Casper the Commuting Cat
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Casper the commuting cat.
Today we meet a cat called Casper, and we learn about the English verb “to commute”.
Let’s start with the verb. “Commute” has an interesting history, because its modern meaning is quite different from its original meaning.
Originally, to “commute” meant to exchange one thing for another. It was a boring word and we used it mainly for technical, financial matters. Imagine that you work for the government’s tax office. Every day you go to work; you write letters, you fill in forms, you calculate how much tax people have to pay, and you do other interesting things. After 40 years, you retire, and the government gives you a pension. It is possible that you will be able to choose exactly how you want to receive the pension. You can choose to receive a payment every month; or sometimes you can choose to take some money now and receive a smaller monthly payment. This is called “commuting” – you have exchanged part of your regular monthly pension payments for a lump sum of money.
You are probably asleep by now, or wondering why I am telling you this. But think of someone else who exchanges regular payments for a single payment. Someone who buys a season ticket on the railways or the buses pays a sum of money now, instead of buying a train or bus ticket every day. At some time in the 20th century, we started to call a person who bought a season ticket a “commuter”. And from there, we started to use the word “commute” to mean to travel from your home to work and back again, by any means of transport. Today, we can say “I commute by car”. That means, “I travel to work and back by car every day”. We can say that a railway station is crowded with commuters – that means that it is full of people travelling to work or back home again. We can say “I commute for 50 miles” or “My commute is 50 miles”, and this means that I travel a long way – 50 miles – to go to work every day. If I was a millionaire, I might commute from my home in the south of France to my work in London in my own private aeroplane.
Now that you understand about the word “commute” and how it has changed its meaning, it is time to meet the cat. His name is Casper, and he lives – or rather, he used to live – in Plymouth in the south west of England. Plymouth is famous for its naval dockyards, where military ships are built. Casper used to stand at the bus stop outside his home in Plymouth with the other bus passengers. He used to get on the bus and go to sleep on one of the seats. He would travel all the way to the terminus and then come back again. The bus drivers knew Casper, and made sure that he got off the bus at the right stop. Casper travelled on the buses in Plymouth for over 4 years. People called him “Casper the commuting cat”.
Recently, however, and very sadly, Casper was hit by a car during one of his journeys around Plymouth, and he has now died. There is a notice at his bus stop about his death, and flowers. We are all very sad.
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Comments (27)
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15 April 2010
Poor kitty… Very interesting story, even cats have their own
bizarre habits. I wonder why this cat used to like one bus company rather than the others… :)
8 April 2010
hi
this history deeply touch me , cat be killed bay car that, is very dreadful i share with you the same feeling
to next time
25 February 2010
was a controversial story.a human- animal story.anothertime thanks Peter.you have a nice accent, and a useful pace.(useful for us:the pupils).bye
21 February 2010
thank you my name is erkebulan and i am mongolian
this podcasts funny and
18 February 2010
Thank you for providing such high quality material. I also teach and I am beginning to pass on your podcasts and posts to my students. Jean-Paul at Focus Language
14 February 2010
I must thank the man who makes the reading of the text really it decides well, even the beginning was a little difficult for me to include/understand the history but in the final analysis, I could translate the text, really the history very touched me because I love the animals and especially the cats, I had a cat which was called Mi cabbage, it fell sick thereafter, it is death. I remember as if that went back to yesterday
6 February 2010
peter you are very vrey grat. you are great alexander foe me. you are very vrey useful for th?s world you are very good person…
2 February 2010
Wow… This site is really helpful. it is really good to study as there is a recorded file on every pages :) I can study pronunciation, how to read and etc from it .,, :)!! thanks so much =)
28 January 2010
@Robert
'p' and 'q' don't stand for anything!
The expression "mind your p's and q's" means "be careful that you have good manners, that you say 'please' and 'thank you' , and so on". It is quite old-fashioned nowdays. My grandmother used to tell us to mind our ps and qs, but I haven't heard anyone else say it for many years!
28 January 2010
Dear Peter
Thank you for your podcasts. May I ask you
Whats the abreviation p' and q' in the proverb : " watch your p's and q's?
Thank you very much for yours answer.
Kind regards
Robert
28 January 2010
Hey Marner, when you have doubt if things received via internet, look it up on the internet, companies websites, government websites, TV Channels websites, etc, so you can verify the veracity of the article… Casper story's was broadcast on bbc and you can find his story on you tube and other means in internet. Just as suggestion… I always receive e-mails about health, animals, achievements, etc… As I'm curious always search about the veracity of it…
27 January 2010
Hello Peter. Very unusual story, It's hard to believe that a cat can do the things like this. but because of a lot of respect for Peter I believed the story, it couldn't be false:) of course it's was very sad that a cat has finished it's life so sadly. thank you for podcast !!!
26 January 2010
Dear Peter,
thank you for the sad but also encouraging podcast. This story shows me, that so many peope love animals and care for them.
Yesterday I read terrible news. English academics had shot pigs in the air — by bomb attacks — just for experiments. A world without humanity will be very hard to bear. I feel realy sad.
Thank you Peter!
26 January 2010
hi thank you for this but unfortunately i didnotunderestand the story completely
25 January 2010
dear peter
thank you so much for your useful site. it is very useful for me.
24 January 2010
Very nice podcast!.
Probably Casper was a part of this small things that are important in the world and only sensitive people are able to see…
Thank you Peter.
24 January 2010
Breathtaking story!!!
thank you Peter!
23 January 2010
I heard the Casper's story a few months ago on the Italian TV so Italian people know Casper but we didn't know it dead… poor Casper
22 January 2010
It is such an interesting story
21 January 2010
Nice story, some animal's behavior brings me astonishment. Although cats are beautiful animals I can't stay with them extended time, I have problems with my nose so I always sneeze. Casper certainly was a great cat. I saw many videos of him on youtube.
21 January 2010
It is a lovely story… I have two cats, one is called "Yago" and the other "Tisha", the are still babies however they are pretty smart… Thank you for your teachings Dear Pet!!! Take care of yourself.
20 January 2010
Such a moving story….............
19 January 2010
Dear Peter and Friends,
Poor Casper….if at least the cats would have 7 lives….Casper could get on more buses and be a celebrity!
Peter, your podcasts are amazing! I am always learning something new. My vocabulary has grown up day after day and through your stories is easier to remember those words brought by you!
Thank you!
19 January 2010
thanks peter, these podcasts are very useful for learning vocabulary and expressions. again, congratulations and keep doing this stunning labor.
by the way , poor casper, peace in his grave, this was a very kind and human story. people must learn from animals, or perhaps we are the animal, do not you think ??
it is very sad how a person can kill this lovely pet and ran away without remorse.
the more i know people the most i love my pet.
casper, gone but not forgotten.
19 January 2010
Dear Peter,
We know it is very snowy there. also your podcast are comimg like snow falling in the last month. we used to listen only one or two podcast per a monht in te last months …nontheless ?t is a very warm story. thank you. you depict someone in the first part of your podcast. and that resmbles my father and you.
19 January 2010
NIce history… but it has a sad end.. :(
18 January 2010
poor Casper :(
great job as always Peter, I'm learning much vocabulary, thanks a lot