Listening exercise
Radio drama: Gunsmoke
Home Surgery (I)

MP3 file
Source page

This lesson covers the audio file to the 15:35 minute point

Vocabulary:
(Introduction)
Western
Dodge City
territory
on West
to handle
killers
spoilers
U. S. Marshall
smell
gunsmoke
to star
William Conrad
violence
to move West
young America
Matt Dillon
watchful
lonely

(Story)
murderer
cow camp
North fork
Canadian River
south
Dodge
to ride down
to take a look
fellow
to start back
to camp
dry
buffalo
rutted depression
to wake
after daybreak
to cook breakfast
the meat'll be done soon
coffee
boiling
to save
Doc
St. Louis
to be holed up
fancy hotel
still asleep
quite a thought
way out here
prairie
sheets on his bed
surprised
vacation
to splurge on
to ride
Santa Fe
done
rock
to cut
to get s.t. warm
anyway
to be overcooked
in other words
to take the taste clean out of it
steer
disappointment
never mind
how come (= why)
to wake up
seems
to sweat
to get up
as good a reason as any
I guess
wow
to have company
to head straight for us
cowboy
probably
to ride like
just a kid
sure is
sure needs a haircut
to carry a rifle
to get down
mister
Chester Proudfoot
Howdy do? (= How do you do?)
rustlers
of what
out of Dodge
to be awful sick
homestead
a mile over that rise
horse
to throw
saddle
both
corral
to step on
funny
fever
to step on
to break the skin
anywhere
just a scratch
to tear one's boot off
scared
the way...and everything
well then
out here
to run out of
to not have anything to feed s.o.
to ride back
Tara Hantree
January
to scout around for
antelope
to shoot
the first...you see
calf
sleeping room
ain't feelin' so good
don't hurt no more
sorta (=sort of)
it ain't pretty
to take a look at
There she is.
to cover s.t. up
in the war
gangrene
to be out getting s.o. s.t.
wagon
Ben Warling
to run s.o. off
long ago
I know of
for a couple of weeks
to get to s.o.
the day after
to steal
not able to get around
ought to
to take a bullwhip to s.o.
to cause any trouble
to get all worked up
to let s.o. get some rest
to be riled (roiled) up
What's between them?
to trust
all right
to hate
to marry
to feel about s.o.
and all that
there's something wrong with him
to sneak around
when you don't expect him
to make s.o. uneasy
like
to worry about
awful glad
to see s.t. through
corral
there
to roll a smoke (cigarette)
to look over
the flat distances of the prairie
to wonder how
anyone
to survive
to lie on his bed
emptiness
for s.t. to get to s.o.
vast loneliness
help
to put s.o. out of the reach of
endless land
grass
to get one's mind off s.t.
to ride in
antelope
across the saddle
to hang
to dress
hind quarter
plucky
fine
this Ben fella (fellow)
to go off with the wagon
to last
blood poisoning
as soon as...
to reach his heart
to stop it
too bad
I sure wish
to do s.t. for s.o.
I don't take to just
sittin' around
to go crazy
shut up
to be out of one's head
the most I ever did was
to doctor a horse for s.t.
the colic
fine training
to be done for
I just plain don't have the spirit
to leave s.o. back somewhere
to stand by and let a man die
outside of (= besides)
burning up
to last
she's just got to
to figure on s.t.
the only thing
to give s.o. a chance
couldn't ask any man to...
it's up to you
to try
if you're willin'
I seen (= saw) it done
Union Army
to be much use
to decide s.t. for oneself
to move to town
to leave s.o. alone
if I can help it
brave
not to have any choice
to get s.t. over with
liquor
jug of corn (whiskey)
to start drinking
to get everything else ready
to boil water
straight iron
to heat
fireplace
cloth
bandages
stuff
kitchen
to tie off the arteries
plain thread
won't hold
thin strips of
rawhide
to soak through
horsehair
that's it
to pull s.t. off
tail
to work fine
jug
cup
to pour s.o. some (alcohol)
to get good and drunk
I ain't (haven't) been
daytime
news
President Lincoln
Spring
'65

you'd better have your talk with s.o.
before it takes hold (= takes effect)
good luck
to try to make s.t. easy for s.o.

Listening comprehension questions:
1. What are 'spoilers' in the context of this story?
2. What criticism does Matt make of Chester's breakfast?
3. a. Why did Matt and Chester run into Tara? b. Why does Chester say the person they see "sure needs a haircut"?
4. How did Tara's father get injured, and what complication developed due to the injury?
5. Why does Tara not like Ben Warling?
6. Why does Matt think survival is so difficult where the Hantrees are living?
7. a. What does Chester suggest Matt should do regarding Tara's father, and what is Matt's reaction? b. Why does Chester think Matt will even attempt what he suggests, and why doesn't Chester do it himself?
8. What factors affect Tara's father's will to stay alive?
9. What historical incident does Tara's father refer to as he prepares to get drunk as an anesthetic?
10. Give at least four examples of non-standard English grammar used in this radio drama.

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