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 interactively revealing articles after the "mouseover" of highlighted spaces.
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.
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

Move mouse cursor

over blank highlights

to show correct article (a/an or the) and over words in blue to show definition

It's A Wonderful Life

Act 1 - Part 1

JOHN MILTON KENNEDY: Lux presents Hollywood! Ladies and gentlemen, your producer, Mr. William Keighley!

[SOUND: APPLAUSE]

WILLIAM KEIGHLEY: Greetings from Hollywood, ladies and gentlemen. Tonight, we bring you one ofseason's most successful movies,Liberty Films production, "It'sWonderful Life"! And we present it now with its original fine stars , James Stewart and Donna Reed. Also in our cast is that fine comedian, Victor Moore.

"You Are Now In Bedford Falls"

"It'sWonderful Life" isdrama oftypical American. It might be you, it might be me. He dreams of glory. He lives in hope. He loves and doubts. And only Providence putsfinal value on his service to his family, friends, and community. Our story starts beforeSecond World War, when life was simple and normal.

Downtown Bedford Falls

This isstory of George Bailey, citizen of Bedford Falls, New York. George Bailey -- who, more than anything undersun, wanted to seeworld.wonderful, exciting world that lay somewhere beyondlimits of his home town. But this story does not begin in Bedford Falls. In fact, it doesn't begin anywhere inworld. It begins ... in Heaven, whereSuperintendent of Angels has just sent foran apprentice angel named Clarence.

CLARENCE: Oh, I - I'm really going down to Earth, sir? Oh, how splendid.

JOSEPH: Yes. There'svery discouraged man down there, Clarence. George Bailey. At exactly ten forty-five PM, Earth time, he'll be thinking seriously of ending his life.

CLARENCE: Oh, dear, dear. His life.

JOSEPH: Now, I want you to stop him if you can. Now, sit down, sit down. I'll tell you about George Bailey's life.

CLARENCE: Sir, if, er ... if I should accomplish my mission... may I perhaps get my wings? I've been waiting over two hundred years now and, well, people are beginning to talk.

JOSEPH: Clarence, what's that book?

CLARENCE: "The Adventures of Tom Sawyer," sir. I was reading it when you sent for me.

JOSEPH: Oh, fine book, excellent. Well, you dogood job on George Bailey and we'll get you your wings.

CLARENCE: Oh, thank you, sir.

JOSEPH: Now, listen. When George Bailey wasboy, two important things happened that you should keep in mind. One was when his young brother, whose name is Harry, fell throughice and almost drowned. George saved him.

Harry saves his brother from drowning

CLARENCE: (writes this down) "... brother fell throughice ... George saved him ..."

JOSEPH: Ever since, George has hadbad ear. All that icy water -- you understand.

CLARENCE: "... bad ear ..." Yes, sir.

JOSEPH:other event camefew months later. George used to work after school in Mr. Gower's drug store.

JOSEPH: One day, Mr. Gower's only son died of influenza. It wasterrible blow and poor Mr. Gower tried to lose his grief in whiskey... (fades)

Mr. Gower looks at his son's photo

GOWER: (drunk) Where you been George? Mrs. Blaine's called twice! What happened to her prescription ? You lost it, didn't you?

YOUNG GEORGE: No, Mr. Gower, here it is.

GOWER: Why you good-for-nothing! Don't you know thatBlaine girl is very sick?

[SOUND: SLAPS GEORGE]

YOUNG GEORGE: (in pain) Mr. Gower, my ear! You're hurting my sore ear!

GOWER: I'll teach you to do your job, you lazy kid!

YOUNG GEORGE: Mr. Gower, you don't know what you're doing! You put something wrong in that prescription!

GOWER: Shut up!

YOUNG GEORGE: I know you feel bad but, look, Mr. Gower! Look! This bottle you used, this bottle to makemedicine! It's poison!

GOWER: Poison?

YOUNG GEORGE: Don't hurt my sore ear again, Mr. Gower!

Mr. Gower and George

GOWER: Poison? Oh, George, George...

YOUNG GEORGE: It's why I didn't deliver, Mr. Gower! All I wanted was to make sure!

GOWER: (starts crying) George, George...

JOSEPH: Well, Clarence, that was George Bailey asboy. When he grew up, he wanted to go to college, but there just wasn't enough money. So he worked four years inBuilding and Loan Association...

CLARENCE:Building and Loan Association?

JOSEPH: Oh, I forgot to tell you. George's father was insavings and loan business. He and George's Uncle Billy. George worked for his father and saved enough money to pay for college. That summer, though, he was going to Europe. He gotjob onboat and wanted to dolittle traveling before college...

GEORGE: Boy, oh boy, oh boy! It's hard to realize it's my last night atBailey house.

Bailey family

POP: Well, we're sure going to miss you, George.

GEORGE: Aw, I'm going to miss you, too, Pop. Hey, what's the matter ? You look tired.

POP: Oh, I had another argument with old Henry Potter today.

GEORGE: Oh, I thought when you put him onBoard of Directors, he would stop fighting with people.

POP: So did I.

GEORGE: Ah, I just can't understandman like Mr. Potter. He can't begin to spend allmoney he has.

POP: I guess Potter owns about everything he wants in Bedford Falls except our building and loan. That's why he hates us.

HARRY: Hey, George! Can I borrow your tie?

GEORGE: Yeah, help yourself, Harry!

HARRY: Well, where is it? In your suitcase?

GEORGE: No, I'm not wearingtie onboat, you know.

HARRY: Say, where did you get that suitcase, anyway?

GEORGE: Oh, Mr. Gower. It wasgoing away present. And, one of these days, you're gonna see that suitcase all covered with travel labels. Italy and Baghdad and Samarkand--

HARRY: You're gonna havepretty full summer, eh?

GEORGE: I'm gonna havepretty full life!

HARRY: Hey, why don't you come todance tonight?

GEORGE: What? And be bored to death?

HARRY: Well, you couldn't wantbetter death! Lots of pretty girls. Hey, I've got to hurry!

POP: I wish we could send Harry to college with you, George.

GEORGE: Aw, we've got that all figured out now, Pop. He'll take over my job atBuilding and Loan, work four years like I did, then he'll go.

George and his father

POP: He's pretty young for that job.

GEORGE: Well, no younger than I was.

POP: Maybe you were born older, George.

GEORGE: Huh?

POP: George, when you get out of college, I don't suppose you'd come back toBuilding and Loan?

GEORGE: No, now, Pop, I ...I ... I couldn't. I ... I couldn't face being cooped up forrest of my life in shabby little office. The ... Oh, I'm ... I'm sorry, Pop. I didn't mean that, I ... but I ... it's ... it's this business of nickels and dimes and spending all your life trying to figure out how to save 3 cents on a length of pipe. I'd go crazy. I want to do something big and something important.

Watch a video clip from the movie. Speakers/headphones required.
Slow internet connection (dial-up)
Fast interner connection (DSL or cable)