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

These objectives are facilitated by the following activities:
1—Reading the following part of the radio broadcast script.
2Seeing photographs from the movie that illustrate the story.
3Noticing required articles by interactively revealing articles after the "mouseover" of highlighted spaces.
4Accessing short vocabulary definitions of selected words and phrases (those underlined in blue).
5Getting vocabulary definitions from the internet for words you choose.
6Checking 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

End of last part:

GEORGE: . . . in my book, Mr. Potter, [my father] diedamuch richer man than you'll ever be.

POTTER: I'm not interested in your book, George. I'm talking abouttheBuilding and Loan.

GEORGE: You're talking about something you can't control and you just can't accept that -- that's what you're really talking about. Well, this town needs this institution, if only to have some place where people can borrowafew dollars without dealing with someone like you who hates people! Now, let's go, Uncle Billy!


Act 1 - Part 3

[SOUND: DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES]

TILLY: What happened, George?

George talks about meeting

EUSTACE: Yeah, all we heard wasalot of yelling!

UNCLE BILLY: You should have heard George!

GEORGE: Yeah, they're in there voting us out of business.

TILLY: Well, who cares? I can get another job. I'm only forty-one.

EUSTACE: Forty-five.

UNCLE BILLY: Will you get out of here, George, you missed your boat trip. Do you wanna miss college, too?

[SOUND: DOOR OPENS AND CLOSES, DIRECTORS TALK


DR. CAMPBELL: George! We just voted against Potter! We're still in business!

UNCLE BILLY: Wonderful! We're still in business! We're still in business!

DR. CAMPBELL: But there's one condition, George. They've appointed you to take your father's place.

GEORGE: Appointed me?! But I'm going to college. Look, this is my last chance! Uncle Billy istheman forthejob!

DR. CAMPBELL: George, you've got to take it, they'll vote with Potter otherwise. They said so, they even...

George reacts to staying at  Building and Loan


CLARENCE: I know. George Bailey didn't go to college.

JOSEPH: That's right, Clarence. He gave his college money to his brother Harry. Harry went instead.

CLARENCE: But what happened to that good-looking girl? You know, Mary?

JOSEPH: Oh, George saw her now and then. Not very often, though, because Mary went away to school, too. Anyway, George waited four years more for Harry to come back and take overtheBuilding and Loan. He could still seetheworld. He planned to work intheoil fields in Venezuela. Except when Harry came home, he wasn't alone. There wasayoung woman with him. His new wife...

George and Uncle Billy meet Harry and his new wife


[SOUND: PORCH DOOR CLOSES]

MRS. BAILEY: George?

GEORGE: Yeah, I'm out here ontheporch, Mother. I just thought I'd get some air.

MRS. BAILEY: Well, how - how do you like your new sister-in-law, Ruth?

GEORGE: Aw, she's swell.

MRS. BAILEY: It looks like she can keep Harry on working hard.

GEORGE: Yeah. Yeah and keep him out of Bedford Falls, anyway.

MRS. BAILEY: What do you mean?

GEORGE: Well, Ruth's father... he's gotawonderful job for Harry up inthecity of Buffalo.

MRS. BAILEY: Buffalo? Well, that means you--

GEORGE: Yeah.

MRS. BAILEY: You can't--

GEORGE: Yeah.

MRS. BAILEY: George, uh, did you know Mary Hatch is back from school?

GEORGE: Hm? Yeah, yeah.

MRS. BAILEY: Nice girl, Mary.

George and his mother

GEORGE: Mm, uh, hmmm, ahhh...

MRS. BAILEY: Oh, stop making noises!

GEORGE: Well...

MRS. BAILEY: Give me one good reason why you shouldn't go and see Mary.

GEORGE: Well, Sam Wainwright. Sam really likes Mary.

MRS. BAILEY: Well, she doesn't really like him.

GEORGE: Well, now, how do you know that? Did she discuss it with you? How do you--?

MRS. BAILEY: Besides, Sam's away in New York.

GEORGE: Oh. And all's fair in love and war, huh? Okay, Mother, I think I'll go out and find that girl and doalittle passionate kissing.

MRS. BAILEY: Oh! George, be serious!

GEORGE: See ya later, mom. By the way, do you want any books atthelibrary?

MRS. BAILEY: Library?! George! George, you go and see Mary. Do you hear me?!


[IT IS NIGHT ANDTHESTREET IS DARK. THERE ISTHESOUND OF FOOTSTEPS COMING AND GOING]

MARY: George? Is that you out there?

GEORGE: Uh, oh, hello, Mary.

MARY: Well, are you coming in ?

GEORGE: I just happened to be going past here and--

MARY: Oh. I thought you were just walking back and forth in front of my house for no reason. Have you made up your mind?

George outside of Mary's house

GEORGE: What?

MARY: Have you made up your mind?

GEORGE: About what?

MARY: About coming in . Your mother just phoned. She said you were coming over.

GEORGE: My mother--? Just phoned--? What's she mean, coming--? I just happened to be passing by, that's all! I didn't--

MARY: Well?

GEORGE: Well, all right, I'll come in foraminute but I - I didn't tell anybody I was coming here.Aguy can't go out forawalk nowadays without-- When did you... When did you get back?

Mary talks to George

MARY: Tuesday.

GEORGE: Ah. Where'd you get that dress?

MARY: Do you like it?

GEORGE: Well, it's all right.

MARY: Well, no point to stand here ontheporch. Come on in .

[SOUND: DOOR CLOSES]

GEORGE: I still can't understand it. I didn't tell anybody I was coming here, you know.

MARY: Would you rather leave?

GEORGE: Well, no, I don't wanna be rude. I'll sit down forawhile.

MARY: It's nice about your brother and Ruth, isn't it?

GEORGE: Yeah, yeah, yeah. That's all right.

MARY: Don't you like her?

GEORGE: Well, of course I like her. She'sagood woman!

MARY: Oh, it's just marriage in general you're not enthusiastic about, hm?

GEORGE: No, no. Marriage is all right foralot of people. It's all right for Harry ... Sam Wainright ... and you.

George and Mary talk

MARY: For Sam--?

MRS. HATCH: (voice comes from another room) Mary?!

MARY: (yells) It's George Bailey, Mother!

MRS. HATCH: What does he want?!

MARY: (yells) I don't know! (to George) What do you want?

GEORGE: Me? Notathing! Notathing! And I - I just came in to get warm!

MARY: (yells) He's trying to make me fall in love with him, Mother!

MRS. HATCH: You just tell him to go right back home. Sam said he'd call you tonight from New York, didn't he?

MARY: (yells) I guess so! (to George) How about some music?

[MARY PUTS ONTHESONG "BUFFALO GALS"]

GEORGE: (unhappy) You know, your mother doesn't need to...

You know, I didn't come here to--

MARY: What did you come here for, then?

GEORGE: (annoyed) I don't know! You tell me! You're supposed to be the one who has alltheanswers! You tell me!

MARY: (shouts) Why don't you go home?!

George and Mary argue

GEORGE: That's where I'm going. I don't know why I came here inthefirst place! Good night!

MARY: Good night!


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