In this reading, there are three primary objectives:
1—You will develop your awareness of the use of articles.
2—You will increase your reading comprehension.
3—You will expand your working vocabulary.

These objectives are facilitated by the following activities:
1—Reading the following part of the radio broadcast script.
2—Seeing photographs from the movie that illustrate the story.
3—Noticing required articles by using highlighting.
4—Accessing short vocabulary definitions of selected words and phrases (those underlined in blue).
5—Getting vocabulary definitions from the internet for words you choose using
Cambridge Dictionaries Online.
6—Checking your reading comprehension by doing the interactive quiz at the end (self-testing).

And, I hope you have some fun too!   —Skip Reske


No Highlights
Highlight Articles
a/an - the
Highlight Prepositions
at - on - in
Highlight Both
Click on options above to change highlighting.
Place cursor overbelow to see a short definition.

It's A Wonderful Life

End of last part:

GEORGE: Mary, it's George! Don't you know me?

MARY: No, I don't know you. Let me go!

GEORGE: Mary, please don't do this to me! Mary, please, help me! Help me! Where're our kids, Mary? I need you, Mary! Please!

MARY: Get away from me! Help! Help!

GEORGE: Help me, Mary! I'm George! Mary!

MARY: (screams)

Mary screams in fear


Act 3 - part 3

JOSEPH: Clarence?

CLARENCE: Oh, where is he, Joseph? Where's George? I'm afraid I've lost him, sir!

JOSEPH: You knew you shouldn't have let him try to see Mary. Now, they're after him -- a mob! They think he was trying to hurt her!

CLARENCE: Joseph, I won't even get one wing, will I?

JOSEPH: You have one more chance, Clarence. Get over to the bridge by the river. I think George has seen just about enough.

CLARENCE: But - but the mob?!

JOSEPH: Don't worry -- they've lost him, too. Now, hurry up!

CLARENCE: Oh, thank you, Joseph! Thank you!


George on the bridge

GEORGE: Clarence? ... (yells) Clarence! Clarence, where are you?

CLARENCE: I'm here, George.

GEORGE: Clarence! Clarence! Help me, Clarence. Get me back. Get me back. I don't care what happens to me. Get me back to my wife and kids. Help me, Clarence, please.

CLARENCE: Oh, thank you, George. Thank you!

GEORGE: I want to live again, please. Oh, God, please, let me live again!

BERT: George? Is that you down there, George?

GEORGE: Now, get out of here, Bert! Get out of here! You come any closer and I'll hit you!

BERT: Why are you yelling, George?

GEORGE: Come on ! George? You called me George! Bert! Bert, do you know me?

George talks to Bert

BERT: Know you? I've been looking all over town for you. Where have you been?

GEORGE: Hey, Bert! Bert! I'm alive again, Bert!

BERT: You sure you're all right? Hey, your mouth's bleeding!

GEORGE: It is? Hey! My mouth's bleeding! Bert, look! Look at the blood come out of there, would ya? Oh! Hey! Where's--? Zuzu's Christmas bell, Bert, I had it right in my pocket--

[SOUND: BELL RINGING]

GEORGE: Here it is! Hey, it's in my pocket! What do you think about that? Hey, Merry Christmas, Bert!

BERT: Well, Merry Christmas. Get in the car, I'll drive you home.

GEORGE: You will, Bert? Well, do that. And turn the siren on, okay? Merry Christmas, Bedford Falls! Hey! Merry Christmas, old Building and Loan! Merry Christmas, Mr. Potter!

George giving Christmas greetings


[SOUND: FOOTSTEPS]

GEORGE: Come on ! Hey, Bert, come on - come in with me, okay?

[SOUND: DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES ... CROWD NOISE]

GEORGE: Wha - Why are all these people here? These newspaper reporters? Wha--? (laughs) Hey! Merry Christmas, reporters! Hey, Mr. Bank Examiner, Merry Christmas!

CARTER: Mr. Bailey, there's a deficit!

GEORGE: I know. Eight thousand dollars. Am I right?

SHERIFF: George, I've - I've got a little paper here, I'm sorry--

George talks to bank examiner

GEORGE: I guess that it's a warrant for my arrest, isn't that wonderful? Merry Christmas! Hey, where's Mary? You know? Oh, look at this wonderful, old, drafty house! Isn't it wonderful? Have you seen my wife? Where's Mary?

CHILDREN'S VOICES FROM UPSTAIRS: Merry Christmas, Daddy! Merry Christmas, Daddy!

[GEORGE GOES UPSTAIRS]

GEORGE: Kids! Hey, kids! Janie! Petey! Oh, you look so beautiful! Where's your mother?

JANIE: She went looking for you, Daddy, with Uncle Billy.

ZUZU: Daddy!

GEORGE: Zuzu! My little angel! How do you feel, huh?

ZUZU: Fine, Daddy. Not even a little temperature!

GEORGE: Not even a little...?! Wonderful!

George hugs his children

MARY: George! George, darling!

JANIE: It's Mommy! Mommy's home!

GEORGE: Mary!

MARY: George, where have you been?

GEORGE: Mary!

MARY: Oh, George!

GEORGE: Mary! Just let me touch you! Oh, you're real, Mary! Oh, you've no idea what happened to me.

MARY: You've no idea what's happened either. They're on their way here!

GEORGE: Who? Who's on their way? Oh, it's the police department? The FBI? The National Guard? I'm alive again, Mary! (quietly) Oh, listen, Mary, I'm alive again.

MARY: Oh, yes, darling, yes. Now - now, close your eyes and - and come on downstairs...

George goes downstairs with his family


[SOUND: CROWD NOISE, LOUDER THAN BEFORE]

GEORGE: Wh - what is it? Can - can I open my eyes yet, Mary? What's going on here?

MARY: Now, now, keep your eyes closed! Now, I'll just walk you over here by the Christmas tree and--

GEORGE: Well, there's people -- I hear lots of people. What - what is it?

MARY: Just one minute now. We're all ready, Uncle Billy! Come in , everybody!

CROWD: Hooray!

UNCLE BILLY: George! Look -- just look!

GEORGE: Uncle Billy?!

UNCLE BILLY: Money, George! A laundry basket filled with money! Money for you! Mary did it, George! Mary!

Mary shows George a basket of money

GEORGE: I don't understand. What money? What--?

MARY: People - people heard you were in trouble, darling. These people, your friends! They've collected this money for you! The eight thousand dollars!

GEORGE: Charlie -- wait, there's Martini -- and Mr. Gower! Hey, how are you, Mr. Gower? Mrs. Thompson. Ed. Tom. Everybody.

ERNIE: None of us would have a roof over our heads if it wasn't for you, George!

GEORGE: Gosh, this is wonderful! Hey, Mary, look! Look who's coming in -- Mother! Hi, Mother! Hey! And Harry!

George's brother Harry

HARRY: I got Mary's message, George! I flew in as fast as I could.

ERNIE: Hey, hey, everybody, a toast! How about a toast!

HARRY: Good idea, Ernie! A toast... to my big brother, George. The richest man in town!

CROWD: Hooray!

[SOUND: CROWD BEGINS SINGING "AULD LANG SYNE"]

ZUZU: Daddy, my Christmas bell. You didn't forget?

GEORGE: Forget? Here, honey. Here's your bell.

ZUZU: Daddy!

[SOUND: BELL RINGS]

MARY: Darling, what's this on the table here? What's this book?

GEORGE: (chuckles) "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer."

MARY: Well, look, there's something written in it.

George reads the message that Clarence wrote

GEORGE: (reads aloud) "Dear George: Remember, no man is a failure who has friends. Thanks for the wings. Love, Clarence."

MARY: Clarence?

GEORGE: Yeah. He's a very dear friend of mine.

[SOUND: BELL RINGS]

ZUZU: Daddy, Mrs. Welch says, every time a bell rings, an angel gets his wings!

GEORGE: That's right, Zuzu, that's right. That's right. Good for you, Clarence! Good for you! Clarence! Thank you my friend, my guardian angel!

George congratulates Clarence

THE END


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Originally broadcast: 10 March 1947


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Listen to "Auld Lang Syne" from the movie

Read the lyrics to "Auld Lang Syne" as sung in the movie

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