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Last Chance I ' l l l l I II' HIJ R R O W S A110 M A R K I O S T E R

‘ Com e in here!’ says M ik e’s boss. H e is angry —again. M ike is a cam eram an and he w orks for S F X N ew s. H is boss, M r Frank, is angry w ith him. It is the second time this week. M ike w alks slow ly into the office. He is in big trouble. ‘ C lose the d oor,’ says M r Frank. There is a video in his hand. ‘This is b ad ,’ thinks M ike. ‘H e doesn’t like my w o rk .’

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Last Chance

M r Frank looks at M ike. ‘Are you a news cam eram an?’ he asks. ‘Yes, o f course,’ says M ike. ‘Well, this isn’t new s.’ He throws the video at the door. ‘It’s . . . it’s . . . I have a three-year-old son. He can do better. G o away and find some news. I want a film that hits me here.’ M r Frank puts his hand on his heart. ‘And M ike ‘Yes, Boss?’ ‘ This is your last chance.’

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M ike walks slow ly out o f M r Frank’s office. His face is red. ‘ He can’t talk to me like that,’ he thinks. ‘I’m a good cam eram an. I’m unlucky, that’s all. But I can’t be angry with him because I need my jo b .’ M ike sits on his chair and looks out o f the window. He sees an old man sitting in his garden. He feels tired. ‘Am I too old for this job?’ thinks M ike. ‘A m I too tired?’

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There is a new spaper on M ik e’s desk. H e picks it up and reads it. There is a volcano in H aw aii. The volcano is erupting and people are leaving. M ike sees a photograph o f the volcano. It looks dangerous. ‘H m m . M aybe . . .’ he thinks. M r Frank w alks past. ‘Reading the newspaper?’ he says. ‘Rem ember —this is your last chance.’ M ike feels very angry but he says nothing. ‘This is b ad ,’ he thinks. ‘ I must go to H aw aii and make an exciting film .’

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Last Chance

M ike gets in his car and quickly drives home. H e has a nice car. It is fast and he loves it. It is also expensive. He needs to work. M ike stops the car next to his house. H e goes in the house. ‘W hat do I need?’ he thinks. He puts some clothes in a bag and picks it up. ‘ One more thing,’ he thinks. ‘ M y video cam era.’ He picks up his cam era and gives it a kiss. ‘We can do it, old frien d ,’ he says.

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Later that day, M ike takes a plane to H aw aii. There are only seven people on the plane. He looks out o f the window. ‘H aw aii is beautiful!’ he thinks. There are big waves on the sea. ‘ I would like to go surfing,’ thinks M ike. ‘Perhaps another tim e.’ But as the plane gets closer, the sky is very dark. A t the airport lots o f people are running. Some people are crying. ‘The volcano is erupting,’ they say to M ike. ‘Why are you here?’ ‘ I’m here because I’m a news cam eram an. A good news cam eram an,’ he tells them. He can see the volcano. It is a long w ay away. There is black smoke and red fire. ‘Is this a good idea?’ thinks M ike.

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Last Chance

Some news people are leaving H aw aii. They are getting on a plane. M ike talks to them. A girl tells him that the volcano is very dangerous. ‘I think my friend Jenny is there. She wants to make a film , too. Is she alive or dead? I don’t know,’ says the girl. ‘You must come with us,’ she says, ‘You can’t go to the volcano.’ ‘ I want to leave the islan d,’ thinks M ike. ‘I don’t want to die, but . . .’ ‘ I can’t go w ith you. I have w ork to d o ,’ he says.

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Last Chance

‘ O K ,’ says the girl. ‘L oo k out for my friend Jenny. She has big blue eyes. Please tell her to leave the island.’ ‘ O K ,’ says M ike. He says goodbye to the girl. He watches the plane leave. ‘ This really is my last chance,’ he thinks.

Last Chance

Ju st then the volcano makes a big noise. A dog runs quickly past. A n old wom an starts to cry. M ike looks at her. He wants to say something but he can’t. The sun is hot but suddenly he is cold. He is afraid. ‘I can’t be afraid ,’ he says. H e looks at his cam era and says, ‘L et’s go, old frien d .’ M ike w alks through the town. The sky is getting darker. The red fire over the volcano is getting bigger and bigger. M ike is feeling more afraid.

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In the town M ike meets a man. The man is leaving with his family. ‘H ow can I get to the volcano?’ M ike asks. ‘ C ars don’t go to the volcano,’ says the m an. ‘The drivers are afraid. You must w a lk .’ ‘Is it far?’ asks M ike. ‘N o ,’ says the man. ‘But the fire is hot. Take lots o f w ater with yo u .’ There is a television in a shop window. It is not showing pictures o f the volcano. ‘I am the only news person here,’ M ike thinks. ‘I have a chance to make the only film about the volcano. I must go .’ The road in front o f him is very long. His legs feel tired but he begins to walk.

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Last Chance

A fter two long hours, M ike is on the volcano. There is a lot o f smoke and a lot o f fire. M ike can’t see any people. ‘ I must be quick,’ he thinks. M ike film s the smoke and the fire. A big rock nearly hits him but he film s it. ‘This film is go o d ,’ he thinks. H e is afraid but happy. ‘H ow can M r Frank be angry now ?’ M ike thinks. H e is taking lots o f film.

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Another rock almost hits him. M ike feels hot and tired. ‘It’s time to go ,’ says M ike. ‘ G ood jo b !’ he says to his camera. A bigger rock goes over his head. ‘I don’t like this. I must go now,’ he says. M ike can smell the smoke. H e can feel the fire.

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Last Chance

M ike puts his cam era under his arm . He starts to run. Ju st then the volcano makes a noise. M ike runs faster. Suddenly, he hears a different noise. ‘Is that a w om an?’ thinks M ike. ‘It can’t be. There is nobody here.’ H e starts to run again, but then . . . ‘ H elp!’ ‘It is somebody. They need m e,’ he thinks. ‘ H ello ,’ he says. ‘Where are you?’ M ike looks everywhere, but he can’t see anybody.

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M ike sees something behind a rock. It moves. H e goes to the rock and sees a young wom an there. She can’t move her leg because it is under the rock. ‘ Oh, thank you. T hank yo u ,’ she says to M ike. She begins to cry. ‘M y leg. I think it’s broken.’

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Last Chance

‘W ait a m inute,’ says M ike. ‘ I can help.’ H e pushes the rock. It is too big. There are sm all rocks in front. He pushes them away then pushes the big rock again. It moves a little. He pushes harder. It moves a little more. ‘A arg h ,’ cries the wom an. Suddenly the rock moves down the volcano. The w om an’s face is white. She smiles slowly.

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I

Last Chance

‘Are you Jen n y?’ M ike asks. ‘Yes, I am !’ she says. ‘H ow do you know ?’ ‘ It doesn’t matter now. M y name is M ike. I have to carry you, Jenny. But f i r s t . . .’ M ike has a tripod. He ties it to Je n n y’s leg. ‘D oes that feel better?’ he asks. Jen n y smiles again. ‘T hank you, M ik e,’ she says. She is very tired. ‘I’m usually very careful —but not today.’ ‘ Com e on. We have to get o ff the volcano,’ says M ike.

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Last Chance

‘ Put your arm around m e,’ M ike tells Jenny. He puts down his cam era. Jen n y gets up slowly. H er leg is very bad. ‘Take it easy,’ M ike says. They start to w alk very slowly. ‘It’s okay,’ he says. ‘You’ re okay.’ M etre by metre they move down the volcano. They are alm ost hit by rocks. Black smoke is in their mouths. H ot fire is close behind them. But they are alive.

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‘M ike - w ait,’ says Jenny suddenly. ‘Your cam era!’ She stops walking. Her face is black with smoke. Jen n y’s blue eyes look at M ike. M ike looks back at Jenny. ‘Y ou’ re more im portant than my cam era,’ he tells her. ‘But the volcano . . . I can w ait here. You go back. It’s not too late.’ M ike says nothing. They keep w alking slowly down the volcano - and away from M ik e’s camera.

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Last Chance

Jen n y is now very tired. H er leg is badly broken. M ike stops behind a big rock. ‘D o you want some w ater?’ he asks. M ike has some water in his bag. Jen n y and M ike

are

both thirsty. T hey drink the water. Jenny begins to go to sleep. ‘T his is dangerous. Jenny must stay alive,’ M ike thinks. ‘D on ’t go to sleep, Jenny. T alk to me. Where is your home? Tell me about your family. D o you like books?’ They walk and Jen n y talks. When she stops talking, M ike asks another question. They are alm ost o ff the volcano. M ike looks back. Where is his camera? Is it in the fire?

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Last Chance

They are o ff the volcano. M ike sits down next to Jenny. H e puts his head in his hands. ‘W hat’s the m atter?’ asks Jenny. ‘Everything,’ says M ike. ‘I have no cam era and no film. N o w I don’t have a job. There are no more chances.’ Jen n y puts her arm around him. ‘It’s okay.’

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Last Chance

Two hours later, they w alk into the town. People come out to see them. ‘Are you all right?’ they ask Jenny. ‘I have a broken leg, but I am alive,’ she says, and looks at M ike. ‘T h an k you, M ik e.’ H e smiles. ‘There is a helicopter w aiting for you,’ says a m an in a suit. ‘It is leaving the island. You must get on quickly.’ The m an helps them into the helicopter. In the helicopter, a man says to M ike, ‘D o you need anything?’ ‘M y cam era,’ he says. ‘But it is on the volcano. M y camera is my best friend and oldest friend.’ M ike closes his eyes and goes to sleep.

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M ike is now at home. H e does not want to see his boss, M r Frank. Then one m orning he hears the telephone. ‘H ello?’ he says. ‘ T his is M r Frank. You must come to w ork tomorrow. I need to talk to you. G oodb ye.’ The next day, M ike goes to work. H is friends are happy to see him. ‘Well done, M ik e,’ they say. ‘T h an k s,’ says M ike. H e is happy to see his friends, but he is afraid o f M r Frank. His boss sees him. ‘You, get in here.’ ‘T his is it,’ thinks M ike.

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Last Chance

In the office M r Frank looks at M ike. H e has som ething in his hands. ‘D o you remember the people in the helicopter?’ he asks. ‘Yes,’ says M ike. ‘They remem ber you. I think you need to thank them .’ He moves his hands. There is M ik e ’s camera. ‘M y cam era!’ says M ike. ‘The cam era is broken,’ says M r Frank, ‘But we have the film and it’s very go o d .’ H e smiles. ‘M y old frien d ,’ says M ike to his cam era. He gives it a kiss. ‘L et’s watch your video,’ M r Frank says.

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Last Chance

They watch the film on the TV. T hey can see M ike and Jenny. M ike moves the big rock. H e helps Jenny to walk. Big rocks are falling out o f the sky. T he volcano makes a noise. The fire is red and the smoke is black. It is very exciting. ‘ N ext time, remember to turn it off. Or maybe not!’ says M r Frank. ‘T his video hits me . . . right here!’ Then M r Frank says, ‘ Oh, and M ike - we have a new news person.’ Jenny comes into the room . She isn’t black with smoke now. She smiles at M ike. ‘She’s beautiful,’ M ike thinks. ‘She hits me . . . right here!’

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GLOSSARY around all the way round boss a person who tells workers what to do broken in pieces or not working camera a thing you use for taking photographs or moving pictures cameraman a person who films carry to take chance when something can happen dangerous that can kill you erupt to throw out gas, hot rocks, and liquid rocks exciting making you feel very happy film (v) to use cameras to make a movie; (n) moving pictures that tell a story idea something that you think job work kiss (v) to touch lovingly with your mouth surfing standing or lying on a flat board when the sea carries you back to the beach throw to make something move from your hand through the air trouble problems unlucky when something bad happens to you volcano a mountain with a hole in the top where fire, gas, and hot liquid rock sometimes come out

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Last Chance 'H o w can M r Fra nk be a n g ry now?' thinks Mike happily. His film is good and he is the only c am e ra m an on the volcano.

N o w he

can go home.

,

But then he finds J e n n y and she is dying. Rocks start to move and Mike is afraid. Can they get off the volcano alive? And wh a t happens to Mike's cam era and film? (Word count 1,928]

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