The man who escaped

(Episode 5)

1. Only a few miles from the house Coke is in, two policemen in a small village police station can hear the wind outside. One of them is a sergeant. The other's much younger.

«I wonder how Mrs Bentley is?» the sergeant asks.

«Mrs Bentley? Oh, you mean that old lady whose husband died a few years ago?»

«That's right. She's deaf, you know, so she never listens to the radio or watches television. In fact, she doesn't even read the papers».

«Oh?» the young policeman says. He wonders why the sergeant wants to tell him all this. Then he finds out.

«Why don't you go out to her place and see if she's all right?»

«Who? Me? On a night like this?»

«It's not far. Besides, you've got your bike, haven't you?»

2. Baxter gets off the train at a small station. There is a detective waiting for him on the platform. He is shaking Baxter's hand.

«My name's Halls, Tom Halls. Scotland Yard phoned us and told us to meet you here. There's a car waiting».

Baxter doesn't waste any time on social formalities.

«Coke escaped more than 24 hours ago. I want to catch him before another 24 hours are up».

Halls is looking at Baxter for a few seconds before he answers.

«A lot of us wonder why Scotland Yard is so interested in this fellow Coke. He isn't the first one to escape».

«Coke isn't just an ordinary prisoner. He's very special. Let's go now?»

3. The young policeman is angry. He is on the road now. The wind is cold and is blowing snow into his face.

«That stupid sergeant!» he thinks. «We must be one of the last stations in England that still uses bikes, and he sends me out on one on a night like this!» When he gets to the top of the hill he sees the house down below, at the bottom of the hill. Just as he is looking down at it, he sees a light go on in one of the rooms upstairs.

«Stupid! That's what it is, sending me out on a night like this!» the policeman says again. Then he gets on his bike and begins to go down the hill very fast, towards the house.

5.5.2. Choose the correct answer. Don't use the text.

1. The sergeant wanted the other policeman to go to Mrs Bently...

a) to bring her the papers;

b) to see if she's all right;

c) to catch the criminal.

2. Halls wonders why...

a) Scotland Yard is so interested in this fellow;

b) Baxter came;

e) Baxter is in such a hurry.

3. The young policeman is angry because..

a) he has no car;

b) the weather is very bad;

c) the house is very far.

5.5.3. Answer the teacher's questions. (Books closed.)

1. Why do police want fo go to Mrs Bentley's house?

2. Why is Scotland Yard so interested in Coke?

3. Why is the young policeman angry?

4. What does he think about using bikes?

5.5.4. Express the main idea of this episode in one-two sentences.

Scanning practice

5.6.1. Read the questions. Be sure you've got them well in mind.

1. What does the merchant take with him?

2. What is the monkey doing when the thieves attack the merchant?

3. Where does the monkey lead the magistrate with his men?

5.6.2. Start scanning the text. Don't fail to note your time.

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