My name is Lenny Samuel. My friends call me Len. I'm a detective. I work in Los Angeles. I'm an L. A. detective. Everybody in Los Angeles is busy. But Len isn't busy. He's sitting in his office. He's waiting. He has no work today. Nothing is happening. Then a man comes into the office. Len doesn't know him. The man is short and dark. He's about forty years old. He's wearing a suit. The man is holding a gun. The gun is pointing at Len.

— I'm Frank. Come with me. Mr Blane wants to speak to you.

— I won't go with you, Frank. I don't like Mr Blane. I don't want to speak to him.

Frank is a tough man. He laughs. He hits Len on the head. He hits Len hard. Len's eyes close. Len falls down. He falls onto the floor of the office.

Len wakes up. He opens his eyes. He's sitting in a big chair. The room is very warm. There are lots of plants in the room.

— Where am I?

— Hello, Mr Samuel. Welcome to my house.

An old man is talking and smiling. He's Mr Blane. He's a very rich man. He's also a very bad man.

— You're going to help me, Mr Samuel. You're going to find my daughter. Read these letters.

“Carmen is our prisoner. We want $100,000. Give us the money. Then Carmen will come home.

Meet us on Tuesday at 2 pm. Meet us at the bus station.

The Young Ones

Father, help! Please give them the money. Carmen.”

— Carmen is eighteen. She has long, dark hair. Her eyes are blue. She's beautiful.

Mr Blane gives Len a photo. He says, 'I want Carmen back. Go to the bus station at two o'clock on Tuesday. Frank has the $100 000. He's going with you. Give the money to The Young Ones. Bring Carmen home. I'll pay you $1000. ' Len says, — I don't like you, Blane. I don't want your money. But Carmen is in trouble. She needs help. I'll help her.

It's 2 pm on Tuesday. Frank and Len are at the bus station. Frank has $100 000 in a bag. Large buses are going in and out of the bus station. There are lots of people. But Len can't see Carmen. Frank and Len wait. Then they see Carmen. She's standing by a bus. A young man is with her. The young man is holding Carmen's arm.

— Hello. Are you Carmen Blane? I'm working for your father.

— Who are you?

— I'm from The Young Ones.

— Where's the money?

— Here it is.

Frank opens the bag. The young man sees the money. The young man lets go of Carmen's arm.

Len holds Carmen's arm. Frank gives the bag of money to the young man. Suddenly, Carmen bites Len's hand. Len lets go of Carmen's arm. The young man hits Frank. Frank falls down. Carmen and the young man jump onto the bus. The door of the bus closes. The bus drives off. It's going to San Francisco. Len can't get on the bus. He decides to get his car. Len decides to drive to San Francisco. Len is in his car. He's driving to San Francisco. He's going to find Carmen. Why is Carmen going to San Francisco? Who is the young man?

It's Thursday. Len is in San Francisco. San Francisco is a big city. Len can't find Carmen. Suddenly, Len sees a sign on a building. The sign says: The Young Ones. The building is a school for poor children. Carmen is playing with the children. Len stops his car. He goes to speak to Carmen.

— I don't want to go home. I'm happy here. I like working at this school. The $100 000 is for the school. My father is a bad man. These papers show he is a criminal. Take the papers to the police.

— You stay here. Nobody will find you. I'll take the papers to the police. Good luck.

It's Friday. Len is in Los Angeles. He's at the police station. Frank and Blane are at the police station too.

— These papers show that you're a criminal, Blane.

I'm tired. I have no money. But I have an exciting job. And I like to help people. That's why I'm an L. A. detective.

Put the events in the order they happen in the story. The first is 1.

Put the events in the order they happen in the story.

A Before Reading

1 Read about the story on the back cover.

(a) The Young Ones want some money. How much money do they want?

Put a tick in the correct box.

a hundred thousand dollars 

ten thousand dollars 

one thousand dollars

(b) Put a tick in the correct box or boxes.

Mr Blane is bad.

Mr Blane is dangerous.

Mr Blane is rich.

2 Look at the picture on the front cover. What is the name of the man in the picture?

B While Reading

3 What happens on Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday? Draw lines. Join the sentences to the correct days.

C After Reading

4 Write sentences about:

(a) Len Samuel

(b) Mr Blane

Use these words in your sentences.

fat old kind bad tough dark hair grey hair tall

5 Who are these people?

6 Here are two men at the police station. What are they thinking?

7 You are a criminal! You have got a prisoner!

Write a letter. Ask for money. Tell somebody where to take the money.

1 (a) A hundred thousand dollars.

(b) Mr Blane is bad./Mr Blane is rich.

2 Student's own answer. A good guess would be Len Samuel. (The man is wearing the kind of hat and raincoat which private detectives wear in films.)

3 Tuesday: Len and Frank go to the bus station. Len and Frank meet Carmen and a young man. Carmen and the young man jump onto a bus. Thursday: Len finds Carmen in San Francisco. Carmen gives Len some papers. Friday: Len is at the police station. Frank and Mr Blane are at the police station.

4 Student's own answers. Sample answers:

(a) Len Samuel has dark hair. Len Samuel is tall./a tall man. Len Samuel is tough./is a tough man. Len Samuel is kind./is a kind man.

(b) Mr Blane is fat./is a fat man. Mr Blane is bad./is a bad man. Mr Blane is old./is an old man. Mr Blane has grey hair.

5 left picture: Frank

right picture: Carmen Blane

6 Student's own answer. Thoughts might be:

Blane

- 'Papers! What papers?' or, Frank - 'I want to hit Len Samuel.'

Teachers could help students with more complicated responses.

7 Student's own answer. Students could use the Young Ones' note on page 6 as a model.

Ski Race by Eleanor Jupp

1 (a) page 2 (d) pages 2, 3, 5, 6-7, 9, 11,

(b) pages 5, 15 12-13, 14-15, 16

(c) page 10 (e) page 12

2 (a) winter

3

4 Student's own answer. Suggestion could be: Sue and Rebecca, or Mark and David.

5 (a) F (c) T (e) T (g) F (b) T (d) T (f) F (h) T

6 fine/ski/snow/fast/love/race/Rebecca/win