It was a cold dark night

It was a cold, dark night...

Adapted from English File Pre-Intermediate. OUP

It was a cold dark evening in November. It was six o'clock and people were going home from work. Vanessa was driving out of the town. She was in a hurry, but she wasn't going home. She stopped to buy a bottle of wine, and then got back into the car and continued driving.

Where do you think she was going?

She was going to her friend's house to have dinner. Her friend's name was Martin. He was a farmer and lived in the country. Vanessa was listening to the radio. She began to relax after a hard day at work. She was driving past some trees when suddenly she hit something in the road. She stopped and got out of the car.

What do you think she saw?

There was a dog lying in the road. It was dead.Vanessa moved carefully the dog to the side of the road and continued her journey. Suddenly she saw in the mirror that there was a red van behind her. When she turned right, the van turned right, and when she turned left, the van turned left too. It was following her!

Why was the van following her?

Vanessa was sure that the driver of the van was following her because the dead dog was his, and he was angry. Now he was flashing his lights

What do you think Vanessa did?

Vanessa drove faster but the car drove faster too. Suddenly the seven o'clock news started on the radio. It said: 'The police are looking for a murderer who escaped from prision last night. Be careful! He is very dangerous!'

How do you think Vanessa felt then?

Vanessa was terrified. Now she was sure the man in the van was the murderer! She drove faster. Martin's farm was very near now but the red van was right behind her! At last she arrived at Martin's farm. She got out of the car and ran up to the door. She rung the doorbell. 'Martin! Help, help! 'she shouted

Where do you think Martin was?

Martin was in the kitchen making dinner when the doorbell rang. He heard Vanessa shouting, so he ran to get his shotgun. He opened the door. At that moment the red van stopped next to Vanessa's car. A tall man got out.

Who do you think the man was?

'That man is the murderer who escaped from prision last night', Vanessa shouted. 'He's going to kill us'. 'No, no!' said the tall man. 'I'm not the murderer. The murderer is in there, in the back of your car!'

When did the murderer get into Vanessa's car?

'I was driving behind you', the tall man said,'and I saw you stop when you hit the dog. There was a man behind a tree. I saw him get in your car. I recognized him from the newspaper. He's the murderer who escaped from prision last night. That's why I was following you!'

Martin ran to the car with his shotgun. He opened the back door. There was a man on the floor. 'OK', said Martin, 'come out, with your hands up'

THE END...

PAST CONTINUOUS EXAMPLES

• It was six o'clock and people were going home from work.

• Vanessa was driving out of the town. She was in a hurry, but she wasn't going home.

• She was driving past some trees when suddenly she hit something in the road

• Martin was in the kitchen making dinner when the doorbell rang.