10. The flying van

The flying van

/ðə/ /ˈflʌɪɪŋ/ /van/ 

The spacemen did not like being in the box.

/ðə/ /ˈspeɪsmen/ /dɪd/ /nɒt/ /lʌɪk/ /ˈbiːɪŋ/ /ɪn/ /ðə/ /bɒks/

William was driving along a very rough road and the dolls

were rolling around and falling against them.

/ˈwɪljəm/ /wəz/ /ˈdrʌɪvɪŋ/ /əˈlɒŋ/ /ə/ /ˈvɛri/ /rʌf/ /rəʊd/ /ənd/ /ðə/ /dɒlz/ /wə/ /ˈrəʊlɪŋ/ /əˈraʊnd/ /ənd/ /fɔːlɪŋ/ /əˈɡɛnst/ /ðɛm/

‘They are all unfriendly people!’ the spacemen cried.

‘/ðeɪ/ /ɑː/ /ɔːl/ /ʌnˈfrɛn(d)li/ /ˈpiːp(ə)l/’ /ðə/ /ˈspeɪsmen/ /krʌɪd/

They fought, and pushed, and managed to open the box.

/ðeɪ/ /fɔːt/, /ənd/ /pʊʃt/, /ənd/ /ˈmanɪdʒd/ /tə/ /ˈəʊp(ə)n/ /ðə/ /bɒks/

They saw their flying saucer.

/ðeɪ/ /sɔː/ /ðɛː/ /ˈflʌɪɪŋ/ /ˈsɔːsə/

They jumped in and started the engine.

/ðeɪ/ /dʒʌmpt/ /ɪn/ /ənd/ /stɑːtɪd/ /ði:/ /ˈɛndʒɪn/   

They were pleased that it still worked.

/ðeɪ/ /wə/ /pliːzd/ /ðat/ /ɪt/ /stɪl/ /wəːkt/ 

The spacemen flew around inside the van, looking for a way to get out.

/ðə/ /ˈspeɪsmen/ /fluː/ /əˈraʊnd/ /ɪnˈsʌɪd/ /ðə/ /van/, /lʊkɪŋ/ /fə/ /ə/ /weɪ/ /tə/ /ɡɛt/ /aʊt/   

They decided to fly up and break through the roof of the van.

/ðeɪ/ /dɪˈsʌɪdɪd/ /tə/ /flʌɪ/ /ʌp/ /ənd/ /breɪk/ /θruː/ /ðə/ /ruːf/ /ɒv/ /ðə/ /van/

The flying saucer had a very strong engine but the roof was strong too.

/ðə/ /ˈflʌɪɪŋ/ /ˈsɔːsə/ /had/ /ə/ /ˈvɛri/ /strɒŋ/ /ˈɛndʒɪn/ /bʌt/ /ðə/ /ruːf/ /wəz/ /strɒŋ/ /tuː/

Soon the flying saucer had lifted the van off the road

/suːn/ /ðə/ /ˈflʌɪɪŋ/ /ˈsɔːsə/ /had/ /lɪftɪd/ /ðə/ /van/ /ɒf/ /ðə/ /rəʊd/

A few seconds later, it was flying through the air like an aeroplane!

/ə/ /fjuː/ /ˈsɛk(ə)ndz/ /ˈleɪtə/, /ɪt/ /wəz/ /ˈflʌɪɪŋ/ /θruː/ /ði:/ /ɛː/ /lʌɪk/ /ən/ /ˈɛːrəpleɪn/

William was very surprised.

/ˈwɪljəm/ /wəz/ /ˈvɛri/ /səˈprʌɪzd/

He felt the van going up into the air.

/hiː/ /fɛlt/ /ðə/ /van/ /ˈɡəʊɪŋ/ /ʌp/ /ˈɪntʊ/ /ði:/ /ɛː/ 

He saw the road getting smaller below him.

/hiː/ /sɔː/ /ðə/ /rəʊd/ /ɡɛtɪŋ/ /smɔːlə/ /bɪˈləʊ/ /hɪm/

He could see the tops of the trees.

/hiː/ /kʊd/ /siː/ /ðə/ /tɒps/ /ɒv/ /ðə/ /triːz/

He looked down and saw all the cars and lorries on the road below.

/hiː/ /lʊkt/ /daʊn/ /ənd/ /sɔː/ /ɔːl/ /ðə/ /kɑːz/ /ənd/ /ˈlɒriz/ /ɒn/ /ðə/ /rəʊd/ /bɪˈləʊ/

Then he was inside a large cloud.

/ðɛn/ /hiː/ /wəz/ /ɪnˈsʌɪd/ /ə/ /lɑːdʒ/ /klaʊd/

‘That’s very strange,’ he said.

‘/ðats/ /ˈvɛri/ /streɪn(d)ʒ/’ /hiː/ /sɛd/

‘No one told me that this van could fly! Perhaps that was aeroplane petrol that I put in the tank!’

‘/nəʊ/ /wʌn/ /təʊld/ /miː/ /ðat/ /ðɪs/ /van/ /kʊd/ /flʌɪ/! /pəˈhaps/ /ðat/ /wəz/ /ˈɛːrəpleɪn/ /ˈpɛtr(ə)l/ /ðat/ /ʌɪ/ /pʊt/ /ɪn/ /ðə/ /taŋk/

The van went on flying, and William became worried.

/ðə/ /van/ /wɛnt/ /ɒn/ /ˈflʌɪɪŋ/, /ənd/ /ˈwɪljəm/ /bɪˈkeɪm/ /ˈwʌrɪd/ 

The two spacemen were worried too.

/ðə/ /tuː/ /ˈspeɪsmen/ /wə/ /ˈwʌrɪd/ /tuː/

They did not know how to get out of the van.

/ðeɪ/ /dɪd/ /nɒt/  /nəʊ/ /haʊ/ /tə/ /ɡɛt/ /aʊt/ /ɒv/ /ðə/ /van/

But then, their flying saucer hit the handle of the back door.

/bʌt/ /ðɛn/, /ðɛː/ /ˈflʌɪɪŋ/ /ˈsɔːsə/ /hɪt/ /ðə/ /ˈhand(ə)l/ /ɒv/ /ðə/ /bak/ /dɔː/

The door opened and the spacemen flew out.

/ðə/ /dɔː/ /ˈəʊp(ə)nd/ /ənd/ /ðə/ /ˈspeɪsmen/ /fluː/ /aʊt/

They flew up and away while the van began to fall back to the ground.

/ðeɪ/ /fluː/ /ʌp/ /ənd/ /əˈweɪ/ /wʌɪl/ /ðə/ /van/ /bɪˈɡan/ /tə/ /fɔːl/ /bak/ /tə/ /ðə/ /ɡraʊnd/