These are the questions for the story today. You can see the complete audioscript for the story at my website:

https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-294.htm

1) Why wouldn't the people from the village help Jim and his mother?

2) How much money did Jim's mother take from the chest (box)?

3) How did the blind man and his men get into the inn?

4) What was inside the packet that Jim found inside the chest?

Contact Mike Bilbrough with a question or enquiry about advertising on Practising English Podcasts: https://www.practisingenglish.com/contact.htm

My NEW book: "B1 English Vocabulary Builder - 22 Short Stories for Learning the Words and Phrases Students Need to Pass the B1 Exam" is now available! This book gives the learner enough vocabulary to pass any B1 exam (special help for Cambridge exams).
To read more about my book, click here (you can access it from any Amazon platform):
https://amzn.to/46AVFe9

Learners studying towards B2 level will be interested in my B1 to B2 reader: The Tudor Conspiracy (includes audio version) https://amzn.to/4gPsj0i

For very young learners (from 8-10), I recommend my picture reader book for children learning A1 to A2 English. It comes with a fully dramatised audio version: https://amzn.to/46TCWvv

Oxford Bookworm Graded Readers: Read stories at your level to improve your English. I recommend Oxford Bookworms as the best series of books for learners: https://amzn.to/4r7YVHg

At https://www.practisingenglish.com/ I offer learners of intermediate-level English, free grammar help and exercises and other English lear...

These are the 7 B2 words I discuss during the podcast:

https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-293.htm

1) rolled

2) feared

3) shade

4) dragged

5) unwilling

6) endless

7) uneasy

Contact Mike Bilbrough with a question or enquiry about advertising on Practising English Podcasts: https://www.practisingenglish.com/contact.htm

My NEW book: "B1 English Vocabulary Builder - 22 Short Stories for Learning the Words and Phrases Students Need to Pass the B1 Exam" is now available! This book gives the learner enough vocabulary to pass any B1 exam (special help for Cambridge exams).
To read more about my book, click here (you can access it from any Amazon platform):
https://amzn.to/46AVFe9

Learners studying towards B2 level will be interested in my B1 to B2 reader: The Tudor Conspiracy (includes audio version) https://amzn.to/4gPsj0i

For very young learners (from 8-10), I recommend my picture reader book for children learning A1 to A2 English. It comes with a fully dramatised audio version: https://amzn.to/46TCWvv

Oxford Bookworm Graded Readers: Read stories at your level to improve your English. I recommend Oxford Bookworms as the best series of books for learners: https://amzn.to/4r7YVHg

At https://www.practisingenglish.com/ I offer learners of intermediate-level English, free grammar help and exercises and other English lear...

For the full transcript of the story go to: https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-292.htm

These are the phrases I study from the B1 story today:

get rid of – I want to get rid of these old clothes because I never wear them. 

run (a business) – She runs a small business with her sister. 

unpleasant – The weather was cold and unpleasant all day. 

set the table – Can you help me set the table before dinner? 

unfriendly – The waiter was unfriendly and didn’t smile at all. 

annoyed – He felt annoyed when the bus arrived late again. 

straight to somewhere – After work, I went straight to the gym. 

warning – The teacher gave us a warning about being late. 

grab – The thief grabbed my bag and ran off with it. 

threaten – The man threatened to call the police if they didn’t stop. 

Contact Mike Bilbrough with a question or enquiry about advertising on Practising English Podcasts: https://www.practisingenglish.com/contact.htm

My NEW book: "B1 English Vocabulary Builder - 22 Short Stories for Learning the Words and Phrases Students Need to Pass the B1 Exam" is now available! This book gives the learner enough vocabulary to pass any B1 exam (special help for Cambridge exams).
To read more about my book, click here (you can access it from any Amazon platform):
https://amzn.to/46AVFe9

Learners studying towards B2 level will be interested in my B1 to B2 reader: The Tudor Conspiracy (includes audio version) https://amzn.to/4gPsj0i

For very young learners (from 8-10), I recommend my picture reader book for children learning A1 to A2 English. It comes with a fully dramatised audio version: https://amzn.to/46TCWvv

Oxford Bookworm Graded Readers: Read stories at your level to improve your English. I recommend Oxford Bookworms as the best series of books for learners: https://amzn.to/4r7YVHg

At https://www.practisingenglish.com/ I offer learners of intermediate-level English, free grammar help and exercises and other English lear...

The second and final part of my B2-level adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's The Black Cat: The B2 phrases studied are:

The Black Cat (B2-Level- Part 2)

 ·  fall into hopeless despair 
After losing his job and the apartment in the same week, he fell into hopeless despair. 

 ·  draw their attention to 
The teacher pointed at the board to draw the students’ attention to the maths problem solution. 

 ·  fill somebody with shock and terror 
The sudden crash in the middle of the night filled her with shock and terror. 

 ·  a growing dislike for 
After months of working late with no thanks, she developed a growing dislike for her boss. 

 ·  be ashamed to admit 
I’m ashamed to admit that I forgot my best friend’s birthday. 

 ·  beyond control 
The situation quickly became beyond control once people started arguing. 

 ·  a violent rage 
He flew into a violent rage when he realized his car had been stolen. 

 ·  completely untouched 
The cake was still completely untouched at the end of the party. 

 ·  fill somebody with great relief 
Hearing that her family was safe filled her with great relief. 

 ·  sleep peacefully 
After the storm passed, the children finally slept peacefully. 

Read the transcript at: https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-291.htm

Contact Mike Bilbrough with a question or enquiry about advertising on Practising English Podcasts: https://www.practisingenglish.com/contact.htm

My NEW book: "B1 English Vocabulary Builder - 22 Short Stories for Learning the Words and Phrases Students Need to Pass the B1 Exam" is now available! This book gives the learner enough vocabulary to pass any B1 exam (special help for Cambridge exams).
To read more about my book, click here (you can access it from any Amazon platform):
https://amzn.to/46AVFe9

Learners studying towards B2 level will be interested in my B1 to B2 reader: The Tudor Conspiracy (includes audio version) https://amzn.to/4gPsj0i

For very young learners (from 8-10), I recommend my picture reader book for children learning A1 to A2 English. It comes with a fully dramatised audio version: https://amzn.to/46TCWvv

Oxford Bookworm Graded Readers: Read stories at your level to improve your English. I recommend Oxford Bookworms as the best series of books for learners: https://amzn.to/4r7YVHg

At https://www.practisingenglish.com/ I offer learners of intermediate-level English, free grammar help and exercises and other English lear...

Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. My B1-level version.

Chapter 1

Squire Trelawney, Dr. Livesey, and some other gentlemen asked me to write down the whole story of Treasure Island, from the beginning to the end . I must leave out only the exact position of the island, because there is still treasure there...

https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-290.htm

Contact Mike Bilbrough with a question or enquiry about advertising on Practising English Podcasts: https://www.practisingenglish.com/contact.htm

My NEW book: "B1 English Vocabulary Builder - 22 Short Stories for Learning the Words and Phrases Students Need to Pass the B1 Exam" is now available! This book gives the learner enough vocabulary to pass any B1 exam (special help for Cambridge exams).
To read more about my book, click here (you can access it from any Amazon platform):
https://amzn.to/46AVFe9

Learners studying towards B2 level will be interested in my B1 to B2 reader: The Tudor Conspiracy (includes audio version) https://amzn.to/4gPsj0i

For very young learners (from 8-10), I recommend my picture reader book for children learning A1 to A2 English. It comes with a fully dramatised audio version: https://amzn.to/46TCWvv

Oxford Bookworm Graded Readers: Read stories at your level to improve your English. I recommend Oxford Bookworms as the best series of books for learners: https://amzn.to/4r7YVHg

At https://www.practisingenglish.com/ I offer learners of intermediate-level English, free grammar help and exercises and other English lear...

First part of my B2 version of The Black Cat by Edgar Allan Poe: 

For the most strange, yet also ordinary, story that I am about to write, I do not expect belief, nor do I ask for it. To tell the truth, I would be foolish to expect anyone to believe me... Read story transcript with B2 words in bold: https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-289.htm

Contact Mike Bilbrough with a question or enquiry about advertising on Practising English Podcasts: https://www.practisingenglish.com/contact.htm

My NEW book: "B1 English Vocabulary Builder - 22 Short Stories for Learning the Words and Phrases Students Need to Pass the B1 Exam" is now available! This book gives the learner enough vocabulary to pass any B1 exam (special help for Cambridge exams).
To read more about my book, click here (you can access it from any Amazon platform):
https://amzn.to/46AVFe9

Learners studying towards B2 level will be interested in my B1 to B2 reader: The Tudor Conspiracy (includes audio version) https://amzn.to/4gPsj0i

For very young learners (from 8-10), I recommend my picture reader book for children learning A1 to A2 English. It comes with a fully dramatised audio version: https://amzn.to/46TCWvv

Oxford Bookworm Graded Readers: Read stories at your level to improve your English. I recommend Oxford Bookworms as the best series of books for learners: https://amzn.to/4r7YVHg

At https://www.practisingenglish.com/ I offer learners of intermediate-level English, free grammar help and exercises and other English lear...

You can find the audioscript to the B2 story today just here:

https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-288.htm

The Lost Ring

Mary Grams, a woman from Alberta, Canada, lost her diamond engagement ring in 2004 while she was working in her garden. The ring slipped off her finger, but although she made a long search for it, in the end, she believed it had gone missing forever.

Mary was very disappointed about the disappearance of her ring, but she did not want to worry her husband. Instead of telling him, she decided to buy a replacement ring and wore that for many years.

Thirteen years later, Mary's daughter-in-law made an interesting discovery. She was picking vegetables from the same garden when she pulled up a strange carrot. Around the carrot was a gold ring. When the family cleaned it, they realised it was Mary's original engagement ring. It had finally turned up.

Mary was over the moon. Despite being in the ground all that time, it was in perfect condition and did not need restoring - it even fit her finger. The family believes the ring had fallen into the soil years earlier, and as the carrot grew, it passed through the ring.

The story quickly became well-known around the world and reminded many people that although things can go missing, they may turn up again - even after a long time.

1. vanished - My wallet seems to have vanished without a trace.

2. locate - It took hours to locate the missing document.

3. restore - The museum worked hard to restore the damaged painting.

4. disappearance - The disappearance of the important files was never explained.

5. discovery - I made an important discovery last night. I found snails on my cabbages in the garden.

6. search - a search was made for the missing hikers

7. seek - We are seeking top secretaries for our London office

8. turn up - My door key finally turned up. It was under the sofa.

9. go missing - Several files went missing after the office renovation.

10. come across - I came across these old photograph albums in the attic

11.  hold on to - Make sure you hold on to the receipt.

12.  replacement - a part of the car engine is worn; the gar

Contact Mike Bilbrough with a question or enquiry about advertising on Practising English Podcasts: https://www.practisingenglish.com/contact.htm

My NEW book: "B1 English Vocabulary Builder - 22 Short Stories for Learning the Words and Phrases Students Need to Pass the B1 Exam" is now available! This book gives the learner enough vocabulary to pass any B1 exam (special help for Cambridge exams).
To read more about my book, click here (you can access it from any Amazon platform):
https://amzn.to/46AVFe9

Learners studying towards B2 level will be interested in my B1 to B2 reader: The Tudor Conspiracy (includes audio version) https://amzn.to/4gPsj0i

For very young learners (from 8-10), I recommend my picture reader book for children learning A1 to A2 English. It comes with a fully dramatised audio version: https://amzn.to/46TCWvv

Oxford Bookworm Graded Readers: Read stories at your level to improve your English. I recommend Oxford Bookworms as the best series of books for learners: https://amzn.to/4r7YVHg

At https://www.practisingenglish.com/ I offer learners of intermediate-level English, free grammar help and exercises and other English lear...

This is the audioscript for today's B1-level dialogue:

https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-287.htm

That's Life!

Mary: 'Morning, Anna. You don't look very well today. Are you sick?

Anna: 'Morning, Mary. Oh, yes. I feel terrible. I'm suffering from this backache and my head hurts. I think it's an illness caused by this awful, cold weather.

Mary: Oh dear. I've got problems too. I can't breathe properly, and I have to blow my nose all the time. I know I'm always complaining of my poor health, but it's getting worse - I can tell you!

Anna: Did you check your temperature?

Mary: Yes, it's a little high. The doctor says it's nothing serious, but I'm not sure I believe him. I've probably got some terrible, tropical disease, but he doesn't want to tell me. You know what doctors are like? Anyway, last week I fell and now I have a bandage on my leg. Just look at it!

Anna: Ooer! That looks painful. I think many people of our age suffer from the same illnesses. Our lifestyle is quite unhealthy, my mum is always telling me. Too many hamburgers and no salads.

Mary: You're right. We don't exercise enough - too much mobile phone, my dad says.

Anna: I hope I recover soon. I want to feel young again. After all, I'm only fifteen.

Mary: I'll be sixteen next month. Time waits for nobody! …By the way, Anna.

Anna: What's the matter now? Another illness you haven't told me about?

Mary: No. I was just going to ask. Is your mum giving you a lift to school tomorrow?

Anna: Oh, yes. As always.

Mary: Can she take me too? All that walking makes me tired.

Contact Mike Bilbrough with a question or enquiry about advertising on Practising English Podcasts: https://www.practisingenglish.com/contact.htm

My NEW book: "B1 English Vocabulary Builder - 22 Short Stories for Learning the Words and Phrases Students Need to Pass the B1 Exam" is now available! This book gives the learner enough vocabulary to pass any B1 exam (special help for Cambridge exams).
To read more about my book, click here (you can access it from any Amazon platform):
https://amzn.to/46AVFe9

Learners studying towards B2 level will be interested in my B1 to B2 reader: The Tudor Conspiracy (includes audio version) https://amzn.to/4gPsj0i

For very young learners (from 8-10), I recommend my picture reader book for children learning A1 to A2 English. It comes with a fully dramatised audio version: https://amzn.to/46TCWvv

Oxford Bookworm Graded Readers: Read stories at your level to improve your English. I recommend Oxford Bookworms as the best series of books for learners: https://amzn.to/4r7YVHg

At https://www.practisingenglish.com/ I offer learners of intermediate-level English, free grammar help and exercises and other English lear...

This is the audioscript for this B2 story (part 2) of The Hole:

https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-286.htm

The Hole (Part 2)

I hurriedly set up the equipment from out of my bags.

'Can I help, señor?' Pedro stepped forwards.

'Please. Undo these two ropes. One has a harness and the other is fixed to this small sack, while I set up the laptop and monitor.'

I then had to think fast. After I had the computer equipment ready, I knelt down at the side of the borehole and felt the walls. Cement.

'Pedro. Are the walls cement all the way down to the bottom? I imagine they're not.'

'These holes are dug with a machine and lower down the walls are just earth.'

So as the child fell, his body brushed against the sides of the hole bringing the earth down on top of him, I thought to myself. Not good.

I turned to Heidi. I had already typed in the programme for her to follow.

'Go, Heidi!'

She almost jumped into the hole head first. Even her small body would find it difficult to descend, but she disappeared rapidly into the darkness. Unlike the slow and clumsy articulated robots we usually see, those constructed at my company had the ability to react and move with lively and precise movements.

I looked into the borehole, as did Pedro and the father. I could see Heidi's multiple phosphorescent bulbs on her titanium frame had now lit up. The brightness descended as her feet dug expertly but carefully into the walls of the borehole so as not to disturb the soft soil.

I then turned to the laptop screen and monitor, and Pedro and the father followed. I examined the screen. There was now a crowd of people behind us, silent but impatient. The camera and microphone on Heidi's tail showed her metal frame moving mechanically down metre after metre.

'There's the bag of sweets,' said Pedro pointing at the screen. 'And there's the earth. The tunnel stops there.'

Heidi did not pause. She began digging with great care into the floor. We could hear the sounds over the speakers.

I then picked up the rope with the sack and dropped it into the hole, ensur

Contact Mike Bilbrough with a question or enquiry about advertising on Practising English Podcasts: https://www.practisingenglish.com/contact.htm

My NEW book: "B1 English Vocabulary Builder - 22 Short Stories for Learning the Words and Phrases Students Need to Pass the B1 Exam" is now available! This book gives the learner enough vocabulary to pass any B1 exam (special help for Cambridge exams).
To read more about my book, click here (you can access it from any Amazon platform):
https://amzn.to/46AVFe9

Learners studying towards B2 level will be interested in my B1 to B2 reader: The Tudor Conspiracy (includes audio version) https://amzn.to/4gPsj0i

For very young learners (from 8-10), I recommend my picture reader book for children learning A1 to A2 English. It comes with a fully dramatised audio version: https://amzn.to/46TCWvv

Oxford Bookworm Graded Readers: Read stories at your level to improve your English. I recommend Oxford Bookworms as the best series of books for learners: https://amzn.to/4r7YVHg

At https://www.practisingenglish.com/ I offer learners of intermediate-level English, free grammar help and exercises and other English lear...

This is the audioscript for today's B2 story:

https://www.practisingenglish.com/podcast-285.htm

The Hole

'We're arriving, señor,' said the helicopter pilot. 'It's down there, by that hill. I'll land as close as I can get. Time is going to be crucial.' The helicopter dropped down vertically and bounced once before finally settling on the grassy slope.

There were a number of people gathered about fifty metres further up the hill, and several vehicles: cars, police vehicles, two ambulances and a fire engine. It was otherwise a lonely spot, close to a country road; pleasant with green grass, trees and four or five wooden tables with benches for picnickers.

New Year is part of the Christmas holiday season in Spain, and in Andalusia, where the weather is often mild at this time of year, families will often head for the nearest countryside with a picnic basket and spend an afternoon in the fresh, clean outdoors.

The helicopter pilot jumped out and pulled open the side exit for me, and I jumped out immediately with my backpack and heavy canvas bag. I was not alone. Sunny, my 4-year-old golden retriever leapt out too, thankful to be out of that strange and noisy craft. However, I had another companion with a more complex name: High Degree of Articulated Freedom Robot. Naturally, you cannot use that name all the time when talking to an AI robot, so I had given her a shorter name - Heidi.

At my robotics company in Almeria, she had been my own creation, although a whole team of computer engineers had been responsible for her construction. Although smaller than a golden retriever, she looked like a dog in shape, so much so that Sunny, the golden retriever accepted her company even though a little suspiciously.

However, there was little covering the shiny, titanium structure, so she looked something like a yellow and silver dog skeleton. But she had two, bright, green and gold-coloured eyes, and there was a hook-like hand at the end of the tail - so she could hold firmly to any surface. She behaved like a dog too - the perfect companion: all obeying, fast and responsive with a strength far exceeding her canine friend, Su

Contact Mike Bilbrough with a question or enquiry about advertising on Practising English Podcasts: https://www.practisingenglish.com/contact.htm

My NEW book: "B1 English Vocabulary Builder - 22 Short Stories for Learning the Words and Phrases Students Need to Pass the B1 Exam" is now available! This book gives the learner enough vocabulary to pass any B1 exam (special help for Cambridge exams).
To read more about my book, click here (you can access it from any Amazon platform):
https://amzn.to/46AVFe9

Learners studying towards B2 level will be interested in my B1 to B2 reader: The Tudor Conspiracy (includes audio version) https://amzn.to/4gPsj0i

For very young learners (from 8-10), I recommend my picture reader book for children learning A1 to A2 English. It comes with a fully dramatised audio version: https://amzn.to/46TCWvv

Oxford Bookworm Graded Readers: Read stories at your level to improve your English. I recommend Oxford Bookworms as the best series of books for learners: https://amzn.to/4r7YVHg

At https://www.practisingenglish.com/ I offer learners of intermediate-level English, free grammar help and exercises and other English lear...