Holes chapter summaries PDF - EAL Nexus

Transcription

Holes chapter summaries PDF - EAL Nexus
Nexus resource
Holes for Beginners
Chapter summaries – Parts 2 and 3
Subject:
English
Age range:
10–12, 12–14
Topic:
Holes by Louis Sachar
Licence information | This resource is free to use for educational purposes. ©British Council 2015
Source | This resource was originally developed by Deborah Owen and Charlotte Hurley and has
been adapted by EAL Nexus.
Holes: Chapter summaries
Part Two – The Last Hole
Chapter 29
The weather changes. It is very humid. Stanley is drenched in sweat while
he is digging. There is a loud boom of thunder. There is a storm in the west
on the other side of the mountains. Stanley can see the mountains each time
there is a flash of lightning. The boys hope that the rain comes over to them.
There is a big flash of lightning and Stanley thinks he can see the top of a
mountain peak. It looks like a giant fist with a thumb sticking out of it. He
thinks about what his great-grandfather said after he was robbed by Kissin’
Kate Barlow and left behind in the desert: ‘I found refuge on God’s thumb.’
Key words or phrases with pictures
sweat
lightning
rain
a mountain peak
a fist
a thumb
©British Council 2015
Key words to translate
Word or phrase
Write a translation of this word or phrase
the weather changes
humid
drenched
thunder
I found refuge on
God’s thumb
Chapter 30
The next day is Zigzag’s birthday. It is July 8th. Stanley came to Camp Green
Lake on May 24th. Stanley tries to work out how long he has been here but
Zero works it out very quickly. Zero tells Stanley they have been at Camp
Green Lake forty-six days. Stanley knows Zero is correct as Zero is very good
at maths. Stanley digs his forty-fifth hole. He feels much stronger than when
he arrived at Camp Green Lake. Mr Sir gives Stanley water again. Zero still
digs Stanley’s holes. Zigzag says Zero is Stanley’s slave. The boys are angry
that Zero digs Stanley’s holes. Stanley tells the boys that Zero wants to dig
holes. The boys joke that they all want to dig Stanley’s hole for him. The
boys tell Stanley to go to the front of the line because he thinks he is better
than the other boys. Zigzag tells Stanley he will give him a cookie if Stanley
lets him dig his hole. Zigzag and Stanley start to push each other. Mr
Pendanski tells Stanley to hit Zigzag because he is a bully. Stanley lightly hits
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Zigzag. Zigzag jumps on Stanley and hits him. Zero pulls Zigzag from Stanley
and holds Zigzag around the neck and doesn’t let go. Zigzag is choking.
Armpit runs into Zero and they all fall on the ground. Mr Pendanski fires a
pistol in the air and all the other counsellors and the Warden come over. The
Warden asks what happened and Zigzag tells the warden that he gets angry
when he is working hard in the hot sun and Stanley does nothing. Stanley
tells the Warden that Zero digs his holes and Stanley teaches Zero to read.
The Warden asks Zero what he has learnt. Zero doesn’t speak. Mr Pendanski
laughs. The Warden gives Zero some words to spell. He spells some words
correctly but can’t spell ‘cat’ because Stanley hasn’t taught him ‘cat’ yet. Mr
Pendanski calls Zero stupid. The warden tells Zero to stop digging Stanley’s
holes. Zero says that he won’t dig another hole. Mr Pendanski gives a shovel
to Zero. Zero smashes the shovel across Mr Pendanski’s head and knocks
him unconscious. The counsellors all point their guns at Zero. The Warden
tells them not to shoot him because she doesn’t want an investigation. Zero
runs away toward the lake. Zero has left his water bottle behind so the
Warden knows he will come back for water. The Warden says that it is time
to paint her nails. She tells the boys that she still wants seven holes.
Key words or phrases with pictures
a cookie
unconscious
Key words to translate
Word or phrase
Write a translation of this word or phrase
birthday
©British Council 2015
Word or phrase
Write a translation of this word or phrase
very good at maths
slave
push each other
lightly hits
runs into
choking
fires a pistol into the air
does nothing
what he has learnt
to spell
correctly
investigation
Chapter 31
Stanley is angry with everyone but he is mostly angry with himself. He knows
that he shouldn’t let Zero dig his holes. He thinks he should go after Zero but
he doesn’t. The other boys don’t help Stanley dig Zero’s hole. Stanley has to
dig Zero’s hole. He looks out for Zero. Stanley thinks maybe he could find
Zero and climb to the top of Big Thumb (God’s Thumb?) or he could make a
deal with the Warden. Stanley could tell her where he really found the gold
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tube if she won’t scratch Zero. Stanley realises that this would get X-Ray into
trouble and make him angry.
The next morning, Zero is still missing. Mr Pendanski has two black eyes and
a bandage over his nose. Stanley hopes that Zero finds God’s Thumb (the
mountain looks like a giant thumb). There could be water on top of the
mountain. Stanley goes back to the tent. The Warden, Mr Pendanski and Mr
Sir are waiting for Stanley. They ask Stanley if he has seen Zero and if
Stanley knows where Zero is. The Warden speaks to Mr Pendanski about
Zero. They say that Zero doesn’t have family and that Zero lived on the
streets. The Warden tells Mr Pendanski to destroy all of Zero’s records. Mr
Pendanski says that no one cares about Hector Zeroni.
Key words or phrases with pictures
black eyes
God’s Thumb
Key words to translate
Word or phrase
Write a translation of this word or phrase
angry with himself
shouldn’t have let
climb to the top of
still missing
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Word or phrase
Write a translation of this word or phrase
doesn’t have family
lived on the streets
destroy Zero’s records
no one cares about
God’s thumb
Chapter 32
Two days later, a new kid arrives in Group D’s tent. He is called Brian but XRay calls him Twitch because he fidgets. Twitch sleeps in Zero’s bed. Twitch
is in Camp Green Lake because he stole a car. He can break into cars and
steal them in less than a minute. Stanley worries about Zero. He worries that
Zero is alive crawling around searching for water.
The next morning, Stanley digs his hole. The water truck comes and Stanley
thinks about what he can do to help Zero. Stanley thinks he will need a car
to help Zero. Stanley wonders if the keys are in the ignition of the water
truck. Stanley doesn’t know how to drive. Stanley flings open the door of the
truck and quickly climbs inside. He starts the engine but the truck doesn’t
move. Stanley puts his foot on the pedal and the engine roars but the truck
still doesn’t move. Mr Sir runs around the side of the truck. The door is still
open. Twitch tells Stanley to put the truck in gear. The truck moves. The
truck goes faster and faster across the dry lake. It bounces over a pile of
dirt. Stanley drives into a hole and the truck stops and Stanley falls out of
the open door onto the ground. Stanley stands up. He hurts. Stanley looks at
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Mr Sir and then runs. Stanley’s water bottle is around his neck but it is
empty.
Key words or phrases with pictures
crawling
an empty water bottle
keys in the ignition
foot on the pedal
Key words to translate
Word or phrase
Write a translation of this word or phrase
two days later
new kid
twitch
fidgets
to steal (stole)
break into
flings open
doesn’t move
engine roars
©British Council 2015
Word or phrase
Write a translation of this word or phrase
in gear
Chapter 33
Stanley slows down. No one is chasing after him. He hears voices from the
truck but he doesn’t know what they are saying. He walks towards where he
thinks Big Thumb? is. He knows that he can’t survive without water. He
thinks he will go back later when everyone has calmed down. He decides to
keep walking and look for Zero. There are still a lot of holes even though he
has walked away from camp. Stanley looks into one hole and sees a family of
yellow-spotted lizards. They look at Stanley with their red eyes. Stanley runs
until he can’t run any further. He collapses onto the ground. Stanley notices
something nearby. He walks towards it. It is an empty sack of sunflower
seeds. There is one seed inside the sack. Stanley eats it.
Key words or phrases with pictures
chasing after
Key words to translate
Word or phrase
Write a translation of this word or phrase
survive
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calmed down
he can’t run any further
collapses
Chapter 34
The sun is overhead. Stanley decides he will walk for another couple of hours
and then walk back. Stanley is hot, tired, hungry and very thirsty. He thinks
he sees a pool of water but it is a mirage. It isn’t there. He is carrying the
empty sack of sunflower seeds. He sees the mountains in the distance. He
keeps walking towards the mountains. He sees a large object on the lake.
Stanley walks towards it. It is part of a boat. It is upside-down and half of
the boat is buried under the dirt. The name of the boat is painted on the
side. It is red, faded paint. Stanley reads the name of the boat: Mary Lou. He
hears a noise. Something moves under the boat. Stanley shouts ‘Hey!’ and
the thing under the boat says ‘Hey’ in a weak voice. A dark hand and an
orange sleeve reach out from under the boat.
Key words or phrases with pictures
an upside down boat
red
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Key words to translate
Word or phrase
Write a translation of this word or phrase
overhead
hot
tired
hungry
thirsty
mirage
weak voice
faded paint
Chapter 35
The thing under the boat is Zero. Zero looks terrible and he is very weak.
Zero asks Stanley if he has any water. Stanley tells Zero that his water bottle
is empty. Stanley tells Zero that he tried to bring the whole water truck but
he drove it into a hole. Stanley says that they must go back to camp. Zero
says that he isn’t going back to camp. Zero asks Stanley if he wants some
sploosh. They crawl under the boat because it is cooler under the boat.
Stanley fits under the boat because he is much thinner now. Zero has a glass
jar in his hand and tries to unscrew the lid. Zero tells Stanley he calls the jars
sploosh. Zero drank fifteen jars of sploosh already. Zero can’t get the lid off
the jar because he is so weak so he breaks the top off with a shovel. Zero
drinks some sploosh and then tells Stanley to drink some too. Stanley thinks
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it looks horrible. The sploosh is a brown liquid. It must be one hundred years
old. Stanley has a drink of the sploosh. It is very sweet and stops him being
thirsty. They drink the whole jar then Zero tells Stanley that it is the last jar.
Stanley tells Zero that he is taking Zero back to camp. Zero doesn’t want to
go back and dig any more holes. Zero tells Stanley that Barf Bag stepped on
a rattlesnake. Zero knows that Barf Bag did it on purpose because he took
his shoes and socks off first. Zero asks Stanley what ‘Mar ya, Luh oh oo’ is.
Zero is trying to read the name on the boat. Zero groans, grabs his stomach
and falls onto the ground. Stanley says that he is going to take Zero back to
camp but Zero says that he would rather die. Stanley tells Zero to look at the
mountain and asks him what he thinks it looks like. Zero looks at the
mountain and then makes a fist and raises his thumb.
Key words or phrases with pictures
a glass jar
brown liquid
stomach
Key words to translate
Word or phrase
Write a translation of this word or phrase
to try (he tried)
©British Council 2015
Word or phrase
Write a translation of this word or phrase
cooler
he is much thinner now
unscrew the lid
breaks the top off
looks horrible
very sweet
the last jar
on purpose
groans
grabs his stomach
makes a fist
raises his thumb
Chapter 36
Stanley and Zero put the four empty unbroken jars in the sack. They give
each other the thumbs up and set off. They have no water. Zero falls onto
the ground and clutches his stomach. He manages to sit up. They carry on
walking. Stanley thinks that Big Thumb? isn’t getting closer. Zero wonders
about Mary Lou. They think Mary Lou was special if she had a boat named
after her. Zero collapses again. Stanley thinks Zero is dying. Then, Zero asks
Stanley to give him some words to spell which seems to help Zero. They are
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thirsty and weak. Stanley worries about how his parents would feel if he
dies. Stanley and Zero imagine that there is an Italian restaurant at the top
of the mountain. They imagine the food at the restaurant. They come to the
end of the lake. There are huge white stone cliffs in front of them. They try
to climb up using some ledges. Zero is trembling and weak. They help each
other climb. They lift each other and use the shovel to help them climb. Zero
has deep gashes in his wrists from holding the blade of the shovel and
helping Stanley to climb. One of the jars is broken but they keep the pieces
because they might use the pieces to make a knife. After that, it is easier to
climb. They reach flat ground and look up. Stanley sees the sun. The sun
looks like it is balancing on top of Big Thumb?. Stanley thinks it looks like
God is twirling a basketball.
Key words or phrases with pictures
an Italian restaurant
white stone cliffs
a broken jar
food
a knife
twirling a basket ball
©British Council 2015
Key words to translate
Word or phrase
Write a translation of this word or phrase
unbroken
thumbs up
clutches
he manages to sit up
a boat named after her
imagine
deep gashes
flat ground
looks like
Chapter 37
Stanley tells Zero that they are nearly at the bottom of the mountain. Stanley
hopes that there is water on the mountain. The ground gets steeper and
steeper as they go up the mountain. There are patches of weeds on the
mountainside. They use the weeds to help them to climb. The weeds get
thicker and they have thorns on them. They keep climbing because it will be
dark soon. The sky gets dark and gnats fly around the boys. Stanley gives
Zero some words to spell. Suddenly Zero doubles over and grabs his
stomach and then he is sick on the ground. Then Zero stands up and carries
on climbing. They climb higher and the weeds get thicker and there are
thorny vines. Stanley says that there must be water nearby because there
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are weeds and gnats. Zero smiles at Stanley and then collapses on the
ground. He doesn’t get up. Stanley tries to wake Zero by talking to him. Zero
says nothing.
Key words or phrases with pictures
The mountainside
thorns
steep
a gnat
vines
Key words to translate
Word or phrase
Write a translation of this word or phrase
the bottom of
hopes (to hope)
gets steeper
patches of weeds
the sky gets dark
to spell
doubles over
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the weeds get thicker
he is sick on the
ground
Chapter 38
Stanley pulls Zero’s arms so that he is sitting upright. He lies Zero over his
shoulder and carries him. He leaves the shovel and the sack of jars behind.
Stanley climbs higher and higher with Zero over his shoulder. The ground is
flatter now. Stanley smells a foul odour. Stanley thinks that there is no water
at the top of the mountain. He doesn’t think he is going to be able to climb
any more but he carries on climbing. Stanley slips and falls onto the ground.
Stanley is face down in a muddy ditch. Suddenly Stanley realises that you
need water to make mud. He crawls to the muddiest part of the ground. The
mud splashes as Stanley hits the ground. Stanley digs in the mud with his
hands. There is water in the bottom of the hole. He digs again and fills his
hands with water and drips the water on Zero’s face. Zero sticks out his
tongue to try and lick the water. Stanley drags Zero to the hole. Stanley
pours more water into Zero’s mouth. Stanley digs again and finds a round,
smooth object. It is an onion. Stanley wipes the dirt off the onion and bites
it. He doesn’t peel the skin off first. He eats half the onion and then gives the
other half to Zero. Stanley jokes that it is a hot fudge sundae.
Key words or phrases with pictures
flat ground
splashes
a muddy ditch
drip
a tongue
©British Council 2015
Key words to translate
Word or phrase
Write a translation of this word or phrase
carries (to carry)
higher and higher
face down
a foul odour
slips and falls
fills his hands with
water
drips (to drip)
Stanley jokes
Chapter 39
The next morning, Stanley wakes up in a meadow. He is lying down and
looking up at a giant rock. He is too weak to sit or stand up. His mouth and
throat is full of sand. He looks in the hole he has dug with his hands and
realises that it is very muddy, brown water. Zero moans and tells Stanley
that he is ‘not good’. Zero shakes violently. Stanley thinks about going back
down the mountain to get the shovel so he can dig a bigger hole, and the
jars so they can drink from them. He thinks that the water might be cleaner
if he can dig a bigger hole. Stanley sees that he is in a meadow of white
flowers. He picks a flower and eats it. Stanley spits the flower out. Stanley
looks at the trail that shows him which way he walked last night. He wants to
follow the trail and get the shovel but he doesn’t want to leave Zero. Stanley
is worried that Zero will die. Zero tells Stanley that he took Stanley’s shoes.
Stanley doesn’t know what Zero is talking about. Zero says that he means
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the shoes from the shelter. Stanley realises that Zero means Clyde
Livingston’s shoes. Zero says sorry. After Zero confesses, he relaxes and
sleeps. Stanley sings a song to Zero. It is the song that Stanley’s father sings
to Stanley: ‘If only, if only’.
Key words or phrases with pictures
a white flower
picks a flower
a trail
Key words to translate
Word or phrase
Write a translation of this word or phrase
meadow
too weak
shakes violently
he means the shoes
from the shelter
realises
confesses
©British Council 2015
Chapter 40
Stanley thinks about the onion he ate last night. He wonders if there are
more onions. He digs up a flower and the roots too.
More than one hundred years ago at Green Lake, Sam the onion man was
selling his onions. It was a beautiful spring morning. Mrs Tennyson ran after
Sam in her nightgown. She told Sam that her daughter Becca’s fever had
gone. Becca was feeling better. Mrs Tennyson thanked Sam and told him
that Sam’s onion tonic made Becca well. Some people from the town laughed
at Mrs Tennyson because she was wearing a nightgown. Mrs Tennyson
explained that she had been awake all night looking after her daughter. She
said that they were ill because they ate bad meat. Then Mrs Tennyson
bought some onions from Sam.
Stanley and Zero sleep a lot for two days. They eat onions and drink dirty
water. Big Thumb? shades them. Stanley tries to make a bigger hole but he
needs the shovel. Zero is still sick and weak but he is better. When Zero
wakes up, Stanley goes for the shovel. He walks down the mountain. He
walks a long way so he thinks he has walked past the shovel but he finds the
shovel and the sack and jars. Stanley can’t believe that he carried Zero for
such a long way. Stanley climbs up the mountain again. It is a long, hard
climb.
©British Council 2015
Key words or phrases with pictures
roots
bad meat
onion roots
dirty water
Key words to translate
Word or phrase
Write a translation of this word or phrase
he wonders if
beautiful spring
morning
fever
nightgown
feeling better
onion tonic
can’t believe
Chapter 41
Zero is feeling better. The water hole is as large as the holes at Camp Green
Lake. Stanley dug the hole. Stanley told Zero to rest. Stanley is surprised
because he isn’t sick from the sploosh, the dirty water or from eating onions.
Stanley was sick a lot when he lived at home. Zero tells Stanley that he
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didn’t go to the homeless shelter very often. Zero worried that if he went to
the homeless shelter without an adult, they would make Zero a ‘ward of
state’. Stanley asks Zero what a ‘ward of state’ is. Zero says that he liked
sleeping outside. He pretended he was a Cub Scout. Zero tells Stanley that
his mother was a Girl Scout. Stanley is surprised. He thinks that Zero doesn’t
have a mother. Zero tells Stanley that, when he was a little boy, Zero and his
mum took what they needed all the time. Zero says that he didn’t realise it
was stealing. Zero says that when he saw Clyde Livingston’s shoes, he took
them. Zero says that he thought they were some old shoes. He didn’t know
they were famous. Zero tells Stanley that he put the shoes on his feet and
ran out of the shop. Then he took them off and put them on top of a car.
They were very smelly. Zero says that he was arrested because he stole
some new shoes from a shop.
Key words or phrases with pictures
Cub Scout
Girl Scout
an old shoe
Key words to translate
Word or phrase
Write a translation of this word or phrase
feeling better
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dug (to dig)
surprised
a ward of state
took what they needed
stealing/stole (to steal)
famous
arrested
smelly
Chapter 42
Zero is stronger. He helps Stanley dig the hole. It is six feet deep. They fill
the bottom of the hole with rocks to separate the dirt from the water. Zero
says that he won’t dig another hole ever. Stanley knows they need to go
back to Camp Green Lake. There is nowhere to go because the mountain is
surrounded by desert. Stanley bites an onion and realises that the onion
doesn’t taste strong now. Zero works out that if they have been on the
mountain for one week, they have eaten two hundred and eighty onions.
Two nights later, Stanley is awake. He is happy. He can’t remember being
happy before today. Camp Green Lake made him miserable and school made
him feel unhappy. At school he doesn’t have any friends and there are
bullies. These bullies bully Stanley. No one at Stanley’s school likes him.
Stanley likes himself now. Stanley is glad Zero put the shoes on the car.
Stanley is glad the shoes fell from the bridge and hit Stanley on the head.
Stanley thinks that they don’t need to go back to camp. He wonders if they
can live as fugitives. He has an idea. He knows he will need money, a
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treasure chest of money, so that he can be a fugitive. He thinks about the
lipstick container with ‘KB’ and wonders whether there is a treasure chest
buried at Camp Green Lake. He asks Zero if he wants to dig another hole.
Key words or phrases with pictures
rocks
unhappy
a treasure chest
Key words to translate
Word or phrase
Write a translation of this word or phrase
six feet deep
separate
surrounded by desert
before today
miserable
bullies (to bully)
Stanley is glad
fugitive
©British Council 2015
Chapter 43
Zero tells Stanley that he wasn’t homeless when he was a baby. Zero says
that he remembers he had a yellow room. He remembers his mother singing
to him. Zero thinks the song is the same as the song Stanley sings but Zero’s
song has different words.
Stanley and Zero fill the sack full of onions. They are going to leave the
mountain very early in the morning so they can get to Camp Green Lake
before night time. They are going to hide by the hole where they found the
lipstick. When everyone is asleep, then they will dig the hole. Then they are
going to steal food and drink from the kitchen and run away. Stanley thinks
about a letter from his mum. His mum worries that they are going to be
thrown out of their apartment because of the smell of burning trainers.
Stanley wonders if his parents know he has run away. He wonders if his
parents think he is dead.
The next morning, they head down the mountain. Stanley steps on a loose
rock and slides down the mountain. The onions spill everywhere. They lose a
lot of the onions. They are both thirsty but don’t want to be the first to drink
the water. They finally agree to drink at the same time. They see the Mary
Lou and walk towards it. Zero tells Stanley that he doesn’t know what
happened to his mother. One day his mother left and didn’t come back.
Zero’s mother left him at a park called Laney Park. Stanley says he knows
Laney Park. Zero says he waited there for a month. Stanley and Zero eat
more onions while they are talking. Zero tells Stanley that they are going the
wrong way. Stanley thinks it is the right way. Zero draws a diagram in the
dirt to show the right way. In the middle of the afternoon, they hear noises.
They hear Mr Sir’s voice in the distance. Stanley and Zero walk slowly and
quietly. They both climb into a hole and they hide. When all the campers
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finish digging for the day, Stanley and Zero creep towards camp. Stanley
points at the hole where he found the gold tube. They climb into some holes
nearby and wait for all the people in the camp to fall asleep.
Key words or phrases with pictures
Yellow
Key words to translate
Word or phrase
Write a translation of this word or phrase
before night time
homeless
a yellow room
he remembers his
mother singing to him
they are going to
smell of burning
trainers
Stanley wonders (to
wonder)
in the middle of the
afternoon
a diagram
in the distance
creep towards
©British Council 2015
Chapter 44
Stanley tries to sleep in the hole. He hears the boys taking showers and
eating dinner. He falls asleep. Zero wakes Stanley up. It is dark. There is one
light on in the office. Stanley takes Zero over to the hole. Stanley climbs
inside the hole and digs. Zero goes to fill the jars with water. Zero has found
a box of cereal. Zero gives the box to Stanley. The cereal tastes strange
because they have only eaten onions for a long time. Zero digs the hole and
Stanley looks through the dirt. He can’t see much as it is dark and he hasn’t
got a torch. Zero goes to fill the jars with water again and Stanley digs.
Stanley digs the hole wider. He feels the shovel bounce off something hard.
There is an object sticking out from the side of the hole. Stanley says that he
thinks it is the treasure chest. Stanley scrapes at the dirt with the shovel. He
can see a box-like object. He digs underneath the box. He can feel latches
and a leather handle. He digs wider and deeper and then grabs the leather
handle and pulls it out. ‘We did it,’ says Stanley. He tries to pull himself out
of the hole but a bright light is shining in his face. It is the Warden. She
thanks the boys and tells them they have been a big help.
Key words or phrases with pictures
a box of cereal
a latch
a torch
a leather handle
©British Council 2015
Key words to translate
Word or phrase
Write a translation of this word or phrase
tries to sleep
one light on
tastes strange
he can’t see much
wider
box-like
a bright light is shining
in his face
thanks the boys
they have been a big
help
Chapter 45
Mr Pendanski is holding a torch and Mr Sir is next to him. Mr Sir is pointing a
gun at Stanley and Zero. Mr Sir and the Warden are in their night clothes.
Suddenly the Warden stops talking and backs away from the hole. A lizard is
on top of the suitcase. The suitcase is on Zero’s knee. Its big red eyes glow
in the light. Its mouth is open and Stanley sees its white tongue moving
between its black teeth. A second lizard crawls over the suitcase and across
Zero’s fingers and up his arm. Mr Pendanski shines the torch on the hole and
Stanley sees a nest of lizards. There are three lizards on the ground, two on
Stanley’s leg and one on his shoe. A lizard crawls up the back of Stanley’s
neck. Mr Pendanski asks what they should do and the Warden says they will
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wait because they won’t need to wait long. Mr Pendanski says that they will
now have a body to give to ‘that woman’. Mr Sir says that the woman will
ask a lot of questions. The Warden says that she doesn’t care so long as she
has the suitcase. The Warden remembers when she was a little girl. She
watched her parents dig holes every weekend and holiday. The Warden had
to dig even when it was Christmas Day. Stanley feels the lizard’s claws on his
face.
Key words or phrases with pictures
a suitcase
claws
Key words to translate
Word or phrase
Write a translation of this word or phrase
pointing a gun at
night clothes
a nest of lizards
backs away
up his arm
the back of Stanley’s
neck
ask a lot of questions
Christmas Day
©British Council 2015
Chapter 46
Mr Pendanski screams. A lizard springs towards him. Mr Sir shoots it in midair. The noise disturbs the lizards. A lizard runs across Stanley’s closed
mouth. The Warden tells Mr Pendanski and Mr Sir that they are going to tell
‘that woman’ and ‘The AG’ that Stanley ran away in the night and fell in a
hole and the lizards killed him. The Warden says that they won’t give Zero’s
body because he doesn’t exist. The Warden is going to tell the woman that
Stanley was delirious. That he was dangerous. The Warden is going to tell
the woman that is why Stanley ran away the day before he was going to be
released. Stanley doesn’t know who ‘that woman’ is. He doesn’t understand
what the counsellors are talking about. Stanley remembers when he was a
little boy. He remembers holding his mother’s hand and slipping on some ice
and falling in the snow. Mr Sir tells Stanley that Stanley is innocent. Stanley’s
lawyer came yesterday to collect Stanley to take him home. Stanley isn’t
listening to Mr Sir because he is thinking about his mother. It is 4.30a.m. so
the Warden sends the counsellors to their tents. The counsellors give the
campers breakfast and tell them not to talk to anyone. If they talk they will
be punished. A lizard sits on Zero’s shoulder. Zero gives Stanley the thumbs
up sign.
Key words or phrases with pictures
snow
the thumbs up sign
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Key words to translate
Word or phrase
Write a translation of this word or phrase
screams (to scream)
springs (to spring)
mid-air
disturbs
he doesn’t exist
delirious
is going to tell the
woman that
Stanley remembers
innocent
lawyer
Chapter 47
There are eight lizards in Stanley’s hole. The Warden looks tired. Zero says
‘Satan’. The Warden tells Mr Sir to take the suitcase from Zero. She says the
lizards are not hungry. Mr Sir tells the Warden to take the suitcase. They
wait. Zero says ‘Sa-tan Lee’. Stanley sees a tarantula near the hole. Stanley
feels a sharp sting on his neck as the lizard jumps off Stanley’s neck. The
lizard jumps on the tarantula and eats it. Mr Sir says that the lizards are
hungry. The sun rises and the lizards move lower in the hole into the shade.
©British Council 2015
The lizards are sitting on Stanley’s stomach, legs and feet. Zero asks Stanley
if his last name is his first name backwards.
Stanley hears cars stopping nearby. He sees Mr Pendanski and two strangers
coming over. There is a tall man in a suit and a cowboy hat and a woman
holding a briefcase. The woman shouts Stanley’s name. She tells Stanley not
to worry and that she will get him out of the hole. She tells Mr Sir that if any
harm comes to Stanley, she will be filing charges against Ms Walker, Camp
Green Lake and the entire state of Texas. She will file charges of child abuse,
false imprisonment and torture. The Warden tells the man and woman that
Stanley and Zero stole the suitcase from her cabin while the Warden was
asleep. She chased them and they fell into a hole into the lizard nest. The
Warden says that she told Stanley he would be freed today, but Stanley was
delirious. Stanley tries to climb out of the hole. The lizards move down into
the bottom of the hole into the shade. Stanley holds Zero’s arm and helps
him stand up. Zero holds the suitcase. The lizards under the suitcase scurry
into the hole. The Warden pretends she is pleased and hugs Zero. She grabs
the suitcase. Zero holds onto the suitcase and tells the Warden that the
suitcase belongs to Stanley. He tells her that the suitcase has Stanley’s name
on it. Zero points to the name and reads it aloud ‘Stanley Yelnats’. The
Warden doesn’t know what to say.
Key words or phrases with pictures
a tarantula
a cowboy hat
a suit
a briefcase
©British Council 2015
Key words to translate
Word or phrase
Write a translation of this word or phrase
looks tired
Satan
are not hungry
the sun rises
last name
first name
strangers
filing charges
child abuse
false imprisonment
torture
scurry
pretends she is pleased
reads it aloud
Chapter 48
The tall man is the Texas Attorney General. He is the chief law enforcement
officer. The woman is Stanley’s lawyer. Her name is Ms Morengo. Stanley
holds the suitcase. Mr Sir gets Stanley’s belongings. Ms Morengo tells Stanley
that he will see his parents soon. The Warden says that Stanley used his
©British Council 2015
suitcase to steal the Wardens valuables. She wants to open the case but Ms
Morengo tells Stanley not to open it. The Attorney General tells Stanley that
he is free to go. Stanley doesn’t want to leave Zero behind. Ms Morengo says
that she can’t help Zero. She tells Stanley that there will be an investigation
at Camp Green Lake. Stanley doesn’t move so Ms Morengo asks for Hector’s
file. Mr Pendanski tells Ms Morengo the file has been misplaced. The
Attorney General says that he will make a phone call to find out about Zero.
The boys from Group D see Stanley and Zero. The boys are surprised that
Stanley and Zero are alive and haven’t been eaten by buzzards. Mr
Pendanski tells the boys that Stanley is being released today. They are
pleased for Stanley and Zigzag shakes Stanley’s hand and apologises for the
fight. X-Ray doesn’t come over. Squid writes his mother’s phone number on
a piece of paper and gives the paper to Stanley. He tells Stanley to call his
mother and tell her that Squid is OK. The Attorney General comes out of the
Warden’s office. He says that the people in his office can’t find Hector
Zeroni’s files. Ms Morengo asks the Attorney General when Zero is going to
be released and how long Zero has been in Camp Green Lake. The Attorney
General doesn’t know anything about Zero because he can’t find the
information about Zero on the computer. The Attorney General doesn’t even
know why Zero is in Camp Green Lake so Ms Morengo says that she is taking
Zero with her.
Key words or phrases with pictures
make a phone call
a computer
a buzzard
©British Council 2015
Key words to translate
Word or phrase
Write a translation of this word or phrase
the Texas Attorney
General
the chief law
enforcement officer
Stanley’s belongings
valuables
investigation
Hector’s file
has been misplaced
released (to release)
free to go
Chapter 49
One hundred and ten years ago in Green Lake there were no yellow-spotted
lizards in the town. The lizards lived in the desert hills. One afternoon, Sam
the onion man and Mary-Lou were by the lake. Three men ran after Sam and
called his name. They asked Sam for some lizard juice (onion juice). They
told Sam that they were going rattlesnake hunting and they didn’t want to be
bitten by lizards. Sam told the men to drink a bottle of onion juice that night
then the onion juice would be in their bloodstream and the lizards didn’t like
onion blood.
Stanley and Zero sit in the back seat of Ms Morengo’s car. The suitcase is on
the back seat between the boys. The suitcase is locked so the boys are going
©British Council 2015
to ask Stanley’s father to open the suitcase in his workshop. Ms Morengo
explains that she is a patent lawyer and she is helping Stanley’s father with a
new invention. Ms Morengo tells Stanley that she wanted to help Stanley’s
father so she investigated what happened to Clyde Livingston’s shoes. Ms
Morengo found out that the shoes were stolen at 3.15p.m. and a boy named
Derrick Dunne said Stanley was fishing his notebook out of a toilet at
3.20p.m. Ms Morengo says that is how she knows that Stanley didn’t steal
the shoes. Zero tells Ms Morengo he stole the shoes. Ms Morengo tells Zero
not to tell anyone that he stole the shoes.
Ms Morengo tells Stanley about his father’s new invention. The new invention
is a product that eliminates foot odour. Ms Morengo has some of the product
in a small bottle which is in her briefcase. Stanley and Zero smell the liquid in
the bottle. It smells fresh and spicy. Stanley asks what the new invention is
called. Ms Morengo says that it doesn’t have a name yet. She says that
everyone thinks that the new invention smells like peaches. The boys fall
asleep. It is dark. At Camp Green Lake, a drop of rain falls. It hasn’t rained
for more than one hundred years on the Lake.
Key words or phrases with pictures
the desert hills
locked
a rattlesnake
a toilet
a small bottle
a drop of rain
©British Council 2015
Key words to translate
Word or phrase
Write a translation of this word or phrase
one afternoon
onion juice
rattlesnake hunting
they don’t want to be
bitten by lizards
bloodstream
patent lawyer
was fishing his
notebook out
Stanley didn’t steal the
shoes
new invention
liquid
fresh and spicy
smells like peaches
it hasn’t rained
Part Three: Filling in the Holes
Chapter 50
Stanley’s mother insists that there is no curse. However, Stanley’s father
invents a cure for foot odour on the same day the great-great-grandson of
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Elya Yelnats carried the great-great-grandson of Madame Zeroni up a
mountain.
The Attorney General closes Camp Green Lake. The Warden, Ms Walker, sells
the land at Green Lake because she has no money. Green Lake is going to
be a Girl Scout camp.
Stanley’s father opens the suitcase. Inside the suitcase there are jewels. The
jewels are only worth twenty thousand dollars. Under the jewels are papers
belonging to the first Stanley Yelnats. They are papers that show where all
Stanley Yelnats money is invested. Stanley and Zero receive about one
million dollars each. Stanley buys his mother and father a new house. Hector
hires a private investigator.
It is a year and a half after Stanley and Zero left Camp Green Lake. There is
a small party at the Yelnats house. They have caviar, champagne and ice
cream sundaes. The Super Bowl is on the television. When the commercial
break (adverts) come on the television, everyone watches.
The advert shows a baseball game. Clyde Livingston is in the advert. Clyde is
selling a product called Sploosh. Sploosh is a spray that eliminates foot
odour. In the advert, Clyde says that he used to have smelly feet but now his
feet are ‘sweet’. The advert finishes and everyone at the party claps.
Clyde Livingston is at the Yelnats party with his wife. Clyde jokes with
Stanley and pats him on the shoulder. Hector is sitting on the floor next to a
woman. The woman is playing with Hector’s hair with her fingers. The
woman sings a song to Hector. It is the song that her grandmother sang to
her when she was a little girl.
‘If only, if only …’
©British Council 2015
Key words or phrases with pictures
jewels
an ice cream sundae
champagne
a spray
clap (to clap)
Key words to translate
Word or phrase
Write a translation of this word or phrase
a cure for foot odour
invested (to invest
money)
hires a private
investigator
eliminates foot odour
when she was a little
girl
©British Council 2015