'This Is Your Life' is one of the most popular programmes on British and American television. Every week a famous person is invited to a television studio, without knowing that he or she will be the subject of the programme. The compère meets the person outside the studio and says 'This is your life!' The person then meets friends and relatives from his or her past and present. Studio 4 is where the programme is recorded. The programme begins at eight o'clock. It's 6:45 now and the director is checking the preparations with his new production assistant (PA). The subject of tonight's show will be an actor, Jason Douglas. The compère, as usual, will be Terry Donovan.

Director: Let's just check the arrangements. We're bringing Jason Douglas here in a studio car—he thinks he's coming to a discussion programme! The driver has been told to arrive at exactly 7:55. Now, the programme begins at eight o'clock. At that time Jason will be walking to the studio. Terry Donovan will start his introduction at 8:01, and Jason will arrive at 8:02. Terry will meet him at the studio entrance ... Camera 4 will be there. Then he'll take him to that seat. It'll be on Camera 3. Jason will be sitting there during the whole programme. For most of the show Terry will be standing in the middle, and he'll be on Camera 2. The guests will come through that door, talk to Terry and Jason ... and then sit over there.

Director: Now, is that all clear?

PA: Yes ... there's just one thing.

Director: Well, what is it?

PA: Who's going to look after the guests during the show?

Director: Pauline is.

PA: And where will they be waiting during the show?

Director: In Room 401, as usual. Pauline will be waiting with them, and she'll be watching the show on the monitor. She'll tell them two minutes before they enter.

PA: I think that's everything.

Terry: Good evening and welcome to 'This is Your Life'. This is Terry Donovan speaking. We're waiting for the subject of tonight's programme. He's one of the world's leading actors, and he thinks he's coming here to take part in a discussion programme ... I can hear him now ... yes, here he is! Jason Douglas ... This is your life!

Jason: Oh, no ... I don't believe it! Not me ...

Terry: Yes, you! Now come over here and sit down. Jason, you were born at number 28 Balaclava Street in East Ham, London on July 2nd, 1947. You were one of six children, and your father was a taxi driver. Of course, your name was then Graham Smith.

Terry: Now, do you know this voice? 'I remember Jason when he was two. He used to scream and shout all day.'

Jason: Susan!

Terry: Yes ... all the way from Sydney, Australia ... She flew here specially for this programme. It's your sister, Susan Fraser!

Jason: Susan ... Why didn't you tell me ... oh, this is wonderful!

Terry: Yes, you haven't seen each other for 13 years ... take a seat next to him, Susan. You started school at the age of five, in 1952, and in 1958 you moved to Lane End Secondary School.

Terry: Do you remember this voice? 'Smith! Stop looking out of the window!'

Jason: Oh, no! It's Mr. Hooper!

Terry: Your English teacher, Mr. Stanley Hooper. Was Jason a good student, Mr. Hooper?

Mr. Hooper: Eh? No, he was the worst in the class ... but he was a brilliant actor, even in those days. He could imitate all the teachers?

Terry: Thank you, Mr. Hooper. You can speak to Jason, later. Well, you went to the London School of Drama in 1966, and left in 1969. In 1973 you went to Hollywood.

Terry: Do you know this voice? 'Hi Jason ... Can you ride a horse yet?'

Jason: Maria!

Terry: Maria Montrose ... who's come from Hollywood to be with you tonight.

Maria: Hello, Jason ... it's great to be here. Hello, Terry. Jason and I were in a movie together in 1974. Jason had to learn to ride a horse ... Well, Jason doesn't like horses very much.

Jason: Like them! I'm terrified of them!

Maria: Anyway, he practised for two weeks. Then he went to the director ... it was Charles Orson ... and said, 'What do you want me to do?' Charles said, 'I want you to fall off the horse'. Jason was furious. He said, 'What? Fall off! I've been practising for two weeks ... I could fall off the first day ... without any practice!'


Interviewer: Good morning, sir. I'm from radio station QRX, and I wonder if you'd mind answering a few questions for our survey today.

David: Uh ... sure, why not?

Interviewer: What's your name?

David: Uh, my name is David George.

Interviewer: David, what do you do for a living?

David: I'm a professional baseball player.

Interviewer: Really?

David: Mm-hmm.

Interviewer: That's terrific. What do you do for fun?

David: Well, I like to read the classics—you know, Dickens, Shakespeare, ... uh ... books like that.

Interviewer: Fabulous. And what's the most exciting thing that's happened to you recently?

David: Just call me Dad. My wife and I ... uh ... had our first baby.

Interviewer: Oh, (Yeah. A little girl.) that's wonderful.

David: Mm-hmm.

Interviewer: Who do you admire most in this world?

David: Well, I admire my wife ... uh ... she's terrific. She's going to be a great mother, great mother.

Interviewer: Terrific. What do you want to be doing five years from now?

David: Well, ... uh ... five years from now I'd like to be a father of five. I'd like to have lots of kids around the house.

Interviewer: That's fabulous.

David: Yeah.

Interviewer: Thanks very much for talking to us, David.

David: Well, thank you.

Interviewer: Good morning. I'm from radio station QRX, and I wondered if you'd mind answering a few questions today for our survey.

Suzanne: Not at all.

Interviewer: What's your name?

Suzanne: Suzanne Brown.

Interviewer: Suzanne, what do you do for a living?

Suzanne: I'm a lawyer.

Interviewer: A lawyer? And what do you do for fun?

Suzanne: I like to run.

Interviewer: Uh-huh. Running, like—

Suzanne: Jogging.

Interviewer: Jogging. And what's the most exciting thing that's happened to you recently?

Suzanne: I got to run in the Boston Marathon.

Interviewer: Congratulations. And who do you admire most in the world?

Suzanne: Oh, well, I'd have to say Martin Luther King, Jr.

Interviewer: Mmm, yes. And what do you want to be doing five years from today?

Suzanne: Well, dare I say win the Boston Marathon?

Interviewer: Wonderful. Thanks a lot for talking to us today, Suzanne.

Suzanne: You're welcome.

Interviewer: Good morning, sir. I'm from radio station QRX, and I wonder if you could answer a few questions for our survey this morning.

Adolfo: Oh, yes, yes.

Interviewer: What's your name?

Adolfo: My name is Adolfo Vasquez.

Interviewer: Adolfo, what do you do for a living?

Adolfo: I'm a dancer.

Interviewer: A dancer. And what do you do for fun?

Adolfo: I watch ... uh ... musical movies.

Interviewer: Musical movies. And what's the most exciting thing that's happened to you recently?

Adolfo: Oh, about six years ago I moved to United States, (Uh-huh.) and that's quite exciting for me.

Interviewer: Yes, that is very exciting. What do you—who do you admire most in the world?

Adolfo: I admire a lot ... um ... Sophia Loren, the movie actress.

Interviewer: I understand completely. (Mm-hmm.) What do you want to be doing five years from now?

Adolfo: I like very much what I'm doing right now, so I really would like to keep doing it.

Interviewer: Very good. (Mm-hmm.) Thanks for speaking to us today, Adolfo.

Adolfo: Okay. You're welcome.

Interviewer: Good morning, Miss. I'm from radio station QRX, and I wonder if you could answer a few questions for our survey.

Linda: Sure.

Interviewer: What's your name?

Linda: Linda Montgomery.

Interviewer: Linda, what do you do for a living?

Linda: Uh, well, right now I'm going to beauty school.

Interviewer: Beauty school?

Linda: Yeah.

Interviewer: Uh-huh. And what do you do for fun?

Linda: Oh, what for fun, I hang out with my friends—you know, go for pizza, stuff like that.

Interviewer: I understand. What's the most exciting thing that's happened to you recently?

Linda: Oh, this was so great! (Yeah?) Four of my friends and I, we went to a Bruce Springsteen concert. We actually—we got tickets.

Interviewer: Wonderful.

Linda: It was the best.

Interviewer: Who do you admire most in the world?

Linda: Who do I admi—I guess (Mm-hmm.) my dad, (Uh-huh.) probably my dad. Yeah.

Interviewer: And what do you want to be doing five years from now?

Linda: I would love it if I could have my own beauty salon.

Interviewer: Uh-huh.

Linda: That would be great.

Interviewer: Thanks very much for talking to us today.

Linda: Okay.


Announcer: And now, at 10:50 it's time for "In Your Own Words", in which we interview people with unusual stories to tell. Here to introduce the programme is Patricia Newell. Good morning, Patricia.

Patricia: Good morning, and good morning everyone. With me in the studio now is this morning's guest, Trevor Cartridge. Good morning, Trevor.

Trevor: Good morning, Patricia.

Patricia: Trevor, you have one of the most unusual stories I've ever heard. Yet, nowadays, you seem to lead a very ordinary life.

Trevor: Yes, Patricia. I'm a dentist. I live and work in London.

Patricia: But at one time you used to have a different job?

Trevor: Yes, I was a soldier.

Patricia: A soldier?

Trevor: That's right.

Patricia: And how long ago was that?

Trevor: Oh, about two thousand years ago.

Patricia: That's right. Trevor Cartridge believes that he was a soldier in the army of Julius Caesar. He remembers coming to Britain with the Roman army two thousand years ago. Trevor, tell us your remarkable story ... in your own words!

Trevor: Well, funnily enough, it all began because I wanted to give up smoking.

Patricia: Give up smoking!

Trevor: Mm, I used to smoke too much and I tried to give up several times, but I always started smoking again a few days later. In the end I went to a hypnotist. He hypnotized me, and I stopped smoking at once. I was delighted, as you can imagine.

Patricia: Yes?

Trevor: That made me very interested in hypnotism, and I talked to the hypnotist about it. He told me that some people could remember their past lives when they were hypnotized, and he asked if I wanted to try. I didn't believe it at first, but in the end I agreed. He hypnotized me, and sure enough, I remembered. I was a Roman soldier in Caesar's army.

Patricia: You didn't believe it at first?

Trevor: I didn't believe it before we tried the experiment. Now I'm absolutely convinced it's true.

Patricia: What do you remember?

Trevor: Oh, all kinds of things, but the most interesting thing I remember is the night we landed in Britain.

Patricia: You remember that?

Trevor: Oh yes. It was a terrible, stormy night. There were a hundred or more of us in the boat. We were all shut in, because the weather was so bad and most people were sick, because it was very stuffy. There was a terrible smell of petrol, I remember. Lots of men thought we should go back to France. It wasn't called 'France' then, of course.

Patricia: And there was a smell of petrol?

Trevor: Yes, it was terrible. The weather got worse and worse. We thought we were going to die. In the end the boat was pushed up onto the sands, and we climbed out. I remember jumping into the water and struggling to the beach. The water was up to my shoulders and it was a freezing night. A lot of men were killed by the cold or drowned in the storm, but I managed to get ashore.

Patricia: You did?

Trevor: Yes. There were about ten survivors from our boat, but even then our troubles weren't over. We found a farmhouse, but it was deserted. When the people read the newspapers, and knew that we were coming, they were terrified. They took all their animals and all their food, and ran away into the hills. Of course, there were no proper roads in those days. Well, we went into the house and tried to light a fire, but we couldn't even do that. We always kept matches in our trousers' pockets, so naturally they were all soaked. We couldn't find anything to eat, except one tin of cat food. We were so hungry, we broke it open with our knives, and ate it. We found a tap, but the water was frozen. In the end we drank rainwater from the tin. We sat very close together and tried to keep warm. We could hear wolves but we didn't have any weapons, because our guns were full of seawater. By the morning, the storm was over. We went on to the beach and found what was left of the boat. We managed to find some food, and we hoped there was some wine too, but when we opened the box all the bottles were broken.

Patricia: So what happened?

Trevor: We waited. Finally another boat came and took us away, and we joined the other soldiers. I remember going into the camp, and getting a hot meal, and clean clothes. It was wonderful. We were given our pay, too. I remember the date on the coins, 50 BC. It was an exciting time.

Patricia: And did you stay in Britain?

Trevor: Oh yes, I was here for five years, from 50 BC to 55 BC. I enjoyed my stay in Britain very much.

Patricia: And then you went back to Rome?

Trevor: I can't remember anything after that.

Patricia: Well, Trevor Cartridge, thank you for telling us your story, in your own words.


(1) Bob, do you think you could possibly turn off that radio? I'm (pause) trying to write a letter.

(2) A: I don't want a double room. I want a single room.
B: I'm sorry, sir, but I'm afraid 43 (pause) is the only single room available at the moment.

(3) A: Just look what I've got.
B: Let me see. Fifty pounds! (pause) Where on earth did you get it?

(4) A: Oh bother the Sex Discrimination Act. Surely they can't force me to take on a married woman.
B: They can't force you to, Mr. Clark, but (pause) you mustn't discriminate against someone just because they're married.

(5) A: I'm glad I'm not a princess. It must be a dreadful life.
B: Dreadful? (pause) I wouldn't mind being a prince.

(6) I'm a reasonably hard-working person. But (pause) I'm not a workaholic.

(7) A: Had your brother been nervous about it himself?
B: Well, he didn't say, but possibly (pause) he had been.


The Knowledge
Becoming a London taxi driver isn't easy. In order to obtain a licence to drive a taxi in London, candidates have to pass a detailed examination. They have to learn not only the streets, landmarks and hotels, but also the quickest way to get there. This is called 'The Knowledge' by London cab drivers and it can take years of study and practice to get 'The Knowledge'. Candidates are examined not only on the quickest routes but also on the quickest routes at different times of the day. People who want to pass the examination spend much of their free time driving or even cycling around London, studying maps and learning the huge street directory by heart.


The Underground
Travelling on the London underground (the 'tube') presents few difficulties for visitors because of the clear colour-coded maps. It is always useful to have plenty of spare change with you because there are often long queues at the larger stations. If you have enough change you can buy your ticket from a machine. You will find signs which list the stations in alphabetical order, with the correct fares, near the machines. There are automatic barriers which are operated by the tickets. You should keep the ticket, because it is checked at the destination.