Christine: Hey, Chris, it's gone six-thirty, you're late for your date with Michelle. (Silence) Chris! You're not still playing computer games, are you?

Chris: (Appearing) How do I look?

Christine: Fine ... but what's that smell?

Chris: What smell?

Christine: Come here.

Chris: What?

Christine: I want to smell you.

Chris: Go away.

Christine: No, wait, come here. Eeeee! ... What's that stink?

Chris: After-shave lotion.

Christine: But, Chris, you don't shave!

Chris: It's dad's.

Christine: You've put too much on.

Chris: It's all right.

Christine: I'd wash some of it off if I were you.

Chris: I haven't got time.

Christine: Poor Michelle will faint if you get too near her.

Chris: Where are my sports shoes?

Christine: Where did you put them?

Chris: Christine, help me!

Christine: Are they in your room?

Chris: No! I left them by the door and now they're not there!

Christine: I haven't moved them. Isn't that them in the corner over there?

Chris: How did they get there?

Christine: Calm down, Chris, you're getting all worked up.

Chris: What's the time?

Christine: Twenty to seven. Girls don't like being kept waiting, by the way.

Chris: Oh, no! My shoelace has broken!

Christine: Chris, you'd better go.

Chris: But my shoelace.

Christine: Give it to me ... here ... I'll just tie that short bit there like that ... That's good enough. Now go before she gets really fed up.

Chris: Hello, Michelle.

Michelle: Hi, Chris ... Oh!

Chris: What?

Michelle: You're not wearing your sports cap!

Chris: No.

Michelle: It's just that you said you only took it off while you're having a shower.

Chris: Did I?

Michelle: Yes.

Chris: Oh. Well. I'm not wearing it.

Michelle: I don't mind ... I can see you ... but this time you won't be able to pull it down when you cry.

Chris: Cry?

Michelle: Like you did in the cinema last Saturday.

Chris: Did I?

Michelle: So, what film are you taking me to tonight?

Chris: There's a great film on in Mongkok.

Michelle: Really? What's it called?

Chris: Action Hero Two.

Michelle: (Disappointed) Oh, is that really supposed to be good?

Chris: You bet.

Michelle: But I haven't seen Action Hero One.

Chris: Doesn't matter, I can tell you what happened.

Michelle: So it's an action movie?

Chris: Yeah, it's great ... comic superheroes in cosmic action battles to save the planet.

Michelle: Chris, is that the only choice?

Chris: Yes. Come on, Michelle, let's go before all the tickets sell out.

(In the MTR) Chris: Action Hero One is awesome ... there's this monster, see ... bigger than the Bank of China, right ... and it wants to take over the whole world, but the X-Men link up with Wolverine, Spiderman and this gang of Samurai from Outer Space.

Michelle: It's so crowded in here. I can hardly breathe.

Chris: Yeah, anyway, this monster has this special power. It can fire remote-control atom bombs from its eyes and when the super heroes come

too close, it threatens to blow up the whole cosmos ...

Michelle: What's that smell?

Chris: Smell. What smell?

Michelle: Really strong ... like chemicals ... ughhh ... I can hardly breathe.

Chris: Don't know.

Michelle: (SFX: Sniffing Chris) Chris, it's coming from you.

Now listen to the rest of the Songbirds drama and answer the following questions:

1. Listen to Chris' account of an action film and fill in the gaps:

'Anyway, as I was (a) ___________ , when the superheroes come too close the (b) ____________ threatens to blow up the whole (c) ___________ , including Planet Zeetek where the Samurai from Outer Space come from and then ...'

2. Which of the following statements are true:

i) The game Chris wants to buy is called Action Hero II

ii) Chris escorts Michelle back to her front door

iii) Chris goes into Michelle's flat to try her mango pudding

iv) Chris does not kiss Michelle after saying good night

Answers: 1. a) saying b) monster c) cosmos; 2. i & iv