The Black Dog

d

c

e

a

b

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PRE-READING ACTIVITIES

1 Look at the picture. Then write the correct letter next to each word.

1. lamp 4. hardhat

2. hill 5. tunnel

3. miner

2 Match the sentences to the pictures.

1. Themanissellingthingsfromavan. 3.Thisisaphotoofmyhusband.

2. Thedogwantssomething. 4.Thewomenaresad.

a

Earl

Jack

Shuck

b c d

Jack’s wife

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ChAPTER 1

A Dog in the RoadEarlisatravelling salesman intheUSA.Hetravelsaround

thecountryandsellsthingsfromhisvan.OneMondayevening,EarlisdrivingthroughKentucky.It’s

darkandhelooksforaplacetoparkforthenight.Somethingis standing in the narrow road, but he can’t see it clearly.Itlooksathimwithitsdarkeyes.They’reshininginthelightsofhisvan.It’sabigblackdog,butitlookslikeawolf.

Earlstopsthevan.Thedogstandsintheroadandwatcheshim.Earlbeeps hishorn,butthedogdoesn’tmove.

“Hey!”Earlshoutsoutofthewindow.“Move!Stupiddog!”Butthedogdoesn’treact.

“That’sstrange,”thinksEarl.Thedogstartstowalkinthemiddle of the road. Earl can’t pass it, so he drives his vanslowlybehindthedog.

Atthesideoftheroad,Earlseesaperfectgrassyareatostopfor the night. He parks the van and the dog stops walking.It sits near him in the grass. It watches Earl all thetime.Whatdoesitwant?

Earlmakesafireandcookssomefood.Hecalls thedogtocomeandeat,butitdoesn’tcome.

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ChAPTER 2

The hillThemoonappearsinthesky,andthedogstandsup.Itlooks

atEarl,walksalittledowntheroad,thenstopsandlooksathimagain.“It’stryingtotellmesomething,butwhat?”thinksEarl.“I’mgoingtofollowitandsee.”

Earl puts his things in the van and locks it. Then, hefollowsthedogdowntheroad.Theycometoahill.ThedoglooksatEarl again, then jumps into the sideof thehill anddisappears!

Earlissurprised.“Wherediditgo?”hethinks.Helooksatthesideofthehillbutcan’tseeanything.Finally,hereturnsto the van and prepares to go to sleep. But he doesn’t sleepwellthatnight.

Thenextmorning,Earldriveshisvanandarrivesatanewtown.Allthemeninthetownworkinthecoal mines.Manypeoplecometobuyhisthings,soEarlishappy.

Late in the evening, Earl leaves the town andreturns to the sameplace to sleep.Suddenly, theblackdogappearsagaininthemiddleoftheroad.ItwalksafewstepsandthenturnstolookatEarl.Again,hefollowsthedogtothesamehill.Itturns,looksatEarl,andthenjumpsintothesideofthehillanddisappears.Now,Earlisfrightened.“Wheredoesthedoggo?”hethinks.“Andwhydoesitbringmetothisplace?Itwantssomethingfromme…butwhat?”

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3 Look at the pictures. What happens next? Tick (3) the correct answer.

2 Circle the correct answer.

1. Mybrother’sdoglookslikeacup/wolf.

2. It’sverytired/darkbecausethereisnomoon.

3. Pleasegivethecatsomebones/food.

4. Lookatallthecarsontheroad/wind.

5. Thisgrassy/angryareaisagoodplaceforapicnic.

6. Shewastiredandwalkedveryclearly/slowly.

ChAPTERS 1-2 ACTIVITIES

1 Complete the sentences with the verbs below. Then match each sentence to the correct picture.

cooks sell jump watch park drives

1. Mybrother thecarveryfast.

2. Grandma goodfood!

3. Hecan veryhigh.

4. Ican thecarneartheschool.

5. Thegirls TVeveryafternoon.

6. They booksinthisshop.

1

a b c

d e f

a.Earlstopsthevan.

b.Earlputsthedoginthevan.

a.Earlcallsthedogtocomeandeat.

b.Earlinvitesafriendtoeatwithhim.

a.Earlrunsafterthedog.

b.Earlforgetsaboutthedog.

a.Earlopensashopinthetown.

b.Earlishappy.

2

3

4

4 What happens in the story? Tick (3) the true sentences.

1. Earlshoutsatthedogbutthedogdoesn’treact.

2. ThedogsitsnearEarlandlooksathim.

3. Earllooksatthesideofthehillandseesastrangehouse.

4. Awomanislookingforablackdog.

5. Earlbeginstofeelfrightened.

Didyou

know? The first commercial coal mine in Kentucky opened in 1820. By 1830, mines in Kentucky produced 100,000 tons of coal a year. Today, the mines there produce 150 million tons a year.

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ChAPTER 3

The AccidentEarlreturnstothegrassyplaceandstaysthereforthenight.

“I must leave tomorrow. I don’t want to return here,” hethinks.“Thatdogisreallystrange.”

OnWednesdaymorning,hearrivesatanothertown.Thistownhasalsogotcoalmines.Somethingishappening.Alotofpeopleareoutsideandthey’reverysad.They’rewearingblackclothes.

“Whathappened?”asksEarl.

“Two days ago, there was an accident in one of the coalminesandmanyminersdied,”awomantellshim.“Thelastfuneralistoday.Butonemanisstillmissing.HisnameisJackandhe’sourfriend.”

“Those poor people,” thinks Earl. “How terrible for thefamilies! This town is mourning the miners today. I mustleave.”

Earl drives slowly past some houses. Sad women in blackdresses are sitting outside. They’re holding pictures of theirhusbandsandsonsfromthemine.

Suddenly, Earl sees something interesting. A woman isholding a picture of a coal miner. He’s got a hat witha lamp on his head. There’s a big black dog, likeawolf,nexttotheman.It’stheblackdogfromtheroad.Earlcan’tbelieveit!

Why is everybody sad?

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Earldrivesoutofthetown.Suddenly,heseesthedogattheside of the hill. Again, it turns and disappears. Earl returnsto the town immediately. He finds the woman with thephotograph.She’ssittingwithsomeminersandtheirwives.

ChAPTER 4

The Devil’s MouthEarl tells the people about the black dog and its strange

disappearanceintothehill.Jack’swifeholdsthepictureandtriesnottocry.

“Maybe it is Shuck and he’s disappearing into the Devil’sMouth,”anoldmansays.He’sgotcoal dustonhisface.

“It’s the name of an old mine,” the old man replies. “Themining company closed it years ago. There was a tunnelbetweentheDevil’sMouthandtheothermines.Butnobodyuses it now. Maybe Shuck is showing you a way into themine.”

“He can take us to Jack!” said Jack’s wife. “Let’s go thereimmediately!”

“Imust talk toyou,”Earl says.“It’sabout thatdog in thepicture.”

“Every time I drive in this area, I seehim,” says Earl. “He’s strange. He wantssomething from me, but I don’t knowwhat.”

Thepeoplearesilentand lookatEarlcuriously.

“It can’t be Shuck,” answersthe woman. “He’s lost in themine with my husband.” “Is your husband Jack, themissing miner?” asks Earl.“Yes.Shuckismissingtoo,”thewoman explains. “He goes in

theminewithJackeveryday.Heusuallyprotectshim–butnotthis

time.”

Shuck? What do you know about him?

The Devil’s Mouth? What’s that?

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ThemengowithEarltothehillattheDevil’sMouth.

“We’ve got work to do,” anotherminersays.“ShuckisshowingusawaytoJack.Aliveordead,wemustfindhim.”

The men have got hard hats,lampsandequipmentfordigging.Theystarttodigintothesideofthehilltoopentheoldmine.Finally,oneofthemenshouts,“Wedidit!We’rethroughtothemine!”

Themenshouttothelostminerbut they don’t hear anything. One

man goes inside. After five minutes, he appears again.“Jack’salive!”heshouts.“He’sweak,buthe’sbreathing.Unfortunately,pooroldShuckisdead.”

TheminersgoinsidetohelpJack.Shuck’sbodyisnearhim.TheycarryJackoutofthemine.He’sverytiredandhungry,buthe’shappytobealive.

Then,Jacktellshisstory.“TheroofstartedtofallandShuckandIescapedalonganoldtunnel,”hesays.“SomewoodfellonShuckandkilledhimimmediately.Hediedtwodaysago,buthispresencehelpedmeinthedark.Hewasagooddog.”

Shuckwasagooddog.Evenafterhedied,hedidn’tleavehismaster.Hisghostwaitedontheroadforhelp,andfinally,hesavedhismaster’slife.

food

kill

ed

lost

mas

ter

nep

hew

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ChAPTERS 3-4 ACTIVITIES

1 Complete the sentences with words from the puzzle below. Then circle the answers in the puzzle and help the miners find Jack in the coal mine.

1. Hedidn’thavebreakfastandnowhe’svery .

2. Sheusually redclothes.

3. Thelion threepeople.

4. Wearemakingatablewiththe fromthetree.

5. Thedogsavedthelifeofits .

6. Ican’tfindthecat.Isit again?

7. TomismarriedtoJean.Heisher .

8. Everybodyishere.Youarethe persontoarrive.

2 Choose the correct answer.

1. Earlreturnstothegrassyplaceandthinks,…

a. “Thatdogisreallystrange.” b.“Imustsellmanythingsnextweek.”

2. Intheaccidentinthecoalmine,….

a. alltheminersescape b.manyminersdie

3. Earltellsthepeopleabout….

a. thedogjumpingintothehill b.thegrassyareabesidetheroad

4. ThereisatunnelbetweentheDevil’sMouth….

a. andtheothermines b.andthenexttown

5. Shuck’sghostwaitsontheroad….

a. toseeJack b.togethelp

3 Write the letter of the correct person next to each question.

Who …

1. hasapictureofamanandadog?

2. drivesoutofthetownandthenreturnsimmediately?

3. wantssomethingfromEarl?

4. tellsEarlabouttheDevil’sMouth?

5. isalivebutweak?

A B C D E

Didyou

know? For many years in the 1800s and the early 1900s, young children worked in coal mines in the United States and Britain. Some of the children were only five years old. The work was very difficult. Sometimes they pushed big, heavy baskets of coal. The children often worked 12 hours a day under the ground.

travels

hungry wears

mee

ts

wood

husband last

sells

stairs

clou

d

dark

dream

left

tired

moon

thro

w

jumped

me

et

angr

y

wolf

drives

break