Listening exercise
Radio drama: Gunsmoke
Home Surgery (II)
MP3 file
Source page
This lesson covers the audio file starting from the 15:35 minute point

Vocabulary:
shortly after
noon
to operate
whether it was...or...
corn whiskey
hard courage
to whimper
kitchen
to think one's own thoughts
to boil water
to be hard on s.o.
toward the end
mercifully
to bandage
to be faint
to have done everything one could
to pass out (= to faint)
to clean up
to get outside for some air
to put a fire out
it's all over
to wait and see
there now... (said to console s.o.)
to take so long
corn liquor
to get well
to just want to be sure
as soon as
it beats me (I don't understand) how...
to wear off
the whole jug
yonder (= over there in the distance)
his kind (= that kind of person)
hold it (= stop)
to wonder
anyway
one at a time
ain't (= there aren't) no (any) US marshals around here
generally
in Dodge
able-bodied
to take off in a wagon
to fetch a doctor
Anything wrong in that?
Not at all.
ever since
to catch
to be worried about
to get one's horses unhitched
She's in with her father.
kinda (= kind of = somewhat)
to have poisoning
What do you mean it "did"?
to take s.t. off
You what?
all by hisself (= himself)
just like a regular doctor
you mighta (= might have) killed him
it's a sure thing
to blame s.o.
I did everything I could.
'Tisn't my fault.
blasted (an expletive)
...if I were you.
to handle everything here
(as) soon as
 to take care of oneself
as long as you like
a no-good liar
on both counts
saddle
to cut the cinch strap
bronc (= not completely broken horse)
to buck
oh my goodness gracious
that would be my guess
to have a free hand with s.t. or s.o.
that low down...
to arrest
there's plenty of time
not...as much as I figure
to take s.o.'s pulse
to move up into his body
to have no way of knowing
there's nothing to do now but...
fill it up
hasn't slept a wink
he's all she's got
I kinda wish I had...
to change one's profession
to hold out
to keep fighting
to pull through (= to recover)
he won't get anywhere near s.o.
to work a place
to promise
to see that s.o. is cared for
I don't think they'd have made out
that one little old spring
lake
it'd still be too much
W hat are we gonna do with her?
to think of something
to break one's heart
to give s.o. a little time
don't you move, either one of you
to be mighty (= very) careless with s.t.
And what would that be?
curious (= strange)
to court a girl
a lie
If we'd a (have) got here sooner
to be under arrest
attempted murder
to smell (gun) powder
to face it
to shoot s.o. for it
He didn't even try.
to be scared to death
I didn't feel exactly comfortable.
to tie s.o. up
to keep an eye on s.t./s.o.
to bury
prairie
homestead
to fall apart
to load everything into a wagon
he never said a word
to be tight-lipped
to look back
transcribed

Listening comprehension questions:
1. How did Mr. Hantree act during the home surgery?
2. How did Dillon feel after he performed the surgery, and what did he instruct Chester to do?
3. Why did Dillon want Tara to wait until Chester came out before she went in to see her father?
4. What does Dillon mean by saying, "His kind always do."
5. How did Ben Warling explain his absence?
6. What does Dillon think caused Mr. Hantree to fall off his horse? What does the cinch strap have to do with it?
7. Why does Ben Warling say, "What do you mean it 'did'?"
8. Why would Ben Warling want Mr. Hantree "out of the way"?
9. What kind of question is, "Well, do you think Tara did it?" Check the literary terms page.
10. Matt Dillon is a fairly typical Wild West hero. What do you think makes him so attractive?

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