The Summer Holidays Detective Agency - Stage 4 Comp - Chapter 4 - Comprehension Pack.pdf

STAGE 4 Unit focus: Summer Holidays Detective Agency Text focus: Narrative The Case Of The cursed comic book Chapter 4 “That sea...

STAGE 4 Unit focus: Summer Holidays Detective Agency Text focus: Narrative The Case Of The cursed comic book Chapter 4 “That seals it,” Ola whined. “There’s definitely a curse, and we’re all cursed. Our lives are over. We might as well move into a distant cave and live on our own.” “Don’t be dramatic,” Mo said. “I still think that there is a reasonable explanation for all of this.” “She’s right,” Edward added. “We’re all doomed and may as well face it. I knew it was a bad idea to tell you about the comic.” “You were as excited as I was,” Mo snapped. “There’s no way you’re blaming this on me.” “Let’s go back to the shed and get rid of the comic,” Kimmy suggested. Overhead, a flock of gulls squawked on their way to the sea. Something small and white tumbled through the air beneath them, landing with a wet splat just next to Edward’s feet. “See! Even the gulls are aiming for me now!” he shouted, waving his fist at the passing birds. “Actually, it missed you,” Mo pointed out. “That’s pre y lucky.” “Shed, now!” Kimmy demanded before her friends could fall out. The walk back to the headquarters of the Summer Holidays Detective Agency was a sombre one, with nobody wanting to talk to the others. Ola was the only one who spoke at all, to moan that she could still smell something foul. The others ignored her. By the time they reached the shed, it was getting on for late a ernoon, and Kimmy’s mum had laid out a plate of sandwiches and crisps. “That’s pre y lucky,” Mo mu ered under his breath. “I was hungry.” “The crisps are a bit stale,” Ola argued, determined to make the most of the bad mood. “That’s not the worst thing,” Edward said. He sounded panicked, his voice weak. He was pointing at the sofa. The comic book was placed on top and opened on a random page. “Somebody else is cursed.” all resources ©2024 Literacy Shed http://www.literacyshedplus.com They all looked at each other. “Who else would read it?” Ola asked. “Harry,” Kimmy said. Harry was her older brother, and they had already annoyed him by blaming him for the missing garden gnome a few summers before. “He deserves to be cursed, anyway.” “What if it was your parents?” Edward looked concerned. “Maybe your mum read it, and that’s why the crisps are stale?” “I quite like the crisps,” Mo mumbled through a mouthful. “We need to work out how to fix the curse. Otherwise, my whole family is at risk,” Kimmy said urgently. “There’s got to be something we can do.” The four of them sat and stared at each other. Neither one of them spoke. They barely moved, other than Mo, who was busy finishing off the food. They sat in silence for over ten minutes, each one trying to think of a solution. Eventually, Ola spoke. “It really does stink in here.” SUMMARY FOCUS 1. Why does Ola think their lives are over? 2. How does a bird make Mo think their luck is changing? 3. Why does Kimmy start to panic towards the end? 4. Why is Kimmy losing patience with the others at the park? 5. What happens to make Edward panic? VIPERS QUESTIONS V What impression do you get of the mood from the word “sombre”? R What food had been put out? I What evidence suggests that Mo was enjoying the food? V Find and copy a word that is a synonym for “worried”. E What does the final sentence do to the mood of the text? Why do you think the author has built up to it in the way they have? all resources ©2024 Literacy Shed http://www.literacyshedplus.com