Speakout Advanced p 101. A Turning Point. Listening

After my parents had shown me 1_____________  I decided to enter a 2_____________school. I have been lucky because it has 3______________ and my job has to do with that 4___________. 

At the age of fourteen when we were 5____________ house I decided to leave the 6____________ and go to a regular 7______________ where I got qualifications 8____________ . However my sister went 9____________ work. Had I chosen her option, it wouldn't have been such a long 10_________ me, and I'm still very 11____________. Finally, my next 12___________ decision, was to have children. I've got two lovely boys.

KEY

1. brochures 

2. specialised theatrical / theatre 

3 panned out

pan out:

1. Turn out well. E.g. Harold’s idea had been a good one even if it hadn’t panned out

2.  (of events or a situation) to develop in a particular way. Sp. resultar, salir. E.g. I'm happy with the way things have panned out. We must wait and see how it pans out.

4. line of work 

line: a type or area of business, activity or interest. E.g. My line of work pays pretty well. You can't do much in the art line without training. 

5.  moving

6. theatrical world

7. comprehensive

8. behind me

behind: used to say that something is in somebody’s past. E.g. The accident is behind you now, so try to forget it. She has ten years' useful experience behind her.

9. straight into 

10. road for 

11. much on it 

12. major 

 

Transcript

When I was about nine or ten and everybody uh from primary school was moving up to secondary school, my parents gave me the option to go to a specialised theatrical school or a regular comprehensive. And um it was very important, cos I remember being sat down and shown brochures of everything and there was no pressure either way. And at that young age I made the decision to go to a theatre school. And luckily for me I, I, it's panned out and I've had a career in that um, that line of work. 

But I then found myself faced with another decision, because we were moving house and uh we had to leave school, and did we want to continue with theatre school or did we want to go to a normal school? And at that point I was about fourteen, and I decided actually I want to get an education and leave the theatrical world at that point, still very, very young to make those decisions. 

And I did, I left and went to a regular comprehensive and got some uh you know qualifications behind me and everything, and my sister didn't. She carried on at theatre school and she went straight into work, very early, and was really successful. I've always wondered if perhaps I should have chosen the other option, cos it was a longer road for me, and I'm still very much on it. And um, and I suppose that the next major decision, the final decision was whether to have children or not or take this huge job that was offered to me, and I chose my children, in that case. So I'm very grateful I've got two lovely boys um, and I've still got my career but I just um, kind of wonder what would have happened if ...