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G ina D. В. C lem en

The Mimp ire’s Tear Illustrated by P a o lo D ’A lta n

Editor: Michela Bruzzo Design and art direction: Nadia Maestri Computer graphics: Carla Devcto, Simona Corniola Picture research: Laura Lagomarsino

© 2010

Black Cat Publishing, an imprint of Cideb Editrice, Genoa, Canterbury

First edition: January 2010

Picture credits © Jose Fuste Raga / Corbis: 28; © LESCOURRET JP / Hoa-qui / Eyedea/Contrasto: 31; Zap Art / Laura Ronchi: 32; LAIF: 33; De Agostini Picture Library: 46, 89; PRANA-FILM GMBH, BERLIN / Album: 91; © Columbia Tristar / Webphoto: 92.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by a n y m e a n s , e le c tr o n ic , m e c h a n ic a l, p h o t o c o p y in g , recording or otherwise, w ithout the written permission of the publisher. W e w o u l d b e h a p p y to r e c e iv e y o u r c o m m e n ts a n d suggestions, and give you any other information concerning our material. [email protected] w w w .blackcat-cideb .com

T h e P u b lis h e r is c e r tifie d by

H

c/s q c c r t

in c o m p lia n c e w ith th e U N I E N IS O 9 0 0 1 :2 0 0 0 s ta ndards f o r th e a c tiv itie s o f ‘ D esign, p ro d u c tio n , d is tr ib u tio n a nd sale o f p u b lis h in g p ro d u c ts .’ ( c e r tific a te n o . 0 4 .9 5 3 )

ISBN 978-88-530-1020-9

Book + CD

Printed in Italy by Litoprint, Genoa

Contents 4

INTRODUCTION

chapter

one

A Sum m er Job

chapter

tw o

The Big Apple

16

chapter

th re e

Opening Night

35

chapter

fo u r

It ’s Gone!

51

chapter

five

M idnight at Central Park

65

chapter

six

Vam pire Scare

79

chapter

seven

A Cloud of Dust

96

d o s s ie rs

7

Manhattan, the heart of New York City

27

Vlad Tepes, Prince of W allachia

46

Vam pires in lite rature and film s

89

INTERNET PROJECTS

26, 49, 63, 78, 94 13, 24, 43, 61, 74, 85, 106

ACTIVITIES

109

AFTER READING

PE T

Cambridge PET-style activities

1 3 ,1 4 ,1 5 ,2 4 ,3 4 ,4 5 ,6 2 ,6 4 , 74, 76, 85, 86, 87, 95, 107

T:

grades

5/6

T rinity-style activities

The text is recorded in full. №

These symbols indicate the beginning and end of the passages linked to the listening activities.

14, 77

Introduction This story takes place in N ew York City, one of the biggest and most e x c itin g c itie s in th e w o r ld . It is a grea t cen ter o f b u s in e s s , entertainment, fashion, culture and the arts. N ew York City's nickname is the Big Apple. In the 1920s John J. Fitz Gerald, a journalist for the New York M orning Telegraph, was the first to use the term w hen referring to N ew York City. About ten years later the jazz m usicians of Harlem began calling the city the Big Apple.

O tta w a

wise ONSIN la k e

Huron J У

Toronto

La ne

yfario

Portland

jansin
NJ

’hiladelphia

luisvjll

ankfort 'ast p erfect is fo rm ed in this way: had + p ast participle.

О

T h e p a s t p e r fe c t s im p le Use th e c o rre c t verb te n se , eith e r th e p a st simple o r p a st p erfect -ample, to com plete these sentences.

1 Bill................................(enroll) a t UCLA a f te r h e ................................. (g raduate) from Portola Point High School. 2

N ick................................(book) th e tickets for th e show a f te r he (talk) to Bill an d Michelle.

3

Bill and N ic k ........................... because Professor Morescu

4

The cab driver since he

5

Professor M o r e s c u ................ East European history so he book a b o u t it.

6

No one

............. (see) t h e precious d iam ond before it (appear) in an East European m useum .

7

After they

...................(visit) th e Empire S ta te Building they (go) to have pizza a t an Italian re sta u ra n t.

8

Michelle. since she

............... (decide) to walk to Greenwich Village ................ (hear) so much a b o u t it.

(wear) blue uniforms a t th e m useum (tell) th e m to.

.......... (know) his w ay aro un d M a n hattan (live) th e r e all his life. (spend) tw e n ty years studying (decide) to write a

25

ф

V o c a b u la ry Match the following words with their synonyms. 1

am azing

A sad

2

J weird

В well known

3

] spectacular

С tall buildings

4

□

5 6

tragic 3 skyscrapers

|

| cab

D stran ge E

ta s t y

F

surprising

7

] delicious

G wonderful

8

] silent

H work

9 10

□

fam ous

I

quiet

job

J

taxi

►►► IN T E R N E T P R O JE C T

Mi

L et’s visit the M useum Mile! M an ha tta n ’s Fifth Avenue and C entral Park are w orld fa m o u s —the M useum Mile is located here. L et’s visit the M etropolitan M useum of Art, the G uggenheim M useum and the M useum o f M odern Art. To find out m ore a bo ut them co nn ect to the Internet and go to w w w .blackcat-cideb.com . Insert the title or part o f the title o f the book into our search engine. Open the page fo r The Vampire’s Tear. Click on the Internet project links. Divide the class into three groups. Each gro up w ill research a m useum and prepare a brief report a bo ut the current show s and the im portant permanent exhibitions. Present your report to the class. W hich group had the m ost interesting report? W hich m useum did you like best and why?

Manhattan

the heart of New York City I •чlay Manhattan Island is one of the most expensive places in the * ii Id to live and work. But in 1626 Peter Minuit of the Dutch West 11 Пlies Com pany b ough t M anhattan Island from the Lenape, an \ merican-Indian peop le, and paid them w ith cheap jewelry and i illier small objects. \ller the American Revolution (1775-1783), N ew York became an independent American state and its growth and developm ent were \ п у rapid. By 1790 N ew York City was the largest city in the United Slates, and during the 1800s it becam e America's m ost important business, industrial and cultural center. N ew York C ity's strong ei onomy attracted hundreds of thousands of European immigrants who wanted a better life for them selves and their children. They ■eltled in the city's neighborhoods, found work and helped to build the city and the nation.

27

Chinatown in Manhattan.

Unique neighborhoods Today more than eight million people live in N ew York City's five b o ro u g h s:1 Manhattan, Brooklyn, Q ueens, The Bronx and Staten Island. About one and a half million people live in Manhattan—a 34square mile island. This cosm opolitan city is often called "the city that never sleeps" because something exciting is always happening, day and night, with the subway running around the clock. One of M anhattan's m ost colorful and liv ely n eigh b orh ood s is C hinatow n, a unique ethnic settlem ent w ith C hinese sh ops and restaurants and old buildings from the nineteenth century. Here str eet s ig n s are p rin ted in b o th E n g lish le tte r s an d C h in e se characters, and you can hear p eop le speaking Chinese. W alking

1.

b o ro u g h : a big p a r t o f a c i t y t h a t h a s its o w n local g o v e r n m e n t .

28

.....lit on Mulberry Street you will soon get to Little Italy, which is in• vl to C h in atow n . This n eig h b o rh o o d w a s se ttle d b y Italian immigrants in the late nineteenth century and it still has an Italian 11 m ir with its typical shops, restaurants, cafes and festivities. i и11her unique neighborhood is Greenwich Village, where artists, 1 1 lri

s and poets have lived since the 1800s. You can still see the

11 1 •11 ses w h ere M ark T w ain and E dgar A lle n P oe o n ce liv e d . I i liington Square is the heart of "the village", as N ew Yorkers call II v\ here you can see street performers and outdoor art shows. Every I l.illoween, October 31, the Village celebrates with America's largest i ublic H allow een parade, w ith all kinds of w ild costum es. More 111,in two million people attend the parade every year and about a million watch it on TV. i 1.1 Horn, the city's African-American neighborhood, w as center of the I l.irlem Renaissance in the 1920s and '30s, when important AfricanVmerican artists and musicians lived and worked there. Today the ■ЬI Apollo Theater is a symbol of those times. I'.inish Harlem is Manhattan's largest Hispanic community, where Iч i>ple read the Spanish new spaper El D iario and shop in small II к cry

stores called bodegas.

Soinr famous landmarks II almost impossible to know all of N ew York's landmarks and sites b n ,iuse there are so many. One popular symbol of the city is the I mpire State Building, which is N ew York City's tallest skyscraper .ind was once the w orld 's tallest b uild in g w ith 102 floors and a •plendid observation deck for visitors on the top floor. Wall Street, a narrow, busy street in lower Manhattan, is the center (il Am erica's fin ancial ind u stry. Several major A m erican stock

T urtle pond. Central Park.

exchanges 2 and other b u sin esses have their headquarters here. Decisions that are made on Wall Street often directly and indirectly influence the entire world. The Rockefeller Center is an amazing structure—it is a city within a city with shops, restaurants and office buildings. During the Christmas season the plaza becomes a huge ice skating rink for N ew Yorkers; next to the rink there is a spectacular six-storey high Christmas tree. Another important landmark is the United Nations on the East River bank which stands on international ground. Central Park is in the center of Manhattan and is the city's biggest and most loved park. People go there to get away from city traffic and relax. You can row a boat in the lake, jog, bike or just lie in the g ra ss and read a b ook . T here are free co n ce rts and oth er entertainment activities during the summer months. W hen y o u think o f N e w York y o u im m ed ia tely think of Fifth Avenue, one of the best known streets in the world for its famous museums, shops, buildings, churches and hotels. The Museum M ile is 2.

s t o c k e x c h a n g e s : p l a c e s w h e r e p e o p l e bu y and sell s t o c k s and b o n d s — f o r m s o f i n v e s t m e n t in b u s i n e s s e s .

30

,i

l o w ly

walk along Fifth Avenue near Central Park, where you can

• ■ ome of the city's best museums: the Metropolitan M useum of 11

the C .u g g en h eim M u seu m , th e M u seu m o f M od ern A rt

i Mi >МЛ), the Museum of the City of N ew York and several others.

mss Central Park there is the great M useum of Natural History. 1 'ii M.idison Avenue, which is parallel to Fifth Avenue, there is the i immis Whitney M useum of American Art.

Ili«- Vlel ropolitan Museum of Art, also known as the MET, is one of the vv mill's largest art galleries with more than two million works of art. It t >l «". about a full day to visit the MET; it is a wonderful experience. I lie i .uggenheim Museum is a 20th-century architectural landmark, I' •ij;tied by world-famous architect Frank Lloyd Wright, and has a l'ii}',*• collection of im pressionist, post-im pressionist, m odern and temporary art. W ilkiug sou th on Fifth A v e n u e y o u w ill find the M u seu m of l'm Art, known as the MOMA, considered the most important mu ,cum of modern art in the world. Here you can admire not only

Guggenheim Museum.

m o d er n p a in tin g s b u t a lso m o d er n s c u lp tu r e , d r a w in g s, photography, books and works of architecture. And you can have lunch at the unusual Terrace 5, a cafe w ith a splendid view of the sculpture garden. S h o p p in g or e v e n w in d o w -s h o p p in g on F ifth A v e n u e is an unforgettable experience because of all the exclusive designer shops, stores and jewelers situated here. And just a few blocks away, on 7th n shop at Macy's, the world's biggest departm ent store. It occupies an en tire city b lock and se lls just about anything you can think of. S ev en th A v e n u e is a lso ca lled F a sh io n A v e n u e b e c a u se the clothing and fashion industry has b e e n in that area for o v er a century. It is an exciting and fastm oving place to visit during the day. A n d if you 're lo o k in g for bargains, 3 every Sunday there is an ou td oor m arket on Orchard Street on the Lower East Side with fashion clothing, shoes and bags. A n o th er fa m o u s lan d m a rk is T im es Squ are, w h e r e S ev en th A v e n u e and B ro a d w a y cro ss, w ith all its bright neon lights. It Time Square from Broadway. 3.

b a r g a in s : t h i n g s t h a t a r e sold a t a lo w e r p rice t h a n n o rm a l.

32

1111

.iris about one million people

■ cry year for the fantastic N ew

■* ,ii s Eve ce le b r a tio n s. The Пи >.nl way area is the heart of the i II known theater district, with 11

m.my fine plays and musicals

ili.il are fa m o u s a ll o v er th e i lil. T ick ets to B road w ay pl ays and m u sica ls are q u ite pens i ve , but y o u can b u y I els at half price on the day of iln performance. i

Ihe

so u th ern

tip

of

i mhattan near B attery Park Ihero is the M u n ic ip a l Ferry i i initial where you can take a leiry boat tour of the harbor,

Carnegie Delicatessen,

mil then go to visit the Statue of 1 1 *Tty

and Ellis Island—two world-famous landmarks. You w ill get

i ,i e.it view of the city skyline from the ferry boat. Manhattan is fam ous for its d elicatessen s— u su ally called d elis, here Ihere is always a cheerful, friendly atmosphere. This is where ■■и can get all kinds of special sandwiches, such as pastrami, and llie unique N ew York cheesecake— a delicious dessert. More than loin thousand street vendors sell hot dogs and pretzels for people ivlm are in a hurry and can't stop to have lunch—most N ew Yorkers .ire very dynamic and are usually in a hurry!

33

Q

C o m p re h e n s io n c h e c k Are the following sentences true (T) or false (F)? Correct the false ones.

New York w as th e biggest s ta te in th e United S ta te s during th e American Revolution. 2

European im m igrants w e n t to New York City to look for work.

3

One and half million people live in New York City today.

4

Harlem is one of th e city’s five boroughs.

5

The United Nations is located in M anhattan.

6

Some of M a n h a tta n ’s best m u s e u m s are located on Fifth Avenue.

7

Frank Lloyd W right designed th e MOMA.

8

Macy’s d e p a r tm e n t sto re is o ften called Fashion Avenue.

9

The well-known th e a te r district is n ear Times Square.

10 You can only reach the Statue of Liberty by ferry boat.

B e fo re you read

mo p £ -j -

L is te n in g Listen to p art of Chapter Three. Decide if each sentence is co rrect or incorrect. If it is co rre ct put a tick {/) in the box under A for YES. If it not co rrect, put a tick ( / ) in the box under В for NO. A

В

YES NO 1

The reception w as held in a m odern building near Central Park.

2

Professor Morescu did not dre ss up for th e reception.

3

Nancy Wilson gave the guests a guided to ur of the show.

4

There w as a painting of an im p o rtan t medieval prince.

5

Professor Morescu explained how to kill a vampire.

6

The sho w w as divided into th r e e se p a ra te parts.

34

□□ □□ □□ □□ □□ □□

HAPTER

THREE

Opening Night The In te rn a tio n a l A rt an d H isto ry M useum w as a b eau tifu l e a rly H © 1 9 th-c e n t u r y b u ild in g w ith t h r e e flo o rs n e a r C e n tra l P a rk . On S a tu rd a y ev en in g th e big w oo d en d o o rs on th e th ird flo o r o f th e m u seu m o p en ed fo r th e re c e p tio n . O ver fifty im p o rta n t g u e s ts ,

all fash io n ab ly d re ss e d , w e re p re s e n t, an d w a ite rs m o ved a b o u t o ffe rin g th e m d rin k s an d th in g s t o e a t . S m e t a n a ’s 1 b e a u tifu l m u sic filled th e a ir. N ick, Bill an d fo u r s e c u r i ty g u a rd s s to o d n e a r th e e n tr a n c e an d e x it.

“I’ve n e v e r s e e n s u c h a n e l e g a n t r e c e p t i o n , ” w h i s p e r e d Bill, lo o king a t all t h e g u e s t s .

1.

S m e t a n a : a f a m o u s C zech c o m p o s e r ( 1 8 2 4 - 1 8 8 4 ) .

35

_____________________________________________

CHAPTER T H R E E

“S o m e o f t h e c it y ’s m o s t i m p o r t a n t p e o p le a r e h e r e t o n i g h t , ” w h i s p e r e d Nick. A t e ig h t o ’clock P r o f e s s o r M o re sc u , w h o w a s still w e a r i n g his o ld - f a s h io n e d b la c k s u it, w h ite s h ir t a n d b la c k tie , b e g a n s p e a k in g to t h e g r o u p o f p e o p le in t h e e n t r a n c e hall. “G o o d e v e n in g e v e r y o n e , a n d w e l c o m e t o t h e E a s t E u r o p e a n A rt a n d J e w e ls S h ow . T his e v e n in g y o u ’ll h a v e t h e o p p o r t u n i t y to s e e r a r e a r t i f a c t s 2 a n d je w e ls f r o m a p a r t o f t h e w o rld w h ic h is o f t e n f o r g o t t e n . If y o u fo llo w m e I'll give y o u a g u id e d t o u r o f t h e s h o w . ” He m o v e d t o t h e f i r s t r o o m a n d t h e g u e s t s fo llo w e d him . “P r o f e s s o r M o re sc u , I’m N a n c y W ilso n t h e p h o t o g r a p h e r , a n d I’ll b e t a k i n g p i c t u r e s o f t h e s h o w f o r a n e w s p a p e r , ” s a id a y o u n g w o m a n o f a b o u t t h i r t y w i t h s h o r t b l o n d e h a i r a n d g l a s s e s . “I h o p e y o u d o n ’t m i n d .” “Y o u ’re w e lc o m e t o do so, Miss W ilson; w e w a n t to a d v e r t i s e t h e s h o w a s m u c h a s p o s s i b l e , ” s a id M o re sc u . “T he f i r s t p a r t is c a lle d ‘A r t a n d W e a p o n s ’ b e c a u s e a s y o u c a n s e e t h e r e a r e old p a i n t i n g s , s c u l p t u r e s , a r t i f a c t s , m a p s a n d all k in d s o f m e d ie v a l w e a p o n s t h a t w e r e u s e d d u r in g t h e m a n y w a r s o f t h e 15th a n d 16th c e n t u r i e s . This p a i n t i n g o f Vlad T e p e s is o f g r e a t h is to r ic a l valu e a n d im p o rta n c e . He w a s a fa m o u s p rin ce an d w a rrio r of W a lla c h ia , a n d a ls o a lo v in g h u s b a n d . H e r e y o u c a n a d m i r e his f a m ily t r e e . ” He s t o p p e d f o r a m o m e n t a n d a d m i r e d t h e p a in tin g w ith t e a r s in his e y e s , a n d e v e r y o n e w a s q u i te s u r p r is e d . “I t h o u g h t V lad T e p e s w a s s o m e k in d o f c r u e l p r i n c e a n d a v a m p ir e ...,” w h i s p e r e d Bill. “I k n o w ...s h h h , M o re s c u cou ld h e a r u s ,” w h i s p e r e d Nick.

2.

36

a r t i f a c t s : v a l u a b le o b j e c t s o f g r e a t a r c h a e o l o g i c a l and cu lt u ral interest.

CHAPTER T H R E E

“N ow l e t ’s m o v e t o t h e s e c o n d r o o m a n d t h e n e x t p a r t o f t h e s h o w , ‘T r a n s y l v a n i a , L a n d o f V a m p i r e s ’. H e r e y o u c a n s e e h is to r ic a l m a p s o f t h e a r e a a n d r e a d a b o u t t h e v a m p i r e s o f t h e p a st.” A y o u n g w o m a n i n t e r r u p t e d M o re sc u a n d sa id , “V a m p ir e s a r e j u s t a le g e n d , a fo lk ta le , a r e n ’t t h e y ? ” “A le g e n d ? A f o l k t a l e ? ” a s k e d M o re s c u in a low vo ice. “P lea se r e m e m b e r , m a d a m , t h a t le g e n d s a n d f o lk ta le s h a v e e l e m e n t s o f t r u t h in t h e m . ” “You m e a n v a m p ir e s ...e x is te d or e x is t to d a y ? " a s k e d t h e y o u n g w o m a n , w h o s e fa c e h a d b e c o m e a s pa le a s M o r e s c u ’s. “T h e r e a r e m a n y u n s o l v e d m y s t e r i e s in t h e w o r l d , a n d v a m p i r e s a r e o n e o f t h e m . N ow l e t ’s m o v e o n .” T he g u e s t s fo llo w e d him b u t f e lt r a t h e r u n e a s y . “In t h e c e n t e r o f th is r o o m y o u c a n s e e a v e r y old o a k co ffin 3 f r o m t h e l a t e f i f t e e n t h c e n t u r y . It b e l o n g e d t o a v a m p i r e w h o w a s b e h e a d e d 4 a n d i n s i d e t h e r e is s t i l l s o m e e a r t h f r o m T r a n s y l v a n i a . V a m p i r e s n e e d t o s l e e p in t h e i r n a t i v e e a r t h in o r d e r to k e e p th e ir p o w e rs . W e a s k v is ito rs n o t to o p e n th e co ffin a n d n o t to t o u c h t h e e a r t h . ” “W h o w o u ld w a n t t o o p e n t h a t c o f f i n ? ” w h i s p e r e d a m a n t o his wife. “N ot m e ! ” s h e w h i s p e r e d . “H e re w e h a v e a n original w o o d e n s t a k e 5 t h a t w a s u s e d in t h e s i x t e e n t h c e n t u r y t o kill v a m p i r e s , ” sa id M o re sc u p o in tin g to t h e s ta k e . “As y o u c a n s e e it h a s a s h a r p p o in t t h a t w a s d riv e n in to

38

3.

o a k c o ff in : a c o f f i n m a d e o f a s p e c ia l kind o f w oo d called o a k . .... и Л М И И

4.

b e h e a d e d : his h e a d w a s c u t o f f .

5.

w o o d e n s t a k e .—............

Opening Niqhf

I lie v a m p i r e ’s h e a r t . T h is is a p a i n t i n g o f C o u n t e s s E l i z a b e t h H ath ory, a s u s p e c t e d v a m p i r e o f t h e 1 6 0 0 s . T he p a i n t i n g s a n d p h o t o g r a p h s o n t h e w all s h o w y o u t h e d i f f e r e n t k in d s o f b a t s , wolves a n d o t h e r w ild a n im a ls t h a t live in T r a n s y lv a n ia . A nd h e r e r, a n e a r ly 1 9 0 0 s c o p y o f B ram S t o k e r ’s nov el D racula t r a n s l a t e d into R o m a n i a n .” “T h e s h o w is i n t e r e s t i n g b u t i t ’s k i n d o f . . . d i s t u r b i n g , ” w h is p e r e d Nick t o Bill. “N ow p l e a s e f o llo w m e t o t h e t h i r d p a r t o f t h e s h o w , ‘E a s t I u r o p e a n J e w e l s ’, w h e r e y o u will s e e a p r i c e l e s s o b j e c t : t h e V a m p i r e ’s T e a r . It is a lo a n f r o m a n E a s t E u r o p e a n m u s e u m . ” M o r e s c u ’s v o ic e s h o o k a s h e m e n t i o n e d t h e n a m e o f t h e 6 6 .6 c a r a t d ia m o n d . “It u s e d t o b e lo n g t o Vlad T e p e s ’ w ife K riza in t h e 1 5 th c e n t u r y ; s h e w o r e it a r o u n d h e r b e a u t i f u l n e c k d u r i n g i m p o r t a n t o c c a s io n s . A f t e r h e r t r a g i c d e a t h in 1462, V lad c rie d riv ers o f t e a r s b e c a u s e h e lov ed h e r v e r y m u c h , a n d t h a t is w h y th e d ia m o n d is called t h e V a m p i r e ’s T e a r. N o w h e r e in t h e w o rld is t h e r e s u c h a p e r f e c t

d ia m o n d , s h a p e d like a t e a r — n o ti c e its

pale p in k c o lo r.” T h e p r e c i o u s d i a m o n d s a t in a s m a l l w o o d e n b o x lin e d w ith w h ite silk o n t o p o f a sm all g la s s t a b l e in t h e m id d le o f t h e t h i r d ro o m . No o n e could g e t to o close t o it b e c a u s e t h e r e w a s a b r a s s 6 c h a in all a r o u n d it. It w a s v e r y b e a u tif u l a n d im p r e s s iv e . A s h o r t , b ald m a n o f a b o u t f o r t y w h o w a s e l e g a n tl y d r e s s e d said, “All m y life I’v e w a n t e d t o s e e th is sp le n d id j e w e l.” “A h , i t ’s y o u , M r S i m m s , ” s a i d M o r e s c u . “ L a d i e s a n d g e n t l e m e n , le t m e i n t r o d u c e y o u t o S a m u e l S im m s, N e w Y o r k ’s

6.

b r a s s : a y e llo w m e t a l ( s e e p. 41).

39

CHAPTER T H R E E

m o s t i m p o r t a n t je w e le r : he h a s a lu x u r y s t o r e o n Fifth A v e n u e .” S a m u e l S im m s sm iled n e rv o u s ly a t th e g u e s ts a n d c o n tin u e d s t a r i n g a t t h e V a m p i r e ’s T e a r. T h e n h e s u d d e n l y sa id , “But i t ’s n o t in a g la s s c a s e — i t ’s n o t p r o t e c t e d . S o m e o n e c o u ld s te a l it!” “S te a l it? Oh n o , ” s a id M o re sc u v e r y s e rio u sly , “t h e m u s e u m h a s a m o d e rn in fra re d a la rm 7 an d v id e o c a m sy s te m t h a t o p e r a t e s t w e n t y - f o u r h o u r s a d a y . I t ’s i m p o s s i b l e t o s t e a l it. B esid es, t h e b e a u t y o f t h e d i a m o n d c a n ’t b e fully a d m i r e d u n d e r a g la s s c a s e . ” “Oh, I u n d e r s t a n d , ” sa id S im m s, r a t h e r c o n f u s e d . “O f c o u r s e o u r c o l l e c t i o n h a s o t h e r p r e c i o u s j e w e l s f r o m E a s te rn Europe: e a rrin g s , b ra c e le ts , n e c k la c e s w ith d ia m o n d s , r u b ie s , e m e r a l d s , s a p p h i r e s a n d w h i t e a n d b la c k p e a r ls , a s y o u c a n s e e . ” M o re s c u c o n t i n u e d ta lk in g a b o u t t h e s h o w f o r a w h ile a n d t h e n t h e g u e s t s w e r e f r e e t o w a lk a r o u n d , ta lk , d r in k a n d e a t u n til t h e r e c e p t i o n w a s o v er. W h e n t h e l a s t g u e s t s h a d le f t t h e s h o w a n old m a n a n d a n old w o m a n w e a r in g lo ng d a r k g re y ja c k e t s a n d b la c k t r o u s e r s w a lk e d in a n d s p o k e t o P r o f e s s o r M o re sc u . T h e y w e r e b o t h s h o r t , th i n , h a d little w h i t e h a i r a n d p a le , w ri n k le d 8 skin; t h e y lo o k e d p o o r a n d h u n g ry . P ro fe s s o r M o rescu s e e m e d to k n o w th e m b e c a u s e a t firs t t h e y s p o k e in a f o r e i g n la n g u a g e . T h e n a s Bill a n d Nick w a lk e d t o w a r d s t h e m t h e y s t a r t e d s p e a k in g English. “Bill, Nick,” s a id M o re s c u , “I w a n t y o u t o m e e t V ic to r a n d his

40

7.

in f r a r e d a la r m : h i g h - t e c h a l a r m t h a t m a k e s a bell ring loudly if s o m e o n e t r i e s t o e n t e r a build ing by f o r c e .

8.

w rin k le d : o ld -lo o k in g , n o t s m o o t h , lined.

CHAPTER T H R E E

w ife, D aniza. T h e y a r e t h e c l e a n e r s w h o will c o m e in t h e e v e n in g w h e n t h e m u s e u m c loses. T h e y a r e n e w t o N ew Y o rk a n d s p e a k little E n glish.” “G o o d e v e n i n g , ” s a id V ic to r, w i t h a s t r o n g , d e e p v o ic e . His w ife j u s t n o d d e d 9 h e r h e a d a n d lo o k e d a t h e r b la c k s h o e s . On t h e f o u r t h f in g e r o f h e r le ft h a n d s h e w o r e a s t r a n g e go ld rin g s h a p e d like a s e r p e n t . “ H e llo — g l a d t o m e e t y o u , ” s a i d Bill a n d Nick, t r y i n g t o b e frie n d ly . “Well, y o u b o y s c a n go h o m e n o w , ” s a id M orescu. “R e m e m b e r , t o m o r r o w m o r n i n g t h e s h o w o p e n s a t t e n , so be h e r e o n t i m e . ” “A lright, p r o f e s s o r , g o o d e v e n i n g ,” sa id Bill. “G ood e v e n in g , p r o f e s s o r , ” sa id Nick. O n c e o u t s i d e t h e m u s e u m Nick a s k e d , “Did y o u g e t a c h a n c e t o e a t o r d r in k s o m e t h i n g d u r in g t h e r e c e p t i o n ? ” “No, I’m s t a r v e d , ” 10 s aid Bill. “A nd e v e r y t h i n g lo o k e d so good , to o .” “ L e t ’s h u r r y b a c k h o m e a n d a t t a c k t h e r e f r i g e r a t o r ! ” s a i d Nick, a n d t h e y s t a r t e d r u n n i n g t o t h e s u b w a y s t a t i o n t o c a t c h t h e t r a i n b a c k t o C h in a to w n .

9. 1 0.

42

no d d ed : m o v e d h e r he a d up and dow n. s ta r v e d : v e r y hu ngry.

I he te x t and b e y o n d Q

Q

C o m p re h e n s io n c h e c k Answer the following questions.

1

Describe th e people a t th e reception a t th e International Art and History Museum.

2

Why w as Nancy Wilson th ere?

3

W h a t could you see in th e “Art an d W e a p o n s” p a r t of th e show?

4

W hat did Professor Morescu say a b o u t vam pires?

5

W h a t w a s inside th e oak coffin an d why?

6

Why w as th e diam ond called th e V am pire’s Tear?

7

Why w as it impossible to steal it?

8

Describe th e cleaners.

V o c a b u la ry Read the definitions. W hat is the w ord for each one? There is one space for each letter in the word.

1

valuable objects:

2

a precious jewel:

3

a dead body is kept here:

4

to move your head up and d o w n : ___

5

very hungry:

6

a person who sells jewels:

7

old-looking, n o t smooth:

8

to cut off so m e o n e ’s head:

9

a kind of w o o d : ____

Now find the w ords in the word square on the n ext page and circle them .

т

В О X F S

E к

С и

А С Z о

J

w

A P N U A E Y О К L J м Е R В R С О D L I G F А О X W I

S

P T С В S D V W F С G Е

N A V D

I A M О N D Н

К E С U N F L X T

S

I

I

К L

С G О М S N Е

P G A Y Т

I

и

V L R

E N E Z О U E С V А N Z А V D V 0

Q Fam ous

С G P О S т

А R V Е D

F S

L D S В U С F

Y T

J О U В E H Е А D о Р S

К М

S G н

d ia m o n d s

Read the te x t and fill in the gaps with the w ords in the box. word poor

nam e

result

beauty

proudly

fascinating

owners

mine

invaded

during

believed

discovered

jew eler

symbols powers

control

jewel

All through the centuries diamonds have been (1)........................ of power and wealth. The (2 ) ........................ diamond comes from the Greek adamas, which m eans invincible. Diamonds were first mentioned in Roman literature in the first century CE. The Romans and the Greeks (3 ) th a t diamonds were small pieces from falling stars or tears of the gods, and th a t they had supernatural (4 ) Hope diamond.

The Cullinan Diamond was (5 ) in 1905 in a ( 6 ) .......................... in South Africa. With its 3,106 carats it was th e largest diamond ever found. The Great Star of Africa, with its 530 carats, was cut from the Cullinan Diamond.

44

W [■• 1

E

S

The Koh-i-noor Diamond has a long and ( 7 ) ..........................history. In 1304 it belonged to a prince in India, w here it remained until 1739 when Nadir, th e Shah of Persia, ( 8 ) ..........................India and took the diamond back to Persia. In 1849 the British took ( 9 ) ..........................of a pa rt of India and th e diamond w as given to Queen Victoria. Today th e Koh-inoor Diamond is p art of the Crown Jewels of th e British Royal Family. Diamonds are beautiful but som e people believe they bring bad luck to their (1 0 ) ............................ The Hope Diamond is one of th ese. It is a magnificent dark blue (11) ............................ One of its first ow ners was th e French queen Marie Antoinette, who w as executed on th e guillotine in 1793, (1 2 ) .......................... th e French Revolution. In 1830 the (1 3 ) .......................... who cu t th e diam ond died of a h e a rt atta c k when he heard th a t his son had stolen it. As a (1 4 ) .......................... of his f a th e r ’s death, th e son killed himself! In 1839 th e w ealthy London b anker Henry Philip Hope b ought th e 44 .5 -c a ra t diam ond and gave it its (1 5 ) ............................ The bad luck of th e diamond continued and th e Hope family lost all th eir m one y and becam e (1 6 ).............................. A very rich American w om a n called Evalyn Walsh McLean did n ot believe in bad luck, so she b ought th e Hope Diamond an d w ore it (17)............................ However, som e tim e later h e r son a n d d au gh ter died mysteriously, her h usband becam e mentally ill an d th e family business failed. In 1958, nine yea rs a f te r Mrs McLean’s death, th e American jew eler Harry W inston gave th e diam ond to th e Smithsonian Institution in W ashington DC. So to d a y everyone can admire its rare (1 8 ) .......................... w ith o u t th e d ang er of owning it.

m

K O

W ritin g You a re Bill and you w a n t to w rite a l e t t e r to y o u r p a r e n ts in California and tell them about your new job a t the m useum . W rite your letter in about 1 00 words. S tart like this: Dear TV\om and tkui, T'Tlichelle and i are -?ine and we re having a great time Were la the Big dppLe. TY\y job a t the museum is going to be interesting because..

45

Vlad Tepes,

Prince o f Wallachia Vlad Tepes, or Vlad III, was born in Sighisoara, Transylvania in 1431. Vlad had several names, among which the most common was Vlad the Impaler because one of his favorite punishments w as impaling— driving a sharp stick or weapon through someone's body. He was also known as Vlad Dracula because his Romanian last name was "Draculea" which meant "Son of Dracul", since his father was Vlad II Dracul and a member of the Order of the Dragon. In the

V la d th e Im p a le r (died 1462), German School.

P o en ari Castle, Transylvania. It was a fortress of Vlad Tepes during the 15th century.

modern Romanian language "Dracul" means the Devil, but in Vlad's time it also meant "Dragon". After his death he w as often called "Tepes", which meant impaler. In order to understand Vlad Tepes it is important to explore the political and social situation in southeastern Europe during the fifteenth century. Wallachia, a region of the Balkans which today is southern Romania, was situated directly between two powerful empires: the Ottoman Empire to the south and the Hungarian Kingdom to the north and the w est. Vlad T epes had to keep g ood relations w ith both the Hungarian Kingdom and the Ottoman Empire, which was not easy at that time. During his rule there were many battles and invasions, mostly by the Ottoman Turks, w ho wanted to conquer Wallachia.

47

In 1462 the Ottoman Turks invaded Wallachia and when they were near Vlad's castle his wife committed suicide by jumping from the castle tower because she couldn't bear the thought of becom ing a prisoner of the Turks. Vlad suffered greatly after her death, but he w as able to escape to Transylvania, where he met the Hungarian prince Hunyadi. They became friends because they both wanted to fight the Ottomans. In 1476 Vlad Tepes invaded Wallachia successfully. He became the ruler again but this tim e he had a very sm all arm y and lim ited power. He was killed in a battle against the Turks near the town of Bucharest in December 1476. During his rule Vlad Tepes was in favor of honesty and hard work, and those w ho were dishonest or lazy were often cruelly punished. H e is rem em bered b y the R om anian p eo p le for h is su ccess in fighting off the Ottoman Turks and keeping the independence of Wallachia and its people. ф

C o m p re h e n s io n c h e c k Answer the following questions.

1

List th r e e of Vlad’s names.

2

W hat does th e word “T epes” m ean?

3

W hat w a s th e political situation like in Wallachia during th e fifteen th century?

4

Why did Vlad’s wife jum p from th e castle tow er?

5

W h at hap pen ed to Vlad in Transylvania?

6

How did he die?

7

How is he r e m e m b e re d by th e R om anian people?

►►► IN T E R N E T P R O JE C T

Hi

L et’s visit Vlad T ep e s ’s birthplace and his castles! Divide the class into tw o groups. The first g ro up can research V lad’s birthplace, the tow n o f Sighisoara, a beautiful m edieval tow n. The second group can research V la d ’s castles — Bran Castle, Poenari C astle and others. C onnect to the Internet and go to w w w .b la c k c a t-c id e b .c o m . Insert the title or part o f the title o f the b o o k into our search engine. Open the page fo r The V am pire’s Tear. C lick on the Internet p ro je ct links. Prepare a brief rep ort and present it to th e class. W hich rep ort did you like best and why? SIGHISOARA, R o m a n ia - O ffic ia l T ra v e l a n d T o u r is m In fo rm a tio n Home

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Sighisoara (See ghee swahr’ ah)

B la c k S e a R e so rts C a s tle s & F o r tre s s e s D an u b e D elta

City H ighlights

» »

C ity L a n d m a r k s M u seu m s

» N e a rb y A ttr a c tio n s

►M edieval Towns

» »

N ational Parks

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City E s se n tia ls

» » »

T r a n s p o r t a tio n A c c o m m o d a tio n s T o u r is t in fo

» M aps

F e s tiv a l s & E v e n ts

T h e Painted M on a steries G e n e r a l In f o r m a t io n

Spas

L o ca tio n : C en tra l Rom ania (M u res c o u n ty )

Traditional V illages

S iz e : 3 s q . m ile s ( 7 . 1 2 s q . k ilo m e ters ) World H eritag e S ite s

E lev a tio n : 1 , 1 4 0 ft. ( 2 5 0 m e te r s ) P o p u latio n: 3 2 , 2 8 7 ( 2 0 0 2 )

Austrian

Г

In h a b ite d s in c e : 6 th c e n tu ry BC F irst d o cu m e n te d : 1 2 8 0 AD Constanta

и м a- in -

Sighisoara - City Highlights Founded by Transy lvan ian S a x o n s d urin g th e 1 2 th c e n tu ry , S ig h is o a r a ( S c h a s s b u r g in G e r m a n ) stiJI

Austrian Airlines, Preferred Airline for Travel from North Am erica to Rom ania

s ta n d s a s o n e o f th e m o s t be au tifu ! and b e st-p r e s e r v e d m ed iev al to w n s in E u rop e. D esig n a ted a s a Worid H erita g e S ite Dy UNESCO, th is p erfectly In ta ct 1 6 th c e n tu ry g e m w ith n ine to w e rs , c o b b le d s tr e e ts , b u rg h e r h o u s e s an d o rn a te c h u r c h e s rivals th e h isto ric s t r e e ts o f Old P ra g u e o r V ien n a fo r a tm o s p h e r ic m a g ic . I t is a ls o th e b irth p la c e o f Vlad D racu la, a ls o kn ow n a s V lad T e p e s (Vlad th e Im p a le r ), ru ler o f th e p ro v in ce o f W alachia from 1 4 5 6 to 1 4 6 2 . I t w as h e w ho in spired B ram S to k e r's fictio n al c re a tio n . C ou nt D racula.

49

Г

T

I

Before you read ф

P r e d ic tio n

Work with a partner and discuss these questions.

1 What does the title of the next chapter make you think of? 2 What do you think will happen in this chapter? 3 How might Michelle, Bill and Nick be involved? Q

PET

L is t e n in g

Listen to part of Chapter Four and choose the correct answer —A, В or C.

1 Where can the Statue of Liberty be seen? A Q

on the New York City skyline

В □

in the financial center

С Q on Liberty Island 2 How did Michelle and Marian get to the Statue of Liberty? A Q

They took the ferry.

В Q

They walked down Wall Street.

С Q They took the bus. 3 Why were Bill and Nick busy? A Q

because there were many people at the museum

В ГЦ because it was the Fourth of July weekend

С Q

because they had to help the security guards

4 Who visited the show frequently? A Q

a local television station

В Q

Max and Phil

С Q Samuel Simms

50

C H A PTE R FO U R

It's Gone! The n e x t tw o w eeks w ere busy on es fo r Bill and Nick, and OHS' Michelle was having a great time visiting New York City.

One Sunday she and Marian had coffee and donuts a t Dunkin’ Donuts, A m erica’s biggest coffee and d o n u ts chain. Then th e y took the ferry boat to Liberty Island to see th e S tatue of Liberty. From the ferry b oat th ey enjoyed a wonderful view of the New Y ork sk y lin e . A n o t h e r d a y s h e v i s i t e d Wall S t r e e t a n d t h e financial center. Then she sp e n t one entire day inside Macy’s, th e w o rld ’s biggest d e p a r t m e n t s to re , a nd w alked o u t w ith th r e e huge shopping bags—she loved every m inute of it. P r o f e s s o r M o r e s c u ’s s h o w w a s a s u c c e s s a n d h e w a s extrem ely pleased. Crowds of people visited the m useum and Bill a n d Nick ha d p le n ty to do. They m a d e fr ie n d s w ith th e tw o 51

C H A PTER FOUR

security guards, Phil and Max, who took turns working day and night. Phil was a tall man of about fifty who always laughed and told jokes. Bill and Nick liked him a lot. Max was a HispanoAmerican of about forty who often brought his wife’s homemade cookies for the others to eat. The newspapers wrote excellent articles about the show and a local television station filmed parts of it. A museum in California invited Professor Morescu to take his show there. Samuel Simms b e c a m e a re g u la r v is ito r b e c a u s e he w a n te d to a d m ire th e Vampire’s Tear, and he often brought friends and clients with him. Щ Then suddenly something unexpected happened. One Friday m o rn in g w hen th e d a y tim e se c u r ity gu a rd Max o p e n e d th e museum door, as he always did at half p a st nine, th ere was a terrible, loud cry. "Oh, no!” Bill and Nick were coming up the stairs when they heard the cry and started running to see what was happening. “Come over here, fast!” cried Max, “I’m in the third room.” Bill and Nick ran to Max, who was kneeling next to the other security guard, Phil. “He...he’s dead!” cried Max, his voice breaking. “O ne'of my best friends...oh, Phil!” “What!” cried Bill, staring at Phil’s body lying on the floor. He felt cold and his legs were weak. “Are you sure, Max?” asked Nick nervously, as his heart beat wildly. “H e’s cold and his face is so w h i t e , ” said Max, his voice shaking. “We have to call the police.” He took out his cell phone and called 911.

52

It’ s Gone!

“Let’s close the museum door and put up a sign—people are going to sta rt coming soon,” said Nick. “Nick! Max! The...the Vampire’s Tear...it’s gone!” cried Bill, staring at the empty wooden box. “No! Someone stole it ...and killed Phil,” said Max, his dark eyes filled with anger. “We’ve got to call the Professor.” E v e r y t h i n g h a p p e n e d so q u i c k l y — like in a t e r r i b l e n ig h tm a re —som eon e had killed Phil and stolen the precious Vampire’s Tear. Professor Morescu was extremely upset when he heard of the m u rd e r and the th e f t of th e diamond; he could barely speak when he got to the museum. By mid-m orning four New York policemen and a detective were already investigating the scene of the horrible crime. A tall African-American in a dark blue suit walked in and said, “Professor, my name is Detective Bradley Ellis, I’ll be working on this case along with the New York City Police. My men will spend the morning looking for fingerprints and other clues th a t could help us with this case. I need to ask you and the others a few questions. Are you alright, sir?” “Ah...yes, thank you,” said Morescu, who was paler than usual. “Please have a se a t,” said Detective Ellis. “Does the third floor of the museum have an alarm system ?” “Of course it does, and a very modern one too,” said Morescu. “It’s an infrared alarm connected to a videocam system.” “Hmm, the museum alarm never w ent off. I’ll have to take a look at the video tap e ,” said Detective Ellis. “My men checked the windows and the doors—no one forced them. There are two tiny round windows near the high ceiling, typical decorations of early 19th-century architecture. I can’t understand how the thief got

53

CHAPTER FOUR

in, killed t h e s e c u r i t y g u a r d , s to le t h e d i a m o n d a n d g o t o u t w ith s u c h a m o d e r n a l a r m s y s t e m . ” He p a u s e d f o r a m o m e n t a n d lo o k e d a t M o re sc u . “A nd t h e s t r a n g e t h i n g a b o u t t h e m u r d e r is t h a t w e d o n ’t e v e n k n o w h o w he w a s killed.” “W h a t do y o u m e a n ? ” a s k e d M o re scu , w h o w a s d i s t u r b e d by th i s f a c t. “T h e r e a r e n o s ig n s o f v io le n c e o n his b o d y ,” s a id D e t e c tiv e Ellis. “W e ’ll k n o w m o r e a f t e r t h e a u t o p s y . 1 W h o e ls e w a s h e r e a f t e r clo sing t i m e ? ” “T h e c l e a n e r s — V ic to r a n d D a n iz a — a n d o f c o u r s e t h e s e c u r i t y g u a r d . T h e c l e a n e r s a r e n ’t h e r e n o w ; t h e y c o m e in t h e e v e n i n g w h e n t h e m u s e u m is c l o s e d .” “W h a t t i m e do t h e y g e t h e r e a n d w h a t t i m e do t h e y l e a v e ? ” a s k e d D e te c t iv e Ellis. “T h e r e is o n e s e c u r i t y g u a r d d u r in g t h e d a y a n d o n e a t n ig h t. T he c l e a n e r s g e t h e r e a b o u t n in e in t h e e v e n i n g a n d le a v e b e f o r e m i d n i g h t , ” s a i d M o r e s c u , “e x c e p t f o r W e d n e s d a y s w h e n t h e m u s e u m is o p e n u n til 10 pm . “Do yo u k n o w t h e c l e a n e r s ? ” sa id Ellis. “Y es, t h e y ’re v e r y g o o d , s im p le p e o p le ; t h e y c o m e f r o m m y h o m e t o w n in E a s t e r n E u r o p e , ” s a i d M o r e s c u . “ I t r u s t t h e m c o m p le te ly . T h e y live n e a r C e n tr a l P a rk, a t t h e h o m e o f a c o u sin w h o w o r k s in N e w Y o rk .” “I’ll h a v e to ta l k t o t h e m t o o , ” s a id Ellis. “I n e e d t h e i r a d d r e s s a n d p h o n e n u m b e r . A n d I’d like a lis t o f all t h e g u e s t s a t t h e r e c e p t i o n o n t h e o p e n in g n i g h t .” He t h e n t a l k e d t o Max, Bill a n d Nick w h o to ld him w h a t t h e y h a d s e e n t h a t m o r n in g .

1.

54

a u to p s y : e x a m i n a t i o n o f a d e a d b o d y by a d o c t o r t o d is c o v e r t h e c a u s e o f d e a th .

In the early afternoon Detective Ellis and his men finished their work and were ready to leave. “Keep the museum closed for today; my men are coming back later to check a few things,” said Ellis. “This is te rrib le ,” said Morescu nervously. “W hen can the m u se u m op e n ? This is an im p o r ta n t show ; i t ’s a d v e rtis e d everywhere! And it w o n ’t be the same w ith o u t the V am pire’s Tear.” “You can open tomorrow morning, but I’ll need to talk to you a g a in ,” said D e te c tiv e E llis, w ho gave his c a llin g c ard to everyone. “Here’s my card. Call me if you have any inform ation or if you need me.” Professor Morescu sat in a chair and stared at the painting of Vlad Tepes, whispering some strange foreign words to himself. Then he looked at Bill, Nick and Max and said, “Max, you and the boys can go now. W e’ll reopen tomorrow morning.” He put his thin hands in his long grey hair and continued staring at the painting. Bill and Nick slowly walked out of the building— it was a hot sum m er day in M anh attan . They were both very upset about what had just happened. “Poor Phil— I can’t believe he’s...dead,” said Nick sadly. “He was such a nice guy, alw ays ready to joke and laugh a b o u t things.” “And we don’t even know ho w he died,” said Bill. “Detective Ellis said there were no signs of violence on his body.” “He said w e’ll know m ore a fte r the a u to p s y ,” said Nick quietly. “Well, let’s go home and tell everybody what happened.” That evening Nick, Bill, Michelle and Marian and Kevin Chan sat around the big dinner table. At first they were shocked and

56

It’ s Gone!

silent, but then they couldn’t stop talking about the awful event. “Have you called your parents and told them y e t? ” asked Kevin. “Gee, I forgot,” said Bill. “I’ll call them after dinner.” When it was time to clean up, Michelle said, “Bill, Nick and I can do the dishes tonight. Dinner was great, thanks!” The three friends went to the kitchen while Marian and Kevin turned on the TV in the living room to hear the latest news a b o u t the murder and theft at the museum. “Guess w h a t? ” said Michelle, w ho was p u ttin g the dinner plates into the sink. “W h at?” asked Bill and Nick. “I think we have a case to solve!” she said. “Oh, no!” cried Bill and Nick. “Not again!” “Michelle,” said Bill, “you don’t know what you’re saying. This is not Montego Bay or Coyote Canyon 2— this is New York City! And we’re not detectives! Nick and I are busy working all day.” “Yeah, but I don’t work— I’m free!” said Michelle. “Come on, let’s talk about it, at least.” “She’s right, Bill,” said Nick, tu rn in g on the hot w ater and putting detergent into the sink. “We can talk about it— after all, we already have experience solving cases.” “Experience!” Bill laughed. “This case is different, we d o n’t even know the people involved. In M ontego Bay we knew Mr O ’Neil and in Coyote Canyon we knew Pam and her uncle, but here...” “Well, we knew poor Phil— he was a friend,” said Nick. “We

2. Montego Bay or Coyote Canyon : in two previous books the three friends successfully solved mysteries in these places.

57

worked together and he was a great guy. And besides, this is a weird case— it’s a challenge. Something about Professor Morescu is strange; it’s hard to put it into words. It’s a feeling I get when I’m around him. And the cleaners, Victor and Daniza, remind me of people out of the past."

58

“Y ou’re right, Nick, Phil was a friend,” said Bill sadly. “And there is something weird about the professor, the cleaners and the whole show. Maybe it’s because of the...vampires and that old coffin with the earth inside.” “Vampires? Coffin? Tell me more,” said Michelle excitedly. As

59

CH A P TE R FO U R

Bill and Nick w ashed the dishes and Michelle dried them , they talk ed a b o u t the reception, the show, the exhibits, Professor Morescu and Victor and Daniza. Bill m entioned Samuel Sim m s, the jew eler w ho was very interested in the d ia m o n d and had asked about the alarm system. “Sam uel Sim m s?" said Michelle surprised. “I saw his luxury shop on Fifth Avenue the other day; he has the kind of clients who would love a diam ond like the V am pire’s Tear.” “Are you saying th a t Sim ms stole it? ” said Nick surprised. “No, I’m not saying th a t,” said Michelle, “but he’s a jeweler and jewelers like Sim m s deal with expensive jewels. Do you know w hat statistics say?” “Please don’t tell us— we already know: m ost jewel thefts are com m itted by experts in the field like jewelers,” said Bill, looking at his sister and grinning. “It’s a mystery how the thief or thieves entered the m useum in the first place,” said Nick. “Remember, the burglar alarm did not ring and Detective Ellis is checking the video tape. Maybe Victor and Daniza let the m in! They’re the only ones who were there th a t night, except for Phil. Detective Ellis said he w anted to t a lk to th e m ; b u t th e c le an e rs are o n ly th e re u n til a ro u n d m idnig ht, then they leave. We d o n ’t know w h a t tim e Phil was killed— the police will know only after the autopsy.” “We need to find out the time Phil was killed,” said Michelle, as she put the last plates into the cupboard. “That’s an important clue.” “W e c an a sk P ro fe s s o r M o re sc u t o m o r r o w ,” s a id N ick. “Hopefully he’ll tell us.” Suddenly Bill looked at his w atch and said, “Gosh, it’s late and we h a v e n ’t called m o m and dad y e t.” He quickly took his cell phone and started calling— he had a lot to tell them .

60

The text and beyond Q

C o m p r e h e n s io n c h e c k

Match the phrases in column A with the phrases in column В to make complete sentences. There are four phrases in column В that you do not need. A 1 QJ Michelle spent her time 2 Q

Phil and Max worked at the museum

3 Q

On Friday morning the New York City Police were called

4 Q

The museum was closed for a day

5 Q

No one had forced the doors and windows of the museum

6 Q

The two cleaners

7 Q

After dinner Michelle, Bill and Nick

8 |

Bill did not feel that they were ready

9 U

Michelle wanted to investigate

В

A lived with a relative near Central Park. В because the alarm did not go off. С decided to wash the dishes. D visiting all parts of New York City. E because she had some suspicions. F turned on the TV and listened to the news. G because they were friends of Professor Morescu. H because there had been a theft and a murder. I

to solve another difficult case.

J

as security guards.

К because the police were investigating. L working at the Chan’s grocery store. M because she was bored.

61

jsL

'

>

А

те PET

Т

V

т

L is te n in g Michelle and M arian are taking a tour of Ellis Island and New York harbor. Listen to the to u r guide and for each question (1-4) choose the correct picture and put a tick ( / ) in the box below it. 1

If you’re a teenager and you want to see the W aterfront Greenway how much will your ticket cost?

2

Which lunch can you buy with $11.00?

3

Where did the first im m igrant come from?

4

W hen did Ellis Island close?

62

►►► IN T E R N E T P R O JE C T

Mi

L et’s visit Ellis Island and th e S tatu e of Liberty! Ellis Island and the S tatue o f Liberty are tw o sym bo ls o f N ew Y o rk C ity and the USA. D ivide th e class into tw o g ro u p s and each gro u p can cho ose to research one o f them . To find out m ore a b o u t them co n n e ct to the Internet and go to w w w .b la c k c a t-c id e b .c o m . Insert the title o r pa rt o f th e title o f the b o o k into our search engine. O pen th e page fo r The Vampire's Tear. C lick on the Internet p ro je ct links. Prepare a brief rep ort a b o u t th e ir histo ry and w h a t you can do and see today. Present y o u r reports to the class. W ho had th e m o st interesting report? ___

P AR K HOME PLAN YOUR VISIT PHOTOS & MULTIMEDIA HISTORY & CULTURE FOR TEACHERS FOR KIDS MEWS

QUICKLINKS:

Liberty Enlightening the World

Directions

Located on a 12 acre island, the Statue o f Liberty

Operating Hours & Seasons

Enlightening the World was a gift o f friendship from the

Fees & Reservations

people of France to the people of the United States and is a

Ellis Island - Part o f Statue of Liberty N.M.

universal symbol o f freedom and democracy. The Statue of Liberty was dedicated on October 28, 188Б, designated as a

MANAGEMENT

National Monument in 1924 and restored for her centennial

SUPPORT YOUR PARK

on July 4, 1986.

Frequently Asked Questions Time Pass Reservation System at Statue of Liberty • To visit the museum gallery and pedestal I

«fit* -

Support the N a t io n a l P a r k S e r v ic e

observation levels you need a monument pass. • Without a monument pass you may only visit the grounds of Liberty Island. • There is no access beyond the top of the statue's pedestal. • (Secondary screening on Liberty Island is required for those entering the monument). • "Monument Access" is available at no cost from the ferry company with the purchase o f a ferry ticket using the Reserved Ticket AND selecting the Monument Access option. • During summer months and holiday periods we recommend ordering your tickets in advance and

—

request a monument pass by calling the ferry

63

B e fo re you read Q

R e a d in g p ic t u r e s

Look at the picture on page 69. 1

Where do you think the characters are?

2 W hat are they doing? Describe the picture to your partner. Look at the picture on page 73. 1

W hat can you see?

2 W hat time do you think it is? 3 Why is Professor Morescu wearing a long black overcoat?

IStSt ©

L is t e n in g

pgr-p

Listen to part of Chapter Five and choose the correct answer —A, В or C. 1

W hat were the people on the subway doing that morning? A

|_J They were talking about the murder.

В

Q

They were reading the newspaper.

С

Q

They were looking at Bill and Nick.

2 W hat did Detective Ellis tell Professor Morescu? A Q

The autopsy report was not ready yet.

В Q] Phil saw a video that frightened him. С

Q

Phil died of a heart attack.

3 Who has given money to help the university? A

Q

Samuel Simms

В □

Professor Morescu

С

an important New York family

Q

4 Where are Michelle, Bill and Nick going? А PJ to visit a garden

64

В

Q

to a rock concert

С

| | to buy jeans and a T-shirt

C H A P T E R FIV E

Midnight a t Central Park The next day Bill and Nick got up early. On their way to work S S they saw the newspaper headline: MYSTERIOUS MURDER AND THEFT AT MANHATTAN MUSEUM! Everyone on th e su b w a y w as re a d in g a b o u t it an d Bill and Nick felt excited because they planned to investigate it. The m useum opened on tim e and there were crowds o f people w a itin g to buy tic k e ts . S om e o f th e m w ere in te r e s te d in the show but m o st were ju s t curious a b o u t w h a t had happened the day before. A fte r th e th e ft, Bill a n d Nick w ere tw ice as busy, w atch in g all the visitors. Detective Ellis cam e by th a t a fterno on to talk to Professor Morescu a bou t the autopsy result, w hich Bill o v e rh e a rd : Phil d ie d o f a h e a r t a t t a c k a t a b o u t m id n ig h t —

65

CHAPTER FIVE

something or someone scared him to death. Detective Ellis said he w a tc h e d the v ideo tap e tw ice b u t did n o t see a n y th in g unusual on it. “You know, professor,” said Detective Ellis, “the videocam moves back and forth all the time so it could miss something. At first 1 saw Phil standing by the door and he seemed fine. A little while later I saw his body on the floor and the diam o nd was missing. W hat did he see that scared him so badly?” “1 d o n ’t know, Detective Ellis,” said Morescu, avoiding the detective’s eyes. “How long have you know n Sam uel Sim m s, the je w e le r?” asked Ellis. “Many years,” said Morescu. “He comes from an im portant New York fam ily and has made several generous donations to the university. Will you ever find the Vampire’s Tear, Detective?” “W hoever stole the diam ond is going to have a hard tim e selling it here in the U nited States and Europe. I’ve advised Interpol1 about it,” said Ellis. That afternoon Michelle came to visit the show for the first time. Bill and Nick were surprised to see her. “Hi, guys!” she said. “I thought a little East European culture would be interesting on this hot afternoon. And guess w hat? I just bought three tickets to tonight’s concert at Madison Square Garden.” “Y ou m ean the ‘Rock R e v o lu tio n ’ c o n c e rt? ” asked Nick, excitedly. “You found tickets? Nearly impossible!” “Exactly right!” said Michelle, her blue eyes shining proudly. “Now I’m going to take a look at the show and then I’m going

1.

66

Interpol : international police organization.

Midnight of Central Park

home to get ready for the concert. I w ant to wear my new black jeans and a super rock T-shirt I just bought. We have to get there early. I’ll meet you and Bill after work outside the m useum .” “Great!” said Nick. “Oh, no, Morescu is looking at us— I can’t talk— bye!” Michelle enjoyed looking at the show and carefully examined the museum; she was looking for clues to the case they wanted to solve. As she approached the old oak coffin she felt nervous and her face was hot. She stopped and looked at it for a while, but did not w ant to go near it. Other visitors looked at it from a distance and moved on. But she stood there and stared at it. Then she suddenly felt her feet moving towards it. W hen she was standing next to it she felt something under her shoes— it was a bit of earth on the floor next to the coffin. She remem bered w hat Bill and Nick had told her about the contents of the coffin and she suddenly felt cold, very cold. She moved backwards and left the room and the museum in a hurry. The three friends met in front of the museum at closing time and Michelle immediately told them about the earth on the floor next to the coffin. “There was very little earth, but it was there— I could feel it under my shoes,” she said nervously. “But what does th a t m ean?” asked Bill. “Did someone open it and touch the earth?” “W ho w ants to open a coffin— a vam pire’s coffin? No one!” said Nick. ‘It’s a mystery like the rest of this case.” On th e ir w ay to the deli fo r a sandw ich before the rock concert they walked through Central Park and talked about the exact time of Phil’s death and the video tape»

67

CHAPTER FIVE

“ I ’m a m a z e d t h a t th e v id e o ta p e sh o w e d n o t h in g ,” said M ichelle. “H ow ever, the fa c t th a t Phil died a ro u nd m id n ig h t makes me suspect the two cleaners— the y’re involved, I feel it.” “But then why doesn’t the video show any thing?” asked Bill. “ R e m e m b e r , th e v id e o c a m m o v e s a r o u n d — it c a n m iss things,” insisted Michelle. “Yes, but Phil w asn’t killed, he died of heart failure,” said Bill. “W h a t could Victor and Daniza have done to scare Phil so badly? A nd w h a t w o uld th e y do w ith the d ia m o n d ? Did you see the clothes they wear? Those tw o old people are harmless. Come on, Michelle, your im agination is going w ild.” “Well, Victor and Daniza could sell the diam ond to Sim m s— or m a y b e S im m s p a id th e m to s te a l i t ! ” e x c la im e d M ic h e lle . “Rem em ber, Sim m s has plenty o f very rich clients who w ould love to wear the V am pire’s Tear. All he has to do is w ait a while until people have forgotten about the th e ft and then he can sell i t . We have to find out more about the cleaners.” “Y ou r sister is n ’t w rong, B ill,” said Nick. “R em em ber, the alarm didn’t ring, so someone probably let the thief or thieves in. W hen poor Phil saw w h at was happening he tried to stop them b u t he saw som eth ing or som eone th a t was so scary th a t his heart stopped and he died. Now this is w hat I don’t understand! W h a t could have possibly scared him like th a t? ” “I agree,” said Michelle. “I’ve got a plan. Let’s w ait a few days so t h a t the cleaners w o n ’t get su sp ic io u s. W h a t a b o u t nex t W ednesday night when the m useum is open until late? We can w ait until they leave the m useum at about m idnight and follow them home. You said they live near Central Park— th a t’s not far from the museum. We can find out where they live, and since I’m

68

free all day long, I can keep an eye on the m and their house during the daytime and see w hat they do and who they m eet.” “Sounds like a good idea,” said Nick, who was excited about this new adventure. “W hat do you think, Bill?” “The subway runs all night, so we can do it,” said Bill. “I’m glad mom and dad don’t know about our plan. I don’t think they would approve.” “Let’s go to ‘Rock Revolution’, it’s getting late,” said Michelle. “There are three bands playing tonight— it’ll be a cool concert!” Wednesday finally arrived and Michelle spent the day helping Marian and Kevin in the grocery store because their usual clerk was ill. At first she had trouble remembering where everything was, but after a while she did a good job. The only clients she couldn’t help were the ones who spoke Chinese! After dinner she took the subway to the m useum and w aited for closing tim e. When she met Bill and Nick, they were hot, hungry and tired. “Hi, Michelle!” said Bill and Nick. “Why don’t we go for ice-cream at Baskin-Robbins?” said Bill. “It’s only two blocks away.” “There’s a super ice-cream parlor just half a block from the m useum ,” said Michelle, pointing down the street. “We can have ice-cream and w ait until the cleaners finish at about m idnight.” “Let’s go for it,” said Bill. “Ahh— a cold, creamy cone!” “Approved!” said Nick, laughing. They walked into to The Iceberg Parlor and looked at the big, colorful sign on the wall that said:

Our Sizes: Like It, Love It, Cotta Have It 100 flavors!

Midnight of Central Park

“One hundred flavors!” said Nick. “That’s right,” said one of the clerks smiling. “I’ll have the biggest: chocolate and m acadam ia nut, please,” said Nick. “That’s the G otta Have It,” said the clerk. “Me too, same flavors,” said Bill. “I’ll have a Like It, white chocolate and cherry cream, please,” said Michelle. Then she looked at the boys and said, “My new black jeans have to fit me!” Bill kept an eye on his watch and just before midnight he saw Victor and D aniza quickly w alking by. They were wearing the same clothes as they always wore. The three friends got up from their table and quietly followed them at a distance. The old couple did not notice tha t someone was follow ing the m . Suddenly the tw o cleaners crossed the street and entered Central Park at East 65th Street. The three friends followed them into the park. “I didn’t know the park was still open,” whispered Michelle. “It closes at one in the m orning,” whispered Nick. “They’re probably crossing it to get home; you said they live near the park, didn’t you?” “Yeah,” said Michelle. Suddenly they saw a dark figure coming along a path. It was Professor Morescu, who, although it was a hot night, was wearing a long black overcoat. He immediately saw Bill and Nick and seemed embarrassed. “Good evening, Professor Morescu,” said Nick trying to be calm.

71

CHAPTER FIVE

“W h a t are you d o in g in th e p a rk a t th is tim e ? " he sa id , nervously. “It’s past m idnight. You young people should be home and in bed.” “Good evening, Professor,” said Bill. “It’s a hot night and ...uh, we w anted to take a walk in the park.” “You shouldn’t be out at this tim e ,” he said coldly. “Well, good night.” He quickly walked away. By this tim e Victor and Daniza had disappeared into the park and it was impossible to find them . “W hy did we have to m eet Professor M orescu?” said Nick. “We lost our chance to follow Victor and D aniza.” “I’m really angry,” said Michelle. “He ruined our plan. But did you notice one th in g ?” “No, w h a t? ” said Bill. “Maybe it was the dim 2 light, but his lips looked...red ,” said Michelle. “Really?” said Nick. “Probably the light. I don’t think he wears lipstick!” The three friends laughed. “Hey, guys,” said Bill. “Let’s catch the subway and go hom e— we have to get up early tom orrow m orning.” W h en they were on the tra in Michelle th o u g h t, “I w o n d e r w h a t h e was doing in Central Park at th a t tim e, w earing th a t long black overcoat on such a hot nig h t?”

2.

72

dim : dark, faint.

PET О

C o m p r e h e n s io n c h e c k

For each question choose the correct letter — А, В, С or D. 1 What were the passengers on the subway train doing on their way to work? A j j reading the newspaper

2

В J

talking about the murder

С Q

talking about the diamond theft

D Q

buying the newspaper

How did Bill find out about Phil’s autopsy report? A

Professor Morescu told him.

В [_J Detective Ellis told everyone at the museum. С Q31 He overheard a conversation. D

He watched the video tape.

3 Why did Detective Ellis contact Interpol? A __] to ask about Professor Morescu В Q

to make it difficult for the thieves to sell the Vampire’s Tear

С | | to ask for help in solving the case D 4

J

to give them the autopsy report

What clue does the video tape show? A

the time of the theft

В Q

the time of the murder

С Q

an open coffin

D □

none

5 Why were Michelle, Bill and Nick in Central Park late at night? A _] They were having ice-cream. В [31 They were following Victor and Daniza. С | j They were following Professor Morescu. D J

74

They were looking for Samuel Simms’s house.

Q

C h a r a c te r s

Which character does each sentences refer to? Write the character’s name on the line and say why. 1 She likes to shop.

........................................

2

He loves animals and wants to help them...........................................

3

He is strange but very well-educated.

........................................

4

He has several wealthy clients.

.....................'...................

5 They are immigrants.

........................................

6

He and his men want to solve the case...............................................

7

He needs some extra money.

........................................

8 They work in Manhattan’s Chinatown................................................. 9

He is angry about his friend’s death.

10 He works for an airline.

Q

........................................ ........................................

D e te c tiv e w o r k

Are you a good detective? Michelle wants to investigate this case and she convinces Bill and Nick to help her. Work with a partner—you’re a detective team. 1 What clues can you find? Make a list of them and say why they are important. Here are some clues that you can start with: A Samuel Simms is a frequent visitor to the museum and he brings clients and friends. He can easily sell the diamond to people who can pay a lot of money for it and who won’t tell the police. В Professor Morescu’s presence in Central Park late at night is strange. What was he doing there at that time? Was he meeting someone to talk about the diamond? Was he hiding something under his long black overcoat? С ... 2 Who do you suspect and why? Present your clues and suspicions to the class. Save your work so that you can see who the best detective team is when you finish reading the story. 75

V

РЕТ О

Т

Е____ S

A m e r ic a n c h a in s to r e s

Read the text about American chain stores and decide which answer (A, B, С or D) best fits each gap. There is an example at the beginning (0).

In the story American chain stores like ‘Dunkin’ Donuts’ and ‘BaskinRobbins’ are (0) ..Q ... No other country in the world has as (1)...... chain stores as the United States. With globalization several of these chain stores have opened in other countries too. Chains, as they are often called, are owned (2 )......the same person or company, and specialize in one kind of (3 )........There are food, drink, restaurant, hotel, clothing, computer, sporting goods and several other kinds of chains. The world’s largest fast food chain is McDonald’s, with about 470,000, employees (4 )......nearly 47 million customers daily! McDonald’s was founded in San Bernardino, California in 1940 by Dick and Mac McDonald. They (5 )......in fast, clean, efficient service. Dunkin’ Donuts is the world’s largest coffee and (6 )......goods chain with more than 7,000 stores globally. Dunkin’ Donuts opened for the first time in 1950 in Quincy, Massachusetts. Its (7 ).......Starbucks, started out in 1971 and is a relatively new chain. Today it is the world’s biggest coffee chain, with more than 15,000 stores in 44 countries. While Dunkin’ Donuts (8 )......its own products daily at each store, Starbuck’s baked goods are prepared elsewhere. Baskin-Robbins is the biggest chain of ice cream parlors with almost 76

6,000 (9 )........It opened in 1945 in Glendale California, with 31 original flavors. Today there are many more flavors and every season there is a new seasonal flavor. All Baskin-Robbins stores offer the famous small pink spoon so that you can sample different flavors (10)......choosing your ice cream. Chains all look alike and offer the same products, service and quality— there are no surprises— and people appreciate this. © m e n tio n e d

D announced

0 A said

В told

1 A many

В much

С plenty

D lots

2 A of

В with

С from

D by

3 A article

В product

С substance

D object

4

A giving

В delivering

С serving

D seeing

5

A believed

В assumed

С thought

D considered

6 A baking

В bake

С bakery

D baked

7 A compete

В competitor

С competent

D competing

8 A bakes

В does

С constructs

D builds

9 A venues

В places

С positions

D locations

В because

С during

D after

10 A before T: GRADE 5 ф

S p e a k in g : e n t e r t a in m e n t

Michelle, Bill and Nick are going to a rock concert. It is one of their favorite kinds of entertainment. Work with a partner and talk about your favorite kinds of entertainment. Use these questions to help you. 1 What is your favorite kind of entertainment and why? 2

How often do you go and see it?

3

Is it expensive?

4

Who do you go with?

5

Do you have to travel far?

77

т

IN T E R N E T PROJECT

т

L e t’s fin d o u t m o re a b o u t C e n tra l Park!

Central Park is truly a wonderful place with a lot of exciting events going on. It has been the beautiful setting for many famous and less famous films. Let’s find out why! To find out more about it connect to the Internet and go to w w w.blackcat-cideb.com . Insert the title or part of the title of the book into our search engine. Open the page for The Vampire’s Tear. Click on the Internet project links. Divide the class into three groups and each one can research and prepare a brief report on: A general information; В attractions; С history And don’t forget to visit the Central Park Store! Present your reports to the class.

B e fo re you read Q

Reading pictures Look at the picture on page 83. 1

W hat is Michelle doing here?

2

Who is the man entering the shop?

3

Which kind of shop do you think it is?

78

Vdmpire Score O n Friday, tw o days a fte r th e th re e fr ie n d s ’ n ig h t a t C e n tra l Q P t P a r k , N ew Y o r k e r s w o k e u p to t h i s t e r r i f y in g n e w s p a p e r headline:

VAMPIRE SCARE IN MANHATTAN! The Voice o f New York wrote: For the first time in the history of this city we have a vampire scare on our hands. Early Thursday morning, j John Beacon, a homeless man of 39, was found dead in Central Park. Rum ors said he was the victim of a vampire attack. Two teeth marks were found on his neck and the vampire had drunk half the blood in his body, i causing his death.

79

CHAPTER SIX

Last week the body of a woman was found in the I Hudson River, but no one thought of a vampire attack j because the body had been in the river for many days j and it was almost impossible to check for teeth marks on i her neck. Police are now checking other suspicious deaths of homeless people in the Central Park area. The Chief of Police, Timothy O'Leary, asks all homeless people to sleep in the city shelters1 at night, and not out in the open. He also advises citizens not to walk along | quiet streets at night...... New Yorkers are hardly ever afraid of anything, but this time they were terrified by the news. Late-night re staurants and theaters in the Broadway area were empty. People did not w ant to be out after dark. The show at the m useum attracted even bigger crow ds t h a t w a n te d to learn m ore a b o u t v am p ire s. Professor Morescu was not present at the show that day. Michelle, Bill and Nick met at The Iceberg in the evening with five copies o f d iffe re n t local papers t h a t talk e d a b o u t the vampire scare. One paper had this headline:

DRACULA IS BACK! “W hat in the world is happening?” asked Michelle, putting her spoon into her ice-cream sundae. “Vampires in New York City— and I just know they’re connected with the show.” “No one has ever heard of vam pires in this city before the show,” said Nick. “But who is the vam pire?” asked Bill. “Is that w hat Phil saw that scared him to death?” 1.

80

city shelters : places where people w ith o ut a home can go and sleep at night for free.

Wimp ire Score

“How is the theft of the diamond connected with vam pires?” asked Michelle. “This case is so confusing, because nothing makes sense!” said Bill nervously. “W e’ve got a dead security guard, a weird show, a strange professor, two mysterious cleaners, a vam pire’s coffin, a missing diam ond, and two vam pire m urders...,” said Nick, who looked quite confused. “W h a t a b o u t the v am pire m u rd e r in C entral P a rk ? ” said Michelle excitedly. “We saw Professor Morescu in Central Park on Wednesday night— th a t’s when and where the homeless man was killed! Remember, 1 said his lips looked red that night. Could the professor be...” “Oh, Michelle, please— he’s a bit weird but he’s a respected professor at Columbia University— I don’t think he’s a...vampire,” said Nick. “He’s been teaching there for over twenty years.” “But we saw him in Central Park tha t night,” Michelle insisted. “Just to m ake things more confusing, you guys fo rgo t Mr Simms, the jeweler,” said Nick, laughing. “Y ou k n o w ,” said Bill th o u g h t fu lly , “we s h o u ld use the scientific approach to this case.” “W hat do you m ean?” asked Nick. “Well, we don’t know much about vampires,” said Bill. “If we had more inform ation about them we would understand w h at’s happening and w hy.” “Y ou’re right, Bill,” said Nick, “w e’re trying to play a game w ithout knowing the rules. We need facts.” “Exactly,” said Michelle, “i’ll do the research and get the facts— I’ve got plenty of free tim e.”

81

The next day Michelle was on her way to the New York City Public Library on Fifth Avenue and 4 2 nd Street w hen she saw Detective Ellis and two policemen walking into Sim m s’s Jewelers. “I w onder w h a t D etective Ellis and the police are doing at Sim m s’s?” she thought. “Ellis probably suspects him .” Michelle was no t w rong because Sam uel Sim m s was one of Ellis’s first suspects, and he had asked Sim m s not to leave the city. That day he had a search w arran t to search the luxurious jewelery shop. It w as a h o t e v e n in g w h en Bill a n d N ick m e t M ichelle in Central Park after work. Bill and Nick lay down on the cool green grass and Michelle sat between them. “I’ve got a lot of inform ation on vam pires for you today ,” said Michelle proudly. “G reat— tell us!” said Bill and Nick, looking up at the early evening sky. “Well, first o f all, th e y ’re o fte n called the undead or living dead, because a v am p ire is a dead body th a t feeds on living p eop le. The v a m p ir e ’s v ic tim s u su a lly die an d th e n becom e v am pires them selves. You c an ’t see vam pires in a m irror and they don’t have a shadow. They sleep during the day and go out after sunset to find their favorite food: blood. They can change their form and become bats, wolves or rats. And the only way to kill them is by driving a w ooden stake through their hearts, by beheading them or by burning th e m .” “Ugh,” said Nick. “There’s an old wooden stake at the m useum .” “Well, who fits the description of a vam pire?” asked Michelle. Bill and Nick were silent. “W ho works at night and is never seen in the daytim e?”

“Victor and D aniza!” said Nick. “But th a t’s not m uch.” “No, it’s not; th e y ’re old but they d o n ’t look like vam pires," said Bill, who was disappointed. “I m ean they don’t look like bat'., or rats...or wolves.” “They d o n ’t h a v e to change th e ir shape to be v a m p ire s ," Michelle insisted. “A nd if th e y ’re really vam pires w h a t w ould they do w ith a d ia m o n d ? ” s a id N ick . “V a m p ire s d o n ’t n e e d d ia m o n d s or m oney— they need blood!” “T hat’s ju s t it!” exclaim ed Michelle. “They need blood. W ho killed the homeless m an in Central Park and the w om an found in the Hudson River? And maybe others. Professor Morescu said Victor and Daniza came from Eastern Europe; th a t’s where the whole story of vam pires started long ago.” “But w h a t in the world are they doing here in New York City?” asked Bill. “Now I’m really confused.” “Listen,” said Michelle, “first le t’s fin d ou t who V ictor and Daniza really are. Next W ednesday is the last day of the show and it closes at 10 pm. Will Max be on duty th a t n igh t?” “Yeah, he said he w ants to work the last night,” said Nick. “G re a t! Max w ill u n d e r s ta n d our p la n an d help u s ,” said Michelle en th usia stic a lly , “because he w as P hil’s friend . Now listen, you can hide inside the m useum and w ait until Victor and D aniza come to clean. Then take a good look at the m and see w h at they do on the last day.” “I just hope they w o n ’t do som ething th a t will scare us both to death— like poor Phil,” said Bill. The three friends looked at each other sadly and did not say another word.

84

he text and beyond I Q

C o m p r e h e n s io n c h e c k

For questions 1-5 choose the correct answer — А, В, С or D. 1 Why did the Chief of Police ask homeless people to use the city shelters at night? A Q

because homeless people were causing trouble at Central Park

В Q

because homeless people killed a woman near the Hudson River

С Q] because homeless people were at danger during the night D Q

because New York City had just built new shelters in the Central Park area

2 Where are most of New York City’s theaters located? A □

in the Central Park area

В П

in the Broadway area

c Q

near the Hudson River in the financial district

3 Who does not think that Professor Morescu could be a vampire? A ^

Bill

В Q

Michelle

С [71 Nick D Q

all three of them

4 Why was Michelle near Samuel Simms’s Jewelers? A Q

She was going to do research at the library.

В Q

She was secretly following Samuel Simms around town.

С Q

She was secretly following Detective Ellis.

D Q

She was on her way to Central Park.

5 What did Bill and Nick plan to do on Wednesday night? A [ | They decided to go out for pizza with Max. В

They decided to hide inside the museum after closing time.

С 7 | They decided to follow Victor and Daniza home. D I | They decided to talk to Professor Morescu about the cleaners.

85

0

Is Nick afraid of vampires? Do vampires.........scare......... Nick?

1

It was a long flight across the United States. The flight across the United States............................ a long time.

2 Professor Morescu taught East European History at Columbia University. At Columbia University, East European History............................ Professor Morescu.

3 “You can’t understand the importance of the diamond unless you read my book,” said Professor Morescu. “If y o u ............................ my book you can’t understand the importance of the diamond,” said Professor Morescu.

4 Bill and Michelle forgot to call their parents in California. Bill and Michelle............................ to call their parents in California.

5 “Why don’t you visit the United Nations?” asked Kevin Chan. “if I were you.............................. the United Nations,” said Kevin Chan.

Q

T h e “V a m p ir e S c a r e ”

Read the text and then answer the questions. During the 18th century there was a “Vampire Scare” in Eastern Europe. People in towns and villages actually went to dig up graves and look for vampires. Even government officials opened the graves and drove stakes through the corpses’ hearts. The panic began with a series of what were believed to be vampire attacks in East Prussia in 1721 and in Serbia from 1725 to 1734. Two famous cases involved Peter Plogojowitz and Arnold Paole. People said Plogojowitz, who died at the age of 62, came back a few times after his death asking his son for food. When the son refused to give him food, he was found dead the next day. Soon Plogojowitz 86

returned and attacked some of his neighbors, who died from loss of blood. Arnold Paole was a soldier who became a farmer; he had been attacked by a vampire years before. After his death people in the village began to die and villagers believed that Paole had returned to attack his neighbors. The two cases were well documented and government officials examined the bodies, wrote reports and published books which were sold throughout Europe. Ignorance and superstition kept the panic alive. This controversy went on for many years and the Austro-Hungarian Army was finally sent to the area to examine the situation. But this did not solve the problem, so Empress Maria Theresa of Austria, who was worried and upset, sent her personal physician, Dr Gerhard Van Swieten, to investigate. He concluded that vampires did not exist; the Empress immediately passed laws against the opening of graves, and the “vampire scare” ended. 1 What did people do during the “vampire scare” of the 18th century in Eastern Europe? 2 When and where did the panic start? 3 Who were Peter Plogojowitz and Arnold Paole? 4

How were they involved?

5 What did Empress Maria Theresa do?

P E T © Notices Look at the text in each question. W hat does it say? Mark the letter next to the correct explanation — A, В or C.

REM R D

Q j John Beacon will receive $15,000 for any information. В

! ] You will receive $15,000 for any information about John Beacon.

С

Q

FOR ANY INFORMATION ABOUT JOHN BEACON LAST SEEN IN CENTRAL PAR(

John Beacon will give you $15,000 for any information.

87

Manhattan luxury apartment near Central Park lor rent

You can move into the apartment on December 1. [| You must move out of the apartment by December 1 at 7 pm.

ring doorbell after 7 pm

Wanted:

[] Call this number if you are interested in museums.

qualified ' museum security guard ? with at least* 10 years experience. If interested call 392-0369

[] A museum is looking for a security guard.

Attention!

J Go to track 2 for subway trains going north.

This weekend

all subway trains going north will leave from track 2 instead of track 1.

From: To:

Brad Ellis Tim O'Leary

O u r w eekly m e e tin g has been m oved fro m M o n d a y at 9 am to W e dnesday a t 11 am. W e can m e e t in my o ffice instead o f yours.

88

[| Someone is selling a luxury apartment near Central Park at 7 pm.

J You must work for the museum for 10 years.

J On Sunday use track 2 if you are going north.

J Don’t use track 2 this weekend.

^ The meeting will be in Tim O’Leary’s office. "] Brad Ellis has a meeting on Monday at 11 am. ] Brad Ellis has to change the time of his meeting.

The Vampire by Edvard Munch.

Vampires

in literature and films Legends and folktales about vampires have fascinated people for centuries and continue to do so today. In the 18th century authors started writing about vampires and the terrible things they did. V a m p ir e s in lit e r a t u r e

One of the first times vampires were mentioned in literature was in the short German poem The Vampire (1748) by Heinrich Ossenfelder. A later German poem about vampires was The Bride of Corinth (1797) by Goethe, about a young woman who returns from the grave to look for the man she loves. The figure of the vampire first appeared in English nineteenthcentury literature with the publication of John Polidori's The Vampyre (1819). Polidori's protagonist, Lord Ruthven, is the first vampire to

89

be clever, charming and attractive. The vampires of legends and folktales had usually been ugly, frightening creatures. Vampires in literature were beginning to be popular in the early nineteenth century, and in 1872 Sheridan Le Fanu 1 wrote a classic vampire tale called Carmilla, in which the protagonist was a female vampire. It is interesting to note that Sheridan Le Fanu was Bram Stoker's editor when Stoker was working as a theater critic, and Le Fanu's vampire tale probably inspired Stoker to write Dracula. The Irish writer Bram Stoker was very interested in vampires and the occult. 2 He researched the history and culture of Transylvania and became familiar with Vlad Tepes III, the cruel fifteenth-century prince of Wallachia (see the dossier on Vlad Tepes, pages 46-47). Stoker chose Vlad Tepes III as the model for his fictional vampire. When Bram Stoker wrote his masterpiece Dracula in 1897, he opened the door to all kinds of vampire literature. He probably did not imagine that his character, Count Dracula the vampire, would become world famous. Dracula mixes elements of mystery, love, sex, blood and death, but other themes, such as the role of women in Victorian culture, passions and the fear of death and the dead, are also examined in the novel. V a m p ir e s in film s

The vampire is one of the most prominent figures of classic horror films. Dracula has been a major character in more films than any other except for Sherlock Holmes. Many early films were either based on the novel Dracula by Bram Stoker or stories similar to it. In 1922 the silent German film Nosferatu, directed by F. Murnau, 1.

Le Fanu : pronunciation [’Lefanju:].

2.

occult : supernatural and magic forces.

Scene from the film N o sfe ra tu th e V am pire (1922) directed by Friedrich Wilhelm Murnau.

featured the first film presentation of Dracula. Murnau did not get permission to use the same names that were used in Stoker's novel, so he had to change them and other parts of the story. The film was a huge success because people were actually able to see Dracula interpreted on the screen. In 1931, Universal Studios in Hollywood produced the first talking film about Dracula starring the famous Hungarian actor Bela Lugosi as Count Dracula; it was a big hit.3 Lugosi's interpretation of Count Dracula was excellent. In 1958 the British film Dracula, starring Christopher Lee, was another great success and it was followed by seven sequels. In the 1970s several other films and television series featuring vampires

3.

big h it : colloquial expression th a t m eans a huge success.

91

Scene from the film B ra m S to k e r ’s D racula (1992) directed by Francis Ford Coppola.

were very popular; some of them were simply horror movies of bad quality. Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992), an excellent film produced and directed by Francis Ford Coppola, starring Keanu Reeves, Gary Oldman, Winona Ryder and Anthony Flopkins, was a great box office hit and won three Oscars. It is considered the best film about Dracula ever produced. It is interesting to see how the interpretations of the actors, the photography, the costumes and the settings have changed through the years, but the basic themes of evil, seduction, terror and the dark underworld remain the same. This film begins with the tragic story of Vlad Tepes, who returns home after fighting the Crusades and finds that his wife has

92

committed suicide. He is desperate because he loved her very much and he decides to become a vampire. The 1931 version of the film, instead, begins with Mr Renfield, the real estate agent4 who goes to Transylvania to sell a property to Count Dracula; the background history of Vlad Tepes is not presented. The 1931 version does not have a soundtrack,5 except for a few notes from Tchaikovsky's ballet Swan Lake, while in Coppola's version the famous British singer Annie Lennox wrote and sang Love Song for a Vampire as part of the film's soundtrack. Interview with the Vampire is a 1994 film inspired by Anne Rice's novel with the same name. It was directed by Neil Jordan and starred Tom Cruise, Brad Pitt and Antonio Banderas; it was another very popular vampire film. ф

C o m p re h e n s io n c h e c k

Answer these questions. 1 What was the German poem The Bride o f Corinth about? 2 Who was the first English writer to write about a vampire? 3 How was Lord Ruthven different from legendary vampires? 4 Who did Bram Stoker choose as the model for Count Dracula? 5 What themes are examined in Stoker’s novel? 6 Why was the 1922 German film Nosferatu important? 7 Who was Bela Lugosi? 8 How was the 1931 film version of Dracula different from the 1992 film version?

4.

real estate agent : a person who sells homes.

5.

soundtrack : m usic th a t accom panies a film.

►►► IN T E R N E T PR O JECT Let’s take a closer look at the film Bram S toker’s Draculal Have you ever seen this film ? Which other film s about Dracula have you seen? To find out more about it, connect to the Internet and go to w w w .blackca t-cide b.com . Insert the title or part of the title of the book into our search engine. Open the page for The Vampire’s Tear. Click on the Internet project links. W ork with a partner and find out the answers to the following questions. 1

2 3 4 5 6

When was the film released? Where was it produced? W hat were the film locations? How many Academ y Awards did it win and in which categories? W ho wrote the screenplay? How long is it?

Я П ГГП

Bram Stoker's Dracula (1992) - Movie

LOVf

B ram S to k e r’s D ra c u la (1 9 9 2 ) I on the Victorian horror novel written by Bram Stoker in 1897, about the vampire Dracula. who is on a quest to be eternally reunited with the one woman he ever loved Dracula travels from Transylvania to London to find the young woman who is the double image of the love he lost centuries earlier.

Movie Overview » Movie Details Showtimes & Tickets Trailers & Clips

Awards & Nominations Reviews and Previews Critics Reviews

is Photos Premiere Photos Movie Stills Community

Shopping Buv the DVD/Video Other Resources Web Sites

Also Known As: Bram Stoker's Dracula: The Untold Story Production Status: Genres: Drama, Romance. Suspense/Horror and Thriller Running Time: 2 hrs. 10 min, Release Date: November 13, 1992 Nationwide MPAA Rating: R for sexuality and horror violence. Distributors: Sony Pictures Releasing Production Co.: American Zoetrope, Osiris Films Studios: Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group U.S. Box Office: $82,019,648 Filming Locations: Sony Picture Studios. Culver City and Los Angeles, California Produced in: United States

Recommendations

94

NEVER

DIES

Before you read ф

Detective work You’re alm ost at the end of the story. W ork w ith your detective team and answer these questions. 1

Do the clues to this case lead to the museum? Why?

2

W ho do you think is involved in this theft and in Phil’s death and why? Are these two elements connected or not?

ЙЙ

у

3

Where is the Vampire’s Tear?

4

Will the three friends’ plan work?

Q Listening Listen to part of Chapter Seven and choose the correct answer — A, В or C. 1

2

3

The fifteenth-century oak coffin A

[^] attracted a lot of attention.

В

Q

frightened all the visitors away.

С

Q

contained the stolen diamond.

Max found out about Bill and Nick’s idea A

|

and told Professor Morescu.

В

Q

and agreed to help them.

С

Q

and phoned Detective Ellis.

Max’s office is located A

| j on the ground floor.

В С 4

near the old oak coffin. □

at the entrance hall.

Victor and Daniza, the cleaning people, arrived А

Г ] at about eleven o’clock.

В С

at closing time. Q

with Professor Morescu.

95

CHAPTER 7

A Cloud of Dust On the last day of the show there were more visitors than usual. ЙРГ ‘Transylvania, Land of Vampires’ was the exhibit th a t attracted the greatest num ber of people. After the vam pire scare in the city people w a nte d to learn more a b o u t vam pires and th e ir history. V isitors were p a rtic u la rly in te re ste d in the old oak coffin from the fifteenth century—they stared at it silently and uneasily, but no one w ent close to it.

That morning, before the show opened, Bill and Nick were able to explain their plan to Max, who said it was a brilliant idea. “It’s our last chance to find out who Victor and Daniza really are,” said Bill. “I wish you guys the best of luck, because Detective Ellis hasn’t been able to solve this case yet,” said Max. “It’s a tough 96

A Cloud of Oust

one because there are so many elements involved.” He looked at his watch and said, “It’s almost ten; time to open the doors for the last time. Listen, you guys can hide in my office at the entrance hall when we close; and then you’re free to move around. I’ll help in any way I can.” “OK, great—thanks, Max,” said Nick. Michelle, who could hardly wait for the closing of the show, decided to spend the day in Greenwich Village, the unique neighborhood in the city’s West Side that has always attracted writers, poets and artists like Mark Twain, Edgar Allan Poe and famous writers of the 1920s. She stood in amazement in front of the Jefferson Market Courthouse, built in 1877 and considered one of America’s most beautiful buildings, which is today a branch of the New York City Public Library. In Washington Square she watched street performers and visited some of the colorful shops and art galleries. She loved walking down the narrow streets and looking at the charming houses. The show closed punctually at ten o’clock in the evening, and once everyone had left, including Professor Morescu, Bill and Nick went into Max’s office and waited quietly for the cleaners to come. Nothing happened for over an hour. Then Victor and Daniza arrived. Max let them in and they took off their dark grey jackets and disappeared into the bathrooms with their cleaning equipment, Bill and Nick remained in Max’s office, which had a glass partition 1that looked like a mirror from the outside. In that way visitors thought it was a mirror, but whoever was inside the office could see what was happening outside. Bill heard the door

1.

p a rtitio n : a kind of wall th a t separates one part o f a room from another.

97

CHAPTER SEVEN______________________________ __ s!

of the bathroom open and he and Nick got up and stood in front of the glass partition, while Max sat behind his desk. Victor and Daniza walked into the ‘Transylvania, Land of Vampires’ room and walked towards the old oak coffin. They looked at each other for a moment and then carefully moved the lid of the coffin to one side and created a small opening. Then Victor put his hand into the coffin and took a handful of the dark earth. He looked at Daniza with a strange smile on his pale lips and they both smelled the earth a few times. Then Victor lifted his hand into the air and threw the earth over himself and Daniza. The dark earth formed a strange cloud of dust that hung in the air. Bill, Nick and Max stared at the bizarre scene from behind the partition. “What’s Victor doing?” whispered Nick anxiously. “The guy’s crazy!” whispered Bill. “Do you guys have a camera?” whispered Max excitedly. “No, but my cell phone can take pictures,” said Nick. “I’ve got it in my hand.” Suddenly Victor and Daniza were no longer standing by the coffin—they had disappeared. In their place there were two black bats who started flying around the room. They flew to the entrance hall but Bill, Nick and Max couldn’t see them, so they slowly opened the office door and walked towards the entrance hall and hid behind the two big billboards 2 that advertised the show. From that position they had a perfect view of the entrance hall and the huge chand e lie r3 that hung there. The bats

98

2.

billboards : very large boards on which posters are shown.

3.

chandelier : a large fram e w ith light bulbs and crystal drops th a t decorate it. It hangs from the ceiling.

CHAPTER SEVEN

continued flying around the huge chandelier, which had hundreds of beautiful tear-shaped crystal ornaments on it. Nick immediately took a picture of them with his cell phone. Then one of the bats got close to one of the crystal ornaments on the chandelier and removed it from its place with its sharp teeth. The bat flew around the chandelier several times with the ornament in his teeth. Nick quickly took another picture and the three of them noticed that the crystal ornament had a light pink color. It wasn’t a crystal ornament at all— it was the Vam pire’s Tear! The two bats flew towards the high ceiling and out of one of the small windows whose glass was missing. Neither the bats nor the Vampire’s Tear were ever seen again. Bill, Nick and Max were astonished. It took them a while to get over the shock, but they were finally able to speak. “Did you see... what I saw?”cried Bill excitedly. “I sure did and I have two good pictures to prove it to Detective Ellis!” said Nick proudly. Max ran to his office and phoned Detective Ellis and Professor Morescu. Michelle, who had been anxiously waiting at The Iceberg parlor, saw Detective Ellis arrive in a police car with two policemen and followed him to the third floor of the museum. Detective Ellis rushed in and Michelle followed him. “Who are you?” he asked looking at the teenage girl. “Hi! I’m Michelle Martin; I’m Bill’s sister. I...” “Never mind!” said Detective Ellis impatiently, looking at Bill and Nick. “Max gave me a very confused version of what happened here tonight, and I’m not sure I’ve understood the whole story—because it sounds incredible!” At that moment Professor Morescu walked in and joined the others in the entrance hall.

100

A Cloud of Oust

Nick and Bill told Detective Ellis and Professor Morescu exactly what they had seen and showed them the two pictures taken with the cell phone. They stared at the pictures in silence; Detective Ellis was completely astonished, but Professor Morescu seemed to understand what had happened. He did not say a word, but he had a strange look in his dark eyes. He knew something that he could not tell. “This is ...science fiction!” Detective Ellis exclaimed nervously. “If I didn’t have three witnesses and these two pictures, 1 wouldn’t believe this story—it’s shocking. This means vampires ... exist!” He looked at the giant chandelier and saw that one crystal drop was missing; then he looked at the window high in the ceiling. “Incredible...the Vampire’s Tear was in the museum all the time, and no one knew it,” said Detective Ellis, shaking his head. “Phil probably saw the two vampires turn into bats and he was so shocked that he died of heart failure.” “That’s why I felt the earth on the floor when I came to the show right after the theft,” said Michelle. “They used the earth inside the coffin to change their shape.” “Exactly!” said Ellis. “Then the bats took the diamond, flew to the chandelier and hid it there where no one noticed it because it was just one of many crystal drops—although it had a light pink color.” They stared at the giant chandelier with its hundreds of crystal drops. “But what I can’t understand is why they hid the diamond in the chandelier and waited until the last day of the show to take it out of the museum. And, besides, what in the world are two vampires going to do with the diamond? I’ve been doing this job for almost twenty years and this is the first case I don’t understand!”

101

Suddenly Professor Morescu broke the silence and spoke with a low voice, “The Vampire’s Tear has returned to its rightful owners: Vlad Dracula and his wife Kriza.” Everyone turned to look at Professor Morescu in amazement. “What do you mean by ‘rightful owners’?” asked Detective Ellis with a half smile. 102

“The Vampire’s Tear belonged to Vlad’s wife; a gift from her loving husband. She died during the attack on Poienari Castle on the night of July 24, 1462—a night of the full moon. Victor and Daniza came from Transylvania and were none other than Vlad Dracula and Kriza!” said Professor Morescu with a smile of satisfaction. “What!” everyone exclaimed. 103

CHAPTER SEVEN

“Ah, you know nothing of the dark world of the living dead— vampires can disguise themselves and take many shapes.” There was a terrible silence and Michelle, Bill and Nick felt cold and uncomfortable. “Wait a minute,” cried Ellis nervously, “did you know about Victor and Daniza’s identity all this time?” “Yes, I did,” said Morescu proudly. “I was born in Sighisoara in Transylvania, the same town where Vlad was born many centuries before. The people of the town have always been loyal to him. He was a prince and a hero of his country. In the past the vampire spirit of Vlad gave me precious information for my research and books, making them best-sellers all over the country. This show was a success thanks to him. I promised to give him back the Vampire’s Tear on July 24, the day when Kriza died.” “That’s the day when the diamond disappeared and when Phil died,” said Ellis, who could hardly believe what he was hearing. “But why did they hide the diamond in the chandelier? Why didn’t they disappear with the diamond on the night of July 24?” “You know nothing about the vampires, Detective Ellis,” said Morescu with an evil laugh. “They had to wait for a night of the full moon before returning to Transylvania.” Ellis was annoyed and nervous; he raised his voice. “I don’t know anything about vampires, Professor, but you don’t know anything about American law. Those two...vampires are responsible for theft and for the death of Phil, and probably of the murder of two unlucky New Yorkers—and you are a silent accomplice.4 American law is very tough with silent accomplices. You’re coming with me to the Police Station for questioning.” 4.

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silent accomplice : helper, collaborator, usually in a negative sense.

A Cloud of Dust

Ellis turned to the two policemen and said, “Sergeant Johnson, Sergeant Mendoza, take him away—and be careful, he could be a vampire too!” Professor Morescu had a cold half-smile on his pale, thin lips and said, “1 kept my promise to Vlad and that’s all that matters to me. Good evening to all.” He left the museum with the two policemen. Then Detective Ellis turned to Michelle, Bill, Nick and Max and said, “1 think we’ve lost the Vampire’s Tear forever. I’ve never believed in the occult and in evil. To me vampires and ghosts were part of an imaginary world. But now...this case has taught me many things—frightening things'.” “I believe in ghosts,” said Michelle, who briefly told Ellis of her experiences at Montego Bay when she, Bill and Nick solved a mystery thanks to a ghost in a picture. “I didn’t know you were such good detectives,” said Ellis. “It took a lot of courage to do what you did tonight. I couldn’t have solved this case without you. Thank you! I need your cell phone, Nick, to show the Chief of Police the pictures. You can come and pick it up tomorrow afternoon at the Police Station at Central Park.” As Michelle, Bill, Nick and Max were leaving the museum that night Michelle turned around and took a last look at the beautiful 19th-century building and then observed the night sky. “What are you looking at?” asked Nick. “Oh, nothing. Just checking for bats!”

©

Com prehension ch e ck

Answer the following questions.

1 Why were there so many visitors at the show? 2 How did Max feel about Bill and Nick’s plan? 3 What was Greenwich Village like? 4 Describe Max’s office. 5 What did Victor and Daniza do when they walked into the “Transylvania, Land of Vampires” room? 6 Where was the Vampire’s Tear and what happened to it that night? 7 How did Detective Ellis react to this event? 8 How was Professor Morescu involved? 9 Why was the Professor a silent accomplice? PET О

Writing

Michelle writes an email to her best friend Pam Rivers telling her:

• about the terrible theft and death at the museum • about Professor Morescu, Victor and Daniza • how the difficult case was solved Write 35-45 words. Start like this:

Hi Pam! I’ve got lots of news for you.

Q

D iscussion

Work with a partner and discuss the following questions. Then share and compare your answers with the class.

1 Professor Morescu said he was grateful to Vlad Tepes for all the help he had given him in the past. Does this excuse him in part for being a silent accomplice? At times we must choose between helping a friend and breaking the law. How do you feel about this? How important is loyalty in a person’s character? 2 Loyalty is considered a virtue. Can you think of other virtues in a person’s character? Can you think of faults in a person’s character? Give examples. 10 6

Q

3

In your opinion, what is the most striking thing about Professor Morescu and why?

4

Detective Ellis said he had never believed in the occult, evil, vampires or ghosts before that night. What is your opinion about this? Do you think popular legends and superstitions have elements of truth in them? Can you give any examples of popular legends and superstitions that have been found to be true?

D e t e c tiv e w o r k

Look back at activity 3 in Chapter Five and activity 2 in Chapter Six. W hich detective team solved the case? W hich team got close to solving the case? Which clues helped you?

ф

T h e C h e ls e a H o te l, a N e w Y o r k C ity h is to r ic la n d m a r k

The Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan was not mentioned in the story, but it is one of New York City’s most-loved landmarks. Read the te x t and fin d o u t w hy New Yorkers are so proud of it. Then answer the questions. Everyone in New York City knows about the Chelsea Hotel in Manhattan. This impressive building is situated on West 23rd Street, between 7th and 8th Avenues, in the center of Manhattan. Its central location makes it easy to reach Fifth Avenue, Broadway, Times Square, the Museum Mile, Central Park and many other interesting sites within minutes. The twelve-story pink-brick building was built in 1883 as a private apartment building, and it was the tallest building in New York City until 1899. At that time the area was New York’s Theater District, but by the early 1900s the theaters moved to Broadway. In 1905 the building opened as a hotel. Ever since then it has been the favorite hotel and home of some of the world’s greatest artists, writers, poets, actors, actresses, singers and

10 7

millionaires. The free, informal atmosphere and the friendly, helpful staff have attracted creative people from all over the world. Some go to stay for a few nights and others choose to live and work there. Rooms are quite large and comfortable, with floor-to-ceiling windows that give a lot of natural light. Some of the rooms have small kitchens. The hotel was the first building to be listed by New York City as a cultural preservation site and historic building. One of its great features is the art work that you can see in the lobby and along the beautiful staircase.1 Bob Dylan composed some of his most famous songs while staying at the Chelsea. Poets like Allen Ginsberg and Gregory Corso chose it as a place to meet and discuss poetry and philosophy. Today you can take a tour of the hotel and find out more about its exciting history. Choose the correct answer — А, В, С or D.

1 How tall is the Chelsea Hotel? A [ | It is the tallest building in Manhattan. В |_] It is the tallest building in New York City.

С Q It is twelve-stories tall. D | | It is twelve feet tall.

2 When did the theaters move to Broadway? A [_] in the 18th century В [_] in the early part of the 20th century

С |J in the 19th century D r~] in 1883

3 Where can you see art work in the hotel? A □ in all the rooms В Q

in the expensive suites

С U in the hotel’s restaurant D [_] in the lobby and on the stairs

1.

staircase :

108

I

A F T E R

©

R E A D I N G

P ic tu r e s u m m a r y

Look at the pictures and put them in the right order. Then write a short caption under each picture. Try to write in a sensational style, like the style of a popular newspaper.

С

109

A F T E R

Q

R E A D I N G

A g r a p h ic n o v e l

Photocopy pages 109-110, cut out the pictures and stick the m on paper in the right order. Think of words to put in the balloons when the characters are speaking or thinking. Do not use the words that were used in this book! Then write at least a sentence under each picture to narrate w hat is happening. P E T ©

Q u iz

Look at the sentences below and decide if each sentence is correct or incorrect. If it is correct, mark A. If it is not correct, mark B. A

1 Professor Morescu did not believe that vampires were only fictional characters. 2 The Vampire's Tear was carefully protected by a thick glass case. 3 Detective Ellis was not able to explain the theft of the diamond or Phil's death. 4 Michelle, Bill and Nick followed Victor and Daniza into the park and then to their home. 5 Detective Ellis searched Samuel Simms’s luxurious shop. 6 The Vampire's Tear had never left the show.

1Ю

В

□□ □□ □□ □□ □□ □□

A F T E R

Q

R E A D I N G

7

The dark earth in the coffin had supernatural powers.

□

□

8

Professor Morescu was accused of the death of the security guard.

□

□

W r itin g

Choose one of the writing tasks A-С below. Read them all before you choose. A An alternative plot Choose a m om ent in the story where events might have developed differently. Describe what might have happened at this moment and then summarize how the plot would have developed differently. Describe how this new plot that you have invented would finish.

В An alternative ending We often describe endings of stories and films as “closed” or “open”. A closed ending is when the plot seems to have come to an explicit end. THE VAMPIRE’S TEAR ends in this way. An open ending, which is quite common in modern works, is open to interpretation and to possible further developments. Begin at any part of Chapter Seven and write a different ending to the story. You can make your ending open or closed.

С A newspaper article Imagine you are a journalist for the New York Times and you are sent to Central Park to write an article about the homeless man who was a victim of the vampire attack. You have permission from the police to get close to the scene of the attack. The body of the dead man is lying on the grass under a tree when you arrive at Central Park. You are scared, but you know you must get close to the body and examine the two teeth marks on his neck in order to write a good article. Remember, your readers want to know all the horrible details of the vampire attack, so make your story realistic!

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This reader uses the EXPANSIVE READING approach, where the text becomes a springboard to improve language skills and to explore historical background, cultural connections and other topics suggested by the text. The new structures introduced in this step of our R E A D I N G & T R A I N I N G series are listed below. Naturally, structures from lower steps are included too. For a complete list of structures used over all the six steps, see The Black Cat Guide to Graded Readers, which is also downloadable at no cost from our website, www.blackcat-cideb.com. The vocabulary used at each step is carefully checked against vocabulary lists used for internationally recognised examinations.

S te p T h re e

B 1 .2

All the structures used in the previous levels, plus the following: Verb tenses Present Perfect Simple: unfinished past with for or since (duration form) Past Perfect Simple: narrative Verb forms and patterns Regular verbs and all irregular verbs in current English Causative: have / get + object + past participle Reported questions and orders with ask and tell Modal verbs Would: hypothesis Would rather, preference Should (present and future reference): moral obligation Ought to (present and future reference): moral obligation Used to: past habits and states Types of clause 2nd Conditional: if + past, would(n’t) Zero, 1st and 2nd conditionals with unless Non-defining relative clauses with who and where Clauses of result: so; so ... that; such ... that Clauses of concession: although, though Other Comparison: (not) as / so ... as; (not) ... enough to; too ... to