Harry Black is a thief. He takes a famous painting and puts it in an old newspaper. But then the recycling truck arrives—and where is Harry's newspaper?

Penguin Readers are simplified texts designed in association with Longman, the world famous educational publisher, to provide a step-by-step approach to the joys of reading for pleasure. Each book has an introduction and extensive activity material. They are published at seven levels from Easystarts (200 words) to Advanced (3000 words).
Series Editors:Andy Hopkins and Jocelyn Potter

6 Advanced (3000 words)

Contemporary
5 Upper Intermediate (2300 words) Classics
4 Intermediate (1700 words) Originals
3 Pre-lntermediate (1200 words)
2 Elementary (600 words) 1 Beginner (300 words)
British English
Easystarts (200 words) American English
Cassette also published
www.penguinreaders.com
Cover illustration © Adam Willis
Published and distributed by
Pearson Education Limited

The time is one o'clock in the morning. The place is the Ritesville town art gallery. A window opens and a man comes in. His name is Harry Black, and he is a thief. It is dark in the art gallery, but Harry has a light. He looks across the room at a painting. "There it is!" he says.

Harry moves quickly across the room. He stands and looks at the painting. "A million dollars for this?" he thinks. "I don't understand it." But he takes a knife from his coat. Then he takes the painting very, very slowly from its frame.

Harry goes back across the room to the window, but he walks into a table. There is a beautiful blue glass vase on the table. It falls on the floor and breaks into a hundred pieces. Harry smiles. "Is that a million-dollar vase?" he thinks. "It isn't now!" He runs across the pieces of glass to the window.

Harry has a room in Mrs. Allen's rooming house. He goes quietly up to his room and closes the door. Mrs. Allen and her daughter, Janey, are sleeping. They don't hear him. In his room, Harry takes the painting from his bag. He puts it in a newspaper, then he puts the newspaper under his bed.

In the morning, Janey Allen is in the kitchen. She is putting old bottles into a box. "Recycling is important," Janey thinks. On the TV, a reporter is at the Ritesville art gallery. He is talking about the painting. "It's a million-dollar painting," he is saying. "Here's a photo of it."

Now the reporter is talking about the blue glass vase. "It's in a hundred pieces now," he says. Janey looks at the photo of the vase, then she asks her mother, "Do you have any old bottles?" "No," Mrs. Allen says. "That's all, Janey. But the newspaper recycling truck is coming today." "Of course!" Janey says. "It's Friday!"

Harry isn't in his room. He is talking on his telephone to a man in Seattle. The man wants the painting, but Harry isn't happy. "Five thousand dollars?" Harry says. "No! It's a milliondollar painting! ... What? ... No, I want fifty thousand, not five! ... What? ... The painting? Yes, I have it, and it's OK."

Janey is looking for old newspapers. Early on Friday mornings, she takes them from every room in the house. Then later, the newspaper recycling truck arrives. Janey opens Harry's door and looks into his room. She always takes his old newspapers or bottles for recycling. "Ah!" she thinks. "There's a newspaper under Harry's bed."

Janey puts the old newspapers into a black recycling box. She runs from the house and sees the truck. "Wait!" she says. And she quickly gives the box to one of the men. Harry is coming back to the house. He sees the recycling truck, and he sees Janey. "It's Friday!" he says. "The newspaper—! Oh, no!"

Harry chases after the truck. "Wait! Wait!" he says. Janey watches him. "What is he doing?" she thinks. Harry jumps into the back of the truck. "I want my newspaper!" he says. "Where's my newspaper?" But there are thousands of newspapers in the truck.

Janey walks quickly from the house to the truck. "Why is your newspaper important, Harry?" she asks. "It's two days old." But Harry doesn't hear her. He is thinking, "My milliondollar painting! Where is it?" The men from the recycling truck are watching Harry, too. But now Janey is looking at Harry's shoe.

"There's some blue glass in Harry's shoe," Janey thinks. "Where—? Oh!" Suddenly, she remembers the photo of the blue glass vase on the TV. She looks again at the piece of glass in Harry's shoe. "Is it from the vase in the art gallery?" she thinks. "Is Harry Black the thief?"

The men from the recycling truck are angry. "We're going now," they are saying. "We're late." "But I want my newspaper!" Harry says. In the house, Janey is talking to the police on the telephone. "Maybe I'm wrong," she is saying. "But there's blue glass in his shoe ... What? ... Yes, he's looking for the newspaper now."

Two policemen arrive quickly. "Let's look at your shoe," they say to Harry. Harry doesn't understand. "What's wrong?" he asks. One of the policemen takes the glass from Harry's shoe. "This is a very expensive piece of glass," he says. "From a very expensive vase. Remember?" Suddenly, Harry understands. "Oh, no!" he says.

Police cars and policemen arrive. The men look in the truck for the million-dollar painting. Later, they find the right newspaper—and they find the painting. "Good work, Janey," one of the policemen says. "And there's a reward." "Maybe I can buy a painting with the reward!" Janey says. "I like pictures!"
ACTIVITIES

Before you read 1 Find the words in your dictionary. What are they in your language? art gallery box break chase dollar frame glass jump rooming house million painting piece recycling remember reporter reward thief thousand truck vase

2 People sometimes buy paintings for a million dollars. Why? Are they right or wrong?

After you read 3 Finish the sentences. a Harry Black is a b Harry takes a million-dollar from its c Harry breaks a d In his room, Harry puts the in a e Janey always takes Harry's old and for recycling.

4 Answer the questions. a When does the newspaper recycling truck come? b Why does Harry jump into the recycling truck? c What does Janey see in Harry's shoe? 5 Is recycling important? Why (not)? What do you think?

Pearson Education Limited

Edinburgh Gate, Harlow, Essex CM20 2|E, England and Associated Companies throughout the world.

ISBN 0 582 51746 X First published 2002

Text copyright © John Escott 2002 Artwork © Adam Willis (Artist Partners) 2002
5 7 9 10 8 6 4

Typeset by Ferdinand Pageworks, London Set in 12/20pt Life Roman Colour reproduction by Spectrum Colour Ltd. Ipswich Printed and bound in Denmark by Norhaven A/S, Viborg

All rights reserved; no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored

in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the Publishers.

Published by Pearson Education Limited in association with Penguin Books Ltd, both companies being subsidiaries of Pearson Plc

Answers for the Activities in this book are available from your local Pearson Education office or: Penguin Readers Marketing Department, Pearson Education, Edinburgh Gate, Harlow, Essex, CM20 2JE.

Penguin Readers Factsheets

Teacher’s Notes

N ew s p aper Chase

by John Escott

About Easystarts

Easystarts are Penguin Readers written to the lowest level in the Penguin Readers series. They are specially written originals, using 200 headwords and the simplest grammatical structures.

There are more than twenty titles to choose from across a range of styles and subject matter. All titles are in full colour, with carefully selected photos and/or artwork which helps to guide early learners of English. There is one page of activities at the back of each book.

Penguin Readers Easystarts provide pleasurable reading for all tastes at an appropriate level of difficulty.

Summary

Newspaper Chase is a fictional story about a thief who steals a very expensive painting from an art gallery. At the beginning of the story Harry, the thief, comes into the art gallery and cuts the painting from its frame. On the way out he knocks over a table and breaks a beautiful vase. He laughs because he has broken a very expensive object.

Harry goes back to the rooming house where he rents a room, and hides the painting under his bed. Janey, the daughter of the rooming house owner, thinks recycling is very important – she always recycles bottles and newspapers. On Friday in the story she collects old newspapers from the house, including the newspaper under Harry’s bed! She puts them in a box to give to the recycling van.

Harry is not at home. He is trying to sell the painting. He comes home as Janey is putting the box in the van. He gets very worried and jumps into the van to find his newspaper. Janey sees a piece of broken glass in his shoe. It is the glass from the beautiful vase and Janey has seen the vase on the news on television. She calls the police and they come and take Harry away.

Background and themes

Justice: Harry does a bad thing. He steals a painting to make money for himself. He is very greedy and the public can no longer see and admire the painting. But at the end of the story justice prevails and he gets what he deserves.

Social responsibility: Janey knows that Harry has done something very wrong so she calls the police. She is socially responsible and helps get the painting back for everyone to admire.

Responsibility for the environment: recycling is very important. Without it the world’s natural resources will eventually run out. It is not good to waste anything that can be recycled.
© Pearson Education Limited 2002

Communicative activities

The following teacher-led activities cover the same sections of text

as the exercises at the back of the Reader.
BEFORE YOU READ

1 Students look at the front of the book. Ask them the following questions:

What is the man doing? Where is he? Why is he looking at the newspaper?

AFTER YOU READ 1 Show students the pictures on the following pages. How are the characters feeling?

page 2 – Harry page 4 – Harry page 7 – Harry page 10 – Jenny page 13 – the men in the recycling truck page 14 – Harry

2 Ask students: You win 1 million pounds. What do you want to buy? A painting? A boat?

Extra words

There are twenty extra words, in addition to the 200 headwords, used in each Easystart title. The extra words used in this title are highlighted in question 1 at the back of the Reader. They are:

art gallery box break chase dollar frame glass jump rooming house million painting piece recycling remember reporter reward thief thousand truck vase

Penguin Readers Factsheets

Student’s activities
ACTIVITIES BEFORE READING THE BOOK

1 Look at the front of the book. Think about the title of the book (Newspaper Chase). What does it mean?

ACTIVITIES WHILE READING THE BOOK Pages 1–3 1 Write the correct word in the sentences below: art galleries thief breaks million frame vase dollar (a) Harry takes the painting from its ______. (b) American money is the ______. (c) I like paintings. I often go to ______ ______. (d) Harry is a ______. (e) The beautiful ______ is blue.

(f) I have a lot of money. I buy paintings for one ______ d o l l a r s .
(g) Harry ______ the vase into pieces.

2 Answer the questions: (a) What time is it when Harry goes to the art gallery? (b) How does Harry see the painting in the dark?

(c) What does Harry take from his coat, when he takes the painting from its frame?
(d) What colour is the beautiful vase?
(e) Why does Harry smile?

Pages 4–7 1 Write the correct words in the sentences below:

rooming house thousand reporter painting piece truck

(a) The building is one ______ years old. (b) Harry tries to get money for the ______. (c) The recycling ______ comes on Fridays. (d) I have a room in a ______ ______. (e) I am a ______ for a newspaper. (f) I like this cake, can I have a big ______ please.

Pages 8–11 1 Write the correct word in the sentences below: recycling chases box jumps shoe

(a) Janey puts the newspapers into a _ _ _ _ _ _.

(b) Janey is looking at Harry’s _ _ _ _ _ _.

(c) Janey ______ bottles and newspapers.

(d) Harry _ _ _ _ _ _ after the recycling truck.

(e) Harry _ _ _ _ _ _ into the recycling truck.

2 Answer the questions:

(a) Why does Janey look for old newspapers?

(b) Where does Janey see the newspaper in Harry’s room?

(c) What colour is Janey’s recycling box?

(d) What are the men from the recycling truck doing?

(e) How many newspapers are in the truck?

(f) How old is Harry’s newspaper?

Pages 12–15 1 Write the correct word in the sentences below: glass remember angry reward

(a) I am one of the men from the recycling truck. Aman is in my truck. I am very ______.

(b) She is telling the police about the thief. Maybe she can get a ______.
(c) I can’t ______ his name.
(d) The vase breaks into a hundred pieces of ______.

2 Answer the questions: (a) Where does Janey see the piece of blue glass? (b) What is Harry’s family name? (c) Who does Janey talk to on the telephone? (d) How are the men in the recycling truck? (e) How many policemen arrive? (f) What can Janey buy with the reward? 2 Are the questions right or wrong? (a) Harry puts the painting in the kitchen. (b) Mrs Allen and Janey hear Harry come home. (c) Janey thinks recycling is important. (d) The vase is in a thousand pieces now. (e) Harry wants fifty-five thousand dollars for the painting? ACTIVITIES AFTER READING THE BOOK

1 Work with a partner. Look at the pictures in the book.Tell your partner the story again. Look at the pictures, not the words. You tell the first piece of the story, your partner can tell the second piece.

2 Do you recycle? What do you recycle? Do you think recycling is important? Why?

Factsheet written by Julie Nowell Factsheet series developed by Louise James

Penguin Readers Answer Key Newspaper Chase

Answers to Book Activities Activities before reading the book
1 – 2 Open answers

Activities after reading the book
3 a Harry Black is a thief. b Harry takes a million-dollar painting from

its frame. c Harry breaks a blue glass vase. d In his room, Harry puts the painting in a

newspaper. e Janey always takes Harry’s old newspapers and bottles for recycling.

4 a It comes every Friday b He is looking for the painting. It is in his

old newspaper. c She sees a piece of glass from the art gallery’s vase.
5 Open answers
Answers to Factsheet Activities
• Communicative activities
Open answers
• Student’s activities

Activities before reading the book Open answers Activities while reading the book Pages 1–3 1 a frame b dollar c art galleries d thief e vase f million g breaks

Pages 8–11

1 a box b shoe c recycles d chases

e jumps

2 a She recycles them.

b Under his bed.

c Black.

d Watching Harry.

e Thousands.

f Two days old.

Pages 12–15

1 a angry

b reward

c remember d glass 2 a In Harry’s shoe. b Black. c The police. d Angry. e Two. f A painting. 2 a One o’clock in the morning. b He has a light. c A knife. d Blue. e He breaks an expensive vase.

Pages 4–7 1 a thousand b painting c truck d rooming house e reporter f piece

2 a Wrong – he puts it under his bed in his room.

b Wrong – they don’t hear him, they are sleeping. c Right. d Wrong – the vase is in a hundred

pieces. e Wrong – he wants fifty thousand.
Activities while reading the book
Open answers

Factsheet written by Julie Nowell Factsheet series developed by Loiuse James