooden poles which go up vertically and hold the sails.
And a schooner was a type of sailing ship which was particularly fast and maneuverable.
Okay, so it was faster than other ships and perhaps easier to sail.
And that's a schooner.
That's my vocabulary.
I'm going to get straight into the lovely story today, when Jim Hawkins finally gets on the ship to search for this Treasure Island.
Here we go with Chapter 4 of Treasure Island.
Treasure Island ¶¶
It took longer than expected to get ready for the sea.
None of our first plans worked out as we had hoped.
Dr Livesey had to go up to London to take care of his patients.
The squire was busy in Bristol preparing the ship.
I stayed at Squire Trelawney's huge house with old Redruth, the gamekeeper.
The gamekeeper was the person who looked after the shooting and the hunting on the estate.
I felt almost like a prisoner.
But my head was so full of dreams about the sea and exciting adventures.
Every day I sat by the fire and looked at the treasure map.
I knew everything about it in detail by heart.
In my imagination, I set off for the island again and again.
I climbed the high hill called Spyglass and looked out over the sea.
Sometimes I imagined wild people on the island.
Sometimes there were dangerous animals.
But in my dreams, nothing was as strange or frightening as the real adventure that was waiting for us.
One day a letter arrived for Dr. Livesey.
On the envelope it said, To be opened by Tom Redruth or Young Hawkins if the doctor is away.
Redruth handed it to me.
You read it, Jim, he said.
I'm not good with writing.
I opened the letter.
It was from Squire Trelawney in Bristol.
Dear Dr. Livesey, The ship is bought and ready.
She is called the Hispaniola.
She is a fine schooner, easy to sail and very strong.
Blandly helped me to get the ship at a very good price.
Some people in Bristol say nasty things about him, but the ship is excellent.
There was one problem, finding a crew.
I wanted 20 men, but it was very hard to find good sailors.
Then I met a most amazing man, Long John Silver.
He is an old sailor and runs an inn.
He lost one leg in the war, but he is strong and clever.
I felt sorry for him and gave him a job as the ship's cook.
Well, I said, he sounds interesting.
Redruth nodded slowly.
The letter continued.
John Silver has helped me pick the best sailors in Bristol.
He even told me to send back two men I had chosen because they were not talented enough.
He knows what he's doing.
We sail tomorrow.
Come at once.
Let young Hawkins visit his mother and then come to Bristol with Redruth.
Your friend, John Tulorny.
When I finished reading, my heart was beating fast.
We're going to Bristol, I cried.
Redruth only complained.
Too much arry, he said.
Too much talk.
But I was full of excitement.
The next morning we set off on foot for Admiral Benbow Inn.
My mother was well and happy.
The inn had been repaired and there was even a new armchair for her.
Jim, she said smiling, you must take care of yourself.
I will, mother.
I replied, though I suddenly felt very sad.
There was a new boy working at the inn to help her.
When I saw him, I realised that I really was leaving home.
For the first time, I had tears in my eyes.
That night, I said goodbye to my mother, to the sea and to my old home.
Early the next day, Redruth and I set out again.
We travelled by coach.
I was tired and soon fell asleep.
When I woke up, we were in a large city.
Where are we?
I asked.
Bristol, said Red Ruth.
Come on, get down.
We walked towards the docks, and I could hardly believe my eyes.
There were ships everywhere.
Huge ships, small ships, medium-sized ships, ships from many countries.
Sailors were singing as they worked.
I breathed in the smell of saltwater.
I had lived by the sea all my life, but this was different.
This was the real sea.
The sea of adventure.
I'm going to sail on one of those ships, I whispered to myself.
At that moment, Squire Trelawney came towards us.
He was dressed like a sea captain.
Jim, he cried happily.
You're here!
The doctor arrived last night.
The crew is ready.
We sail tomorrow.
Tomorrow?
I said, hardly able to believe it.
Yes, tomorrow.
After breakfast the next day, the squire gave me a note.
Take this to Long John Silver, it said.
He owns the Spyglass Inn, down by the docks.
I was glad to go.
I wanted to see more ships and sailors.
The docks were crowded with people and carts.
Finally, I found a small inn with a large brass telescope on the sign.
Inside, it was clean and bright.
Sailors were talking loudly and laughing.
I stood near the door, feeling shy.
Suddenly, a tall man with one leg came out of a side room.
He moved quickly on a crutch.
His face was big and friendly, and he was smiling.
That must be Long John Silver, I thought.
I walked up to him.
Mr. Silver, sir?
I asked. giving him the note.
Yes, my boy, he said warmly.
That's my name, and who are you?
I'm Jim Hawkins, I said.
He looked delighted.
Arr, a new cabin boy.
I'm very pleased to meet you.
He shook my hand.
At that moment, a man at a table near the door suddenly jumped up and ran outside.
I recognized him at once.
"'It's Black Dog!'
I shouted.
"'The soldiers are looking for him!'
Silver turned quickly.
"'Harry!' he cried.
"'Run after him!
He hasn't paid!'
One of the sailors ran out.
"'Black Dog, you say?'
Silver asked me seriously.
"'Yes,' I said.
"'He's a pirate.'
"'A pirate?
In my house?'
Silver said angrily.
"'Morgan, come here!'
An old sailor came forward nervously.
"'I saw you talking to that man.
Did you know him?'
Silver asked.
"'No, sir,' Morgan said.
"'You didn't know his name?'
No, sir.
Good, Silver said, because I won't have pirates here.
Soon the sailor came back.
He escaped, he said, breathing hard.
Silver hit his hand on the table.
That's bad news, he said.
Then he turned to me.
Jim, you must tell the squire everything.
I don't want him to think that I knew that man.
You acted quickly, sir, I said.
Come on, he said.
We should go back to the squire.
On the way, Silver talked about the ships and sailors.
He explained everything clearly.
That ship there is preparing to sail, he said.
And that one there is loading cargo.
He knew so much that I began to trust him completely.
When we reached the inn, Squire Trelawney and Dr. Livesey were waiting.
Silver told them everything.
That's how it happened, isn't it, Jim?
He asked.
Yes, sir, I said.
The squire looked serious.
It's a pity Black Dog got away again, he said.
But there's nothing we can do, said the doctor calmly.
All hands on board at four o'clock, the squire called.
Aye, aye, sir, answered Silver cheerfully.
After that he left and Dr Livesey said quietly I must say squire That John Silver seems like a good man.
The best man in Bristol, the squire said proudly.
Then the doctor smiled at me.
Well, Jim, he said, shall we go and see the ship?
Oh, yes, sir, I replied excitedly.
And together we went down to the docks to see the Hispaniola, the ship that would take us towards treasure and danger.
That is the end of Chapter 4 of Treasure Island.
You can see the full transcript at my website at practisingenglish.com, podcast 296.
I'll be back with Chapter 5 of Treasure Island next week.
Aye, aye, me artists!
