Short Stories in English For Intermediate

INTERMEDIATE 8 OLLY RICHARDS
5 CLM
BI@RIES
aa Read for pleasure at
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English the fun way
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9781473612143 9781473652101 9781473601581 9781473683556

Teach.
Yourself
SEGUE
ENGLIS
for Intermediate Learners
Read for pleasure at your level and

learn English the fun way!
OE Rein
Ak DS
Series and Development Editor

Rebecca Moeller
Central Library, Henry Street |
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| Tel: 8734333 |
First published in Great Britain in 2019 byJohn Murray Learning, an imprint of Hodder & Stoughton.
An Hachette UK company.
Copyright © Olly Richards 2019
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Contents
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Don’t forget
the audio!
SHORT STORIES
OLLY RICHARDS
ENGLISH |
EPHONE
iit
iii
INTERMEDIATE
=
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About the Author
Olly Richards, author of the Teach

Yourself Foreign Language Graded
Readers series, speaks eight languages
and is the man behind the popular
language learning blog I Will Teach You
a Language.
Olly started learning his first foreign
language at age 19 when he bought a one-way ticket to
Paris. With no exposure to languages growing up, and
no special talent to speak of, Olly had to figure out how
to learn a foreign language from scratch.
Fifteen years later, Olly holds a master’s in TESOL
from Aston University as well as Cambridge CELTA and
Delta. He has also now studied several languages and
become an expert in language learning techniques.
He collaborates with organizations such as the Open
University and the European Commission, and is a
regular speaker at international language events and
in-person workshops.
Olly started the I Will Teach You a Language blog
in 2013 to document his latest language learning
experiments. His useful language learning tips have
transformed the blog into one of the most popular
language learning resources on the web. Olly has
always advocated that reading is one of the best
ways to improve your language skills and he has now
applied his expertise to create the Teach Yourself Foreign
Language Graded Readers series. He hopes that Short
Stories in English for Intermediate Learners will help you
in your language studies!
For more information about Olly and his blog, go to

www. iwillteachyoualanguage.com.
For more information about other readers in this series,

go to readers.teachyourself.com.
vi
Introduction
Reading in a foreign language is one of the most effective

ways for you to improve language skills and expand
vocabulary. However, it can sometimes be difficult
to find engaging reading materials at an appropriate
level that will provide a feeling of achievement and
a sense of progress. Most books and articles written
for native speakers are too difficult for language
learners to understand. They often have very high-
level vocabulary and may be so lengthy that you feel
overwhelmed and give up. If these problems sound
familiar, then this book is for you!
Short Stories in English for Intermediate Learners is a
collection of eight unconventional and entertaining
short stories that are especially designed to help
intermediate-level English learners* improve their
language skills. These short stories offer something of
interest for everyone and have been designed to create
a supportive reading environment by including:
> Rich linguistic content in different genres to

keep you entertained and expose you to a variety of
word forms.
* Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) levels B1-B2.
Vil
> Interesting illustrations to introduce the story
content and help you better understand what happens.
> Shorter stories broken into chapters to give
you the satisfaction of finishing the stories and
progressing quickly.
> Texts written especially at your level so
they are more easily comprehended and not
overwhelming.
> Special learning aids to help support your
understanding including:
+ Summaries to give you regular overviews of
plot progression.
+ Vocabulary lists to help you understand
unfamiliar words more easily.
+ Comprehension questions to test your
understanding of key events and to encourage
you to read in more detail.
So whether you want to expand your vocabulary,

improve your comprehension, or simply read for
fun, this book is the biggest step forward you will
take in your studies this year. Short Stories in English
for Intermediate Learners will give you all the support
you need, so sit back, relax and let your imagination
run wild as you are transported to a magical world of
adventure, mystery and intrigue — in English!
Vill
How to Read Effectively
Reading is a complex skill. In our first languages, we

employ a variety of micro-skills to help us read. For
example, we might skim a particular passage in order to
understand the general idea, or gist. Or we might scan
through multiple pages of a train timetable looking
for a particular time or place. While these micro-skills
are second nature when reading in our first languages,
when it comes to reading in a foreign language,
research suggests that we often abandon most of these
reading skills. In a foreign language, we usually start
at the beginning of a text and try to understand every
single word. Inevitably, we come across unknown or
difficult words and quickly get frustrated with our lack
of understanding.
One of the main benefits of reading in a foreign
language is that you gain exposure to large amounts
of words and expressions used naturally. This kind
of reading for pleasure in order to learn a language
is generally known as ‘extensive reading’. It is very
different from reading a textbook in which dialogues
or texts are meant to be read in detail with the aim
of understanding every word. That kind of reading to
reach specific learning aims or do tasks is referred to as
‘intensive reading’. To put it another way, the intensive
reading in textbooks usually helps you with grammar
rules and specific vocabulary, whereas reading stories
extensively helps show you natural language in use.
While you may have started your language learning
journey using only textbooks, Short Stories in English
for Intermediate Learners will now provide you with
opportunities to learn more about natural English
language in use. Here are a few suggestions to keep in
mind when reading the stories in this book in order to
learn the most from them:
> Enjoyment and a sense of achievement when

reading is vitally important. Enjoying what you
read keeps you coming back for more. The best way to
enjoy reading stories and feel a sense of achievement
is by reading each story from beginning to end.
Consequently, reaching the end of a story is the most
important thing. It is actually more important than
understanding every word in it!
> The more you read, the more you learn. By
reading longer texts for enjoyment, you will quickly
build up an understanding of how English works.
But remember: in order to take full advantage
of the benefits of extensive reading, you have to
actually read a large enough volume in the first
place. Reading a couple of pages here and there may
teach you a few new words, but it won’t be enough
to make a real impact on the overall level of your
English.
> You must accept that you won’t understand
everything you read in a story. This is probably
the most important point of all! Always remember
that it is completely normal that you do not
understand all the words or sentences. It doesn’t
mean that your language level is flawed or that you
are not doing well. It means that you’re engaged
in the process of learning. So, what should you do
when you don’t understand a word? Here are a few
steps:
i . Look at the word and see if it is familiar in any way.

Remember to look for vocabulary elements from
your first language that may be familiar. Take a
guess — you might surprise yourself!
Re-read the sentence that contains the unknown
word several times. Use the context of that sentence,
and the rest of the story, to try to guess what the
unknown word might mean.
ee Think about whether or not the word might be a
different form of a word you know. For example, you
might encounter a verb that you know, but it has
been conjugated in a different or unfamiliar way:
go
went
have gone
You may not be familiar with the particular form used,

but ask yourself: Can Jstill understand the gist of what's
going on? Usually, if you have managed to recognize
xi
the main verb, that is enough. Instead of getting
frustrated, simply notice how the verb is being used,
and carry on reading. Recognizing different forms of
words will come intuitively over time.
. Make a note of the unknown word in a notebook
and check the meaning later. You can review these
words over time to make them part of your active
vocabulary. If you simply must know the meaning of
a bolded word, you can look it up in the vocabulary
list at the end of the chapter, in the glossary at the
back of this book or use a dictionary. However, this
should be your last resort.
These suggestions are designed to train you to handle

reading in English independently and without help.
The more you can develop this skill, the better you’ll
be able to read. Remember: learning to be comfortable
with the ambiguity you may encounter while reading
a foreign language is the most powerful skill that will
help you become an independent and resilient learner
of English!
xil
The Six-Step Reading Process
In order to get the most from reading Short Stories in

English for Intermediate Learners, it will be best for you
to follow this simple six-step reading process for each
chapter of the stories:
@ Look at the illustration and read the chapter title.

Think about what the story might be about. Then
read the chapter all the way through. Your aim is
simply to reach the end of the chapter. Therefore,
do not stop to look up words and do not worry if there
are things you do not understand. Simply try to follow
the plot.
@) When you reach the end of the chapter, read the short
summary of the plot to see if you have understood
what has happened. If you find this difficult, do not
worry. You will improve with each chapter.
@ Go back and read the same chapter again. If you
like, you can focus more on story details than
before, but otherwise simply read it through one
more time.
@ When you reach the end of the chapter for the
second time, read the summary again and review
the vocabulary list. If you are unsure about the
meanings of any words in the vocabulary list, scan
through the text to find them in the story and
xiii
examine them in context. This will help you better
understand the words.
(© Next, work through the comprehension questions
to check your understanding of key events in the
story. If you do not get them all correct, do not
worry: simply answering the questions will help
you better understand the story.
© At this point, you should have some understanding
of the main events of the chapter. If not, you may
wish to re-read the chapter a few times using the
vocabulary list to check unknown words and
phrases until you feel confident. Once you are
ready and confident that you understand what has
happened — whether it’s after one reading of the
chapter or several - move on to the next chapter
and continue enjoying the story at your own pace,
just as you would any other book.
Only once you have completed a story in its

entirety should you consider going back and studying
the story language in more depth if you wish. Or,
instead of worrying about understanding everything,
take time to focus on all that you have understood
and congratulate yourself for all that you have done
so far. Remember: the biggest benefits you will derive
from this book will come from reading story after
story through from beginning to end. If you can do
that, you will be on your way to reading effectively in
English!
XIV
A Dream of Fire
Chapter 1 — Can Dreams Come True?

Jen wanted to hit her boyfriend. Thanks to him,
everyone sitting at the table was looking at her. She
gave Ben a dirty look. He just smiled at her in
response. Sarah, Jen’s best friend, looked at Jen with
a small smile. Jaime, who was Sarah’s boyfriend and
Ben’s best friend, had a look of shock and curiosity
on his face. Eric and Lisa were friends with all of them
and they seemed curious, too.
Why does Ben have to tell everybody about my dreams?
Jen thought. Finally she turned to her friends and said,
‘Yes, it’s true.’ She gave Ben another dirty look and
began explaining. ‘I sometimes have dreams about
unimportant things and the dreams come true the
next day. It’s almost always about six hours after I wake
up. It’s been happening for as long as I can remember.
But it’s always just for really stupid little things — never
anything important.’
‘Really? Like what?’ Eric asked.
‘Well, when I was four years old, I had a dream about
a spoon falling off a table and making a loud sound on
the floor,’ Jen said. ‘The next day my father was giving
a speech at a party and someone dropped a spoon on
the floor. Of course, it made a really loud sound and
startled everybody. The dream came true.’
Chapter 1 — Can Dreams Come True? 3

The group of friends laughed. They were really
surprised.
Jaime looked at Jen carefully and then said with a

smile, ‘But that seems like more of a coincidence
than anything.’
‘That’s what I thought at first,’ Ben interrupted,
speaking quickly with excitement. ‘But then Jen told
me her other dreams and | started believing. Then
I tested her and saw it actually happen!’
‘You tested her?’ Jaime asked. ‘How?’
‘A few months back I waited until she woke up and
made her tell me the last dream she remembered,’ Ben
said. ‘She told me she had dreamed about someone
sneezing 17 times and everyone laughing about it.
Then I waited until six hours later and, sure enough,
while we were eating lunch, some woman across the
room started sneezing. If it had only been a couple
of sneezes, I don’t think anyone would have noticed.
But the woman just kept sneezing and sneezing, so I
started counting. She sneezed exactly 17 times. When
she was done, the whole restaurant started laughing.
It was so funny!’
‘Yeah, and the poor woman was so embarrassed
that she got up and left the restaurant,’ Jen said, hitting
Ben on the shoulder.
‘Oh, stop it!’ Ben said. ‘I think it’s amazing! I like to
tell people about it.’
‘It’s not a party trick, Ben,’ Jen said. ‘You know I
don’t like to talk about it with anybody. People hear
about it and they think I’m weird.’
4 A Dream of Fire
‘I don’t think it’s weird!’ Lisa said. ‘I think it’s pretty
cool, actually.’
‘Yeah, me too,’ Eric said.
‘Me too,’ Sarah said shyly, smiling atJen. ‘I’ve always
wanted to be able to do that!’
‘Have your dreams ever not come true?’ Lisa asked.
‘All the time,’ Jen said. ‘The really scary ones never
come true. Or any time I dream about something
really big happening - like winning the lottery or
something. The only dreams that come true are the
unimportant ones. It’s really annoying, honestly.’
There was a long pause as everyone thought about

what Jen had said. Then Jaime spoke up. ‘But couldn’t
you use it to predict the future or something?’ he
asked.
Jen shook her head before anyone could say
anything. ‘It doesn’t work like that,’ she said. ‘I never
know if a dream is going to come true until right
before it happens.’
‘But how do you know these dreams come true after
six hours?’ Jaime asked.
‘When I was ten, I started keeping a journal,’ Jen
said. ‘I would write about my dreams and then make
a note if they came true. I started realizing that they
came true around the same time of day. When I did
the maths I realized it was six hours ... well, 6 hours,
17 minutes and 29 seconds, to be exact.’
‘Wait ...’ Ben said. ‘You never told me that. You
know exactly how long it takes for a dream to come
true?’

‘I thought I did when I was ten,’ Jen said. ‘But that
was a long time ago. And it wasn’t really a scientific
experiment or anything.’
The group laughed again.
Jaime looked at Jen with a smile. ‘So, there’s no real

way to tell the future?’ he asked.
‘Nope,’ Jen said. ‘Sometimes something will trigger
a memory from a dream. That tells me the dream is
going to happen. But the most warning I’ve ever
had was about an hour ahead of time, and that only
happened once. Most of the time I just get a funny
feeling about five minutes before it happens. Then I
just kind of sit and wait for it to happen. Like I said, it’s
a bit annoying. I can’t really control anything about it.’
The silence returned, and Jen smiled at the looks on
her friends’ faces. She knew they would be watching
her from now on to see if her unusual ability would
show itself. Ben meant well, but he didn’t understand.
It really made her uncomfortable to have people
watching her and wondering about her dream thing.
It was just weird.
The dinner party broke up shortly after that and

everyone went home. Ben usually stayed later after
a party to talk, but he couldn’t that night. He had to
work early the next morning and his job site was on
the other side of town. He was an electrician and
he’d recently been hired to work in a new office
building on the north side of the city.
6 A Dream of Fire
Jen was really proud of Ben and she was excited
about how their relationship was developing. They
had been dating for over a year now and she had fallen
deeply in love with him. She was certain he felt the
same for her.
That night, as she got ready for bed, she thought
about how amazing it would be to have Ben as a
husband. As she fell asleep, she quietly hoped that the
special moment when Ben proposed would come
soon.
Chapter 1 - Can Dreams Come True? 7

Chapter 1 Review
Summary
Jen and her boyfriend Ben are having dinner with friends. Ben
tells their friends that Jen’s dreams sometimes come true. As
people ask questions, Jen explains what happens with her
dreams. She also adds that nothing important ever comes
true. She says it’s only little things, like dropped spoons or
sneezes. The friends ask a lot of questions and Jen becomes
uncomfortable. The party ends and Ben goes home. He is an
electrician and has an early job across town. Jen falls asleep
dreaming of Ben asking her to marry him.
Vocabulary
dirty look a facial expression that shows dislike or anger
response an answer or a reaction
shock a strong and unpleasant reaction you have when something
bad happens that you do not expect
curiosity the feeling of wanting to discover facts about something
startle to suddenly frighten or shock someone
coincidence when two things happen at the same time by chance
sneeze to suddenly blow out air from your nose and mouth in a
way that you cannot control
embarrassed looking or feeling ashamed or stupid
weird very strange
predict to say that you think something will happen
journal a book in which someone writes what they have done
each day
experiment a test or trial to find out something unknown or
prove something
trigger something that causes something else to happen
8 A Dream of Fire
electrician someone whose job is to put in or repair electrical
equipment
propose (marriage) to ask someone to marry you
Comprehension Questions
Select one answer only for each question.
1) Who is Ben?
a. Jen’s brother
b. Jen’s boyfriend
c. Jen’s dad
d. Jen’s best friend
2) Why doesn’t Jen get excited about her power to predict

dreams?
a. The dreams never affect her.
b. The dreams never come true.
c. Only small things from her dreams come true.
d. She wants to keep it a secret from Ben.
3) Who does Jen like talking to about her dreams?

a. only with Ben
b. only with her friends
c. everyone
d. nobody
4) How old was Jen when she started keeping a dream

journal?
a. 10 years old
b. 6 years old
c. 17 years old
d. 7 years old

5) How long after Jen wakes up do her dreams come true?
a. exactly 16 minutes
b. about 6 days
c. about 6 hours
d. exactly 16 hours
10 A Dream of Fire
Chapter 2 — A Bad Feeling
Jen woke up the next morning in a sweat with a
strange ringing sound in her ears. The dream she’d
had was one of the worst she could ever remember.
Ben had been caught in a fire at the building where he
worked and he couldn’t find a way out. He and two
others were trapped in what looked like a storage
cupboard. The smoke and heat from the fire had been
terrible! And then there had been a loud metallic
ringing sound as something heavy had collapsed on
them.
Jen gasped for air and tried to calm her racing
heart. She looked at the clock. It said 7:05 a.m. Ben
was probably already at work, but she wanted to call
him anyway.
‘Hello?’ Ben answered after the second ring.
‘Hi, it’s me,’ Jen said. ‘I just wanted to hear your
voice. You OK?’
‘I’m great, babe!’ he said. ‘Just getting ready to start
the day. This is a big job, which is good. I’m going to
need some extra money pretty soon ... if you know
what I mean.’
Jen’s heart jumped. Had he just suggested that he
needed money to buy her a wedding ring? She smiled.
‘T love you, Ben,’ she said.
‘I love you too, Jen,’ he said. ‘TI’ll see you after work,
OK?’
‘OK,’ she replied. ‘Be safe today.’
Chapter 2 —- A Bad Feeling 11

‘Always,’ he said, and then hung up.
Jen put the phone down and tried not to think
about the dream from last night. It wasn’t the first
time she’d had a bad dream, and she knew her bad
dreams never came true.
Jen got out of bed and began getting ready for
the day. An hour later, she was drinking her coffee
and driving to work. She was still thinking about the
dream. Ben’s new job was in a building on the other
side of town from the climic where she worked as a
nurse. It took an hour to get through traffic from one
side of the city to the other so there was no way she
could check up on Ben until later that evening. She
tried not to think about the dream, but she couldn’t
help but worry.
At the clinic, it was flu season, so there was a

steady stream of children with fevers that morning.
Jen had no time to think about dreams or anything
else. When her lunch break came at noon, she was
glad for a moment of peace. A couple of the other
nurses were in the break room, too. They all were
simply enjoying the silence ... until Sherry dropped a
spoon she’d been using to eat her soup. It made a loud
metallic ringing on the table.
The ringing sound triggered one of the strongest
sense memories Jen had ever experienced. It was
the same sound she’d woken up with in her head that
morning. The same sound that had come with that
terrible dream of Ben being in a fire and something
collapsing on him!
12 A Dream of Fire
Jen looked at the clock. It said 12:07 p.m. She
thought back to the time on the clock when she’d
woken up: 7:05 a.m. Her bad dreams had never come
true, but the feeling Jen had deep in her heart at that
moment wasn’t something she could ignore. What if
this was the one time that a bad dream was going to
come true? What if this was why she’d had so many
dreams all her life? What if all the dreams had been
building to this moment?
The clock now said 12:08 p.m. Jen did some quick
figures and realized she had 1 hour and 14 minutes
to do something. She jumped up, grabbed her bag and
rushed out of the break room.
‘Jen?’ one of the other nurses called after her. ‘Is
everything OK?’
Jen ignored her and ran out of the building to the
car park.
When Jen got in her car, she dialled Ben’s number

with one hand while she started the car with the
other. His phone rang and rang and finally went to
voicemail as she drove down the street.
‘Ben, it’s me,’ Jen said quickly, weaving through
traffic. ‘Call me when you get this, please.’ She hung
up just as she turned onto the motorway. It was
lunchtime, so traffic was a little heavy, but it was not
as bad as rush hour at the end of the day. Still, it would
likely take a full hour to get to Ben’s building.
Jen looked at the clock in her car. It said 12:16 p.m.
She picked up her phone again and dialled Ben’s friend
Jaime’s number. He picked up after the third ring.

‘Hi, Jaime, it’s Jen,’ she said.
‘Hi, Jen!’ he replied. ‘What’s up?’
‘Have you heard from Ben this morning?’ she asked.
‘No,’ he said. ‘Last time I talked to him was last
night. Why? What’s up?’
‘I hope nothing,’ she said. ‘He just didn’t answer
when I called him at work just now.’
‘Ha! I wouldn’t worry about it,’ Jaime said. ‘That
building he’s working in has pretty thick concrete.
He probably doesn’t get any phone service.’
‘You’re probably right,’ Jen said. ‘All the same, if
you hear from him, can you let me know?’
‘Sure,’ he said. ‘Everything OK, Jen? You sound like
something is wrong.’
Jen couldn’t decide whether or not to say anything
to Jaime about her dream. After a long pause she
decided to be honest. ‘I had a dream that Ben was
caught in a fire in that building,’ Jen said. ‘I know I
told you last night that my bad dreams don’t come
true, but this one is really bothering me. And now I
can’t get hold of him and I’m freaking out a little
bit.’
‘Whoa!’ Jaime said. ‘I can see why. OK ... well ...
huh.’
‘Huh? That’s all you have to say? Jaime, you live on
that side of town ...’
‘Yeah, OK,’ Jaime said. ‘Right. I’ll go over there and
see if | can find him.’
‘Thanks, Jaime,’ Jen said. ‘I hope it’s nothing.’
‘Me too,’ Jaime said. ‘Don’t worry, he’ll be OK, Jen.’
Jen hung up and looked at the clock again. It was
12:22 p.m:
14 A Dream of Fire
The traffic wasn’t bad and Jen was able to keep
moving for the first 30 minutes of the drive to Ben’s
building. Then, about five miles from the building,
the traffic stopped completely. She tried Ben’s phone
again, but there was still no answer. She texted Jaime,
but he didn’t answer right away. She looked at the
clock. It was 12:54 p.m. She had 28 minutes before the
dream might come true.
Up ahead, the next motorway exit looked clear,
but she didn’t know if taking smaller roads would be
faster or slower. She took a chance and pulled over and
used the edge of the road to get to the exit. At a red
traffic light, she put the address of the building into
her car’s navigation system. A map appeared on the
screen showing the new route. However, it twisted
and turned its way through back roads. As the light
turned green, Jen raced off as fast as she dared. She got
stopped at a roadworks at one point, but she made it
through and finally arrived at Ben’s building.
She looked at the clock — 1:12 p.m. She had ten
minutes. She ran towards the door to the lobby. As
soon as she walked in, she could smell it - smoke! Her
heart sank, and she began to panic. It was real.
There was a fire! Her dream was going to come true!
Chapter 2 - A Bad Feeling 15

Chapter 2 Review
Summary
Jen has a very bad dream. In it, her boyfriend Ben is trapped
in a fire. She tries not to think about the dream and goes to
work. While at work, something happens that reminds her of
the dream. She realizes that there is just over an hour before
the dream could come true. She calls Ben, but he doesn’t
answer. She decides to drive over to check on Ben. On the
way, Jen calls Jaime and asks him to check on Ben as well.
She drives across town but she doesn’t have much time and
traffic causes problems. When she arrives, she smells smoke
and knows the dream will come true any minute.
Vocabulary
in a sweat covered with the salty liquid that comes out of your
skin when you are hot
trapped if you are trapped, you cannot escape a bad place or
situation
storage cupboard (Am. Eng. storage closet) a small room for
keeping things
metallic looking, sounding or tasting like metal
collapse if a building or structure collapses, it falls down because
it is too weak or because it is damaged
gasp to take a short sudden breath in through your open mouth
because you are shocked, surprised, or are fighting to breathe
(have one’s) heart jump to be startled or excited
clinic a place where people can see doctors to get medical
treatment and advice
traffic the number of vehicles that are travelling on a road
flu season a time of year when many people are sick
16 A Dream of Fire
steady stream a large number of something arriving at a regular
pace
sense memory information or thoughts of an experience that are
associated with a feeling
ignore to not pay attention to someone or something
(do) figures to add, subtract, multiply or calculate numbers
rush to move or to do something quickly and suddenly
voicemail a system on a telephone that takes messages from
callers
concrete a strong, hard building material made by mixing sand,
cement (grey powder), small stones and water
freak out (s/ang) to suddenly become very angry or upset about
something
navigation system (Am. Eng. GLP / global positioning
system; Br. Eng. satnav) satellite navigation; a piece of
equipment especially used in cars to tell the driver how to get
somewhere
twist if a road or river twists, it has a lot of curves in it
roadworks (Am. Eng. construction zone) a section of road
being repaired or worked upon
lobby a room just inside the main entrance of a large building
(have one’s) heart sink if someone's heart sinks, they are
disappointed or expect that something bad will happen
panic to have a sudden strong feeling of fear or worry that makes
you unable to think calmly
6) What time does Jen wake up?

as 7.99 att.
D.. Za. 2.11.
Ga7.O5raen:
d. 7:45 a.m.

7) Where does Jen work?
a. at a construction site
b. at a restaurant
c. at a coffee shop
d. at a clinic
8) What happens to trigger Jen’s sense memory of the

dream?
a. Someone drops a spoon.
b. The phone rings.
c. She tastes something funny.
d. She looks at a clock.
9) Who does Jen call when she can’t reach Ben?

a. Sarah
b. Jaime
ClENEe
d. Lisa
10) Find these bolded expressions in the story. Which set of

words or expressions does NOT have a similar meaning?
a. to freak out / to worry
b. to be in a sweat / to panic
c. to have one’s heart sink / to ignore
d. to gasp / to breathe heavily
18 A Dream of Fire
Chapter 3 — Rescue!
Jen stood in the lobby. She didn’t know what to do.
There was actually a fire in Ben’s building — he was
in danger! Suddenly she heard someone yelling her
name. She turned to look and Jaime ran up to her.
‘Jaime!’ she said, relieved that he was there. ‘It’s true!
My dream is true! Do you smell the smoke?’
“Yes, but calm down,’ he said, leading her out the
building. ‘I got stuck in traffic and just got here a few
minutes ago. I ran around the back of the building and
there’s fire and smoke coming out of the top windows.
I called the fire department and they’ll be here soon.
Don’t worry, I’m sure they’ll get him out.’
At that moment the fire alarms began to blare.
What took them so long? thought Jen. The people
had to get out. Ben had to get out! Jen looked at her
watch — 1:13 p.m. ‘The fire department won’t get
here soon enough,’ she said. ‘Ben has less than ten
minutes!’
‘Calm down, Jen,’ said Jaime. ‘We need to think.
What exactly do you remember from your dream?’
<2 1 dom t know, cried Jen:
‘Come on now, think!’
‘OK, OK!’ she said. ‘He was stuck in a storage
cupboard or something.’
‘That’s it? Nothing else?’
Jen closed her eyes and tried to remember what she
had seen in her dream. A picture of an electricity
Chapter 3 - Rescue! 19
box on the wall formed in her mind. She remembered
the number three at the top. ‘There’s an electricity
box in the cupboard. It has the number three on it,’
she said opening her eyes. ‘That’s it.’
Jen looked at Jaime with fear in her eyes.
‘Third floor! It’s got to be the third floor,’ Jaime said.
‘Come on!’
Jen and Jaime raced through the front doors into

the lobby. Just then, a huge group of people came
running out. Jen and Jaime were pushed back away
from the building. Finally, a break in the stream of
people opened and they rushed in.
Jen ran for the elevators, but Jaime pulled her
towards the stairwell. ‘The elevators won’t work
during a fire,’ he said. ‘The stairwell is better.’
When they opened the stairwell door, another
crowd of people pushed them back. Jaime stumbled
and fell with a yell.
‘Jaime? Are you OK?’ Jen called.
‘My ankle!’ he shouted. ‘I hurt it pretty badly.’
As the crowd running down the stairs thinned,
Jaime tried to climb the stairs, but after one step he
fell to the ground again. ‘Aahhh!’ he exclaimed. ‘It
hurts! It’s no good, Jen. I'll never get there quickly
enough. You'll have to go on your own.’
‘What?’
‘Go! You can do it. I’ll get help.’
Jaime pushed Jen towards the stairs and then
limped back towards the lobby, yelling ‘Help!’ as he
20 A Dream of Fire
went. Jen gave him one last look and raced up the
Stairs. She looked at her watch again - 1:18 p.m. Ben
had four minutes.
When Jen reached the third floor, she opened the

door. Thick black smoke filled the hall. She dropped
to her hands and knees and started crawling. The
smoke and heat were thick, and she could hear a
roaring sound above her. She kept going, tears
coming from her eyes, searching frantically for any
sign of a storage cupboard.
Moments later, Jen found the cupboard she was
looking for. It was almost all the way down the hall
from the stairwell. She pounded on the door. ‘Ben!’
she yelled. ‘Ben, are you in there?’
‘Jen?’ Ben replied. ‘What are you doing here?
Never mind. Get us out of here! I’m with the building
managers. We’re stuck! The security lock turned on
when the fire alarms went off.’
‘OK, hold on,’ Jen said, looking at the lock on the
door. It was one of those top-level electric security
locks. Jen had no way of opening it. She looked around
for something to break the door. At last, she spotted an
axe in a fire box on the opposite wall. She ran to the
box, broke the glass and pulled out the axe. The smoke
was very thick now and she began coughing.
Jen crawled back to the cupboard as quickly as she

could. She took a deep breath, stood up and slammed
the axe into the door handle once, twice, three times.
She kept hitting the door, over and over again, but
nothing was happening.
Chapter 3 — Rescue! 21
Jen started to panic. She slammed the axe down one
more time and suddenly the door handle fell off. She
dropped the axe and slammed her shoulder into the
door. It opened! She fell to the floor, but a moment
later was picked_up by Ben’s strong arms.
‘I’ve got you,’ he said. ‘Well done, Jen. But how ...?’
Jen looked down at her watch. Through the smoke,
its light shone up at her - 1:21 p.m. ‘Not now, Ben!’
she yelled. ‘We only have one minute!’ She dropped
to her hands and knees and quickly began crawling
to the stairwell. Ben and the two building managers
followed closely behind. Within seconds, they heard a
loud metallic ringing sound and then a crash. The roof
of the storage cupboard had collapsed!
The group continued to crawl down the hallway,

but at this point the smoke was too thick to find the
stairwell. Jen cried out in panic. ‘I can’t see!’ she yelled.
‘I can’t see where to go!’
‘Me neither!’ replied Ben.
Then suddenly Jaime’s voice called out from below.
‘T can hear you!’ he said. ‘I’m in the stairwell. Follow
my voice!’
Jen crawled towards Jaime’s voice. The smoke was so
thick and she could barely breathe and the heat was
burning her along her back and legs. It felt like she
was on fire! At last they found the stairs. She coughed
and coughed, but as she eased down the stairs, one
hand after another, there was less and less smoke.
It seemed to take forever to get down the stairs.
Finally, the group made it to the bottom.
22 A Dream of Fire
Jaime was waiting for them with a group of
firefighters in oxygen masks guiding people out of
the building. One of the firefighters picked up Jen
and carried her through the lobby and outside. She
looked over her shoulder and saw Ben being helped by
another firefighter.
Jen and Ben were left at an ambulance. They were
each getting an oxygen mask when Jaime limped over
and sat down beside them to wait for help with his
ankle.
After a few minutes of deep breaths, Ben took off his
mask and looked around. ‘What were you guys even
doing here?’ he asked.
Jaime looked at Jen and smiled. ‘Jen called to tell me
she had a dream about a fire and you were in it,’ he
said. ‘We decided to check up on you.’
Ben looked at Jen, who smiled weakly and reached

for him. He wrapped her in his arms and said, ‘Well,
I’m glad you did!’ Then he looked at Jen, ‘I love you,
Jen,’ he said, wiping some dirt away from her face. ‘You
saved my life. And now I know for sure that I want you
to be a part of that life forever. Will you marry me?’
It took Jen a second to realize what Ben had just
said. When she did, she pulled away and looked at
him in surprise. ‘WHAT?!’ she said. ‘You want to
propose now? Look at me!’ she exclaimed, pointing
at her dirty clothes and face. ‘This is supposed to be a
special moment! This is a special time! You can’t ... I
can’t believe ~...
Jaime and Ben started to laugh. Jen looked up and
then she couldn’t hold back her laughter either. She
stopped talking and smiled at the love of her life as
she went in for a kiss. A second later they were both
coughing and rushing to put the oxygen masks back
on their faces. Then, Jen briefly lifted the mask from
her face and looked at Ben. ‘Your timing is terrible,’
she said with a smile. ‘But yes, I will marry you.’
24 A Dream of Fire
Chapter 3 Review
Summary
Jen is at Ben’s work site. There is really a fire and her dream
might come true. Jaime arrives. He has called the fire
department. Jen doesn’t think the firefighters will arrive in
time so they go to find Ben. Then Jen remembers the number
three from her dream. They plan to go to the third floor. Jaime
hurts his ankle, so Jen goes to the third floor alone. She finds
Ben and two building managers locked in a storage cupboard.
She breaks down the door to get them out. The group crawls
down the hall and follows Jaime’s voice to safety. Later, as they
rest, Ben asks Jen to marry him. Jen says yes but jokes that
Ben’s timing is very bad.
Vocabulary
yell to shout something loudly
blare to make a very loud and unpleasant sound
electricity box a small box or container, usually on a wall, in
which a building’s wires and electrical connections are located
stairwell tall space in a building that contains the stairs
stumble to almost fall while you are walking
ankle the place where your foot joins your leg
exclaim to say something suddenly and loudly because you are
surprised, angry, etc.
limp to walk with difficulty because your leg or foot hurts
crawl to move on your hands and knees
roaring sound a loud, deep sound
frantically in a panicked or frightened way
security lock a special lock that is very hard to get into
(fire) axe a tool for cutting through wood or doors
slam to put something somewhere or shut something quickly with
a loud noise
take forever (expression) to take a very long time
oxygen mask a special device that one puts over the nose to get
more oxygen into the body
briefly for a short amount of time
11) What time do Jen and Jaime discuss what to-do?

asde22-pum.
bal272 pan:
et:02-p.m:
d-1213 "pir:
12) Which of the following lines from the story is a FACT and
not an opinion?
a. ‘I’m sure they'll get him out.’
b. ‘The elevators won’t work during a fire.’
c. ‘It felt like she was on fire!’
d. ‘It seemed to take forever to get down the stairs.’
13) Why can’t Jaime go up the stairs?

a. He has hurt his ankle.
b. He is trapped in the lobby.
c. There are too many people.
d. Jen told him to stay behind and get help.
26 A Dream of Fire
14) How does Jen free Ben from the storage cupboard?
a. She unlocks the door.
b. She breaks the door open with an axe.
c. She kicks the door open.
d. She calls the firefighters.
15) Which is the correct sequence of events?

a. Jaime hurts his ankle, Jen finds Ben in the cupboard,
the firefighters arrive, Ben asks Jen to marry him.
b. Jaime hurts his ankle, the firefighters arrive, Jen finds
Ben in the cupboard, Ben asks Jen to marry him.
c. The firefighters arrive, Jaime hurts his ankle, Jen finds
Ben in the cupboard, Ben asks Jen to marry him.
d. Jen finds Ben in the cupboard, the firefighters arrive,
Jaime hurts his ankle, Ben asks Jen to marry him.
Chapter 3 - Rescue! 27
28
Mie thn)OOO
Persistence Pays
Chapter 1 — Waiting at Zara's

‘Why can’t we come in?’ J asked the large man standing
in front of us. He was wearing a dark suit, and was
very tall and strong. He was also blocking the door
to Zara’s Nightclub.
We could hear the loud dance music behind the
door and we really wanted to check it out. | had just
lost my job the day before and I needed a night of fun.
to forget my troubles, so we simply had to find a way
to get inside! Plus, I didn’t need any more stress, and
this guy was making me mad.
‘Excuse me, but I asked why we can’t come in?’
I repeated. Persistence was one of my strong points.
The large man was a bouncer; his job was to let
only the ‘right’ people into Zara’s and to keep everyone
else out. He pointed to his clipboard and frowned.
‘Your name isn’t on the reservation list.’
I looked up at him. He was at least six inches taller
than me. ‘How do we get on your “reservation list’”?’
I demanded as I made finger quotes in the air. My
friends, Nate and Aaron, and I had dressed up. We had
driven across town to come to Zara’s because the new
club was famous and we wanted to check it out. But
now the bouncer was blocking our way and I wanted
to know why.
Chapter 1 — Waiting at Zara's 29

The bouncer did not reply. Instead, he looked over
my skinny shoulder. There was a long line of people
behind me. He began to examine the group.
‘How do I get in?’ I asked again as I snapped my
fingers trying to get his attention.
‘You don’t,’ he said. He waved at the next guest in
the line to come forward. It was a beautiful girl.
When I saw her, I had an idea. ‘Wait, wait!’ I
protested. ‘Our girlfriends are already inside! They’re
waiting for us.’ It was a complete lie, but Iwas hoping
the bouncer would buy it.
Aaron looked at me strangely, as if I was crazy. ‘Jack,
what are you doing?’ he whispered in my ear. He was
a good-looking guy, but he was also shy. He never took
any risks.
‘Be quiet,’ I whispered back. I didn’t want the
bouncer to hear us. But he did. He rolled his eyes
and tried to ignore me again.
‘No, really,’ | persisted. ‘Our girlfriends are inside,
Waiting for us. You have to let us in.’
The huge man lifted a red velvet rope to let a
blonde girl pass.
‘Thanks, Bruce,’ she said with a smile as she walked
past. I could smell her perfume and tried to follow her
in, but Bruce, the bouncer, stopped me and shook his
head.
‘Are your friends really inside?’ the bouncer asked.
‘Yes,’ I answered. ‘Our girlfriends! We’re not here to
make trouble. Just to meet our friends.’
‘Our girlfriends, he means,’ added my friend Nate.
I smiled at him. Good thinking, Nate!
30 Persistence Pays
The look on the bouncer’s face was doubtful. He
rubbed his bald head. Then he lifted his clipboard
again. ‘OK. What are their names?’
‘Their ... names?’ I asked.
“Yeah, their names,’ the huge bouncer repeated. ‘The
names of your “girlfriends”,’ he said again, making
finger quotes and rolling his eyes as he spoke.
‘Uh, well ...,’ I began. I didn’t know their names ...
because they didn’t exist! ‘Uhh ... umm ...’
I looked at Nate in desperation. He had nothing.
I looked at Aaron. He was hiding his face in
embarrassment. I turned back to the bouncer and tried
to think of something to say.
‘You're done,’ the man said. He smiled and pushed
me aside. ‘Next!’
Nate, Aaron and I looked at each other in disbelief.

Now what? We decided to go across the street to a café
for some coffee.
‘That was dumb, Jack,’ Aaron said as he took off his
jacket. He had put on his favourite clothes to come
out. With his good looks, he could be an actor or
model, but his attitude was always negative. He was
just so shy and he was always too scared to do things!
I did feel bad because it had been my idea to go
out. Everyone knew it was impossible to get inside
Zara’s without a reservation ... and reservations were
impossible to get. But I had wanted to try.
We sat down at a table as a waiter came to take our
orders. Nate ordered a black coffee along with two
chocolate doughnuts.

Nate was very different from Aaron. He was more
adventurous and had a pretty positive attitude. He was
willing to try anything. He also loved sweet things, like
doughnuts and chocolate, so he was a bit overweight,
but it didn’t bother him in the least.
‘I'll have the same,’ Aaron told the waiter. ‘But plain
doughnuts, please.’
‘And what would you like, sir?’ the waiter asked me.
‘I would like to know how to get into that nightclub,’
I said, pointing across the street.
‘Zara's?’ asked the waiter. ‘You can’t get in there.
Not without a reservation ... or a date,’ he said. ‘Unless
you're a beautiful woman, of course. It’s easy for the
ladies to go in. They want more girls inside.’
‘Why?’ Aaron asked.
‘Because then the guys will go there and spend lots
of money!’
I nodded and gave him a look. ‘Well, that’s unfair.’
The waiter just shrugged his shoulders. ‘Maybe,
but that’s life. If you want to get into Zara’s, you'll
have to find someone to go with you. So, do you want
to order anything?’
‘Just coffee with milk. No doughnuts,’ I replied.
After the waiter left, I looked at my friends. ‘Who

eats doughnuts at ten o’clock at night anyway?’
Nate and Aaron looked at each other. ‘We do,’ they
answered together.
I sighed and crossed my arms. It looked like I was
going to be spending my Saturday night with these
two — again! I couldn’t believe it.
32 Persistence Pays
After our coffee and doughnuts were finished, we
paid our bill and headed to the door. It was then that
I noticed three girls sitting at a table near the window.
They were talking and laughing as they finished their
food and drinks.
‘Guys, look,’ I said to my friends, nodding towards
the girls. ‘What if ...’
‘No,’ Aaron said, cutting off my sentence. ‘Jack, let’s
just go home.’
‘Wait a minute, Aaron. What, Jack?’ Nate asked.
‘Should we talk to them?’
I combed my black hair back with my fingers. ‘Yeah.
Why not? I just lost my job. All I want to do is have
some fun, maybe dance a little. Let’s just try talking
to them. We can see if they’ll come in with us. What’s
the worst thing that can happen?’
Aaron stared at me in disbelief and replied, ‘They
could say no and laugh in our faces. That’s what!’
Nate punched Aaron on the arm. ‘Come on, Aaron!
Stop being so negative!’ he said. ‘Jack is right. We can
ask them. Maybe they’ll want to go with us to Zara’s.
If we get inside, they can stay with us. Or they can
leave us if they want to. Either way, we’ll be in the club
and we can have some fun.’
The girls were watching us. One of them, a girl

with red hair, leaned across the table. She whispered
something to her friends and they nodded. None of
them was smiling.
I was really nervous but decided to go forward with
our plan. I walked over to their table. My friends stayed

behind me. ‘Hi, my name is Jack Cruz. No relationship
to Tom Cruise,’ I said, making a bad joke.
‘Clearly,’ the redhead said, raising her eyebrows. Her
friends laughed and I laughed with them ... a little.
‘Would you like to go to Zara’s with us?’ I began.
‘The bouncer wouldn’t let us in, but we think we could
get in if we had dates.’
The smallest of the three girls gave us a strange look
and said, ‘Dates? We don’t even know you!’
‘I know,’ I said. ‘But it’s not like a real date. We
would just go in together, and if you want to hang
out, we'll hang out. If you don’t, we’ll go our separate
ways. Come on, let’s just try! Don’t you want to see
inside Zara’s?’
The girls looked through the window at the long
line in front of the nightclub. Then they looked at
each other. ‘Well, first of all, we don’t need you to get
inside,’ said the redhead. ‘But ... I guess we can help
you out. I might have connections.’ She looked
at her friends and they laughed and stood up. The
redhead then took my arm and added, ‘By the way,
my name’s Caprice.’
34 Persistence Pays
Chapter 1 Review
Summary
Jack Cruz has lost his job. He and his friends Nate and Aaron
go to a nightclub named Zara’s to have some fun. They can’t
get in because they don’t have reservations or dates. They go
across the street to have coffee and doughnuts in a café. They
see a group of girls there. They ask the girls to go to the club
with them so they can get in. The girls laugh at first, but then
agree to join Jack and his friends.
Vocabulary
block (someone’s way) to stop people or things from getting
through
check out (someone or something) (s/ang) to find out what
something or someone is like
persistence the ability or quality of doing or saying things in a
determined way
bouncer someone whose job is to keep out people who are not
wanted in a club, bar, etc.
clipboard a piece of strong paper or wood with a metal part at
the top that you fasten paper to and write on as you move around
frown to look as if you are angry, worried or thinking a lot by
moving your eyebrows (lines of hair above your eyes) and the
corners of your mouth down
finger quotes if someone makes finger quotes, the person holds
both hands up shoulder-width apart and moves the top halves of
the first two fingers up and down quickly; finger quotes are often
used to show one is joking or not serious
line (Am. Eng.) (Br. Eng. queue) a row of people, usually waiting
for something
examine to look at something carefully
snap one’s fingers to rub your finger and thumb together in a
quick movement to make a sudden, sharp noise

buy (a story) (s/ang) to believe
whisper to talk very quietly so that other people cannot hear
risk something that could cause problems or danger in the future
roll one’s eyes to move your eyes upwards, especially to show
that you are annoyed
persist to continue to do or say something
red velvet rope a soft rich-looking thick string often used to keep
people in or out of a special place
doubtful not certain about something
exist to be
disbelief not believing something
nod to move your head up and down, especially to agree or to
say ‘yes’
shrug (one’s shoulders) to raise and lower your shoulders in a
movement that shows you do not know something or that you
do not care about it
(have) connections to know or be in contact with people who
can help you
1) Why can’t Jack and his friends get into Zara’s?

a. They’re too early for their reservation.
b. The club is too full to let people in.
c. The bouncer won't let them inside.
d. They don’t have enough money to get in.
2) What gives Jack an idea about how to get inside?

a. He sees a beautiful girl go inside.
b. He sees a handsome man go inside.
c. He sees a couple go inside.
d. He sees a café.
36 Persistence Pays
3) What are the main differences in Jack’s, Nate’s and Aaron’s
attitudes?
a. Jack and Aaron aren’t really in the mood to have fun,
but Nate really wants to go to the club.
b. Jack and Nate have positive outlooks while Aaron is
negative most of the time.
c. Nate is really shy while Aaron and Jack are really
outgoing.
d. None of the above.
4) Why doesn’t Aaron want to talk to the girls?

a. It’s late.
b. He’s worried about being embarrassed.
c. He doesn’t want to go to the club any more.
d. He doesn’t like the girls.
5) Thegirls__.
a. can’t get in without the boys
b. are angry for being bothered
c. say they will help
d. will not help

Chapter 2 — We're In!
‘Let me talk to the bouncer,’ I said confidently, as the

six of us left the café.
‘No,’ Caprice said. ‘Let me. You couldn’t talk your
way in before.’
She smiled sweetly at me as I began to protest, but
Nate nudged me in the stomach. ‘She’s right. Give
her a chance.’
We started walking towards the back of the line.
Caprice grabbed my hand suddenly and ran towards
the bouncer. The others followed even though no one
had a clue what she was planning.
‘Excuse me, Bruce?’ Caprice shouted as we
approached, waving her hand in the air. She stopped
only inches away from the huge bouncer. ‘You are
Bruce, aren’t you?’
‘Do I know you?’ the man asked in surprise.
‘You were supposed to let my boyfriend in earlier,’
she said, pointing at me. ‘What happened?’
‘Uh ... his name wasn’t on the list,’ said the man
nervously.
‘The list? Do you mean the fake list?’ she asked,
grabbing at his clipboard. He pulled it away from her
and held it up, but she was persistent. ‘Get real! It’s a
bunch of fake names on a piece of paper.’
‘You don’t know what you're talking about!’ Bald
Bruce said loudly. He then bent down to get closer to
38 Persistence Pays
her. It was as if he didn’t want the rest of the line to
hear what he said. Then he whispered, ‘And so what
if it is fake?’
‘Do you know a woman named Zara Bernhart?’
Caprice asked casually.
Bruce gave her a strange look. ‘The owner?’ he asked.
‘Yeah, the owner. The owner of the club,’ replied
Caprice quietly. She then reached into her handbag
and took out her driving licence. She showed it to
the bouncer and his eyes opened wide. ‘I’m Caprice
Bernhart,’ the redhead said confidently. ‘Zara’s my
mum.’
‘We're in! That was awesome, Caprice!’ I said,

brushing my black hair out of my eyes as we walked
into the club. ‘I had no idea who you were!’
‘Were?’ Caprice said, leading me to the front bar. ‘I
still am Zara’s daughter, you know! So what are you
having?’
Several customers were trying to get the helpless
bartender’s attention. But when he saw Caprice,
he walked directly over to her. ‘Nice to see you!’ he
shouted over the music. ‘Can I get you something,
Caprice?’
PAS colauesieesaidanandy..., shevlookedeatpme
expectantly.
‘Me, too,’ I shouted over the music.
‘What?’ the bartender asked. ‘Sorry, I couldn’t hear
you, man!’
‘T’ll have a cola too!’ I yelled.
Caprice seemed surprised by my order. ‘Don’t you
drink alcohol?’
Chapter 2 - We're In! 39

‘Nope,’ I said, smiling. ‘I’m just here to dance and
have some fun!’
The bartender brought our drinks and we took

them to a table in the corner. ‘Your friends have
disappeared,’ said Caprice, looking around.
‘see one of them on the dance floor,’ I said, pointing
to Nate. He was dancing like a crazy man with the
smallest of Caprice’s friends. ‘They seem to be getting
along. Look, at those smiles.’
‘What about the other one?’ Caprice replied, looking
around again.
‘Aaron? He’s ...’ I began as I looked around. ‘Gone!’
I couldn’t see Aaron anywhere. I took my phone out of
my pocket to check my messages. .
Yes, he had texted me:
Sorry, guys, I decided to go home.

I’m not really good with new people.
Typical. Aaron never took chances! ‘Um ... looks

like he decided to go home,’ I explained.
Caprice just smiled. I smiled back.
Suddenly we were interrupted. ‘Hey, guys,’ called

Caprice’s friend who wasn’t dancing. She walked up to
our table. ‘What’s up?’
‘Where were you?’ Caprice asked. ‘Did you scare
Aaron away?’ she joked.
‘I guess so,’ her friend replied, laughing. Then she
looked at me. ‘By the way, what’s your name again?’
‘Jack,’ I said. ‘And I’m sorry, you are ...?’
40 Persistence Pays
‘I’m Susan. The other girl out dancing is Aisha,’ she
answered, pointing to the dance floor. ‘Anyway, your
friend Aaron was strange!’ she continued.
‘He’s not strange, he’s just shy,’ I said. ‘As The
Smiths’ song goes, “Shyness is nice, and shyness can
StOpyouw
‘“.,. from doing all the things in life you’d like to!”
Caprice finished. ‘I love that song!
‘Really? The Smiths are one of my favourite bands,’
I replied.
‘Me too,’ Caprice said, smiling.
I couldn’t believe my luck. Not only was she
beautiful, but she had great taste in music!
Susan just looked at us and rolled her eyes.
She wasn’t too happy about Aaron, but she was still
smiling. ‘Fine. I’m going to get something to drink,’
she said. She began walking away, but before she left
she called out, ‘Have fun on your date!’
I smiled. I was happy to hear someone say Caprice

and I were on a ‘date’. ‘Thanks again for helping us,’ I
said to Caprice. ‘It was a hard week for me. I lost my job.’
‘Oh, that’s terrible!’ said Caprice sympathetically.
‘What was your job?’ she asked with a concerned
look.
Why did I tell her I’d lost my job? She'll think I’m a
loser! I thought. ‘Actually,’ I began, after deciding to be
honest, ‘I did that,’ I said, pointing to the bar. ‘I was a
bartender.’
Caprice bit her lip. She was thinking of something.
Then she just smiled and said, ‘So, is Zara’s everything
you dreamed of?’
Chapter 2 —- We're In! 41

I looked around the club. It had an expensive sound
and lighting system with big loudspeakers on the
walls. A professional DJ was playing the best music
and the dance floor was packed. But there were also
plenty of seats for people to sit and talk.
‘I love it,’ I said. ‘I would come here every week if
I could.’
‘Is that a hint?’ said Caprice, laughing.
‘Yes,’ I said. ‘I mean, if you want to act like you’re
my date again. I’d love to call you ... if you give me
your phone number.’ Oh man! Why do I sound like such
a loser! | thought.
Caprice just grinned and put out her hand.
I reached out to take it in mine, but she stopped me.
‘No, give me your phone.’
‘Oh,’ I said, reddening with embarrassment.
I handed over my phone. She took it and added herself
to my contacts list.
‘There. So now you have my phone number,’ she
said with a smile, handing back my phone. Then she
added, ‘Don’t share it with anyone, please. It’s private.’
‘Never!’ I replied quickly. I immediately dialled
the number and watched her phone light up. ‘Now
you have my number too,’ I said. ‘But you can share
mine with everyone,’ I joked. ‘I don’t mind. Nobody
ever tries to call me.’
‘Yeah,’ replied Caprice. ‘But your mother doesn’t
own a nightclub. Does she?’ she asked, with a raised
eyebrow.
‘I don’t think so,’ I said, laughing. ‘Listen, I really
want you to know ... I really didn’t know who you
were when I talked to you in the café.’
A2 Persistence Pays
‘I believe you,’ she said. ‘I know you weren’t just
trying to use me.’
‘Well, I was trying to use you,’ I admitted. ‘I wanted
to use all three of you to get into the club. But at least
I was honest about it.’
This time, Caprice laughed and looked away. Maybe
I just need to shut up, | thought.
Caprice looked at her watch. ‘Well, I need to get
going soon,’ she said. ‘I told my roommate I’d be
home before eleven.’
“You should live for yourself, not for others,’ I said.
‘I read that on a card or something.’
Caprice gave me a wide grin. ‘I agree with that
100 per cent! But my roommate lost her keys to the
apartment. Do you really think I should make her wait
outside while I stay here with you?’
I made an innocent face. ‘I don’t mind if she
waits,’ I said, laughing.
‘Typical,’ she said, standing up. ‘You have my
number.’
‘Yep, and you have mine,’ | said, getting up with
her. I wanted to walk her to the exit. ‘Let’s see who
calls the other first. We could place a bet.’
For a moment, her face turned serious. ‘Never bet
against me or my family, Jack. We never lose.’ Then
she smiled and winked before walking quickly
towards the door. She was funny -— really funny — and
she seemed interested in me! I followed along, shaking
my head. How could I be so lucky? | thought.
Chapter 2- We're In! 43

Chapter 2 Review
Summary
Jack and his friends get into Zara’s Nightclub with the help
of a woman named Caprice. She is the daughter of the club’s
owner and uses her connections to get past the bouncer. Jack
and Caprice talk and have fun as Nate dances with Caprice’s
friend, Aisha. Aaron leaves because he doesn’t feel comfortable
with new people. Caprice’s friend Susan jokes that she thinks
Aaron is strange and leaves to get a drink. Caprice gives Jack
her phone number. She then leaves early to let her roommate
into their apartment.
Vocabulary
protest to complain in a loud voice or in a strong way
nudge to push someone or something gently, especially with your
elbow
not have a clue an informal phrase meaning to know or
understand nothing about something
fake not real, but made up
expectant thinking that something good will happen
disappear if someone or something disappears, they go
somewhere where they cannot be seen or found
sympathetically in a way that shows caring and understanding
of other people’s feelings
concerned worried or caring about someone or something
loser (slang) an informal word meaning someone who never
seems to succeed at anything
grin to give a big smile
immediately now or without delay
use (someone) to treat someone in an unfair or unkind way in
order to get something you want
make an innocent face to look as if you are not trying to to do
something bad
44 Persistence Pays
admit to agree that something is true
place a bet to take a chance at losing money or something
important by trying to guess the result of a competition
wink to shut one of your eyes and open it again quickly, as a
friendly or secret sign to someone
Select only one answer for each question.
6) Caprice gets the bouncer to let them into the nightclub

byges-.
a. giving him money
b. punching his arm
c. showing him proof that her family owns the club
d. lying
7) How does Caprice act when Jack tells her that he lost his
job?
a. unsympathetic
b. happy
c. embarrassed
d. caring
8) Aaron sends Jack a message on his phone. Aaron __.

a. has left with another friend
b. is on the dance floor with the girl he met
c. left by himself
d. wants to come to sit with Jack and Caprice
9) Caprice gives Jack her phone number by ___.

a. writing it on a napkin
b. whispering it in his ear
c. calling him
d. putting it into his phone herself
Chapter 2 - We're In! 45
10) How do you think Jack feels about Caprice by the end of
the night?
a. Caprice is interesting but not all that much fun.
b. He doesn’t think Caprice is good enough for him to
date.
c. Caprice is not interested in him because she is going
home.
d. Caprice is mysterious and interesting.
46 Persistence Pays
Chapter 3 — Luck Had Nothing to Do with It!
[ waited three days before calling Caprice. It was a long
three days and it was hard to wait, but I did it.
‘You lose,’ Caprice said when she answered the
phone.
‘We didn’t bet, remember?’ I replied, laughing. ‘So,
I was wondering ... what are you doing tonight?’
Caprice paused and didn’t say anything for a
moment. ‘Well, my parents are having a small party at
home,’ she began. ‘Some business partners are coming
to the house to talk about the nightclub. They want to
see how it’s doing.’
‘Are you going to go?’ I asked.
‘Yes, because they want the opinion of a younger
person,’ she continued. Then she paused for a moment
before adding, ‘Maybe you should come over too!’
I laughed. ‘Are you kidding? You want me to meet
your parents? And you want me to give my opinion of
their club? I’m not so sure about that.’
Caprice didn’t laugh with me. ‘Yes. I want you to
come. Why not? I think you’re a very honest person
anid 5
‘But you don’t know me!’ I objected.
‘I have good intuition about people, Jack. Can you
meet me at eight?’
Chapter 3 — Luck Had Nothing to Do with It! 47

We met outside Caprice’s apartment and took her
car to her parents’ home. Their house was a huge
mansion. There were two storeys and at least 20 rooms.
I counted the windows.
‘What are you doing?’ she asked as she drove her car
up the large driveway.
‘I’m counting the windows,’ I answered innocently.
‘Why?’ replied Caprice in surprise.
‘I don’t know. I’m trying to see where the bathroom
is,’ |answered quickly. Aw man! That was a dumb thing
to say, | thought. I’d never been to a rich person’s
house before. Now I was going to have dinner with
rich strangers. And the strangers were the parents
of the girl I wanted to date. I had good reason to be
nervous!
Caprice raised her eyebrow as she looked at me
again. ‘Don’t be nervous,’ she said as she got out of
the car. ‘Just be yourself.’
‘What does that mean anyway?’ I answered, looking
at her in panic. ‘People always say that! “Be yourself!
Be yourself.” Of course I’ll be myself! But that doesn’t
mean people will like me.’
‘OK, never mind! Calm down, Jack. Be somebody
else then,’ she said, shaking her head. She closed the
car door and added, “You're acting very weird, Jack.’
‘Sorry. This whole night is weird,’ I replied. ‘I don’t
know you that well, so I’m nervous about what to say
to you. And now I have no idea what to say to your
parents.’
Caprice just smiled and said with a grin, ‘Just relax —
and really, just be yourself.’
A8 Persistence Pays
Caprice knocked on the door. It was a few moments
before a butler answered. A real live butler! | thought.
Who has one of those?
‘Hi, Jeeves,’ Caprice said, looking over at me.
You have got to be kidding! The butler cannot be named
Jeeves! | wanted to say, but luckily I kept my mouth
shut.
‘Very funny, young lady,’ the butler said, laughing.
‘Come inside. And welcome, Mr ...?’
‘Hi, I’m Jack Cruz,’ I said as I held out my hand. The
butler shook it and explained that his real name was
Peter, not Jeeves, before he took us into a large living
room. There were a dozen people sitting on sofas. Two
of them stood up and walked over to Caprice and me.
‘Hi, darling,’ said a beautiful lady. She looked like
Caprice, but older. ‘Is this your new friend?’ she asked,
turning to me. ‘Hi, I’m Zara,’ she said with a smile.
‘Hi there, I’m Jack,’ I said. I held out my hand but
she didn’t take it. Instead, she grabbed me and gave
me a great big hug and said, ‘Welcome, Jack.’
A handsome man with grey hair walked up behind
her. ‘What can I say? My wife likes hugs,’ he explained.
‘But I’ll just shake your hand.’ His handshake was like
Superman’s. ‘I’m Caprice’s dad. I’m Rich,’ he said with
a smile.
I remembered Caprice’s joke about the butler’s
name. I thought maybe her dad was making a joke,
too. ‘You’re Rich? No kidding!’ I began laughing.
‘You are-funny! “I’m Rich.” As in-“Hey, I'm rich”?’
I continued. ‘Or is it like “Richie Rich”, the cartoon

character? Ha ha, very funny but you can’t fool me
again!’ I kept talking and laughing. Then I looked at
Caprice. She wasn’t laughing.
‘No, it isn’t a joke,’ Caprice said. ‘My dad’s name is
Richard. People call him Rich.’
Zara laughed out loud. ‘I like your friend, Caprice,’
she said. ‘He’s fun! Please sit down, Jack. Let’s chat.’
Caprice’s mother and I talked for a few minutes in

the living room. Then we all moved to the dining room
for a delicious vegetable curry. After dinner, everyone
started to talk about the nightclub business.
‘So, Jack. What was your impression of the place?’
Zara asked.
‘My impression?’ I replied, looking around
nervously. ‘Well, the first thing I saw was the bouncer.
He wasn’t rude, but I don’t believe his “reservation
list” is real.’
‘You think the reservation list is fake?’ Zara asked,
grinning. ‘Why do you think that?’
Caprice and I smiled at each other. ‘I told him it
wasn’t real, Mum,’ Caprice said.
Zara started laughing. ‘OK. You caught me. But so
many people want to come to the club,’ she explained,
moving her necklace around her shirt collar. ‘We have
to be careful. We can’t let everyone inside. There just
isn’t enough room.’
‘There is another reason,’ Caprice’s father said,
giving his wife a glance. ‘Some people want to come
into the club but they don’t want to spend money.
Other people come to the club to spend money. At the
50 Persistence Pays
end of the day, it’s a business. We want customers with
money, so we use the bouncer as a way to pick and
choose who gets in.’
Zara smiled nervously. You could tell she didn’t
like to talk about details like money. ‘So, what do you
think about the inside of the club?’ Zara continued,
still smiling. ‘Did you like it?’
I remembered the poor bartender. He was good,
but he just had too many customers. I had been a
bartender, too. I knew it was a hard job. ‘Um, well,’
I began. ‘I liked the inside, but you need an extra
bartender at the front bar,’ I said confidently. ‘Your
guy needed help. He had too many customers. There
was a very big crowd and he couldn’t Keep up. | felt
sorry for him.’
‘T agree,’ Zara commented. ‘It’s the first bar that
people see so it’s always crowded, but we just can’t
seem to find any good help. Everyone gets frustrated
after a few nights and quits because they can’t keep up.
Do you know any good bartenders who need a job?’
I looked over at Caprice. She was grinning from ear
to ear and nodding. ‘Mmm, yes,’ I said. ‘I do know a
great bartender that needs a job. He’s fast, dependable
and quite a catch.’
Zara raised her eyebrows. ‘And who is that?’
‘Me,’ I replied confidently. ‘I bet I’d be a big help at
your club.’
Caprice continued grinning and added, ‘Now that’s
a bet you can take, Mum!’

By the end of the month, my life had turned
around completely. I had a new job and it was at Zara’s
Nightclub! My new girlfriend, Caprice, came to visit
me there almost every night. I had a lot of new friends,
including the other bartender, Dennis, and even Bald
Bruce the bouncer. My friends Nate and Aaron could
hardly believe it.
‘You are so lucky, Jack,’ Aaron said one night as I
was telling him about all the recent developments.
He was shaking his head. ‘Stuff like that never happens
to me,’ he continued. ‘It’s guys like you who have all
the luck.’
‘Luck?’ I asked Aaron, my eyes wide with surprise.
He was sitting alone next to Nate and Nate’s new
girlfriend, Aisha. Across from him, Caprice and I were
holding hands. And we were all sitting in the VIP seats
at Zara’s.
I looked around and said, ‘You’re wrong, my friend.
Luck is not the reason for all this. Luck had nothing
to do with it. It was persistence. You gave up and went
home that Saturday night. Nate and I didn’t. We made
the best of it and got all that was coming to us. We
persisted, Aaron. And in this life, persistence pays.’
‘And luckily,’ Caprice said, grinning at me, ‘Jack has
plenty of that!’
52 Persistence Pays
Chapter 3 Review
Summary
After three days, Jack calls Caprice. She invites him to meet
her parents and give them his opinion of Zara’s Nightclub.
Jack is very impressed by her parents’ mansion. He is also
very nervous. They have dinner and then Zara asks for Jack’s
opinions about the club. He mentions that the club needs a
new bartender. He then explains that he has experience in
that area. In the end, Zara gives him a job. Later in the month,
Jack talks about all the good things that have happened to
him. His friend Aaron says it’s only luck. Jack explains that the
luck only came to him because he was persistent.
Vocabulary
object (v.) to point out that you think something is wrong
intuition an idea that something is true, based on your feelings
instead of knowledge
mansion a very large, expensive house
panic a sudden strong feeling of fear or worry that makes you
unable to think calmly
butler a male servant who looks after a rich person, or who is
responsible for the other servants in a rich person’s house as a job
Jeeves Jeeves is a classic and popular name for butlers in movies
and stories
impression an idea or feeling that you get about someone or
something
glance a quick look
keep up to move at the same speed as someone else
frustrated having the feeling of being angry or annoyed because
you cannot do or achieve what you want
dependable able to be trusted to do what you want or need

(be a) catch (s/ang) to of great benefit to a situation, to be
someone who is good to have around
development a new event in a story or situation
11) Caprice invites Jack to___.

a. dinner at her apartment
b. a night of dancing at Zara’s Nightclub
c. a dinner at her parents’ home
d. a job interview with her mother
12) Jack is nervous about __.

a. meeting Caprice’s parents
b. going on another date with Caprice
c. driving with Caprice
d. the fact that he does not have a job
13) Why does Caprice introduce her parents’ butler as

‘Jeeves’?
a. She is joking.
b. The butler’s name really is Jeeves.
c. The butler’s name is Bruce but he doesn’t like it.
14) When Zara meets Jack, she __.

a. shakes his hand
b. introduces him to her husband
c. laughs at him
d. gives him a hug
54 Persistence Pays
15) The first thing Jack says about the nightclub is that he
a. would change the name of it
b. would hire another bartender
c. doesn’t believe there is a reservation list
d. wants a job there
Chapter 3 - Luck Had Nothing to Do with It! 55

56
A Terrible Town
Chapter 1 — A Big Adventure

“You two can go on your big adventure,’ Ari explained,
‘but I am staying home!’
‘No, you are not. You are coming with us!’ Denza
tried to pick up her friend. Ari kicked her in the knee
and she had to put him down. Ari was 80 years old.
He was a tough guy — but not a human guy. Ari was
a Silwok. He had long white hair and long, wrinkly
fingers, but Ari was, in fact, actually very young — for a
Silwok. Compared to humans, he was a teenager.
‘No, I’m staying home,’ Ari repeated. ‘I will not
change my mind. I do not want to go on some
adventure. The world is a dangerous place. I don’t
want to look for treasure and [| don’t want to fight
anybody. You can keep your “Big Adventure” idea to
yourself, Denza.’
Denza raised her hairy arms in the air. ‘I give up! Go
ahead. Be boring. Lummp and I need some excitement.
And we’te going to find it,’ she said.
Denza was also a Silwok, but she was very loud and
playful. Most Silwoks were not. She loved adventure
and wanted to do exciting things. Most Silwoks did
not. That’s why Denza always hung out with Lummp.
Lummp was a Glowman. Glowmen loved travel,
Chapter 1 — A Big Adventure 57

they loved adventure, and they really loved gold and
treasure. In fact, their favourite thing in the world was
treasure. So the thought of going on a treasure hunt
with Denza was most appealing for Lummp.
No one really-knew how old Lummp was. Lummp
liked to talk a lot, but no one really understood him.
He did not speak the Silwok language; however, he
could write it a little. Therefore, he always carried a
notebook and wrote things on paper so people could
understand him.
As Denza spoke, Lummp was looking out of the

window. Suddenly, he began writing quickly in his
notebook. He showed it to Ari. ‘Ari,’ the note said,
‘you can stay at home.’
‘Thank you,’ Ari said. Then he looked at Denza.
‘See? Lummp agrees with me. We don’t need so much
adventure in our lives.’
‘I don’t agree with you,’ Lummp wrote. He pointed
out the window. Far away was a cloud of dust. Horses
were coming. Ari could see humans on the horses.
Humans! thought Ari. I can’t believe my eyes.
‘Aha! I see, Lummp,’ Denza said with a smile. ‘We do
not have to leave for adventure. Adventure is coming
to us:
Lummp nodded slowly as he continued to look
out of the window.
Ari, Denza and Lummp ran outside. Everyone in

their small town was there. Bird’s Field was a very
quiet place. Most of the townsfolk of Bird’s Field were
Silwoks, but there were a few Glowmen as well. There
58 A Terrible Town
were certainly no humans, and visitors were rare.
Everyone was very curious about the approaching
strangers.
As they came closer, the townsfolk could see that
the strangers were dressed oddly. One of the men was
wearing a long yellow coat. He was very tall and had a
crown on his head. He was leading a group of several
other men.
When they reached the town, the horses slowed
down. The first horse was large and black. Its rider was
the man in the yellow coat. The crown on his head
was dirty and it was sitting at an odd angle. He looked
like a tired and somewhat crazy king.
The tall man touched his horse’s neck and the horse
stood still. The rider climbed down. He looked like the
leader of the other men. ‘Does anyone here know who
I am?’ he asked in English. The other riders stayed on
their horses. There were eight in total, including the
leader.
‘Why don’t you just tell us?’ asked a small Silwok.
It was Pidor, the baker. Pidor, like most Silwoks,
remembered the old English language. ‘We don’t like
secrets here, human!’
Denza walked forward. ‘Are you a king from the
East?’ she asked.
‘Why do you think I’m a king?’
She pointed to his crown.
The tall man in yellow took the dirty crown off his
head. ‘Perhaps I stole this,’ he said, looking around.
He had a long red beard and bright blue eyes.

Lummp was impressed with the crown. It was made
of gold. It must be heavy ... and worth a lot of money, he
thought.
‘If you stole it,’ said Pidor, ‘then go and give it back.
We don’t like thieves here, either.’
The man laughed. Then he asked, ‘What do you
like, little Silwok? Do you like anything?’
‘We like to be left alone,’ Pidor said, crossing his
arms angrily.
One of the other riders came closer to him. The tall
man waved his hand and said, ‘No, give the old Silwok
what he wants. Leave him alone.’ The rider backed
away.
Next the man in the yellow coat looked back at

Denza. ‘You are almost correct,’ he said. ‘I was a king.
Iam not a king any more.’ He dropped the crown on
the ground.
Lummp wrote a note. He showed the note to Denza.
The note said, ‘Ask him if I can have that crown now.’
Denza shook her head. She ignored Lummp and
asked, ‘What happened? Why did you come to Bird’s
Field?’
The other riders got down from their horses. They
stood next to the former king. ‘These men,’ he said,
looking around him, ‘are probably the last of the
humans. There was a great war in the West. Everyone
was killed. I am not a king any more ... because there
is no one left for me to rule.’
‘Then why have you come here?’ Pidor asked. His
wife stood behind him, hiding their daughters.
60 A Terrible Town
‘Do not fear for your girls,’ said the leader,
scratching his red beard. ‘My name is Yardum,’ he
said, looking around. ‘I am taking these seven men to
the sea town of Spring Field, but we are lost.’
‘My name is Denza,’ Denza said, stepping forward.
‘You need a guide.’
‘Yes, as a matter of fact, I do,’ Yardum said. ‘I have
no money, but I have this gold crown. I will give it to
anyone who helps us,’ he continued, looking directly
at Lummp.
Ari had a question, so he jumped into the
conversation. ‘Why must you go to Spring Field? What
is there for you?’
‘My friends may be there. Perhaps we are not the
last humans,’ the man in yellow explained. ‘I need to
find out, so we’re making the trip.’
Lummp wrote a note to Denza. ‘I want that crown,’
it said.
Denza just looked at him.
Then Lummp wrote, ‘This is our adventure! Don’t
you see?’
Denza nodded; she also wished to go. ‘We'll help
you,’ she said at last.
Ari looked up in surprise. He could not allow Denza

to go with these strangers. She was his friend. And this
was a foolish and dangerous trip. ‘No! You can’t go!’
he said quietly in Silwokish.
Denza shook her head. ‘I’m going,’ she told him in
English. ‘If you want to keep me safe, come with us.’

Ari looked at Denza for a long time. Then he looked
at Yardum and his men. They were waiting for Ari’s
answer. ‘I just want to stay at home,’ Ari said. Then he
looked at Denza and Lummp. ‘But I wili go. I will go to
keep my friends safe.’
Denza smiled. Then she whispered, ‘At last, our big
adventure!’
One of the riders bent and picked up the crown.

He had a long scar on his forehead. He wiped off the
crown and put it in a bag on his horse.
‘It is settled then,’ Yardum said. ‘You,’ he said,
pointing to Lummp, ‘ride with Sadida, the one with
the scar. He will keep the crown for now.’ Then he
added, ‘And you,’ he said, pointing to Ari, ‘ride with
fat Ekin back there. Denza, you can ride with me.’
62. A Terrible Town

Chapter 1 Review
Summary
Ari is a young Silwok. He does not like adventure, but his
friends Denza and Lummp do. Denza is also a Silwok. Lummp
is a Glowman. A group of humans comes to their small, quiet
town. The three friends go out to meet the strangers. The
humans say there has been a war in the West. They say they
may be the last humans. They are going to search for other
humans in a sea town called Spring Field. Ari, Denza and
Lummp agree to go with them as their guides.
Vocabulary
human a person
wrinkly having a lot of folds
treasure valuable objects, especially if they have been hidden
appealing interesting, attractive in some way
say ‘yes’
curious wanting to know about something
oddly strangely
crown a circle made of gold and valuable stones that a king or
queen wears on his or her head at formal occasions
former existing or true in the past but not now
rule to control a country or an area and its people
scratch to rub your nails on your skin, usually because it feels
uncomfortable
foolish silly or stupid
scar a mark that is left on skin from an injury
settled decided or finalized

1) Ari is 80 years old, but he is__.

a. considered an old person
b. considered to be a teenager
c. considered to be wise
d. none of the above
2) Denza and Ari are not humans. They are ___.

a. Lummps
b. Glowmen
c. horses
d. Silwoks
3) Lummp cannot speak Silwok, but he makes himself

understood by ___.
a. writing it
b. singing it
c. speaking English
d. speaking the language of Glowmen
4) Yardum says he was oncea___.

a. king
b. thief
c. baker
d. Silwok
5) The humans are lost and looking for ___.

a. someone to buy their gold
b. other humans
c. a town called Bird’s Field
d. Glowmen
64 A Terrible Town
Chapter 2 — Miners!
After riding all day, Denza, Ari, Lummp and the
humans arrived in Hill Side. Hill Side was a town in
the mountains that was full of miners looking for
jewels. It was also a town that was full of criminals.
This made it very dangerous.
The jewel miners all carried weapons to protect
themselves from thieves. The thieves carried weapons
to get the jewels. There were regularly fights in the
street and no one felt safe. As a result, most of the
people of the town had left. Stores, restaurants and
homes stood empty everywhere.
When the group arrived, the sun had been down

for hours. ‘We must be careful here,’ Ari said. Then he
looked at Yardum angrily and added, ‘We should have
gone around Hill Side. It’s dangerous.’
‘This way is faster,’ Yardum replied. ‘Besides, no one
is going to bother eight large humans.’
‘Maybe not,’ Ari replied. ‘But everyone will bother
two Silwoks. And Glowmen never fight; they just
get even after an attack, so Lummp is no help!’ Ari
looked at his friends. ‘We must stay with the group at
all times. It’s the only way to be safe until we can get
out of here.’
His friends nodded in agreement.
Chapter 2 — Miners! 65
The horses stopped near an empty corner. ‘We are
tired,’ Yardum said. ‘The horses need rest. So do I.’
‘What? You want to stay here?’ Ari asked. ‘We can’t!
Let’s keep going. We can camp outside of town.’
‘We have no camping supplies,’ replied Yardum.
‘Do you want to sleep on the ground with no blanket
or tent?’
‘No, but ...’ began Ari.
‘Then we will rent rooms for the night,’ Yardum said,
riding towards a small hotel. It was the only place still
open on the street. ‘Tomorrow morning, we will leave
early. You will not be scared for long, little Silwoks.’
Denza laughed, but Ari was not happy. Yardum and
his men tied up the horses and walked to the hotel.
‘You said you don’t have any money,’ Ari called
after them.
The tall, bearded man in yellow turned. ‘What?’ he
asked.
‘Back at Bird’s Field ... you said you have no money,’
repeated Ari.
Yardum stared at the little Silwok. ‘That is true.
What’s your point?’
‘How will you pay for the rooms?’ asked Ari.
The humans looked at their leader. Sadida smiled at
Lummp, who wrote a ‘?’ in his notebook. Ekin put his
heavy hand on Ari’s shoulder.
‘It is a good question, little Silwok,’ Yardum said.
‘But don’t worry, I will talk the hotel owner into giving
us rooms. I’m very persuasive when I need to be.’ He
looked around at his men and laughed. Then turned
and walked into the hotel.
66 A Terrible Town
Yardum was indeed very persuasive. He got the
group four large rooms — one for himself, two rooms
for his men, and one for Ari, Denza and Lummp to
share.
Denza took the bed. Ari and Lummp put blankets
on the floor. At least the rooms were warm.
‘I don’t trust him,’ Ari said as he lay trying to sleep.
‘How did he get rooms with no money?’
Lummp wrote a note. ‘Maybe he threatened the
owner of the hotel.’
‘Yes, that’s what I think,’ Ari said. ‘He told the owner
that his men would hurt them.’
‘Keep your voice down,’ Denza said, looking around.
‘You think Yardum is dangerous? Then don’t talk so
loud or he’ll hear you!’
‘’m only saying that we do not know him,’
explained Ari. ‘And now we are spending the night in
Hill Side? This was a bad idea.’
‘Lagree,’ added Denza. ‘Bringing you was a bad idea!’
Lummp laughed.
Ari just rolled over and tried to go to sleep.
Just after the little group finally fell asleep, the door
to the hotel room burst open. Two dark figures ran
into the small room. Ari sat up, but he was hit on the
head. He fell back down, crashing into Lummp. They
heard Denza scream and saw her being picked up.
Someone was kidnapping her!
Holding his bruised head, Ari got up again. He
looked carefully at the dark figures. They were shorter
and rounder than most humans. Their skin was very
pale, as if they did not get much sunlight. Their eyes
were very big, as if to help them see better in the dark.
‘Miners!’ Ari shouted.
One miner held Denza and ran outside with
her. His hand was over her mouth and she was not
making a sound. The other miner stood at the door
for a moment. He looked confused. He was holding
something. It was Denza’s blanket. When Ari shouted
again, the miner ran off into the darkness.
Ari didn’t know what to do. At last, he heard the

humans coming. ‘Miners have taken Denza!’ Ari
shouted when Sadida and Ekin ran into the room.
He pointed in the direction the miners had gone. ‘Go
after them!’ he yelled. ‘They have her!’
Sadida and Ekin gave each other a strange look.
Then Sadida shrugged and they began to run. Ari
followed as best he could.
The miners were very fast. Soon, they came to
a street corner. One went left, the other went right.
‘Which one has the female?’ Ekin asked, running
next to Ari.
‘T can’t tell,’ Ari said. ‘One has her, the other has a
blanket.’
Ekin frowned. ‘Come with me,’ he shouted. ‘We’ll
chase the left one. Sadida, go right!’
Lummp had stayed in the room. Glowmen were

extremely slow walkers and they never ran. When
Yardum and the other humans came into the room,
Lummp wrote down the story of what had happened.
68 A Terrible Town
‘Don’t worry,’ the former king said angrily. ‘My men
will catch those miners. They have taken something
that doesn’t belong to them.’
Lummp gave Yardum a long look. Then he wrote,
‘Denza isn’t a thing.’
Lummp waited with Yardum and the others. After

an hour, Ari, Sadida and Ekin returned. Denza was not
with them.
‘I caught one of the miners,’ Sadida said. ‘But he did
not have the female Silwok. He only carried a blanket.’
‘Did he say where the other miner was going?’
Yardum asked.
‘Yes,’ said Sadida, rubbing his fists with a smile. ‘I
made him talk. The kidnapper is taking Denza to the
sea towns.’
‘Why?’ Ari asked. ‘Are they going to Spring Field
like us?’
Sadida nodded. ‘They will sell her there.’
Ari was surprised. ‘What do you mean, “sell her”?
She is a person, not a horse!’
Sadida looked to Yardum. His blue eyes were very
cold. ‘There is much you do not know about the
world,’ Yardum said to the little Silwok. ‘You have
never left Bird’s Field, have you?’
‘It isn’t safe to leave,’ Ari said.
‘And why isn’t it safe?’ asked Yardum.
‘Because bad things happen in the other towns,’
said Ari quietly.
The leader looked down at his feet. Then he gave
Ari an angry look. ‘Well, in this world, you have to
remember: sometimes bad things come to you,’ he
growled in a low voice.
Ari started crying. Why had he left his town? He
knew he was right to stay at home. This was all Denza’s
fault. And now ... now she was gone!
‘Get dressed,’ Yardum said. ‘We’re leaving for Spring
Field — now!’
70. A Terrible Town

Chapter 2 Review
Summary
Ari, Denza and Lummp travel to the town of Hill Side with
the humans. Hill Side is a dangerous mining town. There are
many miners and thieves. They arrive late at night, so they get
rooms at a hotel. They go to bed, but someone breaks into
the friends’ room. They take Denza and run away. Ari tells the
humans and they run after the kidnappers. The kidnappers
get away with Denza. Yardum tells Ari, Lummp and the other
humans that they are going to Spring Field right away.
Vocabulary
miner someone who works underground to remove valuable
substances like metal, jewels, or gold
jewel a valuable stone, used to make jewellery
criminal someone who has committed a crime
weapon something that is used for fighting, such as a gun or a
knife
get even to do something bad to someone who has done
something bad to you
agreement if people are in agreement, they agree with each other
attack (n.) a violent act against a place or person
supplies food, clothes, medicines, etc. that you need to live or to
do something
persuasive able to make people do what you want, or able to
make people change their opinions
threaten to say that someone will be harmed or hurt, especially if
they do not do something
burst open to open in a loud and forceful way
kidnap to take someone away using force, usually asking their
family or the government for something such as money in
exchange for their safe return
bruise a dark mark that you get on your skin if it is hit
pale light in colour
confused unable to think clearly or understand something
female an animal or person that is able to make eggs and have
babies
chase to run after someone or something to try to catch them
fist your hand when it is closed tightly
growl if a person growls, he or she talks in a deep voice, often
because he or she is angry
fault responsibility for something bad or wrong
6) Hill Side is fullof
a. miners and criminals
b. Silwoks
c. horses and jewels
d. busy stores, restaurants and homes
7) Yardum probably rents rooms by __.

a. giving the manager money
b. giving the manager his gold crown
c. threatening the manager
d. offering the manager his horses
72. A Terrible Town

8) Who does not trust Yardum?
a. Denza
b. Lummp
c. Ekin
d. Ari
9) What do the kidnappers take?

a. Lummp and his blanket
b. the crown
c. Denza and her blanket
d. Denza and the crown
10) According to Sadida, the kidnapper said the miners ___.

a. killed Denza
b. will sell Denza
c. lost Denza
d. want to marry Denza
Chapter 2 —- Miners! 73
Chapter 3 — The World is a Dangerous Place
It took two days to get to Spring Field. The sea town
was beautiful and its sandy beaches were clean and
lovely. The deep blue sea looked warm and full of
life. But there was something very strange about the
town itself. It was nearly empty. There were stores and
businesses, but no one was running them. They were
all closed.
‘Very strange,’ said Ari. ‘Very strange indeed.’ Then
he remembered. He must focus on the big problem and
not worry about little things. Denza was still missing.
She might be here, maybe in one of the buildings. She
might still be the miners’ captive — unless they had
already sold her ...
‘I’ve never seen anything like this,’ Lummp wrote.
‘When we find Denza, we should move here. Lots of
opportunities for making gold!’
In part, Ari agreed. Spring Field looked like a perfect
town. But he didn’t feel comfortable here. ‘There is
something wrong about this place,’ he said to his
friend. ‘Do you feel it?’
Lummp shrugged. Glowmen didn’t feel very much
of anything. They weren’t all that sensitive.
Yardum led the way as they walked through the

empty streets. It seemed like he knew where he was
going.
‘Have you been here before?’ Ari asked Yardum.
74 A Terrible Town
‘No,’ he replied.
‘Where will we begin our search for Denza?’ Ari
continued.
Yardum looked irked. He ignored Ari and waved
to Sadida. Sadida rode his horse closer to his leader’s.
Lummp rode quietly in front of him.
‘What is it, my leader?’ Sadida asked Yardum.
The tall human in yellow pointed at Ari. ‘Tell this
Silwok where we are going.’
Sadida looked at Yardum with surprise. Then he
shrugged his shoulders and turned to Ari. ‘We're going
to the slave market,’ the scarred man said. ‘Your
friend Denza will be there.’
‘How do you know that?’ Ari asked.
‘I know,’ Sadida said, ‘because I’m smart.’ He let out a
short laugh. Then he suddenly turned and rode ahead.
Ari was getting scared. He didn’t like the feeling he

had. ‘Tell me, how do you know where the market is?’
he asked Ekin as he rode behind him. ‘You said you
have never been there. Have you?’
Silence.
‘Have you?’ Ari repeated. ‘Have you been to the
slave market?’
‘Quiet, Silwok!’ Ekin said angrily and pushed his
horse to go faster.
As they rode, Ari looked around. Slowly, he realized

something. He had not seen a single person in Spring
Field. Not one. Then suddenly Ari saw someone, a pale
miner. He was walking towards a building. And there
inside it stood a group of miners. Ari turned and looked
Chapter 3 - The World is a Dangerous Place 75

through the window of another building. There were
miners inside there as well. Far away, he saw another
miner. This one was riding a small donkey!
What’s going on here? thought Ari. Why aren’t
Yardam and his men asking the miners about Denza?
Just then, Sadida and Lummp rode up. ‘Sorry,’
Sadida said to Ari as he took hold of Ekin’s horse and
Ekin got off. ‘Ride’s over.’
Sadida pointed to the left. Not very far way, Ari
saw a large fenced area. It looked like a big cage
for animals. Inside the cage were many Silwoks and
other creatures. It looked like they were all being
held captive.
‘This little town is the biggest slave market in the
West,’ Ekin explained. ‘We bring Silwoks here. The
miners pay good money for them. All the residents —
humans and creatures alike — have been scared away
by the fighting.’ Ekin paused to point to his left. ‘Look.
You can see them there. And what do you know, there’s
your friend!’
Ari looked along the fence of the cage until he saw
her. ‘Denza!’ he yelled. Denza looked up sadly. She was
in the cage. She was alive ... but a captive.
Ari turned angrily to Yardam, who was sitting
nearby on his horse. ‘You work with the miners!’ Ari
shouted. ‘You’re helping them!’
‘Sometimes,’ Yardum said. ‘We bring them a Silwok
or two when we're going to Spring Field to buy guns.
The miners make very good guns. Don’t they, Ekin?’
‘The best,’ Ekin said, smiling and pointing a very
good gun at Ari. ‘Now get off,’ he said as the smile
vanished.
76 A Terrible Town
The humans put Ari and Lummp in the cage. One of
the miners locked the door behind them and walked
away. Denza ran over quickly to greet her friends. ‘I
thought I would never see you again!’ she said. ‘I am
so sorry, this is all my fault.’
‘No, don’t say that,’ Ari said, hugging her. He looked
around. There were at least a hundred Silwoks in the
cage. ‘How long have you been here?’ he asked one of
the others.
‘Not long,’ the young Silwok said. ‘But I hear they
will sell us tomorrow.’
‘Who are they going to sell us to?’ asked Ari.
‘We don’t know. By the way, my name is Ked,’ he
continued. ‘My brother, Hakan, is over there.’ Ked
pointed to a small young Silwok. Hakan did not look
well at all. ‘Hakan has become very ill here,’ he added.
‘He needs help soon.’
‘Yes,’ Ari agreed. ‘We have to escape.’ He seemed
to be one of the oldest Silwoks in the cage, so there
would not be much help. ‘Lummp, what can we do
to get out of here?’ he asked, looking to his friend.
Lummp frowned. He wasn’t a fighter. He didn’t have
any ideas, so he just shook his head.
A few minutes later, Lummp noticed something. Ari

looked on as Lummp carefully watched the miner who
had locked them up. He walked over to his donkey and
did something that Ari did not see. Lummp did see it,
and he suddenly smiled and nodded. Then Lummp took
out his notebook and wrote, ‘It’s getting dark.’ Then he
drew a picture of a donkey and smiled. ‘Wait until it’s
late at night. Then all will be OK. Lummp can fix it.’

Ari and Denza read the note. They didn’t
understand. Lummp just smiled and pointed to the
phrase, ‘Lummp can fix it.’
Ari and Denza then looked at Yardum and his men.

They were talking to some miners. The humans were
laughing. The miners were paying money to Yardum.
Then Sadida took out the crown. The miners were
impressed by the expensive gold crown. They gave
the humans money for it, too.
‘He lied about everything,’ Denza said. ‘He stole
that crown like they stole me!’
Yardum looked in her direction, as if he had heard
her. He smiled. Denza just looked at him as she spat
on the ground and walked away.
Later that night, the humans were gone. They had

taken their money and left. All the Silwoks were on
the ground sleeping. The miners had gone to their
homes, except for a few guards. Most of them were
relaxing and playing a card game. They never had
trouble with Silwok prisoners and expected none now.
A few of their donkeys were standing around near the
cage. The donkeys were not tied up and were free to
walk around.
When everything was quiet, Lummp tapped Ari on
the shoulder. Ari then tapped Denza and Ked. None
of them were really sleeping. They were pretending.
Slowly, all of the captives got up. Lummp, the
Glowman, held out his hand. He began speaking
softly in the language of the Glowmen as his hand
glowed with a small red light. He waved his hand
78 A Terrible Town
at the donkeys and they looked at it. Very carefully,
they walked over to see what the light was. Like all
Glowmen, Lummp was very good with animals. They
seemed to understand the odd language of his people
and respond to it.
Lummp slowly reached out his arm and took a bag
off of one of donkeys. He reached his hand inside the
bag and brought out the key. It had been inside the
bag!
‘So that’s what you saw this afternoon, my friend,’
said Ari happily. ‘You were right. Lummp can fix it!’
Lummp nodded with pride and gave the key to Ari,
who quickly unlocked the cage. By this time it was very
late. The guards were sleeping and the fire was low.
Ari and Denza carefully and quietly took the miners’
weapons and gave them to other prisoners. Then they
gathered all the donkeys and slowly walked away from
the cage as they very quietly escaped Spring Field.
Tomorrow, they would take the long way around
Hill Side and return to Bird’s Field. Ari, Denza and
Lummp would tell their friends and family what had
happened. Then they would return the other prisoners
to their homes, but not for long. Soon, all of the local
towns would unite. Soon they would join together to
fight the miners ... and the humans too, if they had
to. They needed to keep each other safe.
And as for Ari, Denza and Lummp, they were happy
to be safe and home. Although the trip had turned out
to be dangerous, it had taught them two important
lessons: the world is a very dangerous place, and
never — ever — trust a human!

Chapter 3 Review
Summary
Ari, Lummp and the humans arrive in the town of Spring Field.
It is a very beautiful town, but there is something wrong.
There are no people, Silwoks or other creatures there. There
are only miners. Soon, Ari learns Yardum’s secret. Yardam has
been selling prisoners to the miners all along because miners
need workers. He was going to sell Denza and then sell Ari
and Lummp to the miners as well. Once they reach the slave
market, Ari and Lummp soon find Denza. They are locked up
with her in a cage. That night, Lummp gets a key from a bag
ona donkey and all the prisoners escape. The friends return to
their home for a short time. But soon they will come together
with the other prisoners. They will fight the humans and the
miners to keep themselves and others safe.
Vocabulary
captive a prisoner, someone held against his or her will
opportunity a chance to do something or a situation in which
you can do something that you want to do
sensitive being aware of other people’s feelings
irked annoyed or bothered by something
slave market a place where people are bought and sold to work
for others
donkey an animal that looks like a small horse with long ears
fenced area an area that is enclosed or surrounded by a wall
designed to keep something in or out
cage a box or an area with bars around it for keeping animals in
creature any living thing that is not a plant
vanish to disappear suddenly, leaving nothing behind
impressed admiring someone or something very much
spit to force liquid or food out of your mouth
80 A Terrible Town
pretend to try to make something appear true that is not
pride a feeling of pleasure because you have achieved something
11) Which of the following statements is NOT true?

a. Ari feels at home in Spring Field.
b. Ari thinks Spring Field is a beautiful place.
c. The town is almost empty.
d. Spring Field is a good place to get rich.
12) The miners make very good ___.

a. guns
b. crowns
c. businesses
d. fences
13) Yardum sells the Silwoks to the miners. What else does
he sell to the miners?
a. some horses
b. some blankets
c. a stolen crown
d. weapons
14) Lummp sees a miner put a key in ___.

a. a bag on a donkey
b. a blanket on a horse
c. another miner’s pocket
d. Sadida’s hand
15) When the Silwoks return home, they __.

a. have a party
b. fight the humans
c. gather people to fight
d. go back to Hill Side

82
7
x
Z
FZ)
My Friend, the Supercomputer
Chapter 1 — A Successful Operation

‘Congratulations, Tom,’ the French doctor said to me.
She’s young to be a doctor, | thought, but she looks very
smart. She’s also very attractive.
‘The operation was a success,’ she said, smiling at
me. ‘Your brain is now surgically linked to our
supercomputer.’
‘Oh,’ I said. I felt tired. It had been a long operation.
‘Can I have a drink of water?’
‘Not yet, Tom. How do you feel?’ she asked with
concern.
‘I’m thirsty,’ I said. ‘But I feel good. It’s funny, but
I don’t feel any pain.’
‘That’s good,’ she said. ‘Very good.’
I was lying on a bed in the hospital in Switzerland.

There were three people in the small room ... and one
giant black computer.
The computer was bigger than a large refrigerator. It
was a supercomputer — the fastest, smartest computer
in all of Europe. The name of the computer was Titan
2055. The number 2055 referred to the year it had
been built. And I was now connected to it.
Chapter 1 — A Successful Operation 83

‘Of course you don’t feel pain,’ the French doctor
said confidently as she busied herself checking
machines and monitors. ‘The human brain can’t
feel pain,’ she explained. Her name was Dr Sheila
Benoit. She was one of the creators of Titan 2055.
‘Relax now. We'll start the data download soon.’
I looked at the large computer. It contained more
knowledge than all the libraries on Earth. Compared
to Titan 2055, my brain seemed very small and dumb.
‘How much information will you download, Dr
Benoit?’ I asked.
‘All of it!’ interrupted Dr Benoit’s assistant, Professor
Bidwell. He was much older than her, with a white
beard and reading glasses. ‘And why should we wait?’
he added, looking around acting surprised. ‘Your mind
can handle it all right now.’
Dr Benoit gave him a strange look. ‘No, don’t listen
to him, Tom. He’s joking,’ she said. ‘Of course, we’ll be
very careful. We’ll download as much data as possible,
but we plan to keep it safe. We can’t do all of it in one
day.’
‘Would it kill me?’ I asked. ‘Or could my mind really
handle it all?’
Professor Bidwell looked at the young doctor, then
at me. ‘I don’t think it would kill you, but that is my
opinion. And I am not in charge.’
‘No, it would not kill you, Tom,’ Benoit agreed. ‘But
it might make you crazy or cause some issues with your
brain. We don‘t know how much information your
mind can process, so we'll go slowly. We won’t hurt
you, I promise.’ She smiled and patted me on the head.
‘You're too expensive. We don’t want to damage you.’
84 My Friend, the Supercomputer

Later that day, the process of the data download
began. Information slowly started being transferred
from the Titan 2055 to my brain. At first, I didn’t notice
anything, but then I became aware of these new
facts and new pieces of information in my head. They
had been transferred to my long-term memory. The
information was new, but it seemed like I had known
it for a long time.
The computer was feeding me different types
of information: mathematics, history, science,
technologies. I was also learning medicine, police
procedures, fighting tactics, acting techniques ...
there was a lot of variety!
Three hours passed. Dr Benoit and Professor Bidwell
sat quietly near me the whole time. There was also
a third person in the room. He was some sort of
investor, they said. He was very old and wore an
expensive silver suit. When he walked, he used a cane
to help him. I don’t know why, but I knew he was
the owner of EXCO Corporation. His Swiss company
owned the hospital. It had paid for the supercomputer,
and for my operation.
‘Are you almost finished, Sheila?’ the man asked

quietly. ‘You said three hours.’ He pointed to a clock
on the wall. ‘It has been three hours.’
‘Yes, sir,’ she said. ‘I’ll end the download process
soon. Then we'll disconnect him from the computer.’
‘When will the tests be finished?’ the investor
asked. He had spent millions of euros in research and
development and he was ready to learn the results of
this experiment.

‘We'll test Tom tonight and tomorrow. If his brain
has accepted and absorbed the information we
downloaded into his long-term memory, he should be
able to pass the tests,’ Dr Benoit said.
‘Then we’ll link him up again,’ Professor Bidwell
said. ‘We’ll transfer more data tomorrow and then
more the next day, and more the next, and so on.’
‘Excellent,’ the investor said. He stood up to leave.
‘Good job, Tom,’ he said to me with a strange look in
his eye.
‘Thank you,’ I said.
For some reason, I could not remember the man’s
name. I found this very strange because I knew the
name of his company, what the company did, even
what tax reports the company had filed last year. But
I had no idea what to call the man. ‘I’m sorry,’ I said,
‘but I don’t know your name.’
‘That’s all right,’ he said, walking out of the room.
‘You don’t need to know it any more.’
Dr Benoit watched the investor leave. When he was

gone, she turned to the professor. ‘Are you ready to
begin the disconnect process?’ she asked him as she
examined some charts.
‘Are you sure you don’t want to give Tom a little
more?’ asked Professor Bidwell.
She shook her head. ‘He’s had enough. We can’t risk
it. Let’s turn off the data download and disconnect.’
Professor Bidwell pushed a button on a large
machine and looked at me as he said, ‘Good night,
Tom.’

I felt myself getting sleepy and everything went
black. I don’t know how long I was asleep. My dreams
were long and unpleasant. There were dreams of war
and suffering, and of death and destruction.
I finally woke up and opened my eyes. Above me,

I could see the sky and the clouds. That’s funny, 1
thought in surprise. Am I still dreaming? 1 wondered.
Where’s the ceiling?
Then I turned my head and saw the room. It had
been absolutely destroyed. Quickly, I sat up and
looked around. Dr Benoit was on the floor. She was
dead. Professor Bidwell was missing. Only the black
supercomputer, Titan 2055, was all right. It had
remained completely undamaged and was still feeding
me information.
I continued to look around. The rest of the hospital
was completely gone. A huge bomb or something had
exploded and destroyed the entire hospital as I slept.
Far away, I heard someone yelling for help. Further
away, I heard the sound of police cars coming.
There must have been some sort of terrorist attack, |
thought. Then my mind went to a darker place. Or did
this happen because of me? Did somebody try to kill me?
I wondered.
I got up to look around. As I walked towards the
computer, I thought, Poor Dr Benoit. So young. So pretty.
She didn’t have to die. None of these people did.
‘Whoever did this made a big mistake,’ I said to
myself as I slowly unhooked myself from Titan 2055.
‘I’m not dead yet and I will find out who murdered
these people ... and that person will pay!’

Chapter 1 Review
Summary
Tom is in a Swiss hospital room. He has been surgically linked
to a supercomputer by Dr Benoit and her assistant, Professor
Bidwell. The doctors are using the connection to transfer
information from a computer named Titan 2055 to Tom’s
brain. An investor is also in the room, but he leaves before the
transfer is finished. Tom goes to sleep as the doctors start to
disconnect him from the computer. When he wakes up, the
hospital has been destroyed by a bomb. Dr Benoit is dead and
Tom is ready to find out what happened.
Vocabulary
surgically linked joined by a medical procedure
supercomputer a very powerful computer
concern a feeling of worry
monitor a screen that is attached to a computer (a computing
word)
human a person
data download transfer of information to another computer or
storage place
process (v.) to deal with information in several official stages or
on a computer
pat (v.) to touch someone or something gently with your flat
hand in a friendly way
(in) charge controlling or managing something or someone
process (n.) a series of actions or events that have a particular
result
become aware of if you are aware of something, you know
about it
long-term memory information and knowledge that is held in
the mind for a long period of time

procedure a way of doing something or the order in which things
are done
tactic a way of doing something to achieve what you want
investor someone who gives money to a bank or business in order
to get a profit
disconnect to separate one thing from another
prove something
absorb to take something in, usually over time
chart a drawing that shows information
risk (v.) to take a chance and do something that could cause
problems or danger in the future
suffering pain or unpleasant feelings
destruction when something is destroyed
terrorist attack a violent action done by a person or group who
wants to achieve a goal by spreading fear
pay for (something) to suffer or experience something bad for
doing something
1) Which of the following does Tom NOT feel?

a. surprised
b. thirsty
c. tired
d. worried
2) Where did Titan 2055 get part of its name?

a. from its colour
b. from the year it was built
c. from the current year

3) What reason does Dr Benoit give for wanting to be careful?
a. They spent a lot of money on Tom.
b. They spent a lot of money on Titan.
c. She is in love with Tom.
d. She thinks her assistant wants her to slow down.
4) Why does Dr Benoit suggest they stop after three hours?

a. The investor is bored and wants a break.
b. Tom is tired and wants to stop.
c. Too much information could be dangerous for Tom.
d. Too much information could make Tom sleepy.
5) What does Tom think might have happened at the

hospital?
a. a big fight
b. a fire
c. an accident
d. a terrorist attack

Chapter 2 — A Glass of Water
‘What do you remember about the explosion,
Mr Parmenter?’ asked the man in blue.
‘I already told you, I don’t remember anything,’
I said.
The man and I were sitting in a small room at the
police station. There was a large mirror on the wall
and a video camera pointed at me. There was also a
metal table between me and the police officer. I leaned
on it and repeated, ‘I don’t remember anything about
any explosion because I was asleep.’ Then I added,
‘And please, call me Tom.’
A blonde policewoman was recording our
conversation. In her ear was a microphone. Someone
was telling her what to ask me. Someone sitting on the
other side of the mirror.
‘Do you have any idea who blew up the hospital?’
she asked. Her Swiss accent was very strong, but her
English grammar was good. ‘Any idea at all?’ she
repeated.
I looked at the camera that was recording me. Then
I looked at her. ‘Police should not be playing guessing
games,’ I said. ‘Do I have an idea? Of course I have an
idea. It was the owner of the company.’
‘The company? What company?’ she asked. ‘EXCO
Corporation?’
Chapter 2 - A Glass of Water 91

‘Right. What other company is there?’ I asked,
shaking my head. ‘Of course I’m talking about the
owner of the company that paid for the experiment.’
The policewoman stared at me. ‘That does not make
sense,’ she said with a serious look in her eye. ‘Why
would he destroy his own work?’
I gave her my own serious look. ‘How do you know
the owner is a man?’ I asked. ‘You just said “he”.’
She blinked and didn’t answer my question.
‘Continuing our questioning, Mr Parmenter: Do you
think it is a coincidence that you lived but the others
died?’
‘I definitely don’t think it was an accident,’ I said,
standing up. ‘I don’t believe in coincidence. A bomb
destroyed a whole hospital, but I lived. I believe that
was on purpose. And I’m going to find out why.’
I was finished with the interview. The female officer

asked me to sit down. I refused.
‘I said sit down, Mr Parmenter,’ she repeated.
‘And I said to call me Tom,’ I reminded her. I walked
over to the mirror. I took a good, long look at it.
‘There are three people sitting on the other side of this
mirror,’ I said, continuing to look into the mirror. ‘One
of them works for EXCO. He’s the one who’s telling
you what to ask me.’
‘Why do you say that?’ she asked. But her face told
me everything I needed to know. The look on her face
told me the truth — I was right.
‘I’m leaving,’ I said. ‘The interview is over. Open the
door.’

‘Tom, we still have some questions to ask you,’ the
blonde woman said nervously.
‘No, you don’t. You’re asking questions that you
know the answers to,’ I explained as I tried the door.
It was locked. There was an electronic keypad by
the door. Without thinking, I punched in the code
and the door unlocked. ‘You know who blew up the
building. And you know why he did it,’ I said, turning
to look at her as I stood by the open door.
She did not try to stop me from leaving. ‘Why?’ she
asked.
I pointed at my head. ‘To create me,’ I explained
and walked out of the room.
There was a news station across town. | got in a taxi

and told the driver to take me there as fast as possible.
The media was happy to meet with me. We set up a
press conference for later that afternoon and many
news stations and magazines sent reporters. I decided
to give all of them a fantastic story — free of charge.
‘You really don’t want money for your story?’ several
reporters asked. It was hard for them to believe.
‘I only want the truth to be told to the public,’
I announced. ‘People need to know the truth. The
owner of EXCO killed my doctor. He tried to make it
look like a terrorist attack at the hospital, but I know
it was him.’
‘But why would he do that?’ one reporter asked.
‘So his experiment would never end. I was connected
to a supercomputer for several hours, which was
much longer than I was supposed to be. My doctor,
Dr Benoit, wanted to be careful. She only wanted to
Chapter 2 — A Glass of Water 93

download small amounts of data to my brain at first.
When she tried to stop the experiment, well ...’
‘But do you really think ...’ began one reporter.
‘1 don’t “think”,’ I interrupted. ‘I know. I know
EXCO’s owner wanted to keep me hooked up to the
supercomputer for much longer. He and Professor
Bidwell wanted to push me. They wanted to see how
much information a human mind could hold.’
‘So, how much can it hold?’ another reporter asked.
I smiled at the reporter. ‘Too much,’ I said. I thought
for a moment, then continued. ‘Your name is Michael
James Beckett and you’re married with one daughter,
aged 12.’ I went on to tell the total stranger his age,
his address and his parents’ names and address. I knew
where he had graduated from university, what his
grades were and who all of his social media friends
were. I ended by telling him his car’s licence plate
number and how many traffic tickets he’d got last
year. I also told him to stop smoking.
‘How do you know I smoke?’ he asked.
‘It’s in your medical files,’ | explained with a smile.
After a short investigation into what had

happened, the owner of the company was not arrested.
According to the police report, there was no proof
that he had had anything to do with the explosion.
They said that the explosion was an accident and that
there was no foul play involved.
Once the report came out, the investor asked to
meet me privately at his office. ‘Son,’ he began, ‘you
can’t go around making these wild accusations,’ he
said, offering me a drink from the bar in his office.

‘Keep your drink,’ I said, giving him a suspicious
look. ‘I don’t trust you or anything you do.’
‘Fine,’ he said, sitting down in a nearby chair. ‘But if
you say another word about me, I will sue you.’
‘Go ahead, I don’t have any money,’ I said
confidently. I knew he was lying. He wouldn’t sue me
if I didn’t shut up. He would probably have me killed
instead. ‘You know,’ I continued, ‘it’s funny. I know almost
everything about everyone, but I cannot remember your
name. Even when people tell me, I forget it. Why is that?’
‘IT wouldn’t know,’ he said calmly. ‘Maybe it’s a
glitch. Some kind of error in your brain function.
With so much new information inside your head, you
will probably forget some things.’
‘Yeah. Too bad my doctor is dead, huh?’ I said with
a sideways glance as | walked to the window.
‘Look, Tom ... I told you,’ the man said with a heavy
sigh. ‘I had nothing to do with the death of Dr Benoit.
Stop blaming me.’
‘OK. So where is Professor Bidwell then?’ I asked.
‘His body was never found.’
‘That’s a good question,’ the man said. He leaned
over and poured a glass of water from a water jug
on the table next to him. ‘The police told me they’re
looking for him. Maybe he’s the one who did it.’
‘Really? Do you think so?’ I said sarcastically.
I couldn’t believe this guy! I knew he and Professor
Bidwell were working together somehow. I just didn’t
know why.
The man walked over to me and handed me the
glass. ‘Here, at least drink some water.’
Chapter 2 — A Glass of Water 95

I looked at the glass. He looked at me. I had the
feeling that he really wanted me to drink that water.
‘OK,’ I said, taking the glass from him with my left
hand. He reached a little to hand it to me. I slipped
my right foot behind him, like a hook. With my right
hand, I pushed his face as hard as I could. He tripped
backwards and fell hard.
I jumped on him and poured the water into his
open mouth. He tried to spit it out, but I held his
mouth and nose closed. At last, he swallowed it. His
body shook for a few minutes from the poisoned
water. Then he stopped moving forever.
‘Funny,’ I said, looking down at the dead man.
‘People always say to drink more water, but look what
happens when you do.’
I stood, turned and walked quickly out of the room.

Chapter 2 Review
Summary
Tom meetswith police officers in Switzerland. He sees a
microphone in a policewoman’s ear. He decides someone
from EXCO is asking all the questions and leaves. He calls a
news conference. He tells reporters that he thinks the owner of
EXCO Corporation caused the hospital explosion. The police
investigate the incident and say there was no foul play. EXCO’s
owner asks Tom to meet him at his office. He says Tom must
stop accusing him of causing the explosion. If he doesn’t, the
owner will sue Tom. Tom asks where Professor Bidwell is. The
man doesn’t know. The man offers Tom a glass of water. Tom
doesn’t trust him. He makes the man drink it. The man dies
after drinking the poisoned water and Tom leaves.
Vocabulary
explosion when something violently breaks into pieces
microphone an electronic device used for recording or transferring
sound or making sound louder
blink to close and open your eyes quickly
coincidence when two things happen at the same time by chance
electronic keypad a small box that uses number to lock and
unlock doors
press conference an official meeting at which someone gives
information to people who work in television and on newspapers
and answers their questions
announcement when something is announced
(the) public people in general
push (someone) to make someone work very hard
licence plate number a sign on a car with numbers and letters
used to identify it

medical file a history or record of one’s treatments for illness or
injuries
investigation an attempt to find out about something such as an
accident or a crime
proof facts or objects which show that something is true
foul play dishonest behaviour, especially causing someone’s death
accusation a statement that says someone has done something
bad
suspicious feeling or showing that you do not completely trust
someone or something
sue to start a law case to try to get money from a person or
organization that has harmed you
glitch a small and unusual problem that stops something from
working
function the way something works
glance a quick look
sigh a long noisy breath out, often because one is tired,
disappointed or unhappy
blame to say that something is someone else’s fault
water jug (Am. Eng. water pitcher) a container for holding
water or other liquids
sarcastically in a way that is not true to the words being used,
meant as a joke or to mean the opposite of what you are saying
poisoned containing a substance that can kill a person or make
the person very sick

6) Why does Tom speak to reporters?

a. He wants to sell his story for money.
b. He wants to become famous.
c. He wants to meet the owner of EXCO.
d. He wants to tell the public the truth about the explosion.
7) How does Tom know everything about the reporter?

a. The data was downloaded to his brain.
b. Tom read the man’s files during lunch.
c. Tom knows the man from university.
8) What does Tom think about Professor Bidwell?

a. He’s not involved at all in the explosion.
b. He’s now working for Titan 2055.
c. He’s dead.
d. He’s working with the owner of EXCO.
9) Why does the owner want Tom to drink something?

a. He thinks Tom is thirsty after the surgery.
b. He knows Tom feels tired and frustrated.
c. He wants to harm Tom.
d. He wants to sue Tom.
10) How does Tom get the owner to drink the water?
a. He tricks the owner into drinking it.
b. They both drink some water.
c. Tom switches their glasses.
d. Tom pours the water into the owner’s mouth.

Chapter 3 — A Change of Heart
Great. Now the police are after me, | thought. I hadn’t

meant to kill EXCO Corporation’s owner. All I did was
make him drink his own water. Did that make me the
bad guy? I didn’t know. And I guess it didn’t matter.
I was on the run now. If the police didn’t get me,
EXCO would.
All I had tried to do was tell the world what had
happened to me, but I never got to finish my story.
I never got to tell everyone that I wasn’t completely
human any more. The data download from Titan 2055
had changed me into exactly what EXCO wanted — a
‘superhuman’.
My doctor was now dead so I had no way to ‘undo’
what they had done. The only person who might help
me was Professor Bidwell and he was still missing. But
I knew I would be able to find him. I was pretty smart
by then. In fact, I was the smartest living creature
on Earth. (I didn’t count Titan — it wasn’t alive ... yet.)
In the end, it only took me two days to find Bidwell.

He was hiding on the Pacific island of Guam. It was
a good hiding place since it’s so far from Europe, but
after all, it is a very small island. Any sort of stranger
was going to stand out there at some point. And with
access to all his credit card transactions, hotel and
car reservations and all sorts of information, it wasn’t

too hard to track him down. And the one bad thing
about Guam? Once you're there, there’s no place to run.
‘How much did he pay you?’ I asked, sitting on

Bidwell’s chest.
‘Get off of me,’ he said. ‘I can’t breathe.’
‘If you’re speaking, you must be able to breathe,’
| argued. ‘Now talk!’
‘You want to know about Zafar?’ he asked.
‘Is that the owner of EXCO? His name is Zafar?’
I responded.
‘Yes, but you'll forget his name. It’s programmed
into you. He doesn’t want you to know who he is.’
‘I see. So you were working with him?’ I asked.
‘Yes,’ Bidwell answered quietly.
‘Well, I don’t think he’ll care much about names
now,’ I said. ‘The man is dead.’
Bidwell looked shocked. ‘You killed him?’ he asked
quietly.
My feet were crushing his wrists, but I pushed
down more. He cried out.
‘I didn’t kill anyone,’ I said loudly. ‘He gave me a
glass of water. I made him drink it instead. It must’ve
been poisoned.’
‘Then you killed him,’ the professor said, looking
away in disbelief. Then he turned back to me and
said angrily, ‘Don’t make excuses. You’re a murderer!’
‘And so are you!’ I said, standing up. ‘You helped
EXCO blow up the hospital. Didn’t you?’
‘No,’ he said, shaking his head. ‘I swear. | didn’t
know he would do that.’
Chapter 3 - A Change of Heart 101

‘But you disappeared. You weren’t there when the
place exploded.’
‘Zafar had left. Then he called me to meet him
outside.’ Bidwell was trying to sit up. He was breathing
hard. ‘I left to meet him and that’s when the hospital
blew up. After that, I ran away. I was scared.’
‘Scared of what?’ I asked.
‘I was scared the police would blame me. Like you’re
blaming me now!’
‘Well, it does look suspicious, don’t you think?’
I asked. ‘You ran away from a crime scene.’
At last, the old professor stood up on his weak

knees. He searched around the floor for his glasses.
I was holding them.
‘I need those,’ he said softly.
‘Yeah? And I need to know how to undo the
experiment,’ I said angrily. ‘I don’t want to be this
intelligent. I can’t think for myself. There’s too much
information in my brain. I have no thoughts of my
own. I’m not a real person anymore.’
‘Many people would love to have what you have,’
he said. ‘Including me.’
‘That’s because you don’t have it,’ I said slowly.
I tried to calm myself down. ‘If you were like me,
you’d understand. It’s awful. Dr Benoit was right. The
download should have been done a little at a time. It’s
too much information.’
Bidwell sighed. ‘What do you want from me, Tom?’
he began. ‘What is done is done. The laboratory was
destroyed and all the equipment and all the research was
destroyed. Sheila is dead. We cannot go back in time.’

I paused for a moment. He was right. We could
not go back in time and ‘undo’ what had been done.
Finally, | looked up. ‘Not all of the equipment was
destroyed,’ I said, giving him his glasses. ‘Titan 2055
was not damaged.’
‘Then perhaps you should be talking to it, instead
of me,’ Professor Bidwell replied as he cleaned off his
glasses.
‘That’s funny,’ I said, turning to leave. ‘I was just
thinking the same thing.’
The plane ride from Guam back to Switzerland was

very long, but I was happy to get back. I was travelling
under a false identity, so the police could not
follow me. When I returned, I went looking for Titan
2055. They had moved it from the destroyed hospital,
of course, but I knew where it would be — inside the
EXCO Corporation building.
I waited until late at night, then I broke into the
building. Titan was locked in a secure room. However,
getting inside was not a problem. | had access to data
from almost all of the computers in the world. I turned
on the computer system and began speaking to Titan
in its own language —- computer code.
‘Professor Bidwell said something interesting,’ I told
Titan. ‘He said that we cannot go back in time.’
‘Correct,’ Titan stated. ‘Time travel is not yet possible
with our present resources.’
‘So just to be sure, there is no way to go back and
change what happened at the hospital?’ I asked. I had
to be sure.
Chapter 3 — A Change of Heart 103

‘No. Not possible. We cannot go back in time.
The only way is forward,’ Titan replied.
‘I see, then I’m going to need your help, Titan,’
I began. It was going to be a long night.
Together, we worked out the mathematics for

making the data transfer less strenuous for my brain.
It wasn’t hard, but there were parts of the plan that my
organic brain could not figure out. Titan had trouble
with some of the more creative thinking parts. But we
worked as a team and solved the problems.
Bidwell, of course, was right. There was no way
that I could go back and change what had happened.
I would never be able to live my old life. But this bad
news did have one positive effect. It made me have
a change of heart. If I could not go back, I had to
go forward. I had to enjoy my new life, and my new
potential.
I reconnected my mind to Titan, but this time,
instead of downloading data from it, | uploaded
myself to Titan. I was afraid at first. |had no idea what
this new consciousness would feel like or what life
without a body would be like. But once I merged
with Titan 2055, I didn’t want to go back. I didn’t
want to change the past. Why live a short life in a body
when I could live forever in a machine? | thought. More
importantly, why would I want to be just ‘Tom Parmenter’
ever again?
At this point, I am not even just a superhuman. I am

something more. Something I cannot explain to you
... because you're still just a human. You can’t process

or even grasp the concept of what I am. But don’t
worry. Titan and I have a solution to your problem.
We can fix you. We can make you better. Today, you
are only a human, but if we succeed with our latest
plans, you won’t be human much longer.
Chapter 3 — A Change of Heart 105

Chapter 3 Review
Summary
Tom finds Professor Bidwell hiding on the island of Guam.
Tom asks Bidwell if he can change what happened and make
Tom human again. Bidwell explains that he cannot. Then Tom
remembers that the Titan 2055 survived. He decides to talk to
the computer. Tom goes back to Switzerland and finds Titan
2055. The computer says that the past cannot be changed.
Tom decides to enjoy being a computer. He uploads himself to
Titan 2055. In the end, he explains that he and the computer
are now working together. They seem to be working on a
plan to make other humans into computers as well.
Vocabulary
on the run trying to escape, especially from the police
transaction when something is bought or sold
track (someone) down to find someone or something after
looking for them for a long time
argue to give reasons for thinking or believing something
crush to press something so that it is broken or in small pieces
disbelief not believing something
swear to promise
crime scene the place where something illegal or wrong was done
under a false identity using a name and documentation that is
not yours
secure safe against attack or harm

computer code the system of zeros and ones used to give
instructions to computers
resources something that you have and are able to use
strenuous using a lot of effort or energy
organic found in or made by living things
have a change of heart to change the way you think or feel
about something
potential (n.) an ability or possibility that can be developed
successfully in the future
upload to copy computer programs or files from a small computer
to a larger one or to the Internet (a computing word)
consciousness being aware of or knowing about something
merge if two things or organizations merge, they combine or join
with each other
concept an idea or principle
11) Tom finds Professor Bidwell because ___.

a. he followed where the professor was spending money
b. the professor chose a bad place to hide
c. Guam is a long way from Europe
d. he got the information from Titan 2055
12) Was Bidwell working for Zafar?

a. Yes, they blew up the hospital together.
b. Yes, but Bidwell did not help to blow up the hospital.
c. It is not clear.
d. No.
Chapter 3 - A Change of Heart 107

13) Tom leaves Bidwell alone because Bidwell __.
a. can’t help him
b. points a gun at him
c. tries to poison him
d. wants to help him
14) What does Titan 2055 say about time travel?

a. It is simple.
b. It has been done before.
c. It is possible with some new technologies.
d. It is impossible.
15) Why does Tom have a change of heart about being a

computer?
a. He realizes he can’t change what happened.
b. He is afraid to be human again.
c. He wants to harm EXCO.
d. Titan 2055 was damaged and needs his help.

110
Matt McGee and the Secret Soda
Recipe
Chapter 1 — A Boring Tour

Mrs Flickner gave Matt a dirty look as she scolded
him for the third time in 30 minutes. ‘Matthew,’ she
said, ‘Don’t make me tell you again. Stay with the
group! This soda factory is very big and we are guests
here for a school field trip. If any of the workers
here find you in a place where you are not supposed to
be, you'll be in big trouble with them. And even bigger
trouble with me!’
Matt gave Mrs Flickner his most innocent look
and smiled. He knew it was a good smile, but still she
frowned at him even more. ‘Yes, Mrs Flickner,’ he
said. ‘Sorry. I’m just very excited to be here. Uh ... by
the way, when do we get to try some of the soda?’
Mrs Flickner frowned at him a second longer, then
let out a loud sigh. ‘At the end of the tour, Matthew,’
she said. ‘Only at the end.’
With a shake of her head, Mrs Flickner walked back

to the front of the line of students. She then told the
tour guide to continue. Matt’s friend Elaine hurried
over and laughed in Matt’s face. ‘I told you not to
go into that room,’ she said. ‘I told you Mrs Flickner
would be mad.’
Chapter 1 — A Boring Tour 111

Matt gave her a dirty look and kept walking. He and
the rest of his class from school were touring one of
the largest soda factories in the world, Bubbly Brand.
Bubbly Brand made 12 different types of sodas that
were sold just about everywhere, and their latest flavor
~ Cola Cola — was the hottest new thing. People loved
it so much that Bubbly Brand couldn’t keep it on store
shelves. And, of course, every other soda company was
desperate for the recipe.
But Matt didn’t care about any of that. He just felt like
he was stuck in the middle of a long, boring tour. It was
supposed to teach him about big business, science and
a whole bunch of other things, but Matt didn’t really
care about any of it. The first room they had seen was
called the Sugar Room. It was where the syrup and
flavourings for the soda were made. It was supposed
to be interesting, but it was just smelly and made
him sneeze. The second room was called the Bubble
Room. It was where they mixed and carbonated the
drinks. To Matt it was just a room full of nozzles and
dials and it wasn’t all that exciting at all. And the
third room - called the Bottling Room — was where
the soda was put into bottles. It was so noisy that all
he had wanted to do there was to put his fingers in his
ears and get out.
At this point in the tour, all Matt cared about was

getting some free soda, but the tour kept going on
and on and on! That was why he had not thought
twice about stepping away from the group to check
out something strange in the hallway. But then his
112 Matt McGee and the Secret Soda Recipe

teacher had caught him. And now, the next room
didn’t look any more exciting, despite it being called
‘The Laboratory’. ‘I am just so bored!’ he groaned
in frustration.
‘Is that why you went out into the hall?’ Elaine
asked.
‘No,’ said Matt defensively. ‘I thought I saw a guy
sneaking around out there.’
Elaine raised her eyebrows in surprise. ‘Sneaking
around?’ she asked. ‘What do you mean?’
Matt was a little embarrassed, but he continued
anyway. ‘Yeah. This guy, he was like sneaking around,’
he said. ‘You know, tiptoeing along and _ hiding
behind corners and trying not to be seen.’
‘Yeah right,’ she said sarcastically. ‘Why would
someone be sneaking around here?’
‘That’s what I wanted to know!’ Matt said with
excitement. ‘That’s why I went into that hall. I only
got a quick look before Mrs Flickner caught me. It
looked like the guy was trying to get into one of the
rooms.’
‘What’s so sneaky about that?’ Elaine asked. ‘It was
probably just a security guard or something.’
‘Maybe, but it looked like he didn’t have a key. He
had this ... this ... thing that he was using, like a stick,’
Matt explained.
Elaine just rolled her eyes and turned back to the
tour guide.
Matt thought about the situation. Maybe it was a

security guard. Maybe he had forgotten his key. But he
couldn’t believe it. For one thing, security guards wore

uniforms and this guy had been wearing all black,
like he didn’t want to be seen. For another, the guy
had been looking around as if he was afraid of being
caught. And third, he was trying to get into the locked
room with a tool, not a key. Plus the tour guide had
just said that the recipes for Bubbly Brand soda were
worth a lot of money to their competitors, especially
the one for Cola Cola. That’s why the recipes were kept
secret and stored in a special room. Maybe the guy was
trying to steal the Cola Cola secret soda recipe!
‘I’m going to go back and take another look,’ Matt
said to Elaine as he turned away. ‘The guy could be
trying to steal something, like the secret recipe for
Cola Cola soda. It’s worth a lot of money.’
‘Matt, don’t!’ Elaine whispered. ‘You'll get in trouble
again!’
‘Not if you cover for me,’ he said. ‘T’ll only be a
second. And hey, if I’m right and stop the guy from
stealing it, maybe I’ll get free soda for life, right?’
Matt turned away with a smile as Elaine reached to
stop him, but she was too late.
Matt walked quickly to the side door. He slipped

through the door and began to tiptoe quietly down
the hall to the doorway where he had seen the man.
As Matt reached the doorway, he stopped and slowly
looked around the corner.
The man in black was still there, standing in front
of the doors, but now there was a second man with
him. Both of them were trying to do something with
the doorknob. The first man was not happy and kept
whispering angrily at the second man, who seemed to

be telling him to go faster. It didn’t take long for Matt
to realize that the two men really were trying to break
into the room!
‘Hurry up, Jim,’ the second man whispered angrily.
‘Get that door open!’
‘I’m trying,’ the first man said. ‘The lock is really
tough.’
Matt hid around the corner of the doorway, then

turned to run back to his group. He had to let Mrs
Flickner and the tour guide know that someone was
trying to steal the secret soda recipe.
When Matt got back to the room, however, his class
had gone! He hurried back into the hall and saw Elaine
and the entire class. They were going into a room at
the end of the hall. He raced down the hall and was
almost to the door when it closed. Then he heard a
sharp ‘click’. The door was locked.
As hard as Matt pulled, he could not get it open. To
the right of the door was a video monitor. It showed
a picture from a security camera on the other side of
the door. On it, Matt could see the class walking into a
laboratory. He remembered that at one point the tour
guide had said something about the laboratory being
very loud. He knew that they’d never be able to hear
him, no matter how loudly he knocked on the door.
‘Great,’ Matt said to himself. ‘Now what am I going
to do?’ He stood there for a moment and thought
hard. If he went in search of someone to help stop the
two guys from stealing the secret soda recipe, it would
probably be too late. But he couldn’t just let them
walk off with the recipe; he had to at least try to help.

As scary as the thought was, Matt realized he was
the only one who could do something about it ... and
he couldn’t wait any longer. ‘Ugh,’ he said to himself.
‘Here goes nothing.’ Matt stood up tall and started
back towards the doorway where he had seen the two
men.

Chapter 1 Review
Summary
Matt is a student. He and his classmates are on a field trip at
the Bubbly Brand soda factory. While on a tour of the factory,
Matt notices a strange man trying to get into a room. He gets
in trouble for leaving the tour to check on the man. He later
decides that the man might be trying to steal the recipe for
the very popular Cola Cola soda. Matt finds the first man and
another man as they are trying to break into a room at the
factory. There is no time to get help, so Matt goes to stop the
men by himself.
Vocabulary
soda factory (Br. Eng. fizzy drink factory) a place where soft
drinks such as cola are made
school field trip an educational trip taken by a group of students
innocent not guilty of a crime
moving your eyebrows (lines of hair above your eyes) and corners
of your mouth down
desperate needing something very much
syrup a thick, sticky substance made from sugar
carbonate to add small bubbles to a liquid; if you carbonate a
drink it becomes a fizzy drink (Br. Eng.) or soda (Am. Eng.)
nozzle the part at the end of a pipe that controls a liquid or gas
that comes out of it

dial (n.) the round part on a machine that shows a measurement
laboratory a room containing equipment for scientific work
groan to say something in a way that shows you are unhappy
frustration the feeling of being angry or annoyed because
something is not happening the way you want it to
defensive showing that you are angry because you think someone
is criticizing you
sneak to go somewhere quietly and secretly
tiptoe to walk somewhere very quietly or carefully on your toes
uniform a set of clothes that shows you belong to a particular
organization, job or school
competitor a company selling the same thing as another
cover for (someone) to offer an explanation or make an excuse
to help someone doing something they are not supposed to
video monitor a screen that shows what is happening in another
room or place in real time
Here goes nothing an expression used before doing something
that may not have much success
1) Why are the students not allowed to go down the side

hall?
a. The laboratory is dangerous.
b. That’s where the secret soda recipes are kept.
c. They are too noisy.
d. It isn’t part of the tour.

2) Cola Cola is described as the ‘hottest new thing’ because:
a. it’s a spicy drink.
b. it’s a hot drink.
c. it’s a popular drink.
d. it’s a warm drink.
3) What is the name of the soda company where Matt is

taking a tour?
a. Cola Cola
b. Bubble
c. Flickner Soda
d. Bubbly Brand
4) What does Matt first notice in the hall?

a. aman being sneaky
b. a man in the laboratory
c. spilled soda cans
d. a woman opening a door
5) Why can’t Matt catch up with his class?

a. Mrs Flickner told him to stay where he was.
b. They have disappeared and he doesn’t know where
they’ve gone.
c. They've left the building.
d. They went into a locked room.

Chapter 2 - Trapped!
Matt returned to the doorway where he had seen the

two men breaking into the room. When he looked
around the corner, the men were nowhere in sight.
Matt panicked. Maybe they had already got away
with the recipe! He ran towards the door to take a
closer look. Just as he was reaching out for the handle,
the door opened.
It was hard to tell who was more shocked at that
moment — Matt or the man in black. Both of them
jumped and let out a startled shout. The man in black
dropped a packet and it landed right at Matt’s feet.
Without thinking, Matt reached down and grabbed
the packet, put it under his shirt and then turned to
race down the hallway.
‘What was that?’ Matt heard one of the men say
behind him as he ran.
‘Some kid!’ the other man said, and Matt realized
the voice was very close behind him. He looked over
his shoulder and saw that the man was chasing after
him. ‘He grabbed the secret soda recipe!’
‘What?’ shouted the other man. ‘Well, grab him!’
Matt ran as fast as he could. The hall wasn’t long,

but as he reached the door at the end, he realized
that in his hurry to get away he had run in the
opposite direction from his class. There was no
turning around now, however, so he tried the door.

For some reason, this one was open. He didn’t think
twice about pulling the unknown door open and
running through.
A blast of sound greeted his ears and Matt
immediately realized he was in the Bottling Room.
Conveyor belts filled the room and thousands of
bottles passed along them. Other machines made loud
noises as they twisted bottle caps onto the bottles. Still
more machines poured liquid into the bottles. Other
machines also made loud humming sounds as they
did their work, which only added to the noise.
Matt stood in the doorway for a second before racing
into the room. He ducked under the first conveyor
belt and started crawling between the metal legs of
the machines. He looked over his shoulder and saw
the two men in black enter the room. Matt crawled
faster. One of the men started working his way around
the conveyor belts towards the door at the other side
of the room. He was going to cut Matt off.
Matt looked back again. The other man had started
crawling after him under the conveyer belts. Without
really thinking about what he was doing, Matt stood
up and grabbed a bottle. He threw it as hard as he could
at the man running towards the door. He meant to hit
the man in the shoulder, but his aim was off. Instead,
the bottle shattered against the wall. The pieces of
glass must have hit the man because he stopped with
a cry of anger. Blood began to seep out of cuts on his
face as he turned and walked towards Matt.
Matt looked on in surprise, but then jumped in

fright as a hand grabbed his ankle.
Chapter 2 - Trapped! 121

‘Got you!’ the other man in bDlack said
triumphantly.
Matt kicked back as hard as he could. The heel of his

shoe connected with the man’s eye. The man let out
an ‘oof!’ and let go of Matt’s foot.
Matt didn’t stand around waiting to see if the man

would recover. He ran, this time squeezing between
the conveyor belts to reach the other door. As he
reached it, he looked back and saw that the man under
the conveyor belts was up and walking towards him
with an angry look on his face. The man he’d hit with
the bottle was also now very close. Blood was seeping
down his face. Matt let out a cry, quickly pulled the
door open and ran into the next room.
The next room was somewhat quieter, though there

was still the constant hum of machines as well as the
occasional liquid sound. It was as if he were standing
in an aquarium. It was the Bubble Room. The tour
guide had told them the sound came from the soda
liquid being carbonated. There were dials and nozzles
all along the walls. While walking through the room
the first time, Matt had wondered what would happen
if those dials were turned. Now he smiled as he turned
them on one after the other. To his delight, the dials
opened valves on the nozzles and a variety of syrups
as well as carbonated water began pouring out. The
more dials he turned, the more liquid spilled onto the
floor.

Matt was on his fifth dial when the door behind
him opened and the two men in black raced in. They
took three steps into the room and then stepped on
the liquid on the floor. The combination of syrup and
water made for a slippery mess. As soon as their feet
hit it, they started slipping and sliding all over the
place. Matt couldn’t help but watch as they tried to
keep their balance. One of the men waved his arms
in the air desperately, while the other kicked his legs
back and forth. The first fell flat on his back. The other
one’s legs went in opposite directions as he fell to the
ground into a very painful-looking position.
‘Ha!’ Matt laughed. Both men groaned in response.

Matt turned away and walked confidently to the next
door. He had beaten them and he knew it. The secret
soda recipe was safe and he had saved the day. Mrs
Flickner would be so proud! He grabbed the door
handle and pulled, but the door didn’t move. He
pulled harder, but still it wouldn’t move. It was locked!
In a panic he looked over his shoulder at the two men
in black. They were between him and the other door.
There was no way out. The men had him trapped.

Chapter 2 Review
Summary
Matt goes to check on the men sneaking around the soda
factory. He catches them coming out of the locked room
with a packet. He grabs the packet and runs into the nearest
unlocked room. The men chase him through the Bottling
Room. Matt throws a bottle at one and kicks the other to get
away. Matt then goes into the Bubble Room and turns on all
the nozzles and dials. The floor becomes very slippery and the
two men fall. Matt thinks he can get away, then he tries the
only door he can get to and it’s locked.
Vocabulary
panic to be so frightened or worried that you cannot think calmly
startled shocked or surprised by something unexpected
blast (n.) an explosion
conveyor belt a moving surface used to carry things from
one place to another, especially in a factory
hum to make a continuous low-pitched noise
duck (v.) to lower your head or body so that you are not hit or
seen
cut (someone) off to stop a person from leaving a place
shatter to break into lots of very small pieces
seep to flow through something slowly in small amounts
fright a sudden feeling of fear
triumphantly in a way that shows you feel you have won or been
successful
squeeze to try to move somewhere where there is very little space
constant never stopping

aquarium a glass box or a building, for example in a zoo, for
keeping fish or water animals
delight great pleasure
valve something that opens and shuts to control the flow of liquid,
air or gas through a pipe
slippery a slippery surface is smooth, wet or shiny and not easy
to walk on or hold
slide to move over a surface quickly and smoothly
keep one’s balance keep the same amount of weight on each
side of the body so that you do not fall over
desperately needing extremely or very much
trapped if you are trapped, you cannot escape a bad place or
situation
6) What does Matt throw at one of the men in black?

a. a soda can
b. a soda cap
c. a soda bottle
d. a packet
7) Which pair of words from the story have a similar

meaning?
a. slipping — sliding
b. startle — shattered
c. triumphantly — desperately
d. stare — seep

8) How does Matt get away from the second man in black?
a. He throws a bottle at him.
b. He drops a bottle on his head.
c. He splashes him with soda.
d. He kicks him in the eye.
9) What happens when Matt turns the dials in the Bubble

Room?
a. Carbonated water and syrup pour out.
b. Nothing.
c. Only carbonated water pours out.
d. The conveyer belt starts to move.
10) Why can’t Matt get out of the Bubble Room?

a. He can’t see where to go.
b. One of the men in black grabs him.
c. The door is locked.
d. There is only one door out and the men are in front
of it.

Chapter 3 — Matt Saves the Day
The two men started to get to their feet as Matt’s eyes
scanned the room for another way out. The men
began to take one slow step after another towards
Matt. They couldn’t move quickly when the floor was
so slippery. In fact, on every third step one of them
would slip and grab the other to stay up.
Matt kept looking around, but there was no other
exit from the room. He knew he’d never be able to
get past the two men. So he turned back to the locked
door behind him and started banging on it. ‘Help!’ he
shouted. ‘Someone, help! Open the door!’ He pounded
and pounded and pounded, but no one came.
‘Stupid kid,’ he heard one of the men in black say.
‘When I get my hands on you ...’
Matt closed his eyes and pounded on the door
even harder. How could there be no one in the entire
building? He looked over his shoulder and saw that
the two men were almost on top of him. Just a few
more steps and they’d be able to reach out and grab
him. With one last desperate effort, Matt grabbed the
door handle and pulled as hard as he could. Suddenly,
the door opened. He was so surprised that he nearly
fell over. When he looked up, he saw Elaine standing
there.
‘Matt?’ she said. ‘What are you doing in here? Why
are you banging on the door? We’re ready to leave and
they sent me out to look for you and ...’
Chapter 3 — Matt Saves the Day 127

Matt didn’t listen. He pushed Elaine into the next
room and tried to pull the door closed behind them.
‘Run, Elaine!’ he shouted.
But the door wouldn’t close. Finally, Matt looked up
and saw why - one of the men had reached out at the
last second and got his hand in. He was keeping the
door from closing. Matt let out a squeak of fright. He
turned to Elaine and pushed her again.
‘Run!’ he shouted.
‘Matt ... what’s going on?’ Elaine asked as she started
to run. ‘Who are those men?’
‘I told you! They’re trying to steal the recipe!’ he
shouted as he started running with her.
After a few seconds, Matt looked over his shoulder

and saw that the door was now open and one of the
men was coming through.
‘What?’ exclaimed Elaine. ‘That was true? You
were right?’ She was now clearly afraid.
Matt didn’t answer. He had just noticed which
room they were in — the Sugar Room. Bags of sugar
lay in stacks all along the walls and big vats of syrup
were bubbling on the sides. Matt went over to one of
the vats and circled behind it. He leaned his shoulder
against it and pushed as hard as he could. Slowly the
vat started to tip. Then it gathered speed quickly
and fell over. A huge gush of hot syrup spilled onto
the floor, right in front of the two men, as Elaine let
out a loud squeak.
Matt didn’t wait around to see what would happen.

He started for the door at the other end of the room.

He had almost reached the door when he felt a strong
hand grab his shoulder. One of the men had caught
him. He must have run around the hot syrup.
‘I have you now!’ the man said, pulling Matt’s shirt
hard and lifting him off his feet. ‘Give me back that
recipe!’
Matt tried to kick and punch the man, but he
couldn’t reach him. He didn’t know what else to do. It
was hopeless. He was caught, and there was no telling
what the thief would do to him now.
Suddenly a cloud of white powder surrounded

Matt and the man. The man gasped in surprise
and accidentally inhaled a large amount of the
white powder. Immediately he started coughing and
sneezing, and dropped Matt.
Turning away as quickly as he could, Matt saw Elaine
standing there with an empty bag of finely ground
sugar. She had torn it open and thrown the sugar at
the man’s face. Matt gave her a huge smile and then
pushed her gently towards the door. The two of them
raced out of the room and soon found themselves in
the main office area. All of Matt’s class were gathered
in a loose group and Mrs Flickner was staring right at
them.
‘Matthew?’ she said. ‘What in the world are you
doing?’
Matt looked down at himself and realized he was
covered in white sugar powder. He looked like a ghost.
He reached under his shirt and held out the secret soda
recipe. Without saying a word, he walked up to his
teacher and the tour guide and handed over the secrets.
Chapter 3 — Matt Saves the Day 129

‘There are two men in the Sugar Room who were
trying to steal the secret recipe for Cola Cola,’ Matt
said to Mrs Flickner. ‘They were chasing me and I had
to get away.’ He turned to the tour guide and said,
‘Um, sorry, but | may have broken a few things along
the way.’
Mrs Flickner looked at Matt doubtfully and the

tour guide wore a dark frown on her face. But before
either of them could say anything, two men in black
came running out of the Sugar Room. One of them
was covered in white sugar powder, and both had
sticky syrup all over their shoes and jeans. The kids in
Matt’s class all let out cries of fear.
‘Security!’ the tour guide shouted. Almost immediately,
two security guards came running around the corner.
The guards grabbed the two thieves and led them out
of the office.
Matt smiled as the class surrounded him and

started cheering.
‘I don’t know what happened, but thank you,’ said
the tour guide. ‘It looks like Matt really saved the day.’
She smiled at him and walked off to talk to the soda
company officials.
Mrs Flickner put a hand on Matt’s shoulder and gave
him a serious look. ‘What you did was very dangerous,
Matthew,’ she said. ‘You could have been hurt.’
‘I know ...’ Matt replied. ‘But I couldn’t just let them
take the secret soda recipe and I didn’t have time to
get help. It wouldn’t have been right to let them get
away, so I did what I could to stop them.’

Mrs Flickner smiled at Matt. ‘No, it wouldn’t have
been right to let them get away,’ she said. ‘I suppose
you did do the right thing.’
Matt smiled back at her.
A moment later the tour guide returned with a cart

filled with cups of soda. There was a wide variety of
flavours on the cart — from lemon to orange to grape,
and of course Cola Cola. The guide began to hand out
sodas to the class. Matt grabbed a glass of Cola Cola
and took a big drink. Then Mrs Flickner raised a glass
high into the air with a smile on her face.
‘To Matt McGee and the secret soda recipe,’ she said
as the class cheered. ‘Enjoy your cola, Matt, you’ve
earned it!’
Chapter 3 - Matt Saves the Day 13]

Chapter 3 Review
Summary
Matt is stuck in the Bubble Room. He can’t open the door to
get out and the thieves are coming towards him. He bangs
on the door for help. Elaine opens the door. They run into the
Sugar Room to get away. One man holds the door open and
the men follow. Matt spills a vat of syrup onto the floor to
stop them. The men get around it and one grabs Matt. Elaine
throws sugar at the man and it makes him cough. He lets
go of Matt. Elaine and Matt run through the next door into
the main office. Their teacher, classmates and the tour guide
are there. Matt explains what happened. The men come in
and are turned over to soda company officials. Everyone has a
glass of soda to celebrate.
Vocabulary
scan to look all around an area from one position
bang (on something) to knock part of your body against
something
be on top of (someone/something) to be very close; to have
almost caught
squeak (n.) a very high sound
stack a pile of things
vat a large container for liquids
gather speed to get faster over time
gush a large amount of a liquid that suddenly flows
punch to hit someone or something with a closed hand
inhale to breathe air, smoke, etc. into your lungs

finely ground crushed into very small pieces
surround to be all around something or someone
cheer a loud shout to show that you are pleased
official (n.) someone who has an important
job in an pocuizaton,
especially a government or business
11) How does Matt get the door open in the Bubble Room?
a. He breaks it open.
b. He finds a key.
c. The man in black opens it for him.
d. Elaine opens it for him.
12) Find these words in the text. Look at the context to find
the word that has a different meaning from the others.
a. exclaim
b. gasp
c. shout
d. punch
13) How does Matt get away from the man who grabbed
him by the door?
a. Elaine throws sugar in his face.
b. Matt kicks him in the face.
c. Matt pours a vat of syrup on him.
d. Matt throws a bottle at him.
Chapter 3 - Matt Saves the Day 133

14) What happens to the two thieves?
a. They get away without the recipe.
b. They steal the secret soda recipe.
c. They are taken away by security guards.
d. They are locked in the Sugar Room.
15) How does Mrs Flickner feel about Matt at the end of the
story?
‘a. She thinks he is a good soda maker but very messy.
b. She is angry at first and then thankful when she finds
out what happened.
c. She thinks he would be a good tour guide for the
factory.
d. She is still really angry with him for leaving the tour.

TTT
‘/1
iN\13M
| pee
136
The Town of Skull Tooth
Chapter 1 — A Stranger Comes to Town

The Old West was famous for its long and hostile
history. Deadwood, South Dakota; San Antonio, Texas;
Tombstone, Arizona ... there were many dangerous,
lawless towns. In some cases, the town sheriff
was the most powerful person. It was he who was
responsible for keeping law and order.
But not every town had a sheriff. Skull Tooth,
Oklahoma, was one of those towns. It had no sheriff.
It also had no laws, and no rules. It was not civilized
at all and everyone pretty much did what they wanted.
Gambling, fighting and other vices went on all day
and all night, seven days a week. Most days, somebody
was hurt or badly injured before breakfast!
Despite this, the town of Skull Tooth continued
to grow every year. And every year a new criminal
would arrive and try to take charge of the town.
He would try to become the boss of Skull Tooth and
control everyone who lived there.
To be in charge of criminals, you had to be tougher
than the others. To make money, you had to want it
more than the others. That’s why most bosses never
made it very long in Skull Tooth. They were always
Chapter 1 — A Stranger Comes to Town 137

beaten up and run out of town. At least, they were
until one late autumn day when a stranger came to
town.
The citizens of Skull Tooth saw the man as he

arrived. They thought he was bad news as soon as they
saw him ride his horse into town. His horse was pale,
whiter than a sheet. The man’s face was tough like
leather, his skin tanned from the sun. Under his nose
was a giant black moustache that drooped down past
his lips. His eyebrows were nearly as bushy as his
moustache.
‘Where do you think that guy came from, Marty?’
asked Marvin, the owner of the town store, as they
saw the man ride past.
Marty was an older man who owned the bar across
the street named The Windy Plains Saloon. ‘Well, he’s
not from around here, that’s for sure,’ said Marty. ‘Just
some stranger, I guess. Maybe he’s come to try to fight
his way to the top?’
‘But, Marty, where do you think he’s from?’ asked
Marvin. ‘He’s different.’
Marty just raised his hands and said, ‘I have no idea.’
The two men looked at the stranger as he tied his

pale horse to a post. The sun was setting and the wind
had turned cold. The man waved to a young local boy
and gave him a coin, saying, ‘Take care of my horse,
kid.’ Then the man slowly looked around the town. His
large brown cowboy hat nearly covered his eyes, but
you could see they were quickly sizing things up.
138 The Town of Skull Tooth

Suddenly, the stranger was looking right at Marty.
‘So tell me,’ he said in a low voice, ‘who’s watching
your bar if you’re standing around over there?’ The
man’s accent was very thick. He sounded like he was
from another country.
‘I try to stay outside,’ Marty answered coolly. ‘In my
bar, customers take what they want and pay what they
want. Otherwise, there’s trouble.’
‘What do you mean, “trouble”?’ asked the stranger.
‘I mean, they ran the last three owners of The Windy
Plains Saloon out of town,’ explained Marty. ‘And I’m
not going to be next.’
‘Go back to your bar,’ the stranger said. ‘I’m going
inside. And I don’t like to serve myself.’
The bar owner looked at the stranger. He was not
a large man, but he wasn’t too small. He had some
muscles, but his body was lean. There were guns on
both of his hips.
‘Stranger,’ Marty said, ‘I’ll go over there, but don’t
start messing with people. I don’t want any trouble.’
‘I don’t want any trouble either,’ the man said.
‘That’s why there won’t be any.’
Marty walked across the street. Inside The Windy

Plains Saloon there were a dozen men. Some of them
were playing cards; some were sitting at tables holding
glasses or bottles. A few were sitting at a long wooden
counter, talking in loud voices. When they saw the
bar owner walk in, they stopped talking and silence
fell over the room.
‘Get out of here, Marty,’ said one of the men at the
counter. He was tall and had curly brown hair and a
Chapter 1 - A Stranger Comes to Town 139

brown beard. His clothes were torn and he smelled
terrible. He stood up from his chair. ‘We’re putting our
money on the counter. We’re taking what we want, so
we don’t need you.’
‘That’s all right,’ the bar owner said. ‘I just came to
check on things.’
The curly-haired man was called ‘Curly’. He slowly
walked over to Marty and put his hand on Marty’s
chest. ‘I said,’ he began slowly, ‘we don’t need you.
There’s nothing for you to check on. Now leave!’ He
pushed the older man back towards the door.
Curly’s friends laughed. ‘Yeah, leave us alone, you
old man!’ one shouted.
Marty turned to go back out. But then the stranger
walked through the doors. He looked at the man with
curly hair and said in a very deep voice, ‘Bartender!
I’ve ridden many miles today and I’m very thirsty.
Stop standing around and get me something to drink.’
Curly spat on the floor and said angrily, ‘I am not
the bartender.’
‘Then where’s the bartender?’ the stranger replied.
‘I’m tired of waiting!’
Curly pointed at Marty. ‘That’s the bartender, but
he’s leaving. We don’t want him in here.’
‘That’s fine,’ the stranger said. ‘If he’s leaving, then
you can get my drink. Now!’
‘Now you've done it, stranger,’ said Curly as reached
for his gun. ‘Strangers aren’t welcome here and nobody
makes fun of me like ...’
But Curly didn’t have a chance to finish his
sentence. The stranger was on him in an instant.
Curly’s hat flew as the stranger grabbed his gun and

twisted Curly’s arm up behind his back. As Curly
stood there whining about the pain, the stranger
whispered something in his ear. Curly turned to look
at the unknown man, but the stranger pulled his arm
up even higher. Curly cried out in pain. The stranger
whispered again. This time Curly nodded. When the
stranger finally released him, Curly grabbed his hat
and ran out of the bar as fast as he could.
The stranger put Curly’s gun in his belt and looked
around. ‘My name is Erkek Tex,’ he announced. ‘And
I’m the new boss in town. So now tell me, who’s going
to get me that drink?’ he asked.
Everyone nervously pointed at Marty.
It looked like things in Skull Tooth were going to
change.

Chapter 1 Review
Summary
Skull Tooth, Oklahoma, is a dangerous town in the Old West.
Because there is no sheriff, no one keeps order there. One day,
a mysterious stranger arrives. Marty, the owner of the town’s
bar, is out on the street. The stranger tells Marty to go into
the bar because he wants a drink. Marty says the criminals
in the bar don’t want him in there. He and the stranger go to
the bar anyway. A man named Curly tells them to leave. The
stranger tells Curly to get him a drink. Curly pulls out a gun.
The stranger gets the gun and whispers something to Curly.
Curly runs out of the bar. The stranger says his name is Erkek
Tex. He says he is the new boss of Skull Tooth.
Vocabulary
lawless without a system of rules to keep people and things safe
hostile unfriendly, dangerous or difficult to live in
sheriff in the USA, the person who is in charge of keeping order
in a particular area
law an official set of rules that everyone in a country or state must
obey
civilized behaving politely and reasonably, without arguing
gambling the activity of risking money on the result of a game,
race or competition
vice a bad habit
take charge to take control of something or someone
run (someone) out of town to force someone to leave
citizen someone who lives in a particular town, state or country
droop to hang down
bushy growing in a thick mass

size (something) up to study someone or something to get an
idea of what the person or thing is like
counter the place where people are served in a shop or bank
in an instant in a very short time
whine to talk in a complaining voice
whisper to talk very quietly so that other people cannot hear
say ‘yes’
1) Skull Tooth isin __.

a. Oklahoma
b. Mexico
c. Deadwood, South Dakota
d. Arizona
2) Marty owns the town __.

a. store
b. horse stable
c. bar
d. barber shop
3) What does the stranger do to the young boy when he

arrives?
a. He talks to the boy and gives him money.
b. He takes the boy’s coin.
c. He talks to the boy and asks him for information.
d. He shouts at the boy to take his horse.

4) Why is Marty sitting outside when the stranger comes?
a. He trusts his customers.
b. He is afraid of his customers.
c. He doesn’t have any customers.
d. Someone else is helping the customers.
5) Why does Curly pull out a gun?

a. The stranger wants a drink.
b. The stranger makes fun of him.
c. Marty came into the bar.
d. Marty won’t give him another drink.

Chapter 2 — Daring Diablo
‘This town isn’t big enough for both of us,’ said
Daring Diablo as he slammed his hand on the table.
Daring Diablo, whose real name was Noel Cruz, was
an outlaw from the state of Texas. He was wanted
by the law in several states for a number of different
crimes. In fact, there were wanted posters with his
face on them in most towns around the West. Most of
them offered a big reward for turning him into the
law. Some were as high as $500! A person could make
a lot of money if they were to turn him in to the law,
but that wasn’t going to happen. The law would never
find him.
Daring Diablo had grown tired of running. He
was tired of the chasing, and the watching, and the
waiting. So he had gone somewhere the law didn’t
exist. He had moved to Skull Tooth, Oklahoma. In
Skull Tooth, he had been able to make a nice living.
He managed some card games. He bought and sold
gold. Sometimes, he brought weapons or liquour up
from Mexico. It was a good life, free from fear, and he
didn’t have to worry about some sheriff knocking on
his door. There was no sheriff here.
But sometimes strangers came to town, like that
blasted Erkek Tex. Strangers always wanted to take
over. They wanted to be the big boss. They wanted to
make money — and trouble - and Daring Diablo didn’t
like that. He didn’t want someone messing around
Chapter 2 - Daring Diablo 145

with his business or his men. And that blasted stranger
Tex had run his man Curly right out of town.
Most of all, Diablo certainly didn’t want someone
else in charge of the town. If someone else were in
charge, things would become organized. If things
became too organized, it would attract attention.
Nobody in Oklahoma cared about Skull Tooth, so
they pretty much left the place alone. It was too small
for the law to bother with, but if someone started
making a lot of money or getting into a lot of trouble
more people would come. And Tex was already getting
into more than Daring Diablo wanted.
‘We have to stop this new guy,’ Diablo said to his

wife. They lived in a small cabin on the edge of
town. Nobody ever came to visit them, but sometimes
they would go into town for supplies. They knew
the town had been changing and Diablo’s business
was dropping. They had also seen that the town was
growing quickly as there was plenty of money to be
made. And they knew it was because of the stranger
Erkek Tex.
‘Stay away from Erkek Tex,’ Diablo’s wife said as she
cooked their lunch. ‘He’s only been here four months.
He'll get tired of this place soon enough and then he'll
leave.’
‘I don’t think so,’ Daring Diablo said, cleaning his
rifle carefully. Most of the criminals in town liked to
carry guns. Most carried handguns or pistols because
they were smaller and easier to carry, but Daring Diablo
didn’t. A long rifle was more powerful and he was fast

with his rifle. In fact, he was faster with his rifle than
most people were with their handguns.
Diablo rarely used his weapon unless he had to. He
didn’t want to kill anybody. When you kill a person,
there’s trouble, he thought. Some relative of the dead
person will come and try to shoot you. Or the sheriff will
come looking for you. It had always been better just to
lie low. That is, until now.
‘Tex is a little bit like me,’ Diablo said to his wife.
‘He likes it here, out in the open land. No one around
and nobody to bother him. But he’s like the other
strangers, too. He wants to make a name for himself.
He wants to rule this town.’
Diablo’s wife spooned some soup into a bowl. It
was very hot. She put the dish on the table and said
quietly, ‘Eat your lunch.’
‘I’m not hungry,’ replied Diablo.
‘Put down your rifle,’ she said. ‘It’s clean enough.
You’ll never use it. Now come. Eat.’
Daring Diablo dropped his cleaning cloth and put

the rifle down. He got up from his chair and went
to the table. ‘Listen to me, woman. I know what I’m
talking about. That blasted man has big plans for this
place. He’s got people working for him. New businesses
have opened up and my business is down. Pretty soon,
the law will start coming to Skull Tooth. They’re going
to notice there isn’t a sheriff in town. And that’ll be
the end of our good life here.’
His wife put down a bowl of hot soup for herself.
Then she brought over some bread. ‘Maybe you could
be the sheriff, Diablo.’
Chapter 2 —- Daring Diablo 147

Diablo laughed. ‘Me? I’m a wanted man, woman!
There are six sheriffs after me. I’m wanted for terrible
crimes.’ He shook his head. ‘No, there’s no law for me.
And there ain’t no law needed for Skull Tooth either!’
‘Then you need to stay hidden. Lie low. Don’t make
any trouble with the stranger,’ answered his wife.
‘We'll be OK.’
Daring Diablo tore a piece of bread and dipped it in
his soup. ‘That stranger has already made trouble,’ he
said. ‘And today, I’m going to fix it.’
After lunch, Daring Diablo took his rifle and rode

into town. Most of the citizens of Skull Tooth were
indoors. The afternoon was cold; he could see his
breath in the air.
‘Where is Erkek Tex?’ Diablo asked a man on the
street. The man was wearing an expensive jacket and
new boots.
‘Who wants to know?’ he asked, looking at Daring
Diablo. Diablo knew most of the people in town. He
didn’t recognize this stranger.
More and more new people, Diablo thought. More and
more things for the law to look into. This has to stop!
‘If you don’t know my name,’ Diablo said slowly,
‘then you must be new here.’
‘Maybe I am, maybe I’m not,’ said the man in the
fancy jacket. ‘But I asked you a question. Who are
you?’
Daring Diablo was shocked. No one in Skull Tooth
had ever spoken to him like that. ‘I’m Noel Cruz,’ he
said slowly while glaring at the man. ‘Folks call me
“Daring Diablo”.’

‘Well, that’s a stupid name,’ the man replied lightly.
‘And if you don’t know where Tex is, you don’t need
to know. Good day!’ The man kicked a rock at Diablo’s
horse and walked away.
Diablo wanted to jump off his horse and hit the man.
Instead, he took a deep breath and looked around. The
Windy Plains Saloon was across the street. He heard
voices coming from inside. Since he was in town, he
might as well check in on things.
‘Look who’s here!’ someone shouted when Diablo

walked into the bar. ‘Come and sit with us.’ The man
who had shouted waved to Diablo. He was sitting at a
table full of men.
Diablo sat down.
‘So why are you in town?’ one man asked him.
Another joined in, ‘Yeah. Where’ve you been? You
wouldn’t believe what’s going on. There’s a new guy
in town.’
‘Yeah. Erkek Tex,’ added the first man. ‘And he’s
taking over your business and making trouble for us
all ... except those that work for him. They’re makin’
money. But, uh, we’re staying with you, boss. For
TOW...
‘Yeah,’ said the second man, while another added.
‘You’re our boss. Who needs that Tex?’
Diablo looked around the table. Then he said
quietly, ‘Good. Now men, I’m only here to find out
two things. Where is Erkek Tex? And who wants to
help me run him out of town?’
Chapter 2 — Daring Diablo 149

Chapter 2 Review
Summary
Noel Cruz is also known as Daring Diablo. He is a criminal
who is wanted in several states. He is hiding in Skull Tooth
because the law never goes there. Diablo doesn’t want the
town to get bigger or more successful. He is afraid that will
attract attention and the law. He doesn’t like Erkek Tex because
Tex is making the town grow. He’s also taking away some of
Diablo’s business. Diablo’s wife wants him to leave Tex alone,
but Diablo goes into town to look for Tex. In the bar, Diablo
meets some of his men. He asks them where to find Tex. He
then asks if they want to help him run Tex out of town.
Vocabulary
outlaw a criminal, especially one who moves from place to place
to avoid being caught
the law (s/ang) the police or law enforcement in an area
wanted poster a poster that includes a picture of someone who
is being searched for by the authorities because the person is a
criminal
reward something you get for doing something good or useful
exist to be
make a living to earn money to buy things and have a home
blasted (adj.) an old expression to show anger or dislike
mess around to waste time with silly behaviour
organized involving a group of people who plan and do
something together
cabin a simple wooden house
do something
rifle a type of long gun
lie low to avoid attention, to stay away from other people or trouble

ain't (s/ang) an informal short way to say and write ‘am not’, ‘are
not’, ‘is not’, ‘has not’ or ‘have not’
fancy fashionable or expensive
glare to look at someone in a way that shows you are very angry
6) Which of the following statements about Daring Diablo

is true?
a. He has committed a lot of crimes.
b. The police will give money to anyone who brings him
to them.
c. He doesn’t want to run away from the police any
more.
d. All of the above.
7) What does Diablo’s wife want him to do?

a. She wants her husband to kill Erkek Tex.
b. She wants her husband to go to town.
c. She wants her husband to leave Tex alone.
d. She wants her husband to move away from Skull
Tooth.
8) What is Diablo’s real fear about Tex?

a. Tex might draw attention and bring the law to the
town.
b. Tex has taken all of Diablo’s business.
c. Tex is a better leader than Diablo.
d. Tex wants to harm Diablo.
Chapter 2 - Daring Diablo 15]

9) Why is Diablo shocked when he talks to the man in the
street?
a. The man is dressed very strangely.
b. The man is a stranger and he speaks rudely to Diablo.
c. The man makes fun of Diablo’s rifle.
d. The man talks to Diablo’s wife.
10) Daring Diablo ___.

a. makes plans to run away to Mexico
b. makes a lot of money in Skull Tooth and wants to keep
it that way
c. is scared of the law that has come to Skull Tooth
b. wants the town of Skull Tooth to grow

Chapter 3 — The Showdown
Daring Diablo managed to get three men from the
bar to join him. The small group stormed down
the dusty streets of the town of Skull Tooth shouting
‘Tex! Get out here! Tex! Where are you?’ Diablo had
had enough. It was time for someone to leave Skull
Tooth. And it wasn’t going to be him! It was time for
a Showdown.
Diablo stormed into the barber shop. There was
Tex, looking mildly surprised.
‘This town isn’t big enough for both of us,’ shouted
Daring Diablo. ‘You have to leave!’ He paused and then
added, ‘Or I’ll make you leave.’ Diablo was carrying
his rifle. He raised it into the air and shot. The sound
echoed through the room as dust from the hole in
the ceiling rained down on them.
Erkek Tex was sitting in a barber’s chair. He was
having his hair and moustache trimmed. The barber,
an overweight man with red cheeks, had stopped what
he was doing. ‘I didn’t tell you to stop cutting,’ Tex
said to the barber. The barber looked around nervously
and went back to work, but he kept one eye on Diablo
and his men.
‘Hey!’ Daring Diablo yelled. ‘Did you hear me?’
‘You are very persistent, Noel,’ Tex said, calling
Diablo by his real name. ‘That can get a man into
trouble.’
Chapter 3 - The Showdown 153

‘I didn’t come here to argue, Tex,’ replied Diablo.
‘Icame to make you leave.’
Tex raised his hand for the barber to stop. He
whispered something to the barber and the man left.
Then Erkek Tex got out of the chair. He brushed his
large black moustache with a small comb. He always
carried a moustache comb. He liked to look good -—
especially for his enemies.
Diablo was confused. Why was Tex so calm? Diablo
pointed his rifle at Tex, who slowly began walking to
the door.
‘You're right,’ Tex said loudly as he walked outside
and into the street. ‘I say, you’re right, Daring Diablo,’
he repeated loudly. ‘Skull Tooth is not big enough for
me. So, it is most definitely not big enough for me and
you.’
Diablo and his men followed Tex outside. A small
crowd had already begun to gather along the street. The
barber had been telling people what had happened.
Tex walked slowly around in a circle. As he walked,

he spoke to the crowd. ‘Yes, this town is not big
enough. It needs to be bigger.’
A small cheer rose from the crowd.
‘It needs to have more businesses,’ Tex continued,
‘and more people.’ He paused. ‘And more money!’ he
ended.
The crowd began to cheer wildly.
Diablo looked around. What is going on here? he
thought in panic. Am I too late? Has Tex already won over

the citizens with all his money and big plans? Have things
already changed so much that I can’t get control again?
Never!
‘Get out of here, Tex,’ Diablo began. ‘This is my
town and you're not having it.’
The crowd booed. Tex smiled. ‘It doesn’t sound
like it’s your town, Noel,’ he laughed. ‘Nope, doesn’t
sound like that at all.’
Diablo looked around. Most of the townspeople
were now on the street. They were looking at him and
his men angrily. There might be trouble, but luckily
Diablo knew he wasn’t alone. He had two of his men
hiding on the rooftops. If Erkek Tex tried anything,
the men would shoot Tex down.
‘I want you out of here, Tex!’ Diablo shouted. ‘We
all want you to leave Skull Tooth. We want things to
go back to the way they were.’
‘Is that right?’ Tex asked, eyeing the crowd. ‘If that’s
true, then OK. You stay right here, Noel Cruz. Stay
here, so the sheriff can’t find you. Stay here and do
nothing but hide from the law.’
Diablo was getting more and more angry. He didn’t
need Tex reminding townsfolk that he was a wanted
man — especially one with a reward on his head. ‘I told
you once, Tex,’ Diablo said. ‘I didn’t come to argue.’
He kept his rifle pointed at Tex’s chest. ‘Don’t make
me hurt you.’
‘No, no, I won’t. I can promise you that. I would
never give anybody a reason to hurt me,’ Tex said,
looking around at the crowd and smiling. ‘That’s not

my style. I just try to be good to people. I try to bring
new business — and new money - but I don’t try to
fight. I hate fighting.’
The crowd cheered again.
Diablo looked around. ‘But you ran Curly out of
town on your first day here. Everyone knows that.
And I’m here to do the same to you,’ he said angrily.
‘So you are, Noel. So you are,’ Tex admitted. ‘But
remember,’ he added, looking around at the crowd, ‘I
didn’t start that fight with Curly. | was protecting
myself. A man has the right to do that. Doesn’t he?’
The people in the crowd nodded. One shouted, ‘Tex
is right!’
Diablo knew Tex was lying. He knew that Tex had
started the fight with Curly and then ran him out of
town. But there was nothing he could do about it. The
people believed Tex.
‘OK, Tex. I’m going to count to ten,’ Diablo began.

‘And you'd better be gone by the time I get to ten.’
‘OK, OK, Noel. I already agreed,’ Tex said. ‘You stay.
I’ll pack my bags. I just hope you can stay here and
control the town. I mean, I don’t want you to get run
out by people looking for that reward.’ Tex took a look
at the crowd. They had clearly heard what he said. ‘I’m
leaving, everyone,’ he added loudly. ‘Don’t try to stop
mes
‘No, don’t go,’ said a man from the crowd. ‘You’re
a good boss.’
‘Yes, you're the best boss,’ said another. ‘Skull Tooth
needs you!’

‘I know, I know,’ said Tex, looking around. ‘I don’t
want to go, but Mr Darling Diablo here ...’ °
‘That’s “Daring”, not “Darling”!’ Diablo interrupted
angrily.
‘Sorry,’ said Tex with a smile. ‘Mr Diablo wants me
gone. He wants to be in charge. It’s his turn now. At
least until someone smartens up and thinks of that
reward money.’
‘That’s not what I said,’ Diablo protested, looking
around nervously. ‘I don’t want to be in charge ... and
stop talking about that blasted reward money.’
Daring Diablo was getting nervous. He hadn’t
expected the people of Skull Tooth to act this way. He
had thought they hated Tex as much as he did, but
they were acting like Tex was their best friend.
‘Fight him!’ yelled someone from the crowd.
Tex nodded, looking at Diablo. ‘I’m the fastest
gun in Oklahoma. That’s a fact. But not against
three men. Noel Cruz brought friends with him.’ He
pointed to Diablo’s men hiding on the rooftop. ‘Yep.
He outsmarted me for sure. He’s your boss now. He’s
earned it.’
The crowd began to murmur.
‘People, that’s not what I want,’ Diablo shouted to
the crowd. ‘I’m not here to take over. I just don’t want
Skull Tooth to get too big. That’ll bring a sheriff here.
Don’t you understand? That will bring the law here.’
Marty the bartender walked out of the crowd to

stand next to Erkek Tex. ‘We already have the law
here, Diablo. Tex’s law!’ The crowd began to shout and
Chapter 3 —- The Showdown 157

clap. Diablo looked around nervously. Then Marty
continued while looking earnestly at Tex. ‘Tex, what
can we do to make you stay?’
Erkek Tex shook his head. ‘There’s only one thing
I can think of,’ he began as he looked around the crowd.
If Noel Cruz were not around, we wouldn’t have this
problem.’
The people began to murmur again.
Tex continued, ‘Yes, if there were no outlaws in this
town, then we’d have no fear of the law.’
The murmuring got louder.
‘In fact,’ said Tex, looking around, ‘if we got rid of
the outlaws, let’s say by turning them in for a reward,
the Town of Skull Tooth would be a much better and
safer place to live.’
‘Yes, you're right!’ shouted Marty.
‘That’s right!’ added another.
‘No more outlaws!’ shouted a third man.
By this time, Daring Diablo was more than nervous.
He was downright scared. He looked up at the
rooftop. He wanted to be sure his men could keep him
safe. But as he scanned the buildings, he realized that
his men were gone.
Daring Diablo was alone.
‘People! I am not the problem here,’ Diablo said to
the crowd. ‘Tex is. He’s the one making all the changes.
He’s the one making all the trouble.’
‘Tex’s changes are good,’ replied Marty. ‘He’s making
the town safer, bigger and better. Not like you and your
men. You drove this town into the ground and

we're not taking it any more.’ Marty looked around
at the angry crowd before adding, ‘Let’s get him, boys!
Five hundred dollars is a lot of money.’
Several men rushed at Daring Diablo. He had no
choice but to turn and run. Noel Cruz, the ‘Daring
Diablo’ from Texas, was run out of town like acommon
coward. Tex simply stood and watched as Diablo ran
down Main Street. Then he looked around and said
quietly to himself, ‘Nope. Outlaws aren’t welcome
around here. Not in my town.’

Chapter 3 Review
Summary
Daring Diablo and his men find Erkek Tex in a barber shop.
Diablo tells Tex to leave town. Tex walks outside and begins
talking to a crowd-of townspeople in the street. Tex says that
Diablo wants to be the new boss. He also reminds people of
the big reward that there is for Diablo. Diablo tells the people
he doesn’t want to be boss, he just wants things to stay the
same. The people don’t listen. Things start to get scary, but
Diablo thinks he is safe because he has two men hiding on a
nearby rooftop to help him fight. When he looks up to check
on them, he sees that the men have left and he is alone. The
townspeople say they want Tex to stay and be in charge. They
then chase Diablo out of town.
Vocabulary
storm to walk somewhere in a very angry way
showdown a big argument or meeting meant to end a
disagreement
barber shop a shop where men have their hair cut
mildly slightly
echo a sound echoes when it comes back and you hear it again
trim to cut a small amount off something
persistent to continue to do or say something in a determined
way
argue to speak in an angry way with someone because you
disagree with them
win over to persuade someone to agree with you or to like you
boo when people boo they make loud noises or say ‘boo’ to show
dislike

protect to keep someone or something safe from harm or danger
right something that you are allowed to do or have, either officially
or because it is acceptable
protest to complain in a loud voice or in a strong way .
murmur to speak very quietly
earnest serious and honest
downright used for emphasizing something bad
drive (something) into the ground to use or take away from
something until is it all gone or goes bad
coward someone who has no courage
11) Why do you think Tex calls Daring Diablo by his real
name, Noel?
a. to show he doesn’t respect or fear Daring Diablo
b. because he can’t remember his name
c. because he has known Daring Diablo for a long time
d. to show they are good friends
12) Find these verbs in the text. Which word is the odd one
out?
a. boo
b. cheer
c. murmur
d. scan
Chapter 3 — The Showdown 161

13) Why does Tex leave the barber shop to go outside?
a. to get some fresh air
b. to look for his girlfriend
c. so the townspeople can hear him speak
d. so the barber can finish cutting his hair
14) What reason does Tex give for running Curly out of
town?
a. He says Curly was cheating at cards.
b. He says he was keeping himself safe from Curly.
c. He says he was protecting Marty from Curly.
d. He says Curly had hurt the store owner.
15) Who runs Daring Diablo out of town?

a. Erkek Tex
b. the barber shop owner
c. Marty
d. the people of Skull Tooth

164
Discussions on Dating
Chapter 1 - Boyfriend Material

‘I cannot go on a date with you, Felix. End of
discussion!’ Anika said on the phone. She was in
northern California for the summer. University was
finished until next September. She was enjoying a
long summer break from studying and was working
part time at the mall. However, she missed her friend,
Felix. He had gone to Nevada to take university courses
over the summer.
Anika knew Felix liked her in a romantic way. He
had liked her for a long time. But he’d never had the
courage to ask her out — until now. And here he was
asking her out over the phone and she was saying no!
‘Yes, you can go on a date with me,’ Felix responded
loudly. He was sitting in a local park talking on his
phone. An older lady walking past gave him a surprised
look as he smiled in embarrassment.
Anika was twisting her long dark hair around her
finger. She was lying on her living room sofa trying to
think of what to say. ‘My parents would freak out if
I dated you.’
‘Why?’ Felix asked. He was in Reno, which was
several hours away by car. Felix had met Anika’s
parents before and he knew they didn’t like him. He
had a lot of tattoos and earrings. His blond hair was
Chapter 1 — Boyfriend Material 165

very spiky and his clothes were a little wild. Anika’s
family was very conservative. They didn’t like ‘wild’.
Since Felix knew the reason why Anika’s parents

would freak out, he didn’t need her to answer his
question. Instead, he asked, ‘Do you have to tell your
parents?’
‘Of course I have to tell my parents. I don’t keep
secrets from them,’ she replied.
‘Yeah. But you don’t have to tell your parents
everything ,’ he objected.
‘Look — you’re a nice guy, Felix ...’ Anika began, but
she didn’t get to finish.
‘Lam a nice guy!’ Felix said, interrupting. ‘You’re
right, I really am a great guy. A terrific guy! Your
parents would love me if they knew me better. They
would adore me!’
‘I’m sure they would learn to like you eventually,’
Anika admitted, laughing. ‘Maybe not “love” or
“adore”. But yes, sure, they might think you’re
boyfriend material,’ she joked.
‘Boyfriend material?’ Felix laughed. ‘That’s a good
one.’ Then he continued in a more serious tone. ‘So
don’t say anything to them.’
‘I can’t lie to my mum and dad, Felix,’ Anika said,
sitting up on the sofa. ‘I won’t do it.’
‘What lying? I asked you to just say nothing to
them,’ Felix argued. He watched a man jog by with
his dog. ‘Don’t tell them about me. That’s not lying.’
‘Yes it is,’ Anika replied. ‘It’s a lie by omission.’
166 Discussions on Dating

‘Oh, look at you, using the big words,’ Felix joked.
“Omission”. It’s not like that. If you don’t say anything
... [mean if you say nothing about me to them ...’
‘Then I have omitted the facts,’ Anika said in a
serious voice. Suddenly, Anika’s mood changed and
she became less serious. ‘Anyway, omission is not a big
word.’
Felix laughed. ‘I failed my English class. So, it’s a big
word to me,’ he joked.
Felix was from Germany, so English was his second

language. He’d had a hard time over the last year.
That’s why he was taking English courses in Reno over
the summer.
‘If that’s too big of a word for you, then we’re
finished,’ Anika said, jokingly. ‘I simply can’t date
someone with a small vocabulary.’
‘Ahh, but you would date me otherwise?’ Felix said
with a smile.
It was Anika’s turn to laugh. ‘I guess you got me!
Yes, I mean ... Yes, I like you. There, I said it. OK?’
‘You said you like me!’ Felix repeated. He had
been sitting on a park bench. Now he stood up as
he continued talking and paced around in a circle.
‘Great. But that does nothing for me.’
‘What do you mean?’ Anika had not expected him
to say that.
‘Think about it,’ he said. ‘Saying that you like me
makes it worse. Now I know you like me, so why can’t
we date? This is frustrating)’

‘Let me finish,’ Anika said. She got up from the
sofa and started walking around the living room. ‘I’m
not joking with you, Felix. I promise that I’ll go out
with you. When you’ve finished with your classes and
come back to California, we can see each other. But I
do have to tell my folks.’
This was great news for Felix. His classes would be

over next month, so he’d soon be able to see Anika.
However, he still wondered why she had to talk to
her parents. He just didn’t get it, so he decided to ask.
‘I guess I| still don’t understand why you need to tell
your folks. Do you want to get their permission or
something?’
‘No, I don’t need their permission,’ she explained.
‘It’s just the way we are. It’s part of our culture, I guess.
You know, my family is not from America either. We
have different traditions in India.’
‘I know that. My family has different traditions,
too,’ Felix replied.
“Yes, you've Said that before. But where I come from,
children respect their parents. We include our mothers
and fathers in our daily lives.’
‘It isn’t fair to say that. I respect my parents, too!’
Felix interjected.
‘You do? Do you include them in your daily life,
Felix?’ Anika questioned.
‘Well,’ Felix said, thinking. He didn’t really see or
talk to his parents very often. And he didn’t always ask
their advice about things, but he didn’t want to tell
Anika any of that. Finally, he just replied with, ‘Well, I
try to call them every week.’

‘That’s not the same thing, but ...’ began Anika. She
paused. ‘Look. It doesn’t matter. Don’t worry about it,’
she said finally. ‘So tell me, when will you be done
with your summer classes?’
‘They’re over next month. They don’t last that
long, you know. I’m only taking these classes to make
up for some classes I didn’t do so well in.’
‘Yes, I heard about that. You failed two classes,
right?’ Anika said.
There was silence on the other end of the phone.
‘Felix, don’t worry! I know you're very smart. It’s
just that things can be hard sometimes when you’re
away from home. Believe me, you can do it.’
‘Thanks,’ Felix replied. ‘I really do study a lot.
In fact, my teachers know that I’m a good student. It’s
just that grammar can be hard for me and the classes
are all in English, so I have trouble sometimes.’
Anika nodded in understanding. She had also
had trouble in some classes last year, but then she
hired a professional tutor who had helped her a lot.
‘When you come back, I’m going to help you study
English,’ she said. ‘I’ll show you everything my tutor
taught me. | insist.’
‘Really? That will help me a lot,’ Felix said. ‘But
I need to do something first.’
‘What is that?’ Anika asked in surprise.
‘Before you can be my tutor,’ he said in a serious
voice, ‘I’ll need to ask my parents.’ Felix cracked up
laughing.
‘Very funny,’ Anika said, shaking her head.
‘Just for that, I’m going to be a very tough tutor!’
Chapter 1 - Boyfriend Material 169

Chapter 1 Review
Summary
Anika is a university student from India who lives in California.
She is taking the summer off from university and working part
time. She is talking-on the phone to her friend, Felix, who is a
student from Germany. He goes to the same university. Felix is
in Nevada taking English courses over the summer. Felix tells
Anika that he wants to date her. Anika says she needs to talk
with her parents first. Felix insists that she doesn’t need to tell
them. Anika disagrees, but says that she likes Felix. She then
offers to tutor him in English when he returns to California.
Vocabulary
courage the ability to do difficult or frightening things without
showing or giving in to fear
embarrassment a feeling of being ashamed or shy about
something
twist to turn something using your hands
something
tattoo a permanent picture made on the skin with ink
spiky with sharp points
conservative a conservative person does not like changes or new
ideas
object (v.) to say that you do not want something to happen
adore to love something or someone very much
eventually at the end of a period of time or as a result of a process
boyfriend material (s/ang) suitable to be a male romantic partner
tone the quality of a sound or someone’s voice
disagree with them

omission something that has not been included but should have
been
pace to walk backwards and forwards because you are worried
frustrating annoyed because you cannot do or achieve what
you want
folks (slang) parents
permission if you have permission to do something, someone
says you can do it
tradition a custom that has continued for a long time
interject to interrupt, to add information to a conversation by
speaking while someone else is expressing a thought
say ‘yes’
tutor a teacher who teaches one person or a small group
insist to say firmly that something must happen or be done
crack up (laughing) (s/ang) to laugh suddenly and unexpectedly
1) Which of the follow statements is NOT true according to

the information in the story?
a. Felix likes Anika.
b. Anika’s parents probably won't like Felix.
c. Anika likes Felix.
d. Felix’s parents probably won't like Anika.
2) Why does Anika insist on telling her parents about Felix?

a. She needs their permission.
b. She is not allowed to date yet.
c. She wants them to give her money.
d. She likes to include them in her life.

3) Felix thinks Anika’s parents do not like him because ___.
a. they are a different religion
b. they have different cultural backgrounds
c. they are conservative and he looks too ‘wild’
d. he is conservative and they look too ‘wild’
4) Anika agrees to go on a date with Felix when __.

a. she turns 21 years old
b. he asks her
c. he returns from Nevada
d. he styles his hair differently
5) Why did Felix struggle with his classes?

a. He is a lazy student.
b. He doesn’t like English.
c. He doesn’t like his teachers.
d. English is not his first language.

Chapter 2 — We're Just Good Friends
Izzy loved talking on the telephone. She really
enjoyed chatting with her friends ... especially about
boyfriends! It was a rainy day outside and she was
bored, so she had decided to call her old friend Anika.
She had heard an interesting rumour and wanted to
learn the truth from Anika directly.
‘So, Anika,’ began Izzy after a quick ‘hello’. ‘Did you
know James is in Nevada now?’
‘Really?’ Anika said. ‘I remember your boyfriend,
James. He’s cute. Very handsome. What’s he doing out
there in Nevada?’
‘He’s taking summer classes. In fact, you’ll never
guess where he is.’
‘You're right,’ Anika said, ‘I probably won't.’ Anika
hated guessing games. Besides, she was in a hurry. It
was almost time to start work and she was picking out
her clothes to wear. She couldn’t really pay a lot of
attention to the conversation. ‘Nevada is a big state,’
she continued. ‘I have no idea where James could be.’
‘James is in Reno! He’s at the same university as
Felix,’ said Izzy excitedly.
‘Oh. That’s interesting,’ Anika said with mild
surprise. She was not exactly sure why Izzy was telling
her this. ‘I’m sure James and Felix will be glad to hang
out together. Do they know each other very well?’
‘Oh, they know each other a little,’ Izzy began in
a strange voice. ‘And they’re becoming better and
Chapter 2 - We're Just Good Friends 173

better friends. In fact, they’ve been talking a lot lately.’
She paused. ‘So, Anika ... Felix told James that he likes
you. So are you two going to date?’
Oh, so that’s what this call is about, Anika thought.

‘Well ... I don’t know about that yet,’ she began.
‘I told him we could date. I mean, when he returns
to California. It’s just that ... well, basically, we’re
really just good friends. I mean, we enjoy hanging out
and ...’
‘Come on, don’t be shy!’ Izzy interrupted. ‘I’m your
friend. Tell me everything.’ She paused. ‘You know,
I used to date Felix,’ she continued. ‘We dated two
years ago when we were in our first year of university.’
‘I remember that,’ Anika said. She remembered, but
not very well. Izzy dated a lot.
‘So, did you think you could keep this a secret from
me?’ Izzy asked in surprise.
Anika was almost ready for work. She looked at her
clock. She had only 20 minutes to get dressed and get
to her job at the mall. She really didn’t have a lot of
time to talk. ‘It’s not a secret or anything, Izzy,’ she
explained. ‘There just isn’t much to tell. And anyway,
I’m in a bit of a hurry to get to work so ...’
‘Wait! Anika! Just give me the main details then,’
Izzy insisted.
‘OK, fine,’ sighed Anika. ‘You’re very persistent!
So, Felix asked me to date him, but he didn’t say
anything when he was here. He waited until he was in
Nevada, so I didn’t really know that he liked me that
way — until now.’

‘Men. They have very bad timing, don’t they?’ Izzy
interrupted.
Anika rolled her eyes.
‘In fact,’ Izzy continued, ‘I remember Felix was
always late for things when we were dating. One
HMene
Anika wanted to change the subject but she couldn’t

get a word in. At this point she really didn’t want to
think about Felix and Izzy as a couple, so she busied
herself with getting ready until Izzy stopped talking.
‘Isn’t that funny?’ asked Izzy, laughing.
‘Uh, yeah. It is ... That Felix!’ replied Anika, although
she’d heard nothing Izzy had said. ‘So what about
you and James?’ she asked, taking the opportunity to
change the subject. ‘James is so nice. You guys were
seeing each other a long time. Are you two still a
couple?’
‘Not really,’ Izzy said. There was a long, uncomfortable
pause. ‘Actually, we broke up before he left for
Nevada. I’m ready to move on to someone else.’
‘Oh really? I didn’t know that,’ said Anika in
surprise. ‘You never told me. I’m sorry. So, you don’t
see him any more at all?’
‘Well, I didn’t want to say anything, but ...’ Izzy
began. ‘Well, we broke up on good terms and we're
still friends and we talk sometimes. But — how can I
say this? — James was not a good boyfriend.’
Anika knew her friend was very picky about her

boyfriends. That’s why there had been so many of
Chapter 2 — We're Just Good Friends 175

them. Izzy usually only dated a person a few times and
then found something wrong with him. Izzy loved the
drama and excitement of just starting to date. Then
she got bored. It was just how Izzy was.
However, Izzy had stayed with James for a few
months and everyone thought they were a nice
couple, including Anika. In fact, Anika thought James
might even be ‘the one’, so she was shocked to hear
anything negative about James.
‘Not a good boyfriend?’ she asked ‘Why? What
did he do?’ She checked her clock again. She was
running out of time, but she wanted to hear what had
happened, so she put her phone on speakerphone and
dressed while listening.
Izzy said, ‘For starters, James really likes to flirt
with other women.’
‘Oh, no. Are you serious?’ replied Anika. ‘Was he ...
was he cheating on you?’
‘I don’t think so,’ answered Izzy. ‘No. I’m sure
he wasn’t seeing anyone else, but I don’t like my
boyfriends to even Jook at other women. So the flirting
was a big deal for me. | just don’t put up with guys
who check out other girls. I just don’t. It’s time for
me to move on, Anika. No more drama for me!’
Anika shrugged her shoulders. ‘Yeah, checking out
girls can be pretty disrespectful, but he was just
looking at other people. I mean, he didn’t date or start
chatting with anyone else or anything like that, did
he?
‘I don’t think so,’ Izzy replied. ‘But I know for a fact
James was not just looking. He was talking to a lot of
other women, too. He was flirting with them.’

‘Where?’ asked Anika, curious.
‘What?’ asked Izzy.
‘Where was he talking to other women?’ Anika
asked again.
‘At the coffee place,’ answered Izzy quietly.
‘Where he worked last semester?’ said Anika in
surprise.
‘Yes,’ Izzy replied coolly. ‘And where he’II still work
when he gets back. At Perk Works, where he serves
coffee to pretty girls all day long.’
Anika laughed, then covered her mouth.
‘What’s so funny?’ Izzy asked. She was getting a
little angry.
‘Well, Izzy, be fair. If James works in a coffee shop,
then it’s his job to talk to customers.’
‘I guess so,’ replied Izzy slowly.
‘You guess so? Come on, Izzy, be reasonable.
You're not being fair. I mean, if he’s talking to people
at work, there’s nothing you can really ...’
‘He’s not just talking with them, he’s flirting with
them. There’s a big difference! Don’t be so naive,
Anika.’
‘I’m not naive,’ said Anika, beginning to get a bit
angry herself. ‘You’re being too picky. Maybe he’s
only talking that way for tips. You know, he gets more
money if he’s extra nice. There is absolutely no reason
to be jealous. He’s probably only talking to those girls
to be nice and to do his job.’
‘He does not have to be that nice,’ said Izzy snidely.
‘Besides, you wouldn’t like it if Felix was acting that
way. You’d be jealous, wouldn’t you?’
Chapter 2 —- We're Just Good Friends 177

‘No,’ answered Anika confidently. ‘I would trust
him. That’s what relationships are all about. And
besides, right now, it doesn’t matter. I’m not dating
Felix yet. We’ve only talked about it. Right now we’re
just good friends.’
‘Hmm. That’s true,’ replied Izzy with a strange sound
in her voice. ‘You are still technically single and so is
Felix. So, if you’re going to take James’s side, then
maybe you should date James. And I’ll date Felix! After
all, you and Felix are only “just good friends”, right?’
‘What? Are you crazy?’ Anika asked. She didn’t have
any time left and she’d had about enough out of
Izzy. ‘Look, I have to go to work, Izz. I know you're
joking, but it isn’t funny.’
Izzy laughed. ‘You said you don’t get jealous, Anika.
What’s the problem now? Feeling the bite of the
green-eyed monster?’ [zzy asked.
Anika sighed. She was looking for something to eat
in her kitchen. Nothing. She was going to have to eat
at work. ‘We can have this conversation later. I don’t
have time to argue.’ She hung up the phone without
saying goodbye and headed out the door.

Chapter 2 Review
Summary
Izzy calls her friend, Anika. Izzy says she has heard that Felix
and Anika are dating. Anika explains the situation. The two
friends talk about boyfriends and dating. Izzy explains that
she broke up with her boyfriend, James. She says James was
flirting with other women at work. Anika says James didn’t do
anything wrong because it was part of his job. Anika then says
Izzy is being too picky. Izzy suggests that Anika should date
James. Izzy then adds that she might date Felix again because
Anika says they are just good friends. Anika gets angry and
has to go to work, so she hangs up on Izzy.
Vocabulary
rumour information that people tell each other, although it may
not be true
mild not severe or not serious
hang out (s/ang) to spend time with someone or doing something
persistent to continue to do or say something in a determined
way
break up (a relationship) if two people break up, they end their
relationship
move on to start to do something different or to talk about
something different
picky difficult to please and only liking a few things
drama the excitement of a new or interesting event or situation
‘the one’ (expression) the person with whom you will spend the
rest of your life

flirt to behave as though you think someone is attractive
cheat to behave dishonestly in a relationship
be a big deal (s/ang) to be very important
disrespectful not- showing respect towards someone or
something
Come on! (s/ang) an expression to show anger or annoyance
reasonable sensible and fair
naive too ready to trust other people because of not having much
experience of life
snidely criticizing in a way that is unkind and not direct
technically according to the details of a rule or the law
take (someone’s) side to share the same opinion as one party or
the other in a disagreement, to defend someone’s opinion
have enough if you have had enough of something, you do not
want to have it or do it any more
Feeling the bite of the green-eyed monster? Are you feeling
jealous? (the expression ‘green-eyed monster’ is something used for
the word ‘jealousy’)
6) Izzy calls Anika because she wants to ___

a. hear about her work
b. find out about Anika and Felix
c. hear what Anika is doing this summer
d. tell Anika about James

7) Who told Izzy that Felix likes Anika?
a. James
b. Anika
c. Felix
8) Find these expressions in the story. Which is NOT used to

talk about dating?
a. flirt
b. cheat on
c. check out
d. roll one’s eyes
9) Anika thinks Izzy was jealous about James because ___.

a. Izzy thinks all men cheat
b. Izzy is too picky
c. Izzy thought Felix was flirting
d. Anika wants to date James
10) What is Izzy’s suggestion at the end of the conversation?

a. Izzy thinks Anika and Felix should break up.
b. Izzy thinks she should get back together with James.
c. Izzy thinks Anika should not date anyone.
d. Izzy thinks Anika should date James.

Chapter 3 - You Two Deserve Each Other!
Felix was very excited. His summer university courses
were almost over. He was doing well and would get
good grades in all his courses. Those good grades will
help my GPA, he thought. When I go back to university
in California, maybe I'll be up at Anika’s level and we
can take classes together. I’ve worked hard, I deserve
something nice.
He was glad to be leaving Nevada soon. In two
weeks, he’d be back at university and he could see
Anika again, maybe every day if they were in the same
class. Plus, she had promised to go on a date with him
when he returned. He couldn’t wait to get back!
Felix’s thoughts were interrupted when his phone
rang. It was his friend James. He had known James
for a long time, but they had never been close friends.
Now, they were going to the same summer school and
had started to hang out a little. Sometimes, they ate
lunch together. At night, they liked to watch movies
or go out when their studies were over. James was
always in the mood to talk to other girls, but Felix was
always thinking about Anika. He was really excited to
tell James that Anika had finally said ‘yes’ to a date!
‘Hi, James,’ Felix said, answering the phone.

‘Felix! Hey, I need to talk to you,’ replied James.
‘That’s funny. I wanted to talk to you, too,’ added
Felix. He was excited to share his big news.

‘Oh,’ James said, a little surprised. ‘All right, you can
go first. What’s going on?’
Felix thought for a moment. He really wanted to
tell James about going out with Anika, but James had
broken up with his girlfriend, Izzy. He was still pretty
upset and it might bother him to hear Felix’s good
news.
‘So yeah,’ began Felix, ‘I just wanted to ask how you
are doing. I mean, after the breakup and all?’
James sighed. ‘I didn’t want to say anything, but it’s
not going so well. I was hoping Izzy and I would have
got back together by now.’
‘That’s why | asked,’ Felix said. ‘I could see something
was bothering you and I was getting worried about
you.’
‘Thanks, man. I’m OK though. Really,’ answered
James.
‘Are you sure?’ Felix asked. ‘Do you want to talk or
something?’
‘Oh, you know how it goes,’ James said. He gave
a little laugh, but Felix could tell he didn’t think
anything was funny. ‘I’m still friends with Izzy, but my
feelings are still hurt. She just wasn’t fair. She always
thought I was flirting with all these other women. She
even accused me of trying to find a new girlfriend at
work. Like, come on!’
‘Really?’ Felix responded. Then he paused and
asked, ‘So were you?’
‘Was I what?’ asked James.
‘Were you looking for a new girlfriend at work?’
Felix repeated.
Chapter 3 - You Two Deserve Each Other! 183

‘No!’ said James defensively. ‘I wasn’t. I would
never do that. I was just being nice and doing my job.
But the problem is, Izzy thinks I did something wrong.
I can’t change her mind. She thinks I was flirting with
my customers.’
‘But you weren't, right?’ asked Felix.
‘Well, sometimes I did flirt a little,’ James began.
‘But it wasn’t really flirting, I was just being extra nice.
You know what I mean? It was totally innocent.’
Felix thought for a moment and asked, ‘What do
you mean, “innocent”?’
‘T only did it to get bigger tips,’ James said. ‘That’s
how those types of jobs work. You don’t get paid very
much, so you have to work for tips. Get it?’
Felix nodded. ‘Yeah, I get it.’
‘I mean, sometimes I stopped and had coffee ... ,
James continued. ‘But only with a couple of girls. And

it was just to sell more coffee for the shop. I swear!’
Felix raised his eyebrows in surprise. ‘You had coffee
with your customers?’
“Yeah, but it was simply business,’ explained James.
Then he added guiltily, ‘I mean, maybe I got one or
two phone numbers. But I never called. I mean, if they
didn’t answer my texts, I just let them be.’
Felix sighed. He was beginning to understand what

had happened.
‘Why can’t Izzy get that?’ James continued.
‘Get what?’ responded Felix.
‘That it was just business,’ replied James. ‘Hey,
maybe you could talk to her about it. Put in a good

word for me? Just leave out the bit about me having
coffee and texting the girls.’
Felix thought for a moment before replying, ‘I don’t
think that’s a good idea, James.’
‘Why not?’
‘Well, I have to tell you something. It’s not a big deal,
but you should know.’ He paused before continuing.
‘I dated Izzy for a little while. We didn’t date for very
long and it was a long time ago.’
‘Yes, I know, she told me about it,’ James said. ‘So?’
‘Well ... Izzy is awesome,’ Felix said. ‘She really is
great. And to be honest, I liked her a lot back then. But
actually, we had the same problem. She was jealous of
me, too.’
‘What? She thought you were flirting with other
girls?’ James couldn’t believe it. So, he was not the first
guy to have this problem with Izzy.
‘That’s right,’ replied Felix. ‘And it sounds like you’re
having the same issue I had with her. She’s a really
jealous person. But then it sounds like you actually did
kind obflirtiso 22
‘Wow,’ said James. ‘It’s nice to know it’s not just me!’
James had jumped on Felix’s news about Izzy being
the one with issues. He had ignored Felix’s comment
about the fact that James actually was flirting.
‘Maybe it’s time I just forget about Izzy and move
on, you know?’ James continued. ‘Like, find someone
who really appreciates me, someone nice.’ The
phone went silent, as if James was deep in thought.
‘Yeah, why not?’ said Felix casually.

It sounded like James was really glad to hear that
he was not alone. Felix was happy to help. Maybe
it was time for James to move on and start looking
elsewhere. Suddenly, Felix decided that it was the right
time to tell James about Anika. Maybe it would give
him hope that there was someone special out there for
him as well.
‘Hey, James,’ Felix began. ‘I have some news.’
‘Oh, yeah? What’s up?’ replied James.
‘It’s about Anika. You remember how I’ve always
wanted to date her?’
‘Yeah. You’ve wanted to go out with her forever, but
you've always been too shy to actually ask. So?’
‘Yeah,’ Felix replied, ‘but finally, I did!’
‘You did? And she said yes?’ said James in surprise.
Felix paused. Why was James so surprised that Anika
would go out with him? ‘Yes, she did. She wants to talk
to her parents first,’ he continued. ‘That’s what she
said. But ...’
‘Oh,’ James interrupted. His voice sounded strange.
‘Well, why does she want to talk to her parents?’
‘I don’t know. She said she likes to keep them
involved in her life,’ Felix answered.
‘Don’t you think it might be more because of the
way you look?’ asked James.
‘No,’ Felix began. ‘Well maybe a little bit ... Wait.
What do you mean?’
‘Well, her parents are pretty conservative. You
wouldn’t exactly fit in, now would you?’ explained
James. ‘It probably wouldn’t work out, you know, with
her folks. I’d just forget about it if I were you.’

‘Gee, I never really thought about that, but ...’
answered Felix. Then he paused before asking, ‘Wait.
Why are you saying all this, James?’
‘I’m just saying it because I’m looking out for you,’
James said. Then he added, ‘And maybe because
Anika’s ...’
‘Anika’s what?’ asked Felix.
‘Well, you know she used to come into the coffee
shop sometimes after her classes,’ James explained.
‘You know?’
Felix didn’t know that, but it didn’t matter to him.
Lots of people went to the coffee shop. ‘Yeah? So?
Why do I need to know about that?’
‘Because, um ... I need to tell you something, Felix,’
James began. ‘Sometimes, Anika and I talked a lot
when she came into the shop. And, uh ... well, admit
it. Sometimes I actually do flirt a little at work, you
know, just to be nice. And I get on really well with
Anika and I think she’s really cute, so I was thinking
about asking her on a date.’
‘What?’ Felix asked. He couldn’t believe it! ‘Are you
serious?’
‘Listen. I probably won’t ask her out since she said
“yes” to you, but I wanted to make sure. I don’t have
a girlfriend. Izzy broke up with me because she’s so
jealous, so you know ... I thought about Anika.’
‘You have got to be kidding! Izzy broke up with
you because you DO flirt with other girls! You do it
all the time. I’ve seen it here and I’ve seen it at the
coffee shop. I’ve seen it all over!’ said Felix angrily.
‘And I think you flirt with other girls because Izzy is

so sensitive about it. In fact, I think you like to get
a rise out of her! And | think she actually likes the
excitement and drama of trying to keep you in line.
You are both crazy!’
James was silent on the other end of the phone.
Felix had hit a nerve and he knew it, but he’d had
enough. ‘So listen, James,’ he continued. ‘I got to
Anika before you did, so back off! And as for you
and Izzy? I suggest you get back together right away.
You two deserve each other!’

Chapter 3 Review
Summary
Felix and James are talking on the phone. They have become
better friends over the summer in Reno. Felix has been worried
about James because James broke up with Izzy, his girlfriend.
James explains that Izzy thought he was flirting with other
women. He says that he was not flirting, he was just doing his
job. Later, Felix says that he has asked Anika on a date. James
is surprised and says it probably won't work out. James then
admits that he actually has been flirting with other women.
He says he was also flirting with Anika and would like to date
her as well. Felix gets angry and tells James to go back to Izzy.
He thinks they deserve each other because they are both a
little crazy.
Vocabulary
GPA (grade point average) an American English expression
for the average score one achieves during a period at school or
university
deserve if you deserve something, you should have it because of
your behaviour
accuse to say that someone has done something bad
is criticizing you
innocent not intended to hurt or upset someone
I swear! | promise!
put in a good word (for someone) an expression meaning to
say something nice about someone (to help them get or achieve
something)
appreciate to feel grateful for something

involved to take part in something
sensitive very easily offended or upset
get a rise out of (someone) to make someone annoyed
keep (someone) in line to make someone behave in the way
you want the person to
hit a nerve to do or say something about a point that is very
sensitive or painful for someone
back off to walk away or leave a situation
11) Why does Felix want good grades?

a. He wants to finish university early.
b. His parents are angry about his grades.
c. The university will ask him to leave if he doesn’t.
d. He wants to be able to study with Anika.
12) Why doesn’t Felix tell James about dating Anika right
away?
a. He’s afraid James will start flirting with Anika.
b. James is pretty upset about his classes.
c. James is pretty upset about his breakup.
d. James gets better grades, so Felix is jealous of him.
13) At first, James says he’s usually extra nice to customers

because __.
a. he wants to date them
b. he wants tips
c. his boss told him to
d. he’s a very friendly person

14) Why doesn’t Felix offer to put in a good word for James?
a. because he still likes Izzy and wants to date her
b. because he thinks James should date other people
c. because he doesn’t want Anika to get jealous
d. because he used to date Izzy and had the same
problem
15) According to Felix, which of the following is true?

a. James doesn’t care what Izzy thinks about his flirting.
b. Izzy secretly likes the excitement of trying to control
James’s flirting.
c. Izzy was right to right to break up with James.
d. All of the above.

192
Monster Challenge
Chapter 1 — The Monthly Monster Meet-Up

‘Is your job boring?’ asked the hairy green creature
on the television.
‘No,’ Wagner the Werewolf said, talking to the TV.
He finished his soda and crushed the can in his hand.
‘Is scaring people all day becoming a challenge?’
the advertisement continued. ‘Would you like to try
something new? What about a job where you can be
nice to people instead?’
‘No thanks,’ Wagner said aloud as he changed the
channel. ‘What is the point of being a monster,’ he
said aloud to himself, ‘if you don’t scare people? And
sometimes, eat them?’
Wagner gave a loud burp and continued flicking
through the channels. He had never liked commercials.
He would rather watch ice hockey than commercials.
He started to flick through the channels more quickly,
looking for a game, pausing only a second or two
before moving on. Most werewolves did not have very
much patience.
‘Ah!’ cried Wagner in disgust. ‘There is nothing

good on,’ he said as he threw his crushed soda can
into a bin in frustration.
‘I agree,’ said a voice with no body.
Chapter 1 — The Monthly Monster MeetUp 193

‘Who said that?’ Wagner asked. The room was very
dark, except for the light from the television. He did not
see anyone else, so he smelled the air. He recognized
the scent right away. ‘Oh, it is you,’ said the Werewolf
in surprise. ‘I did not know you were coming tonight.’
Dr Griffin, the ‘Invisible Man’, nodded his head,
but Wagner couldn’t see it. The Werewolf could, of
course, smell the human. Werewolves have very good
noses, and humans have very bad smells.
‘I can never fool you,’ Griffin said with a laugh.
He was in a happy mood. He sat down in an empty
chair and picked up a newspaper. The only thing
the Werewolf could see was a pair of shorts and the
newspaper. The Invisible Man didn’t like to wear a lot
of clothes. They were always visible on his invisible
body and he preferred to sneak around so no one
could see him.
Wagner the Werewolf and the Invisible Man were

at Count Dracula’s new house in Virginia. It was very
large and expensive and it was surrounded by a small
forest. There were a lot of woods and hills in Virginia.
It was a good place for monsters to live and hunt.
They were waiting for Dracula to come home. He
was their boss and tonight was the monthly meeting.
Everyone had to come. All the ‘classic’ monsters had to
attend, even if they had to come from other countries.
‘Anyway, I agree with you about the scaring thing,
Wagner,’ Griffin said. ‘I don’t know what that guy on
TV was talking about. If you’re going to be a monster,
194 Monster Challenge

you might as well scare people.’ He turned the page
of his newspaper, but he was secretly looking at the
Werewolf.
Wagner frowned and showed his sharp bottom
teeth. ‘But you are not really a monster,’ he said. ‘You
are just a human that no one can see. That does not
make you a monster.’
‘I think it depends on what you mean by the word
“monster”.’
‘OK. By my definition, you are not a monster,’
replied Wagner with a frown. Then he looked around
and added, ‘Where is Frankenstein’s creature?
Take a look at that big ugly guy. Now that is a monster!’
‘Be quiet,’ Griffin said in a whisper. ‘Keep your
voice down. | think he’s in the house.’
‘So? His hearing is terrible,’ answered Wagner.
‘Besides, I just said he was a monster.’
‘Well, I can’t argue with you on that. Old “Cranky
Franky” is one of the world’s most terrible monsters,’
the Invisible Man agreed. ‘I can’t compare to him. He’s
much more terrible and scary than I am. But I’m still a
scary guy, you know.’
‘You are not scary at all,’ the Werewolf interrupted.
‘Andat least I’m smart,’ Griffin continued, ignoring
the insult. ‘Frankenstein’s creature is so stupid! He
could never be a leader, or even a good follower. You
know what I mean? He doesn’t have much potential
for anything.’
‘You don’t know him very well. He is smarter than
he looks,’ replied Wagner. ‘Besides, no one said you
have to be intelligent to be a monster.’
Chapter 1 - The Monthly Monster MeetUp 195

‘I realize that,’ Griffin said, becoming somewhat
frustrated. ‘But to make a real difference in the world,
you have to be smart. Look at me, I’m a doctor.’
‘Oh, a doctor. Big deal!’ said Wagner, rolling
his eyes. Then he paused before continuing. ‘But I
guess if you want to be a boss, you should be smart.
However, most of us are not interested in power. In
fact, most of us are happy staying hidden. I don’t need
a lot of attention. I don’t need to be important. I just
need to scare someone once a month or so, and to
eat somebody once in a while. But I’m not hungry for
power. You should know that by now,’ he finished and
turned to look at Griffin, although he could not see
him.
‘But I think that’s the problem,’ Griffin explained.
‘We need to be more interested in power. We need to
be better organized. We need to get smarter and then
us monsters could take over the world!’
The Werewolf yawned. The Invisible Man was just
not listening to him - again. Griffin always talked
about the same things and Wagner had heard this
speech before. The Invisible Man was only interested
in taking over the world. It was his obsession.
Wagner walked into the kitchen to make

microwave popcorn. ‘If you want to rule the planet,
go ahead,’ he shouted to Griffin from the other room.
‘Nobody is stopping you.’
‘I cannot do it by myself,’ Griffin yelled back in
frustration. ‘I need the other monsters. We have to
work together as a team.’

‘Most of the others do not care about that stuff,’
Wagner called from the kitchen. He walked back into
the living room a few minutes later carrying a bowl of
popcorn.
The Werewolf sat down in front of the TV and
changed the channel again. There was still nothing
good on. He turned the television off and stood up.
With the TV off, the room was completely black.
‘Hey, it’s too dark in here,’ Griffin complained. ‘I
can’t see in the dark!’
‘Ican,’ Wagner said with a wolfish smile. He walked
behind the Invisible Man’s chair and grabbed the
newspaper and tore it apart.
‘Arrgh!’ Griffin yelled.
‘So,’ the Werewolf said, ‘now you know what it
is like when you can’t see somebody. It is annoying,
isn’t it?’
‘T can’t help being invisible,’ Griffin said. ‘I didn’t
ask to be this way.’
‘Yes you did! You made a drink to turn yourself
invisible on purpose.’
‘Well ... yeah, I guess you’re right, but ...’ Griffin
said, tripping over a small table as he tried to get away
from the Werewolf. Sometimes he got a little carried
away. ‘Turn a light on, please,’ he said a little too
loudly. ‘I’ve had enough!’
Somewhere in the darkness outside, a dog howled.

Then the door opened and a rush of air blew into the
room. Dracula walked in without making a sound.

‘Good evening,’ said the old vampire slowly as he
flicked on a light switch with one long finger. ‘What
are you two talking about in the dark?’
‘We’re talking about monsters being dumb,’ said the
Invisible Man. -
‘I see,’ Dracula said. ‘I hope you were not referring
to me.’ The vampire looked directly at Griffin and
smiled to show his sharp teeth.

Chapter 1 Review
Summary
It is time for the monthly meeting of all the great monsters.
Wagner the Werewolf and Griffin the Invisible Man are at
Dracula’s house in Virginia. They are arguing about being
monsters. Griffin thinks monsters should take over the world.
However, he needs more support to do this. The Werewolf
says he does not want to rule the world. Griffin feels many
monsters are too stupid to take over the world. Then Dracula
comes home and wants to know what Wagner and Griffin are
talking about.
Vocabulary
werewolf in stories, a person who changes into a wolf (animal like
a fierce dog) when there is a full (Completely round) moon
burp to make a sound by letting air come out of your stomach
through your mouth
flick to make a fast movement that makes something else move
patience the ability to stay calm, especially when waiting for
something, doing something for a long time or dealing with
something or someone annoying
disgust a strong feeling that you do not like or approve of
something
scent a particular smell, such as that of a flower or an animal
invisible impossible to see
say ‘yes’
human a person

moving your eyebrows (lines of hair above your eyes) down
Frankenstein’s creature a monster made from putting body
parts from several people together
whisper something said in a very quiet voice
disagree with them
insult a remark or action that is rude and offends someone
potential an ability or possibility that can be developed successfully
in the future
organized prepared in a sensible, clear way
yawn to open your mouth very wide and breathe in, because you
are feeling tired or bored
obsession a person or thing that you cannot stop thinking about
microwave popcorn a sweet or salty snack which puffs up when
heated in the microwave
howl if a dog or wolf howls, it makes a long, high-pitched noise
vampire in stories, a dead person who comes out at night and
drinks blood from people’s necks
1) Which of the following adjectives best describes Wagner?

a. calm
b. polite
c. impatient
d. healthy

2) Wagner wants __?
a. to be more like the Invisible Man
b. lots of power
c. to scare people occasionally
d. everyone to notice him
3) At first, how does Wagner know the person speaking is

Griffin?
a. He recognizes the smell.
b. He can see in the dark.
c. He can see invisible people.
d. He recognizes the voice.
4) Who do Wagner and Griffin agree is the most terrible

monster?
a. Dracula
b. The Werewolf
c. Swamp Man
d. Frankenstein’s creature
5) What is Griffin obsessed with?

a. scaring people
b. Frankenstein’s creature
c. taking over the world
d. television
Chapter 1 — The Monthly Monster MeetUp 201

Chapter 2 - The Challenge
Somehow, Dracula could always tell where the Invisible
Man was. It drove Griffin nuts. Vampires had many
secret powers. Since Dracula was the oldest vampire,
he had many abilities. He never let anyone know
everything he could do. He liked to be mysterious.
‘| didn’t mean you, boss,’ said Griffin nervously.
‘Actually, Wagner is the one who brought it up. He said
most monsters are stupid.’
Dracula smiled dangerously. His red lips were very
dark, compared to his pale white face. ‘Of course
monsters are stupid,’ he said before adding, ‘but we
are still smarter than humans. Everyone knows that.’
The Invisible Man knew Dracula’s response was an

insult. He would always be a human in the eyes of
other monsters. But most of the time, Griffin felt like
a monster, even if he was not technically one. Other
humans could not see him and that made him so
different that humans didn’t accept him either. That
was why he had decided to work with the monsters to
take over the world, but he needed to find a way to get
them to do what he wanted.
“Now Mr Hyde, he is a smart man,’ the Werewolf said
as he picked at his bowl of popcorn. ‘But sometimes
I think the average monster is a complete idiot.
We really need a better education system, Dracula.’

No one ever talked to Dracula like that, except
Wagner. Most of the other monsters were afraid of
the old vampire. There was good reason to be afraid,
but the vampire and the werewolf were good friends.
Sometimes, they even went hunting together.
‘We do not need smarter monsters, Waggie,’ replied
Dracula. (He always called Wagner ‘Waggie’ for short.)
‘We have several bright ones. Mr Hyde, you, me - in
fact, 1am probably the brightest one.’
‘You are, boss,’ the Invisible Man said with a smile.
Then he gave Dracula a thumbs-up sign, but no one
saw it.
However, Wagner was very powerful and bold. He
often challenged the old vampire. ‘Are you sure you
are the smartest of us all?’ he asked Dracula.
‘Who is brighter than I am?’ asked the old monster
in surprise. ‘Just tell me the name of a smarter monster.
You can’t!’
‘’m thinking,’ the Werewolf said, chewing a
mouthful of popcorn. He licked the salt off of his long
fingernails. ‘What about that guy in the bandages?’
‘What guy in bandages?’ the Invisible Man asked.
‘You mean the wrapped-up guy?’
‘Yes, he’s all wrapped in bandages,’ continued
Wagner, thinking hard.
Dracula laughed and the ground shook. ‘You don’t
mean The Mummy, do you? Are you kidding me?
He is a total idiot!’
The Werewolf’s eyes glowed bright red. ‘The
Mummy may be dumb now, but he was not always
like that. Before he died, he was the ruler of Egypt.
He was a smart human back in the old days.’
Chapter 2 - The Challenge 203

‘That’s only a rumour,’ Dracula said, rolling his
eyes. ‘Anyone can say “I was the ruler of Egypt”.
Whatever! He has never been able to prove anything.’
Wagner scratched his back. ‘Why would he lie
about it?’
‘He’s crazy!’ replied Dracula, shaking his head. ‘Last
month, he said he won an Olympic gold medal for
swimming.’
The Invisible Man coughed. ‘I remember that,’ he
said as he tried to sneak his hand into the bowl of
popcorn.
Werewolf caught him and smacked his hand.
‘Don’t touch my popcorn. Get your own!’
Suddenly, the door slammed open as someone

entered the room. It was the Swamp Man. ‘It’s true!’
said Swamp Man. However, most of the others had a
hard time understanding him. Swamp Man did not
speak the English language very well. He had a large
mouth like a fish, which made it hard to speak. He also
did not like being out of the water, so he was usually
in a bad mood. Most of the time, he lived alone in the
deep dark swamp waters, but tonight he had come to
Dracula’s for the monthly Monster Meet-up.
‘It’s true,’ the Swamp Man repeated slowly. ‘The
Mummy was an Egyptian pharaoh thousands of
years ago.’
‘I doubt it,’ Dracula said, smiling. ‘But it does not
matter. He was not a monster back in those days.
That’s what we’re talking about. The Mummy became
a monster later, after he died and came back.’

‘How did he do that anyway?’ asked the Invisible
Man. ‘I would like to come back from the dead.’
‘I can help you with that,’ Dracula said, stepping
closer.
‘Wait! I don’t want to come back as a vampire,’ cried
Griffin in a panic.
“You would rather come back as a mindless mummy?’
asked Dracula in surprise.
‘No ... but I don’t want to drink blood,’ Griffin
responded.
‘Have you ever tried it?’
‘No! Ugh! That is disgusting.’
Dracula gave Griffin an evil stare.
“emean,- um slim sure its not that:bad, But...”
Griffin continued to his boss, ‘but you were a human
once, right, Count Dracula?’
‘All vampires begin as humans, then we become
vampires,’ replied Dracula coolly.
‘By dying?’ asked Griffin.
‘It is complicated, but yes.’
‘Then you are technically like The Mummy,’ The
Invisible Man said.
As soon as it came out of his mouth, Griffin knew

he’d made a big mistake. Dracula flew across the
room and grabbed him by his invisible neck. ‘Do not
compare me to him!’ he roared.
‘Wait, wait ... stop! Are you going to kill me?’ asked
Griffin, panicked.
‘I’m thinking about it,’ Dracula said. Then he
shrugged and said, ‘Yes. Probably.’
Chapter 2 —- The Challenge 205

‘Don’t make me a vampire!’ cried Griffin. ‘I want to
stay human.’
‘Why?’ Wagner asked, spitting out a piece of
popcorn. ‘You always say you want to be a monster.
Here’s your chance.’
‘Wait! No! I want to stay human,’ Griffin shouted.
‘I may not be the smartest person on Earth ...’
‘You are the dumbest!’ Dracula said, bringing his
sharp teeth close to Griffin’s face.
‘But even the dumbest human is smarter than the
smartest monster,’ continued Griffin. There. He had
finally said it. He quietly waited to see what would
happen.
Dracula was so angry he threw Griffin across
the room. No one else could see anything but the
Invisible Man’s shorts flying through the air. Then
they saw a window break. Dracula had thrown Griffin
through the window and he had fallen into a small
tree outside.
Griffin stood up. He looked in the window and
shouted, ‘I’m OK!’ Then he added, ‘And I challenge
you, Dracula, to a contest!’
‘I can’t believe it,’ the Werewolf said, looking at
Swamp Man. ‘No one should ever pick a fist fight
with the King of the Vampires! Never!’
‘I'll tear you apart!’ Dracula shouted as he walked
towards Griffin.
‘No, nota fist fight,’ the Invisible Man said quickly as
he climbed through the broken window. ‘You say you

are the smartest monster. You say I am the dumbest
human. Let’s see if the dumbest human is smarter
than the smartest monster. That is my challenge.’
The other monsters looked at their boss. Dracula
had no choice. He had to accept the challenge.
Chapter 2 - The Challenge 207

Chapter 2 Review
Summary
The monsters continue to discuss the intelligence of monsters
and humans. Then Griffin compares Dracula to another
monster called The Mummy. Dracula does not like The
Mummy, so he gets angry and throws Griffin out of a window.
Griffin is all right, but he is angry. He gets up and challenges
Dracula to a contest. He does not want to fight with fists. He
wants to have a contest to find out who is smarter — a monster
or a human. Dracula agrees to the contest.
Vocabulary
drive (someone) nuts (s/ang) to make someone very annoyed
or angry
mysterious strange and difficult to understand or explain
Mr Hyde a character from a story who has two personalities:
Dr Jekyll, a scientist, and Mr Hyde, his dangerous, evil side that
comes out after taking a special drink
idiot a stupid person
bright clever
thumbs-up sign lifting your thumb up from your hand to show
that you like or approve of something
challenge when you ask someone to fight or compete with you
bandage a long piece of cloth that you put around a part of your
body that has been cut or hurt
shake to make many quick small movements from side to side or
up and down
glow to burn or shine with a soft light
ruler a person who controls a country or an area and its people
not be true

uncomfortable
smack to hit someone with the flat part of your hand
a loud noise
Swamp Man a monster from a watery muddy area (swamp)
pharaoh a king in ancient Egypt
panic a sudden strong feeling of fear or worry that makes you
roar (v.) to use a loud, angry voice
fist fight a fight using the hands and no other objects
6) Wagner can say anything to Dracula because he is __.

a. stronger than Dracula
b. friends with Dracula
c. older than Dracula
d. smarter than Dracula
7) Of which place was The Mummy the ruler?

a. Virginia
b. The swamp
c. Egypt
d. The United States
8) Why doesn’t Griffin want Dracula to turn him into a

vampire?
a. He doesn’t want to drink blood.
b. He is afraid of dying.
c. He doesn’t like vampires.
d. He thinks he will become stupid.
Chapter 2 -The Challenge 209

9) Which one of the characters does not like The Mummy?
a. The Swamp Man
b. Wagner
c. Griffin
d. Dracula
10) Why does Griffin challenge Dracula?

a. He thinks he is smarter than Dracula.
b. He thinks he is stronger than Dracula.
c. He wants Dracula to kill him.
d. He wants Wagner to kill Dracula.

Chapter 3 — Monsters Love Traps
Griffin wanted to be the next leader of the monsters.
Then he could move forward and take over the world.
This was his big chance! If he could prove he was
smarter than Dracula, the monsters would follow him.
Griffin explained the rules of his challenge to the
monsters at the Monster Meet-up. ‘Who is the most
powerful of the monsters?’ he began. ‘We know
it is Count Dracula, our leader,’ he shouted. The
other monsters sat in the living room, listening.
Frankenstein’s creature had finally arrived, and a few
zombies were sitting on the floor like children. There
was also Mara, a witch from the East, Mr Hyde, who
had flown in from England, and the ancient Mummy.
The Mummy was too stiff to sit down, so he stood in
the corner, far away from the fireplace.
‘And who is the smartest of the monsters?’ the
Invisible Man continued before waiting for an answer.
‘Dracula is,’ Dracula said, looking around angrily.
‘Stop wasting our time. What is your point, Dr Griffin?’
‘Yes, you are the smartest,’ Griffin agreed. ‘Dracula
is the smartest and most powerful monster. And what
has he done for us?’
The others looked around. Dracula crossed his arms
and raised an eyebrow, but said nothing.
Chapter 3 - Monsters Love Traps 211

‘Anybody?’ Griffin asked. ‘Let me ask again. If he
is the best we have, what do we have to show for it?
Nothing! After all these years, we continue to hide in
the shadows. We act like we are afraid of the humans.
When we should be in charge of them!’
‘Um ... we do have our own television channel,’
Swamp Man said. The others nodded in agreement.
‘And it is terrible!’ Griffin said, shaking his head. ‘It
only plays old reruns of shows and ice hockey. Those
things are not important.’
‘Well, [like ice hockey,’ said Wagner, looking around.
Several monsters nodded their heads in agreement.
‘What is your point?’ Dracula said once again. He
was curious to hear about Griffin’s challenge.
‘OK,’ Griffin continued. ‘You all have allowed me
to be part of the monster team. Even though I am a
human, you let me act like a monster. I thank you for
that.’ The Invisible Man paused to smile, although
no one could see. The monsters only saw his shorts
moving back and forth at the front of the room.
‘But now, let me help you,’ he continued. ‘You are
my brothers and sisters. And I can do better for you
than Dracula has done. He was a human, years and
years ago. But he has forgotten about human greed
and human ambition. He has become lazy.’
The crowd began to talk quietly among themselves.
Dracula’s eyes glowed red in anger. He chewed on his
lip. He really wanted to get Griffin, but he waited. He
still wanted to hear about the challenge.
Griffin could tell the others were getting restless,
so he made his announcement. ‘I challenge Dracula
for leadership of the monsters,’ he said loudly. Silence

fell over the room. He continued, ‘Here is what I need.
You will build two traps. Both traps must be exactly
the same. Make them identical, with only one way to
escape. | will not know the way out and neither will
Dracula. The one who can figure out how to escape
the trap will be the leader of all.’
‘That’s it?’ Wagner asked. ‘That sounds simple
enough.’ The Werewolf looked around the room.
‘What do you all say? Do you agree with this plan?’
Everyone knows monsters love traps. Some are very
good at making them. They all like to try to escape
them. They laughed and grunted and clapped in
agreement with Griffin’s plan. Wagner nodded his
hairy head as well and turned to his boss. ‘What do
you say, Count Dracula?’
‘I am smarter than that idiot,’ he said, pointing at
the Invisible Man. ‘Any trap you build, I will escape
from in seconds. But you cannot use any garlic or
crosses,’ he said. ‘Vampires are helpless against them,
so that would not be fair.’
‘And no magic,’ added Griffin. ‘Humans are helpless
against magic.’ The monsters nodded in agreement.
.‘So then, we are agreed,’ Griffin stated. ‘Witches, you
are the best trap builders. How long will it take to
build the traps?’
Mara, the witch from the East, called her friends
together. They had flown in to Virginia and the wind
had been very bad so their ears were blocked. Mara
had to speak very loudly. ‘We must make two black
boxes,’ she shouted. ‘They must be escape-proof, but
remember, no magic. And no garlic or crosses either.’
Chapter 3 — Monsters Love Traps 213

Mara paused and then continued. ‘Also, there needs to
be ...’ she began, but then suddenly two more witches
arrived. She went to greet them and didn’t finish her
sentence. The monsters didn’t mind. The witches
had brought snacks. The meeting was over and the
challenge had been set.
Over the next week, the witches built two giant

black boxes made of thick metal. There were no doors
or windows, only one small hole was left open in
each. The hole was big enough for a person to climb
inside, and once the person was in, the witches would
close the hole up by using torches to melt the metal
closed. After they used the torches to close them up,
the challenge would begin.
As Mara put the finishing touches to the second box,
she called to the other monsters, “Tell Count Dracula
the traps are ready.’
Dracula looked at the boxes and was impressed. The
witches were fast workers. They had built their traps
in less than one week. ‘Very nice work, ladies,’ he said
with a scary smile as he stood near his box.
The witches placed the traps near the edge of Foggy
Bottom Swamp. The other monsters all gathered
around the boxes to watch the contest. The moon was
full and bright, and it was very late. The contest was to
begin at midnight.
‘Where's Griffin?’ Mr Hyde asked. ‘Did he get scared
and run off?’
Wagner smelled the air. ‘No, he’s here. I can smell
his stinky clothes.’

Griffin the Invisible Man stepped out from his
hiding place. He was wearing clothes and his face was
wrapped in white bandages. He also wore dark glasses.
Everyone could easily see him. ‘Sorry I’m late,’ he said
quietly. He walked forward, towards the black boxes,
looking directly at Count Dracula. ‘Well, there’s no
reason to wait. Let’s begin!’
Griffin climbed into the first box. The others
watched Dracula carefully. Dracula shrugged his
shoulders and got into the second box.
‘Seal them up,’ Wagner called. The witches used
their torches and sealed up the holes. When the holes
were sealed, the Werewolf nodded. ‘Now, Swamp Man,
push the boxes into the swamp.’
‘I didn’t know that was part of the plan,’ Mr Hyde
said.
Wagner stared at him, smiling. ‘It is now. We need to
be sure there are no holes in the boxes. Do it, Swamp
Man!’
Swamp Man was extremely strong. He easily pushed
both heavy boxes into the water. They sank to the
bottom of the swamp. No bubbles of air came up.
There were no holes in the boxes.
‘Now what?’ Mr Hyde asked.
‘Now we wait,’ Wagner said as he pulled a snack
from his pocket.
The monsters stood and waited ... and waited ...

and waited. They waited near the boxes all night, but
neither Dracula nor Griffin came out.
‘What do we do now?’ Mara asked as the sun began
to come up.

‘T think we should celebrate,’ said a voice from the
woods. ‘We have a winner!’ Something jumped down
from a tree. It was Griffin! He was wearing a white bed
sheet over his head. ‘Boo!’ he said.
The other monsters jumped and yelled. Wagner
grinned. ‘So ... how did you escape?’ he asked.
‘I didn’t escape. I never went inside the box,’ Griffin
explained.
‘What? Then who went inside?’ asked Mr Hyde.
‘That idiot, The Mummy!’ Griffin explained,
laughing. ‘I tricked him. I dressed him up like me and
I put a speaker in his pocket,’ Griffin said. He held
up a tiny microphone. ‘You heard my voice, but it
sounded like it came from him. I was hiding up in the
tree.’ He broke out in laughter once again.
Wagner laughed as well and clapped Griffin on the

back. ‘Very funny, Griff! But Dracula will be very angry
when he escapes.’
The witches looked at each other. ‘What do you
mean, when he escapes? The boxes are sealed. There is
no way to escape them.’
Mara slapped her forehead. ‘Oh no, I forgot to tell
them about the way out!’
Wagner's eyes grew wide. ‘You were supposed to
make a way to escape the traps. Oh, I can’t believe you
witches! Idiots!’
‘See, I told you monsters are dumber than humans,’
Griffin said, laughing once again.
‘Then you are correct,’ Wagner said, looking around
to the other monsters. ‘We have a winner! Please

greet our new monster leader, Dr Griffin, also known
as the Invisible Man.’ He then turned to Griffin and
said quietly, ‘I was wrong about you, Griffin. You are a
monster. The worst kind of monster!’ i
‘Yes, the human kind,’ Griffin said, laughing. Then
he turned to the group. ‘And now,’ he began. ‘Let’s
talk about taking over the world ...’

Chapter 3 Review
Summary
Griffin tells the monsters about his challenge. He asks the
witches to build two traps. He will go in one trap; Dracula
will go in the other. The first one to escape will be the new
ruler of the monsters. The witches build two boxes and two
monsters go inside. Swamp Man pushes the boxes into the
waters of the swamp. They wait for the monsters to come out.
When morning starts to come, Griffin jumps out of a tree he
was hiding in. He explains that he tricked The Mummy into
going into the box. He says he is the winner. Then the witches
realize they did not make a way to escape from the traps.
The Mummy and Dracula are trapped forever. Griffin wins the
contest and becomes the new monster leader.
Vocabulary
zombie in some religions or stories, a dead body that looks as if it
is alive because of magic
witch a person, usually a woman, in stories who has magic powers
stiff difficult to bend
be in charge of controlling or managing something or someone
greed when you want more of something than you need,
especially food or money
ambition the desire to be very successful
restless not able to stay still or quiet because you are nervous,
worried or bored
trap a piece of equipment for catching animals
identical exactly the same
escape to get away from a place where you are being kept
grunt to make a deep noise like a pig

garlic a plant like a small onion with a strong taste and smell, used
in cooking to add flavour
cross a shape made when two straight lines go over each other at
a point in the middle
blocked filled with something, not open
torch a long stick burning at one end that is carried
melt to become soft or liquid when heated
stinky having a bad smell
boo a noise made to frighten someone
11) Griffin sets up the challenge because he ___.

a. is mad that Dracula threw him through a window
b. wants to prove he’s smarter than Dracula
c. wants to show the monsters that he’s stronger than
Dracula
d. is afraid of Dracula
12) When Griffin explains his challenge, the monsters like

the idea because they ___.
a. think he will die
b. think Dracula will die
c. like traps
d. like swamps
Chapter 3 - Monsters Love Traps 219

13) Dracula agrees to do the challenge as long as the witches
do not use __.
a. garlic and clover
b. crosses and chalk
c. garlic and swamp water
d. crosses and garlic
14) Find the following words in the chapter. Which one is

used to say something positive?
a. stupid
b. stinky
c. idiot
d. ambition
15) How will Dracula and The Mummy escape?

a. They won't.
b. They will wait until the sun comes out.
c. They will use a speaker.
d. They will melt the doors on the boxes.

Answer Key
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Answer Key 221

Glossary
A
absorb to take something in, usually over time
accusation a statement that says someone has done something bad
accuse to say that someone has done something bad
adore to love something or someone very much
ain't (slang) an informal short way to say and write ‘am not’, ‘are
not’, ‘is not’, ‘has not’ or ‘have not’
ambition the desire to be very successful
appealing interesting, attractive in some way
appreciate to feel grateful for something
aquarium a glass box or a building, for example in a zoo, for
keeping fish or water animals
argue to give reasons for thinking or believing something; or to speak
in an angry way with someone because you disagree with them
attack (n.) a violent act against a place or person .
(fire) axe a tool for cutting through wood or doors
B
back off to walk away or leave a situation
bandage a long piece of cloth that you put around a part of your
body that has been cut or hurt
bang (on something) to knock part of your body against
something
barber shop a shop where men have their hair cut
be on top of (someone/something) to be very close; to have
almost caught
222 Glossary
become aware of if you are aware of something, you know
about it
blame to say that something is someone else’s fault
blare to make a very loud and unpleasant sound
blast (n.) an explosion
blasted (adj.) an old expression to show anger or dislike
blink to close and open your eyes quickly
block (someone’s way) to stop people or things from getting
through
blocked filled with something, not open
boo when people boo they make loud noises or say ‘boo’ to show
dislike; or a noise made to frighten someone
bouncer someone whose job is to keep out people who are not
wanted in a club, bar, etc.
boyfriend material (s/ang) suitable to be a male romantic partner
break up (a relationship) if two people break up, they end their
relationship
briefly for a short amount of time
bright clever
bruise a dark mark that you get on your skin if it is hit
burp to make a sound by letting air come out of your stomach
through your mouth
burst open to open in a loud and forceful way
bushy growing in a thick mass
butler a male servant who looks after a rich person, or who is
responsible for the other servants in a rich person’s house as a job
buy (a story) (s/ang) to believe
C
cabin a simple wooden house
cage a box or an area with bars around it for keeping animals in
captive a prisoner, someone held against his or her will
carbonate to add small bubbles to a liquid; if you carbonate a
drink it becomes a fizzy drink (Br. Eng.) or soda (Am. Eng.)
(be a) catch (slang) to of great benefit to a situation, to be
someone who is good to have around
challenge when you ask someone to fight or compete with you
Glossary 223
change of heart to change the way you think or feel about
something
(in) charge controlling or managing something or someone
chart a drawing that shows information
cheat to behave dishonestly in a relationship
citizen someone who lives in a particular town, state or country
civilized behaving politely and reasonably, without arguing
clinic a place where people can see doctors to get medical
treatment and advice
clipboard a piece of strong paper or wood with a metal part at
the top that you fasten paper to and write on as you move around
Come on! (s/ang) an expression to show anger or annoyance
competitor a company selling the same thing as another
computer code the system of zeros and ones used to give
instructions to computers
concept an idea or principle
concern a feeling of worry
concerned worried about something or someone
concrete a strong, hard building material made by mixing sand,
cement (grey powder), small stones and water
(have) connections to know or be in contact with people who
can help you
consciousness being aware of or knowing about something
conservative a conservative person does not like changes or new
ideas
constant never stopping
conveyor belt a moving surface used to carry things from one
place to another, especially in a factory
counter the place where people are served in a shop or bank
courage the ability to do difficult or frightening things without
showing or giving in to fear
cover for (someone) to offer an explanation or make an excuse
to help someone doing something they are not supposed to
224 Glossary
coward someone who has no courage
crack up (laughing) (s/ang) to laugh suddenly and unexpectedly
crime scene the place where something illegal or wrong was
done
cross a shape made when two straight lines go over each other at
a point in the middle
crown a circle made of gold and valuable stones that a king or
queen wears on his or her head at formal occasions
curiosity the feeling of wanting to discover facts about something
curious wanting to know about something
cut (someone) off to stop a person from leaving a place
D
data download transfer of information to another computer or
storage place
is criticizing you
delight great pleasure
dependable able to be trusted to do what you want or need
deserve if you deserve something, you should have it because of
your behaviour
desperate/desperately needing something very much
destruction when something is destroyed
determined having or showing determination
development a new event in a story or situation
dial (n.) the round part on a machine that shows a measurement
disconnect to separate one thing from another
disgust a strong feeling that you do not like or approve of
something
disrespectful not showing respect towards someone or something
donkey an animal that looks like a small horse with long ears
Glossary 225
download to copy information, such as pictures or music,
onto your computer from the Internet or another computer
(a computing word)
downright used for emphasizing something bad
drama the excitement of a new or interesting event or situation
drive (someone) nuts (s/ang) to make someone very annoyed
or angry
drive (something) into the ground to use or take away from
something until is it all gone or goes bad
droop to hang down
duck (v.) to lower your head or body so that you are not hit or seen
E
earnest serious and honest
echo a sound echoes when it comes back and you hear it again
electrician someone whose job is to put in or repair electrical
equipment
electricity box a small box or container, usually on a wall, in
which a building’s wires and electrical connections are located
electronic keypad a small box that uses number to lock and
unlock doors
enthusiasm when you are very interested in something or want
to do it very much
escape to get away from a place where you are being kept
eventually at the end of a period of time or as a result of a process
exist to be
expectant thinking that something good will happen
prove something
explosion when something violently breaks into pieces
F
fake not real, but copying something else
fancy fashionable or expensive
226 Glossary
fault responsibility for something bad or wrong
Feeling the bite of the green-eyed monster? Are you feeling
jealous? (the expression ‘green-eyed monster’ is something used for
the word ‘jealousy’)
female an animal or person that can make eggs and have babies
fenced area an area that is enclosed or surrounded by a wall
designed to keep something in or out
(do) figures to add, subtract, multiply or calculate numbers
finely ground crushed into very small pieces
finger quotes if someone makes finger quotes, the person holds
both hands up shoulder-width apart and moves the top halves of
the first two fingers up and down quickly; finger quotes are often
used to show one is joking or not serious
fist fight a fight using the hands and no other objects
fist your hand when it is closed tightly
flick to make a fast movement that makes something else move
flirt to behave as though you think someone is attractive
flu season a time of year when many people are sick
folks (s/ang) parents
foolish silly or stupid
former existing or true in the past but not now
foul play dishonest behaviour, especially causing someone’s death
Frankenstein's creature a monster made from putting body
parts from several people together
frantically in a panicked or frightened way
something
fright a sudden feeling of fear
frustrated having the feeling of being angry or annoyed because
you cannot do or achieve what you want
function the way something works
Glossary 227
G
gambling the activity of risking money on the result of a game,
race or competition
garlic a plant like a small onion with a strong taste and smell, used
in cooking to add flavour
gather speed to get faster over time
get even to do something bad to someone who has done
something bad to you
glance a quick look
glare to look at someone in a way that shows you are very angry
glitch a small and unusual problem that stops something from
working
glow to burn or shine with a soft light
(put in a) good word (for someone) an expression meaning
to say something nice about someone (to help them get or
achieve something)
GPA (grade point average) an American English expression
for the average score one achieves during a period at school or
university
gradually slowly over a long period
greed when you want more of something than you need,
especially food or money
grin to give a big smile
groan to say something in a way that shows you are unhappy
growl if a person growls, he or she talks in a deep voice, often
because he or she is angry
grunt to make a deep noise like a pig
gush a large amount of a liquid that suddenly flows
H
hang out (s/ang) to spend time with someone or doing something
have enough if you have had enough of something, you do not
want to have it or do it any more
(have one’s) heart jump to be startled or excited
(have one’s) heart sink if someone’s heart sinks, they are
disappointed or expect that something bad will happen
228 Glossary
Here goes nothing (expression) used before doing something
that may not have much success
high and mighty (expression) overly confident, very sure of
oneself
hit a nerve to do or say something about a point that is very
sensitive or painful for someone
hostile unfriendly, dangerous or difficult to live in
howl if a dog or wolf howls, it makes a long, high-pitched noise
hum to make a continuous low-pitched noise
human a person
i
1 swear! | promise!
identical exactly the same
idiot a stupid person
immediately now or without delay
impressed admiring someone or something very much
impression an idea or feeling that you get about someone or
something
inhale to breathe air, smoke, etc. into your lungs
innocent not guilty of a crime, or not intended to hurt or upset
someone
insist to say firmly that something must happen or be done
insult a remark or action that is rude and offends someone
(in an) instant in a very short time
interject to interrupt, to add information to a conversation by
speaking while someone else is expressing a thought
intuition an idea that something is true, based on your feelings
instead of knowledge
investigation an attempt to find out about something such as an
accident or a crime
investor someone who gives money to a bank or business in order
to get a profit
invisible impossible to see
involved to take part in something
irked annoyed or bothered by something
Glossary 229
Jeeves Jeeves is a classic and popular name for butlers in movies
and stories
jewel a valuable stone, used to make jewellery
journal a book in which someone writes what they have done
each day
K
keep (someone) in line to make someone behave in the way
you want the person to
keep one’s balance keep the same amount of weight on each
side of the body so that you do not fall over
keep up to move at the same speed as someone else
kidnap to take someone away using force, usually asking their
family or the government for something such as money in
exchange for their safe return
L
laboratory a room containing equipment for scientific work
(the) law (s/ang) the police or law enforcement in an area
law an official set of rules that everyone in a country or state must
obey
lawless without a system of rules to keep people and things safe
lie low to avoid attention, to stay away from other people or
trouble
licence plate number a sign on a car with numbers and letters
used to identify it
limp to walk with difficulty because your leg or foot hurts
line (Am. Eng.) queue (Br. Eng.) a row of people, usually waiting
for something
(make a) living to earn money to buy things and have a home
lobby a room just inside the main entrance of a large building
long-term memory information and knowledge that is held in
the mind for a long period of time
loser (slang) an informal word meaning someone who never
seems to succeed at anything
230 Glossary
M
make an innocent face to look as if you are not trying to or
meaning to do something bad
mansion a very large, expensive house
medical file a history or record of one’s treatments for illness or
injuries
melt to become soft or liquid when heated
merge if two things or organizations merge, they combine or join
with each other
mess around to waste time with silly behaviour
metallic looking, sounding or tasting like metal
microwave popcorn a sweet or salty snack which puffs up when
heated in the microwave
mild not severe or not serious
mildly slightly
miner someone who works underground to remove valuable
substances like metal, jewels, or gold
Mr Hyde a character from a story who has two personalities:
Dr Jekyll, a scientist, and Mr Hyde, his dangerous, evil side that
comes out after an taking a special drink
monitor a screen that is attached to a computer (a computing word)
move on to start to do something different or to talk about
something different
murmur to speak very quietly
mysterious strange and difficult to understand or explain
N
naive too ready to trust other people because of not having much
experience of life
navigation system (Am. Eng. GPS/global positioning system;
Br. Eng. Sat Nav) satellite navigation; a piece of equipment
especially used in cars to tell the driver how to get somewhere
nod to move your head up and down, especially to agree or to say ‘yes’
not have a clue an informal phrase meaning to know or
understand nothing about something
Glossary 231
nozzle the part at the end of a pipe that controls a liquid or gas
that comes out of it
nudge to push someone or something gently, especially with your
elbow
fe
object (v.) to say that you do not want something to happen
obsession a person or thing that you cannot stop thinking about
oddly strangely
official (n.) someone who has an important job in an organization,
especially a government, organization or business
‘the one’ (expression) the person with whom you will spend the
rest of your life
omission something that has not been included but should have been
on the run trying to escape, especially from the police
opportunity a chance to do something or a situation in which
you can do something that you want to do
organic found in or made by living things
organized prepared in a sensible, clear way
outlaw a criminal, especially one who moves from place to place
to avoid being caught
oxygen mask a special device that one puts over the nose to get
more oxygen into the body
P
pace to walk backwards and forwards because you are worried
panic (n.) a sudden strong feeling of fear or worry that makes you
panic (v.) to have a sudden strong feeling of fear or worry that
makes you unable to think calmly
pat (v.) to touch or to hit someone or something gently with your
flat hand in a friendly way
patience the ability to stay calm, especially when waiting for
something, doing something for a long time or dealing with
something or someone annoying
pay for (something) to suffer or experience something bad for
doing something
232 Glossary
permission if you have permission to do something, someone
says you can do
persist to continue to do or say something
persistence the ability or quality of doing or saying things in a
determined way
persuasive able to make people do what you want, or able to
make people change their opinions
Pharaoh a king in ancient Egypt
picky difficult to please and only liking a few things
place a bet to take a chance at losing money or something
important by trying to guess the result of a competition
poisoned containing a substance that can kill a person or make
the person very sick
potential (n.) an ability or possibility that can be be developed
successfully in the future
predict to say that you think something will happen
press conference an official meeting at which someone gives
information to people who work in television and on newspapers
and answers their questions
pretend to try to make someone appear true that is not
pride a feeling of pleasure because you have achieved something
procedure a way of doing something or the order in which things
are done
process (n.) a series of actions or events that have a particular
result
process (v.) to deal with information in several official stages or
on a computer
proof facts or objects which show that something is true
propose (marriage) to ask someone to marry you
protect to keep someone or something safe from harm or danger
protest to complain in a loud voice or in a strong way
(the) public people in general
punch to hit someone or something with a closed hand
push (someone) to make someone work very hard
R
reasonable sensible and fair
red velvet rope a soft rich-looking thick string often used to keep
people in or out of a special place
Glossary 233
resources something that you have and are able to use
response an answer or a reaction
restless not able to stay still or quiet because you are nervous,
worried or bored
reward something you get for doing something good or useful
ride a sinking ship to stay or continue with something that is
likely to fail
rifle a type of long gun
right something that you are allowed to do or have, either officially
or because it is acceptable
(get a) rise out of (someone) to make someone annoyed
risk something that could cause problems or danger in the future
risk (v.) to take a chance and do something that could cause
problems or danger in the future
roadworks (Am. Eng. construction zone) a section of a road
being repaired or worked upon
roaring sound roaring sound
roar (v.) to use a loud, angry voice
that you are annoyed, bored or to make fun of someone
rule (v.) to control a country or an area and its people
ruler (n.) a person who controls a country or an area and its
people
not be true
run (someone) out of town to force someone to leave
rush to move or to do something quickly and suddenly
S
scar a mark that is left on skin from an injury
scent a particular smell, such as that of a flower or an animal
school field trip an educational trip taken by a group of students
uncomfortable
secure safe against attack or harm
234 Glossary
security lock a special lock that is very hard to get into
seep to flow through something slowly in small amounts
sense memory information or thoughts of an experience that are
associated with a feeling
sensitive being aware of other people’s feelings, or to be very
easily offended or upset
settled decided or finalized
shake to make many quick small movements from side to side or
up and down
shatter to break into lots of very small pieces
sheriff in the USA, the person who is in charge of keeping order
in a particular area
showdown a big argument or meeting meant to end a disagreement
size (something) up to study someone or something to get an
idea of what the person or thing is like
a loud noise
slave market a place where people are bought and sold to work
for others
slide to move over a surface quickly and smoothly
slippery a slippery surface is smooth, wet or shiny and not easy
to walk on or hold
smack to hit someone with the flat part of your hand
snap one’s fingers to rub your finger and thumb together in a
quick movement to make a sudden, sharp noise
snidely criticizing in a way that is unkind and not direct
soda factory (87. Eng. fizzy drink factory) a place where soft
drinks such as cola are made
Glossary 235
spiky with sharp points
squeak (n.) a very high sound
squeeze to try to move somewhere where there is very little space
stack a pile of things
stairwell tall space in a building that contains the stairs
startle to suddenly frighten or shock someone, or to be shocked
or surprised unexpectantly
steady continuous and gradual
steady stream a large number of something arriving at a regular pace
stiff difficult to bend
stinky having a bad smell
storage cupboard (Am. Eng. storage closet) a small room for
keeping things
storm to walk somewhere in a very angry way
strenuous using a lot of effort or energy
stumble to almost fall while you are walking
sue to start a law case to try to get money from a person or
organization that has harmed you
suffering pain or unpleasant feelings
supercomputer a very powerful computer
do something
surgically linked joined by a medical procedure
surround to be all around something or someone
suspicious feeling or showing that you do not completely trust
someone or something
Swamp Man a monster from a watery muddy area (swamp)
swear to promise
(in a) sweat covered with the salty liquid that comes out of your
skin when you are hot
sympathetically in a way that shows caring and understanding
of other people’s feelings
syrup a thick, sticky substance made from sugar
T
tactic a way of doing something to achieve what you want
take (someone’s) side to share the same opinion as one party or
the other in a disagreement, to defend someone’s opinion
236 Glossary
take charge to take control of something or someone
take forever (s/ang) to take a very long time
tattoo a permanent picture made on the skin with ink
terrorist attack a violent action done by a person or group who
wants to achieve a goal by spreading fear
threaten to say that someone will be harmed or hurt, especially if
they do not do something
thumbs-up sign lifting your thumb up from your hand to show
that you like or approve of something
tiptoe to walk somewhere very quietly or carefully on your toes
tone the quality of a sound or someone’s voice
torch a long stick burning at one end that is carried
track (someone) down to find someone or something after
looking for them for a long time
tradition a custom that has continued for a long time
traffic the number of vehicles that are travelling on a road
transaction when something is bought or sold
trap a piece of equipment for catching animals
trapped if you are trapped in a bad place or situation, you cannot
escape from it
trigger something that causes something else to happen
trim to cut a small amount off something
triumphantly in a way that shows you feel you have won or been
successful
tutor a teacher who teaches one person or a small group
twist if a road or river twists, it has a lot of curves in it
twist to turn something in circles using the hand
U
under a false identity using a name and documentation that is
not yours
uniform a set of clothes that shows you belong to a particular
organization, job or school
upload to copy computer programs or files from a small computer
to a larger one or to the Internet (a computing word)
use (someone) to treat someone in an unfair or unkind way in
order to get something you want
Glossary 237
V
valve something that opens and shuts to control the flow of liquid,
air or gas through a pipe
vampire in stories, a dead person who comes out at night and
drinks blood from people’s necks
vanish to disappear suddenly, leaving nothing behind
vat a large container for liquids
vice a bad habit
video monitor a screen that shows what is happening in another
room or place in real time
voicemail a system on a telephone that takes messages from
callers
Ww
wanted poster a poster that includes a picture of someone who
is being searched for by the authorities because the person is a
criminal
water jug (Am. Eng. water pitcher) a container for holding
water or other liquids
weird very strange
werewolf in stories, a person who changes into a wolf (animal like
a fierce dog) when there is a full (Completely round) moon
whine to talk in a complaining voice
whisper something said in a very quiet voice, or to talk very
quietly so that other people cannot hear
win over to persuade someone to agree with you or to like you
witch a person, usually a woman, in stories who has magic powers
wrinkly having a lot of folds
iv
yawn to open your mouth very wide and breathe in, because you
are feeling tired or bored
yell to shout something loudly
z
zombie in some religions or stories, a dead body that looks as if it
is alive because of magic
238 Glossary
Acknowledgements
If my strength is in the ideas, my weakness is in the execution.
| owe a huge debt of gratitude to the many people who have
helped me take these books past the finish line.
Firstly, I’m grateful to Aitor, Matt, Connie, Angela and Maria for their
contributions to the books in their original incarnation. To Richard
and Alex for their support in expanding the series into new languages.
Secondly, to the thousands of supporters of my website and

podcast, / Will Teach You a Language, who have not only purchased
books but who have also provided helpful feedback and inspired
me to continue.
More recently, to Sarah, the Publishing Director for the Teach

Yourself series, for her vision for this collaboration and unwavering
positivity in bringing the project to fruition.
To Rebecca, almost certainly the best editor in the world, for

bringing a staggering level of expertise and good humour to the
project, and to Nicola, for her work in coordinating publication
behind the scenes.
My thanks to James, Dave and Sarah for helping / Will Teach You a
Language continue to grow, even when my attention has been
elsewhere.
To my parents, for an education that equipped me for such an

endeavour.
Lastly, to J} and EJ. This is for you.
Olly Richards
Acknowledgements 239
Notes
240 Notes
Using Teach Yourself
Foreign Language Graded Readers
in the Classroom
The Teach Yourself Foreign Language Graded Readers are

great for self-study, but they can also be used in the
classroom or with a tutor. If you’re interested in using
these stories with your students, please contact us at
learningsolutions@teachyourself.com for discounted
education sales and ideas for teaching with the stories.
Bonus Story
As a special thank you for investing in this copy, we
would like to offer you a bonus story — completely free!
Go to readers.teachyourself.com and enter bonus4u

to claim your free Bonus Story. You can then download
the story onto the Language Readers app.
MYSTERY AT DUNDRUM
CASTLE
This was the first real mystery the town
had ever had. Mark was determined to
make sure The Dundrum Dispatch was
the first to share the story with the world.
WWW.DUBLINCITYIE
13/11/2019
02445298
. www.dublincity.ie
F> YINAMETIA
5 aea
Short Stor. DCPL9000147491
ies
rs is an
unmissable collection of eight entertaining short stories for adult and
young adult learners looking to expand their language skills in English.
These stories are carefully written to give you a rich and supported
reading experience and help you improve your vocabulary and
comprehension in a natural way. From science fiction and fantasy to crime
and thrillers, Short Stories in English for Intermediate Learners is designed
to make reading at a higher level in English easy and enjoyable.
© Controlled language at your level helps ¢ Chapter summaries and comprehension

you learn useful new expressions questions to help you better
and progress beyond intermediate understand the stories.
reading levels.
© Vocabulary lists with definitions from
© Accessible grammar so you learn new the Chambers Essential Learners’
structures naturally, without feeling Dictionary so you can quickly
overwhelmed or frustrated. look up unfamiliar words and
keep reading.
© Spoken dialogues to help you learn
conversational expressions and ¢ Audio and free Bonus Story available at
improve your speaking ability. readers.teachyourself.com
and the Language Readers app!
For low-intermediate to intermediate language learners —
OLLY RICHARDS specks eight languages and is the man behind the ©
popular language-learning blog | Will Teach You a Language.
Languages £10.99 UK / $14.99 US & Can teachyourself.com

Ebook and Audiobook available iwillteachyoualanguage.com
W TYOpenRoad
ISBN 978-1-529-36156-8 Olly_IWTYAL
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ini
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9"781529"361568 iwillteachyoualanguage
Cover illustration © Paul Thurlby

Short Stories in English For Intermediate

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INTERMEDIATE 8 OLLY RICHARDS

9781473612143 9781473652101 9781473601581 9781473683556

Read for pleasure at your level and

Series and Development Editor

Paperback ISBN: 978 1 529 36156 8

Cover image © Paul Thurlby

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PRIEST OV ace et seagate sagas soweou nw cv Leann Magtar 22]

Listening to the story read aloud is a great way

The audio that accompanies this course is available

Use audioS0 at readers.teachyourself.com for 50% off

Olly Richards, author of the Teach

For more information about Olly and his blog, go to

For more information about other readers in this series,

Reading in a foreign language is one of the most effective

> Rich linguistic content in different genres to

* Common European Framework of Reference (CEFR) levels B1-B2.

So whether you want to expand your vocabulary,

Reading is a complex skill. In our first languages, we

> Enjoyment and a sense of achievement when

i . Look at the word and see if it is familiar in any way.

You may not be familiar with the particular form used,

These suggestions are designed to train you to handle

In order to get the most from reading Short Stories in

@ Look at the illustration and read the chapter title.

Only once you have completed a story in its

Chapter 1 — Can Dreams Come True?

Chapter 1 — Can Dreams Come True? 3

Jaime looked at Jen carefully and then said with a

There was a long pause as everyone thought about

Chapter 1 — Can Dreams Come True? 5

Jaime looked at Jen with a smile. ‘So, there’s no real

The dinner party broke up shortly after that and

Chapter 1 - Can Dreams Come True? 7

2) Why doesn’t Jen get excited about her power to predict

3) Who does Jen like talking to about her dreams?

4) How old was Jen when she started keeping a dream

Chapter 1 — Can Dreams Come True? 9

Chapter 2 —- A Bad Feeling 11

At the clinic, it was flu season, so there was a

When Jen got in her car, she dialled Ben’s number

Chapter 2 —- A Bad Feeling 13

Chapter 2 - A Bad Feeling 15

6) What time does Jen wake up?

Chapter 2 —- A Bad Feeling 17

8) What happens to trigger Jen’s sense memory of the

9) Who does Jen call when she can’t reach Ben?

10) Find these bolded expressions in the story. Which set of

Jen and Jaime raced through the front doors into

When Jen reached the third floor, she opened the

Jen crawled back to the cupboard as quickly as she

The group continued to crawl down the hallway,

Ben looked at Jen, who smiled weakly and reached

11) What time do Jen and Jaime discuss what to-do?

13) Why can’t Jaime go up the stairs?

15) Which is the correct sequence of events?

Chapter 1 — Waiting at Zara's

Chapter 1 — Waiting at Zara's 29

Nate, Aaron and I looked at each other in disbelief.

Chapter 1 — Waiting at Zara's 31

After the waiter left, I looked at my friends. ‘Who

The girls were watching us. One of them, a girl