Page 137 - Think 3. Teacher's Book B3+

Student’s Book Audioscript

Alan I guess. Chris Well, what happened to the Paul It’s very boring. It’s from my
Becky You can’t just give up – if you’ve passenger pigeons was, in a word – surname. My surname’s Smith, so
got a dream, you’ve got to fight for it. us. Humans had always hunted these some people call me Smithy. But you’d
birds, but in the 19th century the better not tell anyone at school. I don’t
Alan Yes, but it’s hard.
number of killings exploded. They want everyone to start calling me
Becky Sure. But think of Walt Disney were also the victim of advances in Smithy.
– his first businesses failed; someone technology. Firstly the telegraph, Alexandra Don’t worry, I won’t.
told him he wasn’t creative enough! which allowed people to get messages My best friend at primary school got
Alan Wow. How wrong can you be! across the country quickly, allowed nicknamed Gummy. She hated it.
Becky Then he was hugely successful. people to report where the pigeons Paul Why did they call her Gummy?
Started a film studio. Successful films. were and secondly, the new railway
Disneyland. Mickey Mouse!! system allowed hunters to get to these Alexandra It was because she used
places easily and start killing the birds. to like those sweets – called Gummy
Alan OK, I get the point. You have to bears.
keep trying. Know any more examples? Sarah But why did they want to do
that? Paul Well, that’s not too bad. My
Becky Well, there’s Van Gogh. brother found his nickname quite
He painted for years and no one Chris Well, passenger pigeons were annoying. It was Buzz. I bet you can’t
recognised his art. He only sold one big business. The dead birds were sent guess why he was called that.
painting during his lifetime – one all over the US by train and sold to
painting! – and that was just before he restaurants or in markets. Alexandra No idea. Perhaps because
he looks like a mosquito?
died. But he didn’t stop painting. Sarah Did no one try to stop this?
Paul No! It was because we used to live
Alan And he was always poor and Chris There was some concern and
unhappy, wasn’t he? it led to the US government making in a town called Leighton Buzzard. The
Buzz came from Buzzard.
Becky Well, yes. True. But that’s not one of its first environmental laws Alexandra Oh, right. That’s clever.
why I mentioned him. to protect animal species. It actually
became law in 1900 – the last year a I quite like that one.
Alan No, I know. Actually I know Paul Talking of names, I read an article
another thing about Van Gogh. passenger pigeon was seen in the wild.
Sarah So it was too late for the recently about celebrity nicknames.
Becky What’s that? Do you know how Sting got his name?
passenger pigeon.
Alan Well, he only kept going because Alexandra No, how?
his friends encouraged him. Just like Chris Yes, sadly. Paul Well there was a jumper he wore
you, Becky. So, you know, yes, I’m Sarah So is there anything we can learn
going to apply to other schools. from this story? on stage. It had black and yellow
stripes like a bee, and another guy in
Becky And I’m sure one of them will Chris Well, if there is anything good the band started calling him ‘Sting’.
say yes. Meanwhile – how about to have come out of this, it is that
tomorrow’s party? the passenger pigeon has become Alexandra That’s cool!
a symbol of the damage humans are Paul And here’s another one. Do you
Alan Sure. Why not?
capable of doing. I hope it would be know how the American singer, Miley
Becky Great! impossible for such a disastrous event Cyrus got her name?
to ever happen again. Though sadly we Alexandra Isn’t that her real name,
Unit 2 do still see species that are threatened then?
with extinction because of human
2.04 Paul No, her real name was Destiny.
Sarah They once ruled the skies of activity. We need to remember, this But she was a happy baby, always
Earth doesn’t just belong to us and we
the Eastern United States. People share it with billions of other life forms. smiling, so her parents nicknamed her
reported huge flocks of up to a billion, Smiley and later it got shortened to
making the sky above darker for hours It is our responsibility to make sure we Miley. She changed her name, officially,
protect others.
as they flew by. In the mid-1800s, to Miley in 2008.
the passenger pigeon was perhaps Unit 3 Alexandra Oh, right.
the most numerous bird in the world. Paul I read about Lady Gaga, too.
Little more than 50 years later, just one 3.02 Apparently, her friend thought she
remained, a female named Martha, Paul What do your friends call you? sounded like Freddie Mercury from
who died all alone in 1914 at the Have you got a nickname? Queen, so every time she came into the
Cincinnati Zoo. To tell us more about studio, he started singing that Queen
the tragic story of the passenger Alexandra Well, my family call me song ‘Radio Ga Ga’. And then one
pigeon we are joined by bird expert Sandy. It’s short for Alexandra. day, they were texting about a stage
Chris Oddie. Paul Oh, I didn’t know that. I knew Alex
was short for Alexandra but not Sandy. name for her, and he suggested Radio
Chris Thank you, Sarah. Ga Ga … and the phone automatically
I like it. Maybe I can call you that, too,
Sarah So what happened to the can I? corrected it to Lady Gaga.
passenger pigeon? How could a Alexandra Sure. I don’t mind. What’s Alexandra That’s brilliant. Hey, look at
species go from being so numerous to the time. We’d better go now. We’ve
none in around half a century? your nickname then? got P.E. in ten minutes and …

Student’s Book Audioscript T123