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- Information about John Buchan - A section focusing on background and context - A glossary of difficult words - Comprehension and grammar activities including A2 Key style exercises and 21st century skills activities - Final test

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Stage 2 A2

In this reader you will find:

THE THIRTY-NINE STEPS

Richard Hannay is bored. He’s all alone in a big city, and he wants something to happen, anything. One evening, when he gets back home, someone is waiting for him. This someone will leave him with a question, and Hannay must find an answer. His future, and the future of the whole of Europe depends on it. The question is, what are the thirty-nine steps?

John Buchan

John Buchan THE THIRTY-NINE STEPS

John Buchan

THE THIRTY-NINE STEPS

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ELT A2

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Chapter 1

One More Day

2 I looked up at the afternoon sky. ‘Black clouds again,’ I said to myself.

‘Just like yesterday, and the day before that. Did I really leave South Africa for this?’ People thought I was a lucky man. But I was already tired of the restaurants, the people, and the theatres. Here I was in London, one of the great cities of the world. People invited me to parties. And they seemed interested in me, at first. ‘What’s it like in South Africa?’ they all asked. But after this question they soon lost interest, and I was left alone. Alone, that’s it. I was terribly alone. And bored. At the beginning, I was excited about being in London. Trafalgar Square, Hyde Park, Covent Garden. It was all so different. I wanted to come here so much. And here I was, thirty-seven years old, with enough money, and good health. But I was already tired of the place, and thinking about going home. That afternoon, I went into a club to read the newspaper. At about six, I went home, got dressed and went out to a restaurant. After this, I went to the theatre. But the show wasn’t very good, and I didn’t stay long. As I walked home in the night air, I looked up at the sky again. ‘One more day,’ I said to myself. ‘I will give myself one more day. If nothing interesting happens, I will get the next boat back to South Africa.’

the thirty-nine steps

=== I lived on my own in a small flat. I liked it that way. It was very peaceful, and nobody ever disturbed me. But that evening, when I arrived at my door, something felt wrong. Something was different. I had a feeling that I wasn’t alone – that somebody was watching me. I turned and saw a man standing behind me. ‘How did he get there?’ I thought. ‘I didn’t hear him or see him.’ At first I was surprised, but then I recognised him. He was the man who lived in the flat above mine. The man was slim, with a short, brown beard and blue eyes. ‘Can I speak to you?’ he asked. ‘May I come in?’ he added. I opened my door and let him in. As soon as he was inside, he ran into my study, the place where I usually write my letters. Then he came back. ‘Are we alone?’ he asked. I was beginning to get worried, and the man could see it. ‘I’m sorry,’ he said. ‘I may seem strange to you, but can I tell you something? You seem to be the kind of man who’ll understand.’ ‘I’ll listen to you,’ I replied. ‘I can only promise that.’ ‘Pardon me. I’m not feeling well tonight, because at the moment, well, you see, at this moment, I am dead!’ ‘Oh dear, he is crazy,’ I thought. ‘What does it feel like?’ I asked. The man smiled. ‘I know what you’re thinking. You think I’m crazy. But, I’m going to tell you a secret*. You see, I need your help.’ ‘Tell me this secret of yours,’ I said. ‘And then I’ll tell you if I can help.’ secret something that nobody should know

Chapter 7

Harry’s ‘Friend’

8 In the afternoon, I arrived at Reading, and then I got on a local train.

I got off in the county of Berkshire, in a town called Hungerford. This was the town I needed to get to. I was getting near now. Near to London, and near to my meeting with Sir Harry’s brother. I took a road through some woods. And I soon came to a bridge. The place made me feel calm. At the bridge I saw a man. He was just coming back from fishing in the river. He looked at me, very calmly, and I knew it was him. He was older than Sir Harry, but I could see that he looked like his brother. ‘Look at the fish I caught,’ he said. ‘It’s big, isn’t it?’ ‘Yes, it’s very big. It looks like a Black Stone,’ I said. ‘Harry’s friend, pleased to meet you,’ he replied. So it was him. The man I needed to meet. ‘Twisdon is the name, isn’t it?’ he asked. ‘Yes,’ I replied, hoping that soon I could tell him my real name. ‘I am Sir Walter, and that’s my house,’ he said, pointing to a white gate, a hundred meters away. Wait five minutes, then go round to the back door.’ I did as he told me, and I found myself in front of a pretty cottage with a garden. The back door was open, and a butler was waiting for me.

AFTER-READING ACTIVITIES

Reading 1

Choose the correct answer, a, b or c.

The police now believe that a Scudder wasn’t killed. b Hannay didn’t kill Scudder. c Scudder tried to kill Hannay. We learn that Scudder a wasn’t very honest. b is in Spain. c worked for Sir Walter. The meeting with General Roye a is going to be on the 14th June. b is still on the 15th June. c is going to be on the 16th June. Who is coming to the meeting? a Richard Hannay b Sir Harry c Lord Alloa The meeting will be about a the French and British ships. b the death of Karolides. c how to stop the war. After the meeting General Royer a will stay in London for a week. b will visit Scotland. c will go back to France. The Black Stone want a to get some secrets. b to kill General Royer. c to give General Royer some information.

FOCUS ON...

Scotland Richard Hannay spends a lot of time in Scotland. For him it is a good place to hide. But you can also see that he loves its natural beauty. Here is some more information about Scotland.

Some Facts Scotland is a beautiful country that is part of the United Kingdom. Edinburgh is the capital but the largest city, is Glasgow, which has just over 584,000 inhabitants. The main language spoken by Scottish people is English but some people speak another language, called Gaelic.

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Reality or Legend? Another famous place in Scotland is Loch Ness which is one of the most famous lakes in the world. It is over 20 kilometers long. Loch Ness is best known for the Loch ness monster, also known as “Nessie”. Popular interest in the animal has been strong since the first time it was seen in 1933. Does it really exist? Who knows?

Natural Beauty This country has many islands such as the Shetland Islands that are perfect for those who want some wildlife adventure. It’s a place where you can easily see dolphins performing spectacular acrobatics in the sea. During the summer (mid-May to late July) there is a lot of light and it never gets really dark.

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TEST YOURSELF In the story there are times when Richard Hannay or another character seem to be somebody else. Match each extract from the story to the right disguise. a ‘If you believe in your disguise, everybody else will believe it. You 4 from the British just have to act like you are that person. I’m ____ army. b I made my boots and trousers as dirty as possible. I put some dirt on my face and also made my fingers dirty. And then I started to work. ____ c I opened the gate of the house, and knocked on the door of Trafalgar Lodge. A servant told me to come in. Soon I was face to face with ____ himself d ‘Oh stop talking,’ I said. ‘I have had no luck since I got here. I found the money in that car. And people are now looking for me. I’m tired of it. Poor old ____ e I know it sounds strange, but just give me your coat and hat, and stay here until I come back. You’ll be a bit late, but nobody will say anything. They’re all sleeping. And you’ll be a pound richer!’ ‘OK!’ he said. And then he gave me the clothes I needed. I put them on, and went out into the street. ____ f ‘But now I know you’re from Australia, you can speak about your country as well. You can help me. I would be very grateful, Mr ____ g ‘What’s your name?’ asked the ticket inspector. I hadn’t thought about that. Everything was moving so quickly, and I couldn’t make any mistakes. ____, I said. h It was just a second – but that second was enough to make my heart jump. ‘I’ve never seen him before, and he has never seen me,’ I thought. ‘But he seemed to recognise me. I’m sure he did.’ I heard the door to the street close. ____ went out. 1 2 3 4

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Twisdon A Milkman Lord Alloa Captain Digby

5 6 7 8

Mr Appleton Newton Stewart Ned Ainslie Alexander Turnbull