30/1/23, 10:37 For print

Learn English Through Story ★ The Secret of the Stones --

English Listening Practice
Time Subtitle
8s [Music] chapter one
13s holiday time
19s [Music] laura and max are twins
27s they live in london with their mum and dad
31s they always have interesting adventures on holiday
35s they visit different cities and countries
39s this summer they are going to stay in a small cottage in
the country
45s the cottage is in a village called stone cross near
salisbury
51s max and laura aren't very happy
56s boring says max he looks at the map
1:02 the cottage is in the middle of a field what can we do in
the middle of a field
1:08 why are we going there asks laura
1:12 their dad is very tired he says he wants to relax and to
sleep a
1:18 lot their mum loves the country she wants to
1:22 walk and paint it's a very beautiful part of england
1:27 she says full of culture tradition mystery
1:31 mystery say max and laura together mystery okay let's
go
1:43 [Music] chapter 2
1:47 stone cross
1:54 [Music] the next day
2:00 uncle stephen and auntie barbara arrive they have lots
of suitcases
2:06 this year the two families are going on holiday together
2:11 mum drives her car dad sleeps dad always sleeps
2:17 uncle steven and auntie barbara follow in their slow old
car
2:24 two hours later they arrive at stone cross and find their
cottage in the
2:28 middle of the field there are green hills beautiful
cottages
2:34 flowers sheep and cows everywhere it's lovely say max
and laura

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2:41 it's perfect say mum and auntie barbara dad says
nothing
2:48 he is sleeping in the car what do you think stephen do
you like it
2:55 uncle steven doesn't answer he is looking into the
distance
3:00 his eyes are very black and strange what's the matter
stephen asks auntie
3:08 barbara don't you like the cottage
3:12 yes it's wonderful he says come on everyone let's take
these
3:17 suitcases inside wake up andrew dad wakes up
3:24 where are we we're here at stone cross come and help
we must take the suitcases
3:29 into the cottage they take the suitcases and go inside
3:34 but uncle steven waits he wants to talk to his wife
3:40 barbara i must tell you something he says
3:43 his voice is very serious this place yes darling this place
is in
3:50 my book do you remember the book i am studying about
3:55 mysteries but stephen that book is very old it's full of
strange codes and
4:02 secret messages exactly don't you understand this is
the place where
4:09 come on barbara come on stephen shouts mom from
the cottage
4:14 we're coming uncle steven and auntie barbara answer
4:19 but when they walk to the cottage their faces are white
4:23 they look very worried
4:31 [Music] chapter 3
4:36 mr carter and mrs black [Music]
4:47 the cottage is big there are four bedrooms and two
4:51 bathrooms upstairs downstairs there is a big kitchen a
4:56 living room and a study uncle steven wants to use the
study he
5:01 must finish some work during the holiday uncle stephen
is a historian
5:08 what does uncle steven do exactly laura asks
5:12 her mother replies he studies history max is confused
5:18 but i study history too at school
5:21 but it's not my job yes but uncle steven writes books
about history he thinks
5:28 about history he tries to understand the things that
5:32 no one understands for example asks laura
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5:36 well mum replies

5:39 for example the mystery of stonehenge so what about
5:44 stonehenge what is its mystery no one really knows ask
uncle steven
5:50 tomorrow we can go to see it suddenly there is a knock
at the door
5:57 mum opens it and an old man comes in he has white
hair and an angry face
6:04 my name's carter he says in an angry voice
6:08 oh you look after this cottage is everything okay
6:12 there is one for the fire in the garden there are sheets
and pillows upstairs if
6:17 you have a problem tell me have you got any problems
6:23 now mum remembers yes mr carter is the caretaker he
looks
6:28 after the cottage when no one is staying in it
6:32 thank you mr carter it's very kind of you but we have no
problems
6:38 mr carter wants a problem to solve so he is not very
happy
6:43 he goes to the door then he stops suddenly turns
around and
6:47 looks at them mrs black is coming he says
6:52 mrs black is coming soon be careful
6:56 he opens the door and goes out what asks mom
7:02 who is mrs black asks max and why be careful
7:08 is she dangerous asks auntie barbara probably a witch
from stonehenge says
7:15 laura everyone laughs
7:17 [Laughter] don't talk about things you don't
7:22 understand says uncle steven there is another knock at
the door
7:29 they all stop there is silence in the room
7:34 max opens the door no one speaks
7:38 hello everyone says a happy voice a woman comes into
the cottage
7:44 she is quite old fat but she is pretty she has blue eyes
silver earrings and a
7:51 big pink face hello
7:55 my name's mrs black mrs black is a housekeeper she
helps
8:01 with the cooking and cleaning when a family comes for
a holiday in the
8:05 cottage she helps them she lives in a different cottage in

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the
8:09 village with her son mrs black is very nice and they start
to
8:15 relax later they eat a big dinner and then say
8:20 goodbye to their new friend the housekeeper
8:24 they are very tired and soon everyone is sleeping
8:28 everyone but uncle steven he can't sleep
8:33 because he is thinking about the book he is studying
8:43 [Music] chapter 4
8:47 laura and max explore the village
8:54 [Music] in the morning laura and max decide to
9:02 explore the small village of stone cross bye
9:06 have a nice time come home for lunch at one o'clock
9:10 says their mother in the square there is a post office a
9:15 bakers a green grocers a news agents and some other
small shops
9:21 let's buy something to drink in this news agents says
max it's very hot
9:26 a woman is working in the shop they say good morning
and smile at the
9:32 woman but she does not smile at them
9:35 she looks at the twins with cold eyes you two aren't from
stone cross
9:42 what do you want the woman is not very friendly uh two
cans of coke please says
9:48 max one pound sixty she gives them two cans of coke
and they
9:53 give her the money the woman's cold eyes do not
change
9:59 tourists don't usually come to stonecross she says her
voice is cold
10:05 too it's not a good idea
10:08 remember that uh yes okay thank you uh goodbye says
laura
10:15 they run out of the shop very quickly in the square the
sun is shining
10:21 everything is normal again wow there are some strange
people in
10:26 this village says max they walk along another street and
10:31 suddenly a man appears he is not very old
10:35 he is wearing a dark suit and a tie with a strange design
on it
10:40 the twins stop the man smiles he says
10:44 hello hello two explorers in stone cross are you on

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10:50 holiday are you having a nice time yes yes thank you
replies laura my name's
10:56 martin knight what are your names max and laura morel
11:00 they say together sometimes twins understand what the
11:04 other is thinking sometimes they speak together
11:08 hmm morrell
11:10 is your father the famous historian stephen morrell no
he's our uncle not
11:16 our father he's on holiday with us in stone cross
11:19 do you know him the man doesn't answer max's
question
11:24 i see stephen morrell is here in stone cross very
interesting
11:28 and tell me what is he studying at the moment
11:33 oh a really old book about mysteries and secret sorry mr
knight but it's very
11:37 late we must go home and have lunch laura stops him
come on max it's time to
11:43 go can we meet tomorrow says martin knight
11:46 you can tell me about your uncle's old book okay says
max come on max says
11:52 laura and the twins go back along the road sorry max
but i don't like that man
11:58 explains laura he wants to know about uncle stephen
and
12:02 his books but uncle steven is very famous lots of people
want to know about
12:07 him i know but this man is different i can't explain why
not everyone is
12:12 strange in stone cross think of mrs black she's a nice
normal woman yes
12:18 you're right sorry but now it's quarter to one and we
must go home
12:29 [Music] chapter 5
12:33 a visit to stonehenge [Music]
12:44 when the twins get home everyone is waiting for them
12:48 mrs black is there too what do you think of our little
village
12:54 she asks the village is lovely but some of the
12:57 people are strange replies laura mrs black laughs
13:03 i know i know don't worry about the people they don't
see many tourists
13:10 not many people come to stone cross are you ready to
go to stonehenge this
13:17 afternoon asks auntie barbara mrs black says
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13:22 ah you're going to stonehenge

13:27 it's nothing special a circle of old stones that's
13:32 all stonehenge is near the village of stone cross
13:37 they take the cars and in 20 minutes they are there
13:41 laura suddenly shouts look there it is there it is and
down in
13:47 the valley they see mrs black's circle of old stones
13:52 it's spectacular says uncle steven
13:56 it's incredible says mom it's
14:00 magnificent says auntie barbara wow
14:04 says laura it's not very big says max
14:09 shut up max says everyone andrew what do you think
14:14 do you like stonehenge andrew dad doesn't answer
14:19 he is sleeping in the car andrew wake up now this time
mum is very
14:26 angry around the stones there is a fence
14:30 people can't touch them but they can go very near and
take photographs
14:35 let's get an audio guide suggests mum you listen and it
tells you the story of
14:41 stonehenge everyone gets an audio guide and they
14:45 start to walk around the enormous stone circle
14:49 uncle stephen walks in the opposite direction and looks
at his old book of
14:54 mysteries he reads something and then looks at the
14:58 stones then he walks away
15:02 he looks at the hills and the trees near the stones
15:06 hmm three hills around the stones yes it is
15:12 a type of triangle he says to himself then he looks at the
stones again
15:19 uncle steven is thinking half an hour later the others
return
15:26 stonehenge is fantastic they say but uncle steven is not
listening
15:33 he's reading his book again and looking at the stones
and the hills
15:37 around them time for something to drink says mum
15:42 they all walk to the small cafe near the tourist shop
15:46 come on stephen are you coming with us finally uncle
steven puts his book in
15:52 his bag and follows the others
16:00 [Music] chapter 6
16:04 a feast

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16:11 [Music] the family finally gets back to the

16:18 cottage everyone is very happy but they are also
16:22 tired the sun is shining and everything seems
16:26 in perfect order they park the cars and go to the cottage
16:32 that's strange says dad i can't move the key
16:36 i can't open the door let's try the other door mum says
16:41 they walk to the small door at the back of the cottage
16:45 suddenly everyone stops the door is open
16:49 impossible says laura only mrs black has got a key
16:54 mom and auntie barbara scream thieves they say
17:00 inside the cottage there is chaos the cupboards are
empty the drawers are open
17:05 and things are on the floor our money says dad
17:10 oh my jewellery says mum uncle steven says
17:16 what's missing oh we must phone the police
17:19 they look in all the rooms but nothing is missing
17:23 look our money is here the thief doesn't want money
says dad
17:28 happily and look my jewelry is here
17:33 he doesn't want my diamond ring says mum so why
what is interesting for a thief
17:40 here asks max uncle steven's face is very serious
17:47 i think i know the answer to that question
17:50 this is what the thief wants he says and takes the book
of mysteries from his
17:56 bag that old book
17:59 but why ask max i am studying the mystery of
stonehenge
18:05 some people think that it is an ancient computer uncle
stephen explains
18:11 i don't understand says laura ancient people understand
lots of things that we
18:17 don't understand now things about the stars
18:21 about energy mathematics and communication
18:25 we think that stonehenge is an enormous computer
18:30 it connects information to other ancient computers
around the world like the
18:36 pyramids says laura excitedly exactly perhaps these
computers communicate with
18:43 space men too wow says max
18:48 uncle steven continues my old book of mysteries has a
secret
18:53 code but there is a symbol i don't understand

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18:58 i want to understand the symbol because i want to

understand stonehenge
19:03 this computer can be very dangerous because bad
people can use the
19:08 information we must protect the book do you understand
19:12 yes they all reply now let's tidy the house everyone must
19:18 keep their eyes and ears open
19:21 yes they all reply the twins are tidying the house
19:27 suddenly laura stops and says max look what do you
think this is she
19:33 gives her brother a small silver object it is round with a
triangle and a
19:39 strange cross in the middle it's got a pin at the back
19:43 it's a brooch yes perhaps it belongs to the thief let's give
it to uncle steven
19:49 they tell their uncle the story and he looks at the small
object
19:53 he puts it in his desk and his face is serious
19:57 he doesn't say anything max and laura go into the living
room
20:03 there's something strange about that object laura says
max
20:06 i know that symbol yes says laura me too i recognize it
but where from
20:23 chapter 7 a noisy night
20:31 [Music] at seven o'clock mrs black arrives
20:39 she helps cook the dinner and listens to the story
20:43 terrible she says every summer there are thieves in
stone cross
20:48 they know there are lots of tourists you see but you say
that tourists don't come
20:53 here answers laura ah oh yes
20:58 well it depends some summers there are a lot
21:02 some summers there aren't a lot suddenly a telephone
rings
21:08 it is mrs black's mobile phone oh excuse me she says
and smiles at
21:14 everyone she goes to the hall and speaks in a
21:18 soft voice yes
21:21 yes okay
21:23 don't worry everything's alright i don't know perhaps
tonight perhaps
21:30 tomorrow night okay
21:33 bye my son she explains

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21:38 he's 27 and he doesn't know how to cook oh can you

believe it
21:43 mum laughs i'm sure he prefers your wonderful
21:47 cooking later that evening everyone is playing
21:51 cards together mum is winning she always wins
21:56 mrs black says who wants a nice cup of hot chocolate
22:02 during the evening and at night it is cold in the house
22:06 they say yes please mrs black but laura says
22:11 no thank you the housekeeper seems offended why not
22:15 she asks angrily hot chocolate helps you sleep i can
sleep with no problems thank
22:21 you replies laura mrs black is not very happy but goes to
22:26 the kitchen to make hot chocolate for the others
22:29 it is creamy chocolatey and delicious this is wonderful
mrs black
22:36 what is the special ingredient you have a secret recipe
asks mom
22:43 it's my grandmother's secret recipe she says and laughs
22:49 she says good night and goes home soon everyone is
very sleepy and goes to
22:56 bed only laura isn't tired
23:04 it is the middle of the night outside the sky is full of stars
but
23:09 there is no moon everyone is sleeping
23:13 mum is dreaming and dad is snoring suddenly laura sits
up in her bed
23:20 there is a noise
23:23 someone is downstairs she relaxes
23:28 it is probably her father he sometimes gets up and
sleepwalks
23:35 but no she can hear her father
23:40 he is snoring in his bedroom
23:45 she gets up very quietly yes
23:49 there is someone the noise is in the study
23:54 she goes downstairs she is very quiet
23:59 when she is outside the study she stops and listens
24:03 she hears the sound of paper
24:10 i must be brave she says and pushes the door open
quietly stop
24:16 thief she shouts but to her surprise she sees mrs black
24:22 she is sitting at uncle steven's desk reading his
notebooks
24:26 oh mrs black

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24:29 it's you says laura hello laura

24:34 i can't find my car keys perhaps they are here
24:38 i don't want to disturb everyone oh all right says laura
but then
24:45 she remembers mrs black hasn't got a car
24:50 at that moment dad and uncle steven arrive they think
there is another thief
24:56 dad smiles and laughs oh
25:00 he's mrs black hello mrs black
25:04 you're working late tonight uncle steven doesn't laugh
25:08 what are you doing in my study mrs black he asks
25:14 she tells him the story of the car keys uncle steven
replies
25:19 tomorrow we can all look for the keys together
25:23 now it's time to sleep good night mrs black he opens the
door
25:29 and the housekeeper goes out she doesn't look at uncle
stephen when
25:34 she says good night everyone
25:42 [Music] chapter eight
25:47 now i remember
25:53 [Music] for two or three days everything is
26:01 normal and everyone is happy mrs black says her son
has got the car
26:05 keys and they aren't lost after all laura looks at mrs
black but decides not
26:11 to say anything on wednesday afternoon mum and dad
go
26:16 walking dad wants to sleep but mum says
26:20 no andrew you can't sleep at all holiday oh all right he
replies but he is not
26:28 very happy what about you stephen come with us no
26:31 thank you i must work auntie barbara laughs
26:37 and says to mom sarah your husband sleeps all the
time and my husband works
26:43 all the time don't laugh barbara replies uncle steven
26:48 my work is very important everyone laughs
26:53 sometimes uncle steven is very funny today i want to
work a lot
26:59 please don't disturb me he says and goes to the study
27:04 can i come with you too asks auntie barbara
27:08 of course they reply they all put on their walking boots
and
27:13 say goodbye to the twins
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27:17 max and laura decide to explore a different part of the

village
27:21 in the village there is a small hill it is a strange shape
and on the top
27:27 there is a stone cross the village probably has the name
stone
27:31 cross because there is a stone cross on the hill says
laura
27:35 very clever sherlock says her brother they look up to the
cross on the hill
27:42 two people are talking near it the sun is behind them
and the twins
27:47 can't see very well who are those two people they ask
27:52 together mrs black and martin knight
27:56 let's go and listen says max no max says laura we must
listen to it
28:02 suddenly she stops her face is white max now i
remember
28:08 max's face is white too he remembers the same thing
28:14 i know me too
28:16 the symbol yes i know where it comes from yes
28:21 mrs black's earrings it's the same symbol what
28:26 i remember it from martin knight's tie what
28:29 this means mrs black and martin knight know the thief
28:34 perhaps one of them is the thief do you remember mrs
black reading uncle
28:38 steven's notebook do you remember martin knight's
questions
28:43 what can we do come on laura follow me says max
28:48 they start to go up the hill but mrs black and martin
knight aren't there
28:54 we're too late where are they now says laura i don't
know
28:58 answers max come on let's go home and tell uncle
steven what we know
29:03 they start to walk home but on the hill two dark shadows
are
29:08 watching them from behind the stone cross
29:20 chapter 9 uncle stephen understands
29:24 [Music] uncle steven is happy
29:36 finally he can work in peace he makes a cup of tea and
goes into his
29:41 study on his desk there is the old book of
29:45 mysteries and the silver broach with the strange symbol

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29:50 he takes the brooch in his hand and looks at it he knows

it is part of the
29:55 mystery but how
29:58 the circle is similar to stonehenge the triangle is similar
to the hills
30:03 around it but what does the cross mean
30:08 uncle steven recognizes the symbol but where from
30:14 he drinks some more tea he thinks
30:19 he looks out of the window from the window he can see
the strange
30:24 hill in the village and the strange stone cross on the top
of it
30:30 wait a minute he thinks the strange stone cross he looks
at the
30:36 brooch yes
30:39 it's the same he quickly turns to a page in his old
30:43 book of mysteries he reads something and shouts
30:47 yes now i understand now i understand i must telephone
professor johnson in
30:54 london he takes the phone and calls the number
30:59 hello professor it's stephen morrell here
31:04 listen we must meet can i bring the book to you in
london
31:09 it's not safe here but there's a train at five o'clock this
31:13 evening it gets to london at seven o'clock
31:17 yes see you at the station
31:20 goodbye and thank you he puts the phone down and
31:24 picks up his cup of tea i'm sure that tea is cold now says
a
31:30 cold voice behind him he turns quickly and sees the
shadow of
31:35 mrs black in the door what are you doing here he asks
angrily
31:40 you don't work today what do you want mrs black's
earrings shine in the sun
31:46 you know what i want morale she says give me that
book
32:01 chapter 10 a doctor's visit
32:06 [Music] max and laura play near a river for some
32:17 time but later go back to the cottage everything is quiet
32:23 they don't have a key so they knock on the door
32:28 nobody answers they knock again
32:33 and mrs black answers the door she is wearing an
apron
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32:38 and she has a rolling pin in her hand she says
32:43 hello children i'm making a delicious chocolate cake
32:48 for lunch your uncle stephen doesn't feel very
32:52 well your parents aren't here and i want to
32:56 help what do you mean uncle steven's fine says max
33:01 he has a headache and a temperature mrs black replies
33:06 he works too hard this is very strange uncle steven is
never ill
33:12 max and laura don't believe the housekeeper
33:16 i want to talk to my uncle says laura me too says max
33:22 mrs black is a big woman she stands in the door and the
twins
33:27 can't pass it's not a good idea she tells them
33:32 your uncle is upstairs he's resting i want to see my uncle
now repeats laura
33:40 you can't see him there is a doctor with him now mrs
black shouts
33:47 laura pushes the woman and she falls to the floor
33:50 max runs past her too they go to the study but their
uncle is
33:55 not there they run upstairs
33:58 uncle steven are you alright shouts laura but there
34:02 is no answer max opens the bedroom door
34:07 uncle stephen is lying on the bed he cannot move his
arms or legs because
34:12 there is a rope around them there is a big bump on his
head
34:16 and his eyes are closed captioning not
34:33 a man in available room marty knight they say together
34:38 oh yes he laughs your uncle is sleeping now we can
take his book
34:45 and discover the secret of the stones now no one can
stop us
34:51 especially two stupid children at that moment mrs black
arrives
34:59 i see you know my son she says she is holding the
rolling pin
35:05 suddenly max understands what she wants to do
35:10 quick laura he pushes his sister to the floor
35:13 the rolling pin misses laura's head max jumps up he
tries to take the rolling
35:18 pin from mrs black laura gets up and starts to run away
35:22 martin knight tries to stop her but she is very fast
35:28 suddenly outside they hear the sound of a siren
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35:31 it is a police car quick the police shouts martin

35:38 he and mrs black run when they arrive at the door there
are
35:42 two policemen waiting for them they put handcuffs on
the two criminals
35:46 and push them into the police van laura telephones for
an ambulance for
35:51 uncle steven max speaks to the policeman
35:56 thank you he says but i don't understand why he stops
36:03 under a tree in the garden he sees an old man
36:07 mr carter mr carter comes and talks to max
36:12 remember boy you must tell me your problems he says
36:17 i know these people i know this place i know when
there's a problem thank you
36:24 says max you're welcome the old man smiles
36:29 no how about a nice cup of tea
36:41 chapter 11 the secret of the stones
36:46 [Music] the next day everyone is at the hospital
36:58 uncle steven is in bed the doctor says that there is only
one
37:02 problem the big bump on uncle steven's head
37:07 steven opens his eyes hello barbara
37:12 what day is it it's thursday darling oh hello andrew
37:17 hello everyone what are you doing here
37:21 don't you have school today children it's the summer
holiday laura replies
37:27 we're in stone cross remember says max stone cross
37:33 holiday no i don't remember
37:37 we're in london i think uncle steven doesn't remember
37:43 he doesn't remember about the holiday about mrs black
and martin knight
37:48 and most important of all he doesn't remember about
the secret of
37:53 the stones you remember the symbol the brooch the
37:58 old book of mysteries they ask him he smiles and says
38:04 no sorry
38:07 a policeman arrives he tells them that the two criminals
38:12 martin smith and his mother dorothy smith are part of a
secret organization
38:18 the name of the organization is the black knights he
says
38:22 they want to find the secret of stonehenge and use the
secret to become

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38:26 rich and powerful mr morrell is the only person who

knows
38:31 the secret and but i don't know the secret says uncle
steven
38:37 i'm sorry everyone but i can't remember
38:41 perhaps it's the best thing says auntie barbara
38:45 the stones can keep their five thousand year old secret
38:50 it's not right to take it from them now everyone agrees
38:55 perhaps we can find another secret next holiday say
max and laura together
39:01 perhaps next holiday i can stay in london says uncle
steven
39:06 he rubs the bump on his head poor uncle steven
39:12 everybody laughs [Laughter]
39:16 no more adventures this summer says max but perhaps
at christmas says laura
39:24 who knows
39:39 [Music] [Applause]
39:44 [Music] [Applause]
39:46 [Music] [Applause]
39:50 [Music] [Applause]
39:54 [Music]
40:36 so you

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