Kidnapped

YOUNG ADULT

READERS

STAGE 3

Kidnapped

KIDNAPPED

Kidnapped is an adventure story set in Scotland in the 18th century about a young man, David Balfour. After his father dies, David leaves his quiet hometown in search of a new life at the house of Shaws. However, he immediately runs into danger at the hands of his cruel uncle Ebenezer and his adventures start here. He gets caught up with criminals but also makes friends with Alan Breck, a wild Highlander, who helps him as he tries to cross the Scottish Highlands. Will David manage to return to Shaws and win back his inheritance or will his uncle Ebenezer’s cruel plan succeed? As you read, discover true historical events about the Jacobite Rising, which are included in David’s adventures.

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON

Robert Louis Stevenson

STAGE 3

Eli Readers is a beautifully illustrated series of timeless classics and specially written stories for learners of English.

ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON KIDNAPPED

In this reader you will find: – Information about Robert Louis Stevenson – Introduction: The Jacobite Rising – Glossary of difficult words – Comprehension and extension activities, including Preliminary (PET) activities – Exit test Tags Classic

Historical fiction

Adventure

Friendship

Loyalty

Elementary

600 headwords

A1

STAGE 2

Pre-Intermediate

800 headwords

A2

Key (KET)

STAGE 3

Intermediate

1000 headwords

B1

Preliminary (PET)

STAGE 4

Upper Intermediate

1800 headwords

B2

First (FCE)

STAGE 5

Advanced

2500 headwords

C1

Advanced (CAE)

STAGE 6

Proficiency

Unabridged Texts

C2

Proficiency (CPE)

Classic

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Recorded extracts on CD. Download full text as MP3 from www.eligradedreaders.com

YOUNG ADULT ELI READERS

STAGE 1

A2 B1 ELT

www.eligradedreaders.com

ELT B1

YOUNG ADULT

READERS

Chapter 1

Leaving Home

2 The story of my adventure begins early one morning in the month

of June 1751, when I took my key for the last time out of the door of my father’s house. The sun was beginning to shine on the top of the hills as I went down the road to the church.

Mr Campbell, the head of the church of my town, Essendean, was waiting for me in the churchyard. He was such a good man! He asked me if I’d had breakfast; when I said yes he took my arm in his and said: ‘Well, Davie, my boy, I’ll walk with you as far as the low part of the river before saying goodbye.’

So, we began to walk together without speaking. After some time he said: ‘Are you sorry to leave Essendean Davie?’

‘Well sir, Essendean is a pleasant place and I’ve been very happy here, but then I’ve never been anywhere else. Since my mother and father are both dead, I’ve nothing to keep me here; but if I thought I had the chance of a better life, I’d go with a lighter heart.’

‘Yes?’- said Mr Campbell. ‘Very well, Davie. I have something to tell you about your future. Before dying, your father, good man, gave me a letter for you. He said it was your inheritance* and that you must go to the house of Shaws not far from the fishing village of Cramond. This is where your father came from and he wanted you to go back there.’ inheritance money or land you get from someone when that person dies

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kidnapped

3

‘The house of Shaws!’ I said surprised. ‘Who did my poor father know at the house of Shaws?’

‘I don’t know Davie,’ said Mr Campbell,‘but your surname is Balfour and that is the family name of the people who live in that house, the Balfours of Shaws. It was a famous, important house at one time, though now a lot of it is old and broken. Your father was just a poor teacher at the local school, but it was obvious that he was a well learned man.’

He gave me the letter, and on the envelope*, I read: ‘To the hands of Ebenezer Balfour, House of Shaws, given to him by my son, David Balfour.’ I felt very excited. I was only seventeen years old, a poor teacher’s son, and here was the chance of a great adventure.

‘Mr Campbell,’ I said, ‘and if you were me, would you go?’

‘Of course Davie!’ said Mr Campbell. ‘You’re a young, brave boy.

Cramond is near Edinburgh. It’ll only take you two days to walk there. If you don’t like your relatives then you can always come back.

I hope you like them and that one day you’ll become an important man. But, Davie you must be careful of the dangers of the world.’

Then he sat down under the shade of a big tree and said: ‘Davie, always remember where you’ve come from. Show respect for the laird and do what he tells you.’

‘Well sir,’ I said, ‘I promise you, I’ll try.’

Then he stood up and took me in his arms. At last, he said goodbye and then went back down the road we had walked along together.

He almost ran and looked quite funny, but I didn’t feel like laughing at that moment because I knew he was sad to see me go. I even felt a bit guilty* because I was happy about going away from that quiet countryside to a great, busy house, with rich and important people who had my own name.

I took my things, crossed the river and went up the hill. At the top, envelope you put a letter in this

guilty when you feel bad about something

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AFTER-READING ACTIVITIES

Stop & Check 1

Choose the correct answer, A, B or C about Chapter 1.

David’s surname is A ■ Shaws.

B ■ Campbell.

3 Balfour.

C ■ 1 Before dying, David’s father wrote a letter to A ■ Mr Campbell.

B ■ his son.

C ■ his brother Ebenezer.

2 David was sad when he saw the house of Shaws A ■ because it was old and not kept well.

B ■ because it was in the countryside.

C ■ because it was far from his home.

3 David’s father had died A ■ three months before.

B ■ three weeks before.

C ■ three days before.

4 Ebenezer said David’s father A ■ was better at school than him.

B ■ was his twin.

C ■ used to eat more than him.

5 Ebenezer gave David A ■ £30.

B ■ £40.

C ■ £45.

6 Ebenezer asked David to go up to the tower A ■ to kill the bats.

B ■ to get him some documents.

C ■ to see if a storm was coming.

7 David was angry with his uncle because A ■ he didnt tell him that the stairs in the tower were dangerous.

B ■ he wanted more money.

C ■ he was frightened of the thunder and lightning.

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Grammar 2

Complete the sentences with a verb from the box in the correct form. look (2) • walk • break • try • take • help • come walked with David to the river.

Mr Campbell _________ 1 David’s father _________ from the house of Shaws near Cramond.

2 Mr Campbell says it _________ David two days to get to Cramond.

3 David told a man that he _________ for a job at the house of Shaws.

4 Many of the windows in the house of Shaws _________.

5 Ebenezer _________ old and untidy.

6 David told Ebenezer he had lots of friends who _________ him.

7 David wanted to know why Ebenezer _________ to kill him.

PRE-READING ACTIVITY

Listening 4

3

Listen to the beginning of Chapter 2 and complete the sentences with the words you hear. windy The next morning it was cold and _________.

1 David sat in front of the fire to _________.

2 David knew that his uncle Ebenezer _________ him.

3 Some people say you can see your _________ in the fire.

4 David didn’t see any of the _________ he was about to have.

5 David says he had thought his uncle was a _________ man.

6 David opened the door and found a _________ young boy there.

7 The boy’s face was _________ with the cold.

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FOCUS ON...

Robert Louis Stevenson (1850-1894) Early life and Education Robert Louis Stevenson was a Scottish novelist, poet and travel writer. He was born on November 13th, 1850 in Edinburgh, the capital of Scotland. His grandfather, father and uncles were Scottish engineers and were famous for building lighthouses*. His mother was Margaret Isabella. Robert wasn’t a very strong child. He was very thin and was often ill. As a child, his nurse, Cummy, often read stories to him when he was ill, and this is where his love of books probably started.

Indeed, as soon as he could read and write, he spent a lot of his childhood writing stories.

He often had to stay at home because he was sick, and was taught by private teachers for much of his childhood until his health improved.

In 1867, Robert went to Edinburgh University to study engineering, but it was obvious from the start that he wasn’t interested in this subject.

However, each year, during the holidays he would travel around Scotland with his father to see the lighthouses his family had built. He went to places like Orkney and Shetland and spent three weeks on the island of Earraid in 1870. He enjoyed these trips because they gave him lots of ideas for his books. Robert then told his family that he no longer wanted to study 108

engineering and wanted to be a writer.

His father was obviously disappointed, so Robert agreed to study law at university, so that at least he would have a safe income*. In 1873, Robert became ill again and went to stay in France for a few months where it was warmer.

Then he came back to Scotland and started studying again, but he often returned to France and visited theatres and art galleries* in Paris.

He finished studying at university in 1875 but he never worked as a lawyer, and only used his knowledge of this subject in his books.

Robert, the writer After finishing university, Robert spent all his time travelling and writing. One of his trips to France and Belgium gave him the idea for his first book, An Inland Voyage. During this trip, he met Fanny Van de Grift Osbourne, an American woman who had left her husband and gone to live in France with her children.

Robert fell in love with her and when she returned to California in 1878, he decided to join her there the following year, even if he was not in good health. He wrote about this journey from Scotland to California in his book, The Amateur Emigrant. Fanny and Robert got married in 1880, and their first months together are described in his book, Silverado Squatters.

In August 1880, he sailed back to Britain with Fanny. He spent the next seven years trying to find a place to stay that would help improve his health. During this time, he wrote his most famous novels. These include Treasure Island (1883) an adventure story about pirates, Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde (1886) about a London lawyer who tries to understand the strange things that happen between his old friend, Dr Henry Jekyll and the cruel Edward Hyde, and the historical adventure story, Kidnapped written the same year. He was now a famous writer and earned enough money to have a comfortable life.

Later Life After his father died in 1887, he went back to America, hoping that the better weather would help his health. Then, in June 1888, he sailed from San Francisco and started a voyage in the Pacific that lasted three years. During this time, he visited many islands, his health improved a bit and he continued to write. In 1890, Robert bought some land in Upolu, an island in Samoa and decided to stay there. He helped the Samoan people in many ways and they loved him.

They used to call him ‘Tusitala’ that in Samoan means ‘storyteller’. He died on 3rd December 1894 and is buried on Mount Vaea in Samoa. lighthouse income money you earn from your job

art gallery a building where you can see works of art

Task Complete this form about Robert Louis Stevenson.

Born (date) Place of Birth Father’s job Most famous books Woman he loved Died (place and date)

____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________ ____________________________________

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TEST YOURSELF Choose A, B or C to complete the sentences about Kidnapped.

Ebenezer Balfour was A the same age B older than C younger than as David’s father. David's father. David’s father.

1 Ransome was killed by A Captain Hoseason. B Mr Shaun.

C Mr Riach.

2 Alan Breck wore A French clothes.

B Scottish clothes. C English clothes.

3 Most of the exiled Scottish clan chiefs lived in A the Lowlands.

B France.

C The Highlands.

4 The Covenant went down to the bottom of the sea because A there was a storm. B there was a fight C it hit some rocks. on board.

5 David managed to get off the island of Earraid because A it was low tide.

B he could swim.

C some men rescued him in a boat.

6 Colin Campbell of Glenure was shot A by the tenants.

B by the red coats. C by? We don’t know.

7 After the Covenant was lost, Alan Breck was helped by A Captain Hoseason. B Mr Riach.

C the other sailors.

8 Whoever caught Alan and David, would get a reward of A £100.

B £500.

C £200.

9 Cluny Macpherson’s home was known as A Cluny’s Clan.

B Cluny’s Cave.

C Cluny’s Cage.

10 While at Cluny’s,Alan used David’s money to A buy weapons.

B play cards.

C get a boat.

11 Mr Rankeillor didn’t take his glasses with him when he went to meet Alan Breck…

A because he only B because he C so he could say needed them for always forgot he couldn’t reading. them. recognise Alan.

12 When Hoseason kidnapped David, Ebenezer gave him

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A £20.

B £200.

C £50.