Aethelflaed and the Missing Trophy (Book for English Learners) Read online

  I wish I could tell you everything that happened from that moment on- the medals, the trophy and the celebrations that lasted far into the night; the bus load of white and incredulous faces on the way back to Maidstone; the tears of Bill the butcher (“The quality! These players should be professionals. Did you see that goal? ....Tactical genius, they played like the best Italian teams - world-class!”); and of course, Bob's moment of glory, knowing that he would go down forever in the history of Davingstock.

  But of course, the story has not yet finished. Davingstock is about to wake up to some very unpleasant news, and we will have to look into what happened during those mad, wonderful hours of celebration.....

 

  Activity 8: Complete these sentences with the superlative form of these adjectives:

  SKILFULCLUMSYQUICK

  1.Bob is the _____________ of the three players.

  2.Ayaan is the _____________ .

  3.And Dean has the _____________ reactions.

  Now complete these sentences with the comparative:

  SLIM CHUNKYAGILE

  1.Bob is ______________ than Ayaan.

  2.Ayaan is a bit _______________ than Dean.

  3.Dean is ______________ than Bob.

  ANSWERS: profesornativogratis.com/9585-2/

  Sunday: The Missing Trophy

  Activity 9: Match the furniture and the objects. Where is each item?

  1. There are some coins and a globe on the desk

  2. There is some lipstick on the __________, and a doll leaning against it.

  3. There is a __________ on the floor in front of the bed, with a sports bag on it.

  4. There is a white ____________ behind the bed.

  5. The lamp is on the _______________.

  6. The switch is under the _____________.

  7a & b. There is a sewing machine on the _________ and a _________ in front of it.

  8. There is a towel and two _____________ on the chair.

  9. There is a ___________ attached to the ceiling, for when it's hot.

  10. The ____________ is between the boxes and the desk.ANSWERS: profesornativogratis.com/9585-2/

  “Ethel, Ethel!”

  It took Aethelflaed a few seconds to disconnect her brother's voice from the rest of the dream she was enjoying.

  “Ethel! Are you awake?”

  “What's up, Stan? What time is it?”

  “It's past ten. Ethel, the trophy's missing!”

  “What trophy?” Past 10 o'clock? She felt like she had fallen asleep just five minutes ago.

  “The trophy, the football trophy! Don't you remember?”

  “Oh, it'll turn up40. Leave me alone Stan – I'm knackered41!”

  Aethelflaed tried to go back to sleep, putting her head under the pillow, but fifteen minutes later she had to accept she was fully awake. 'That twit3 Stan! Who cares about a stupid trophy?' She thought gloomily, as she got up.

  When she got downstairs the animals were waiting for her – their dog Heidi, Squeaky the three-legged cat, and Budgie the parrot. No dad, no brother, just breakfast left on the worktop, ready to be heated in the microwave.

  So she wandered into the lounge42 and heard some voices from outside. After putting on a vinyl record of her beloved Aretha Franklin, she drew the curtains to one side. Her dad and brother were in front of the house, together with their neighbour and Davingstock's police officer. PC7 Blake seemed to be asking Rodney some questions. Breakfast can wait! She went out in her pyjama, to see what was going on.

  PC Blake divided the town into two bands – those who liked her 'softly, softly' approach43, and others who would have preferred a stricter policing method. One of these, Bill the Butcher, held her personally responsible for all the town's problems. In front of his customers, he liked to deliver sermons on the decline of civil responsibilities, and the standards of the police service.

  “Do you remember last year, the case of the garden gnomes44? People used to wake up every day to find their gnome had been changed with their neighbours' one, night after night for weeks and weeks! Who was caught? Nobody! How can people feel safe in this town?”

  “And then last Christmas. Mrs Hollingworth and that newcomer, Wendy what's-her-

  Activity 10: Name the nine things that clearly do not belong in a butcher's.

  Example: 'Pumpkin' (Find eight more).ANSWERS: profesornativogratis.com/9585-2/

  ____________________________________________________________________

  name, fighting over the last turkey at the supermarket. Disgraceful! Mrs Hollingworth ended up with ketchup in her hair. That Wendy should have been sent back to London, but what did PC Blake do? Nothing! No wonder3 this town is going to the dogs!”

  With speeches like this, the older generation started to murmur about whether PC Blake was 'up to it.'1 “....Crime waves......Things aren't like they used to be......No respect........Young people nowadays.....Do you remember PC Brown? He used to fine45 you just for looking at him in a way he didn't like – They don't make police officers like that anymore!”

  The fact was that Davingstock had the smiliest, happiest police officer in the county46. Aethelflaed's father was an admirer of her approach43. “She makes it her job to speak to everybody.” he explained “Someone hasn't returned their book to the library? I phone her and she goes and talks to them. If you park where you mustn't, shout when you can't, or do what you shouldn't, she'll be there on your doorstep with a smile, and it'll be sorted out47.”

  After finishing her questions, PC Blake left with a smile, and they went back home.

  “Hey Ethel. Why don't we go and see Ayaan and Bob, to see what they say about it?” suggested Athelstan.

  “Hang on48 Stan. Let me have breakfast. I haven't had any time yet.”

  While Aethelflaed was eating her porridge49 her brother explained what had happened. For once her father also seemed mildly interested in the events of the previous night.

  “From what I gather50 Rodney left The Davingstock Arms and was walking back into town when he hears somebody shouting. It's Bob, who's in the water. So Rodney jumps in....”

  “You've got to be careful with that creek. It's not very deep, but there's a strong current.” interrupted Alfred.

  “So Rodney jumps in, and then Ayaan turns up from somewhere, and they both get him out.”

  “And the trophy?”

  “That's the thing. This morning Bob phoned PC Blake to tell her he'd been robbed.”

  “Stolen? The trophy's been stolen?”

  “That seems to be the case. Someone pushed him into the water”

  Aethelflaed was now spooning three sugars into an enormous mug of tea. “People are not going to be too happy about that. Just imagine, for once in a lifetime a town wins something, and then within a few hours the trophy gets stolen!”

  “A Maidstone player? Maybe they were really angry...”

  “A suggestion” Alfred advised his son. “I think you should start with the facts before you go onto the theories. Otherwise anyone can say anything, but nobody will work out51 what happened”

  ANSWERS: profesornativogratis.com/9585-2/

  “Spot on52, dad” said Aethelflaed “Let's go and find Bob and Ayaan.”

  “Dad's got a point, you know” she told her brother as they strolled53 towards the centre “Don't jump to conclusions before you know exactly what happened.”

  “You're right. That doesn't make sense. Ayaan was there – maybe it was Ayaan who pushed him in and then hid behind a tree or something.....”

  Aethelflaed rolled her eyes. “Stan...It can't have been Ayaan.”

  “...and then he comes out again like nothing's happened and gets the trophy while he's in the water helping Rodney....”

  “Stan” repeated Aethelflaed “everything's possible, but you need something more if you want to start accusing people, and especially Ayaan.”

  “But Rodney said that he wasn't in the pub, so what was he
doing by the creek? He could have been waiting...”

  “And why would he......Look - Speak of the devil54. Ayaan!” called out Aethelflaed “We were coming to see you.” Ayaan crossed the road to greet55 them.

  “Are you coming to see me? You'll want to know what happened last night.” Ayaan laughed “I'll tell you quickly 'cos I've explained everything about ten times already, and the day's hardly started yet.”

  “What happened?”

  “Easy! I was down by The Davingstock Arms and I hear someone yell. I see Rodney in the creek with Bob, I jump in and we both get him out. He had had a pint too many.”

  “And did he say anything about who pushed him in?”

  “No, he didn't say anything about that. When we were taking him home he started murmuring 'The trophy, the trophy....' but we were too knackered to pay him much attention.”

  “Hmm... you didn't see anyone around, then?”

  Before Ayaan could answer, Athelstan broke into the conversation “And what were you doing around there? You weren't seen at the pub.”

  Ayaan's smile disappeared and was replaced by a frown56. “Do you mind? That's none of your business!” he snapped and stormed away57.

  Activity 12: How would you describe the expression of each face?

  Blissful

  Overjoyed

  Exhausted

  Amused

  Shocked

  Suspicious

  Knackered

  Fed up

  Embarrassed

  Shy

  Apprehensive

  Annoyed

  Doubtful

  Fearful

  Malicious

  Satisfied

  Amazed

  Naughty

  Delighted

  Sceptical

  Enraged

  Upset

  Astounded

  Dejected

  “That was a bit rude, Stan. You've upset him.”

  “My question's upset him” exclaimed Athelstan triumphantly. “He's hiding something.”

  “Steady on with your opinions. Bob might not have had the trophy when he left the pub.” answered his sister “When we get to Bob's place, let me do the talking.”

  “Hang on” said Athelstan “Isn't that Bob over there, on the other bank58?”

  “It is! What's he up to?59”

  Bob was some 20 metres from The Davingstock Arms, walking along the bank, and then looking up and down the creek.

  “He doesn't want to be seen.” whispered Athelstan.

  “Let's go around to the other side quickly. We won't be able to see much from here.”

  But when they got to the other side, Bob was sitting on the riverbank, looking sadly at the water. His head was resting on his left hand, the elbow on his knee, while his right arm supported his weight on the ground.

  “Hi Bob. Is this where you lost the trophy?”

  He looked up, surprised. “Oh! Hi Ethel, hi Stan.” He looked down again. “I didn't lose it. It was stolen. I was pushed in.” he added.

  “Did you see who it was?”

  “No, there was no time. I just felt someone push me, that's all.”

  “Bob – did the trophy fall into the water with you, or did the thief grab60 it?”

  Bob looked nervous “That's what PC Blake asked me. I don't remember. I mean, I might have let go of it before I fell into the water.” He looked dejected.

  “But do you think they wanted to steal the trophy? Is that why you were pushed in?”

  “Can you think of any other reason? The trophy's not here, is it? You could get quite a bit of money if you sold that. It's gold-plated61, you know. That's worth something!”

  Athelstan hadn't spoken until then, but now he asked “You didn't tell Ayaan or Rodney anything about being robbed yesterday – how come62 you remembered this morning?”

  Activity 13: In which position do they find Bob?ANSWERS: profesornativogratis.com/9585-2/

  For an instant Bob's face changed, but it was so quick that Aethelflaed did not catch the expression. “I had been celebrating a bit too much, young Stanley. You're too young to understand that, fortunately.” And having said that, he stood up and walked away.

  “Stan! That's two people you've offended today! You're getting rude.”

  “But did you see that? Something smells fishy.” Athelstan was excited “Apart from that, someone should tell him that my name is not Stanley.”

  “Let's have a coke here in The Davingstock Arms. We need to think about this, because something weird is going on.”

  It was a beautiful day. From the terrace in front of the pub there was a clear view along the creek, over the marsh63 and out to sea. This was Scroogey's territory. From a distance Aethelflaed saw Gary come out of his father's boat, half-hidden by the reeds64, take a bike and cycle slowly towards them, into town.

  Summer was just about to start, and as soon as her friends had finished their exams, they would take their bikes and ride along the water out to the beach some miles away. Aethelflaed had dropped out65 of education at the first opportunity, and now she had nothing better to do than wait for others to finish.

  She had never liked going to class, right from infants' school66. It wasn't just that she was dyslexic. She hadn't been interested in any of the subjects, except music, PE and art. Practically all the teachers treated her as if she was stupid, and she was never too bothered to change their opinion.

  Activity 14: There are 10 different things on the waiters tray. Find a word to match each one:Example: The plate is …......... hard

  Sharp

  Slice

  Fattening

  Raw

  Fried

  Burnt

  Spicy

  Boiled

  Sour

  Fizzy

  “Excuse me” asked Athelstan when the barman came out “Did Bob have the trophy when he left here last night?”

  “Sure did” was the reply “no doubt about it – PC Blake asked me the same question less than an hour ago.”

  “We're wasting our time, Stan.” Aethelflaed told her brother “We're not going to do anything the police can't do, and anyway - you should be studying for your exams.”

  “Let me make a list first” begged Athelstan “These are the questions I don't understand:”

  Activity 15: Mark a tick if you are reasonably sure, or a cross if not.

  “And does that help?” asked Aethelflaed. She was having a milky coffee, with three sugar cubes.

  “When I look at this, it could have been Rodney. Just suppose he followed him out of the pub and pushed him into the water.”

  “You know? I don't think there's anything else we need to know” declared Aethelflaed “I think the answer is staring67 us in the face, but we just can't see it. In any case, I can't be bothered anymore. PC Blake will sort it out.”

  “Well, I'm not giving up!” responded Athelstan “I'm going to find out what happened. I'm off home to think about it.”

  Sitting on her own, in the sun, Aethelflaed could see Samantha's boat opposite, moored up in front of the house. Her family often went to France, Belgium or Holland for the weekend, and had promised to take Natalia and Ethel that summer. Aethelflaed had never been abroad.

  As she was looking, she noticed Natalia with Samantha in the garden. They were carrying beach towels and textbooks, ready to study for their end-of-year exams. 'I'll pop around68' she thought 'and forget about playing the amateur detective.'

  A few minutes later she found herself with an iced tea and cucumber sandwich on the deck69 of the boat. Her two friends were sunbathing, but Aethelflaed got burnt too easily, and so she was sitting in the shade70. In the end, inevitably, she was telling them what had happened that morning.

  “I don't understand” she concluded “They're acting weird. I mean Ayaan – do you think Ayaan could have taken the trophy?”

  “No way!” answered Natalia.

  “ Ayaan volunteers for the RNLI, and then
goes and steals a trophy?” added Samantha “He's Dean's best friend, and I know he wouldn't do that.”

  “So what was he doing on his own at that time of night?”

  “Maybe he wasn't on his own – who knows? Have you asked him?” murmured Natalia.

  “But in that case, who was he with, and why didn't he..... - Natalia?”

  Samantha sat up on her towel. Aethelflaed looked around at Natalia, who was turning red.

  “Natalia!!”

  “What's up? We didn't do anything. We were just talking!”

  Samantha and Aetheflaed started shrieking71 with laughter “And what were you talking about – football?”

  “Oh, you're always going on72 about the same thing. Why don't you both get a life, and mind your own business!” Natalia snapped73. It made no difference. Aethelflaed and Samantha were rolling on the deck of the boat, crying with laughter.

  Ayaan and Natalia! How on earth hadn't she seen it coming. Enjoying Natalia's discomfort, she started singing Marvin Gaye's What's Going On in her best soul voice.

  Across the water Aethelflaed saw Bob walking along the bank again. She stopped singing and sat up to look. She felt a sudden stab74 of curiosity. What was Bob doing? Had he hidden the trophy? Who was telling the truth?

  Monday: Aethelflaed Sorts It Out

  Activity 16: Complete this description of Samantha's house:

  morning

  boasts

  basement

  overlook

  beyond

  stone's

  oak

  plot

  Samantha and Dean live in probably the most beautiful house in Davingstock. It's just a (1)______ throw from the town centre, and yet it backs onto the creek, so it's lovely and peaceful. You get the best of both worlds!

  It's an spacious detached five bedroom home standing on a large (2)______ , with private (3)______ for a boat, and superb views over Davingstock Creek. It (4)______ an outdoor swimming pool, a games room and an indoor swimming pool – with jacuzzi – in the (5)______ .

  On the first floor there is a huge ‘L’ shaped living room with (6)______ floors, and French doors which (7)______ the creek and open onto a lovely wide balcony.

  Also on this floor there is a luxurious room which can be used as a study or guest bedroom with panoramic views across the creek and the farmland (8)______ .