Between Two and Four
Written by Studio AM.
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Every night between two and four, Aurelio hosts a radio show that almost nobody hears. His listeners include truck drivers, hospital staff and bakers. Some tell him they enjoy knowing that someone else is awake.
For eleven months, a caller named Beatrix rang in at exactly three. She never had a topic. She described the weather on her street, the sound of the freight trains, the cat that sat on the wall opposite. Aurelio began holding the last segment open for her, though he never said so on air.
Then, in March, the calls stopped. He waited three weeks before mentioning it. When he finally did, six listeners phoned to say that they had noticed too, and that each of them had assumed they were the only person listening.
Aurelio still leaves the segment open. He fills it with music if he must. But he has stopped thinking of the show as talking into the dark. A quiet room, he has decided, is not the same as an empty one.
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Questions
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Question 1 of 4
Which statement best captures the main idea?
The answer is A: A radio host discovers that more people follow his show than he thought.
Six listeners say they noticed Beatrix's absence. Aurelio realises that people were following the show even when they did not call.
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Question 2 of 4
When did Beatrix call the show?
The answer is C: At exactly three, for eleven months.
The second paragraph says that for eleven months she rang in at exactly three.
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Question 3 of 4
What does leaving the segment open suggest about Aurelio?
The answer is D: He wants to leave room for Beatrix to return.
He keeps her usual time available even after the calls stop. This suggests he would welcome her return, not that he knows she will call.
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Question 4 of 4
What is a 'segment' in the radio programme?
The answer is B: one part of the radio programme
He holds 'the last segment' for Beatrix and later 'fills it with music', so it must be a section of the show.
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