Secret Diary Adrian Mo Let m

BY SUE TOWNSEND

THE SECRET DIARY OFADRIAN MOLE

Te a c h e r ’ sM a t e r i a l

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C O N T E N T S

To the Teacher ..................................................................................................................... 3

Before Reading...................................................................................................................... 5

After Reading: Extra Challenges.......................................................................................... 6

After Reading: Group Work .................................................................................................. 7

Possible Answers to Group Work ....................................................................................... 8

Worksheet 1: Page 6 to Page 28 ........................................................................................ 9

Answers to Worksheet 1 .................................................................................................... 10

Worksheet 2: Page 28 to Page 54 ..................................................................................... 11

Answers to Worksheet 2 ................................................................................................... 12

Final Test .............................................................................................................................. 13

Answers to Final Test ......................................................................................................... 14

Answers to Questions in the Reader.................................................................................. 15

Copyright © 1998 Burlington Books

Before using the following teacher’s material, we recommend that you read the Burlington Reader Series general information leaflet.

T h e S e c r e t D i a r y o f A d r i a n M o l e

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T O T H E T E A C H E R

LI S T O F MA I N CH A R A C T E R S

Adrian Mole: the “writer” of this diary. He is a working-class English boy aged 133/4 with manypredictable (and some not so predictable) problems.

Adrian’s mother, Pauline: evidently influenced by the Feminist movement, she gets a job and has an affairwith Mr Lucas, the neighbour. She leaves her husband and her son for nine months to live with Lucas in thecity of Sheffield, but she eventually returns.

Adrian’s father: loses his wife, his job and, according to Adrian, his sanity, but eventually regains all three.

Adrian’s grandma: his father’s mother. She is outspoken and opinionated, but helps Adrian when necessaryand feeds him good meals from time to time.

Nigel: Adrian’s school friend, who always seems to get what Adrian wants first, namely a racing bike andPandora as his girlfriend.

Pandora: Adrian’s girlfriend. She is from a wealthy family, is pretty and is very politically correct.

Bert Baxter: an old man whom Adrian visits and helps.

Barry Kent: the class bully.

Doreen Slater: Adrian’s father’s girlfriend during the time that he is separated from his wife. She is a singlemother with a two-year-old son, Maxwell.

PL O T SU M M A RY

This is the charming, hilarious and explicit diary of a British teenager who lives in a modern suburbansetting. Adrian, an only child whose parents’ marriage is in crisis, records his experiences and observationsof life from New Year’s Day, when he is 133/4, until his fifteenth birthday.

While Adrian monitors the growth and changes in his body, he also copes with being in love with Pandora,taking care of his dog, visiting his grandmother, and helping Bert Baxter as part of his school’s communityservice. At school, Adrian suffers the unwelcome attentions of Barry Kent, who hits him and takes moneyfrom him. Adrian bears Barry’s bullying in silence for months and even begins a paper round to be able topay him. Eventually, it is Adrian’s grandma who puts an end to Barry’s reign of terror.

Adrian also worries about his parents, who are having difficulties in their marriage. They, however, seem toworry more about themselves than about Adrian. Adrian’s mother goes away to Sheffield with her lover, Mr Lucas, leaving Adrian and his father to cope on their own. Adrian’s father starts going out with his co-worker, Doreen Slater. Two months later, he loses his job, which gives Adrian added cause for concern. Indue course, his mother comes back home and his father gets another job.

Adrian shares the household chores of shopping, cooking and cleaning with his parents – though not bychoice. He becomes aware of adult problems and responsibilities, especially when his parents make himpay for his lengthy phone calls to Pandora while she was in Tunisia.

Through it all, Adrian never ceases to take himself seriously. He soldiers on, with his British “stiff upperlip” and a most entertaining combination of understatement and exaggeration.


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AB O U T T H E AU T H O R

Sue Townsend was born on April 2, 1946 in the city of Leicester, England. As a child, she was such an avidreader that during school holidays she would read two books a day. When Townsend was an adolescent, shebegan writing semi-autobiographical fiction. This was the basis of Adrian Mole, but Townsend, not ready topublish, kept him secret.

An early school-leaver, Townsend married, had three children, divorced and remarried before she became aprofessional writer. In 1979, just after she had given birth to her fourth child, she joined the Phoenix WritersGroup at Leicester’s Phoenix Theatre. She wrote her first play, Womberang, and won the Thames TelevisionPlaywrights Scheme. This entitled her to a £2,000 stipend as resident writer at the theatre for one year.

Townsend’s contract at the Phoenix required that she write only one play. However, she was extremely prolificand versatile, working on many pieces that year. Her main piece, The Ghost of Daniel Lambert, was asuccessful musical with 42 speaking and singing parts. During this period, she also began reworking herAdrian Mole material. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 133/4 was published in 1982 and was such animmediate success that Townsend soon adapted the book for television and for the theatre. Adrian Molebecame a household name in 1980s Britain and Townsend wrote sequels which follow Adrian through hisearly manhood. These include: The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole (1984); The Confessions of Adrian Mole(1989); and Adrian Mole: The Wilderness Years (1993).

Using comic characters whose behaviour is often preposterous, Townsend’s work pokes fun at the ridiculousaspects of human behaviour and British life and institutions. Townsend’s extremely popular novel, The Queenand I (1992), presents an imaginary scenario in which Britain becomes a republic, and the Royal Family isrehoused on a “council estate”, a government housing project.

Townsend’s most recent novels are Rebuilding Coventry (1995) and Ghost Children (1997), the latest additionto the Adrian Mole series.

HI S TO R I C A L BA C K G R O U N D

• Thatcher and Thatcherism: The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 133/4 was published during the timethat Margaret Thatcher was Britain’s (first female) Prime Minister. Much of Townsend’s comedy expressessocial commentary on the Prime Ministership of Thatcher, and her policies, known as “Thatcherism”.

Thatcher was nicknamed “the Iron Lady” because of the tough stands which she took, first in the war overthe Falkland Islands with Argentina in 1982, and later in her defeat of the national coal miners’ strike andother trade union action. She favoured free-market forces and supported the privatisation of nationalindustries and utilities. She espoused the values of hard work and self-control, and discouraged too muchreliance on the welfare system. However, during Thatcher’s 11-year tenure (1979-1990), many institutionswere in a state of flux and unemployment rose. For some people, especially for the working class, it was adifficult period.

• Feminism is a movement which became popular in Thatcher’s Britain. Women no longer saw themselves assolely responsible for taking care of children. It became acceptable for women to question the institutions ofmarriage and parenthood, and to look for challenge and responsibility outside the home.

• Multi-cultural England: England is a country with many immigrants. Most are from parts of the formerBritish Empire (such as the Singhs, the Indian family in the story), others are from other parts of the world(such as the Chinese nurse). Townsend mocks Adrian’s grandma for her intolerance and racist views.

• Bonfire Night falls on November 5th. It is a night of fireworks, bonfires and the burning of effigies of GuyFawkes. Guy Fawkes represented a group of Roman Catholic extremists who protested the anti-Catholicpolicies of King James I’s government. Bonfire Night (or Guy Fawkes Night) commemorates the failedGunpowder Plot of November 5th, 1605, in which Fawkes intended to blow up the Houses of Parliamentwhile the King and his chief ministers were meeting there. Fawkes was tried, found guilty and executed.

• Coming for Tea: Tea is a light meal of sandwiches and cakes served in the early afternoon with cups of tea.The English drink tea with milk and sometimes sugar. The word “Tea” is also used by some people asanother name for dinner, the evening meal.


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B E F O R E R E A D I N G

SU G G E S T I O N S F O R LE A D-I N AC T I V I T I E S

In pairs, students ask and answer the following questions. Alternatively, you can ask the questions and elicitthe answers from the whole class. (Some suggested answers are provided in italics.)

1. Have you ever written a diary? Do you keep a diary now? What are some reasons for keeping a diary?(to record one’s thoughts and opinions / experiences / an important event that one is living through;when travelling; to create a document for you or others to read later)

2. Have you ever read someone else’s personal diary? Did the writer give you permission to read it?

3. Have you ever read a published diary? How old was the writer? What period of time did the diarycover?

4. Why do you think that people enjoy reading diaries written by others? (it is interesting to know whatothers thought and felt; one can learn about the times the writer lived in)

5. The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole is the work of Sue Townsend, an adult woman writing from the pointof view of a teenage boy. How might such a diary be different from a “real” diary? (it is fiction; theauthor can choose and control all the events and characters)

KE Y VO C A B U L A RY

Pre-teach the words in bold in the passages below. They are presented in context for your convenience. Youcould also use these passages as a dictation for your students.

Adrian begins his secret diary with New Year’s resolutions. He worries about his tonsils, his parents andhis mongrel dog, but mostly about the spots on his face. Being the right age to fall in love, Adrian isheartbroken when Pandora and Nigel start going out together. He is also jealous that Nigel has a racingbike.

Adrian’s family is not wealthy. Adrian’s father has no money in his bank account, loses his credit card,and cannot remember his cashpoint card number. The family struggles to pay the bills. The heatingdoesn’t work and the electricity and telephone get cut off. Adrian starts a newspaper round and uses someof the money he earns to pay “protection money” to Barry Kent.

BE F O R E RE A D I N G AC T I V I T I E S

The Before Reading activities in the Burlington Reader Series general information leaflet, pages 8-11,can be applied to The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole.

In addition to the activities in the general leaflet, students can then answer the following questions afterlooking at the front and back cover and the pictures in the reader.

1. Who is the main character of the book? How old is he? (Adrian Mole, 133/4 years old)

2. Adrian begins writing his diary on January 1st, New Year’s Day. Less than three months later, he writes,“I don’t know how many more problems I can stand.” Suggest what situations are possible sources ofstress for a 14-year-old boy. (school, friends, girlfriends, money, drugs or alcohol, physical changesassociated with puberty, family problems, parents’ separation or divorce, a parent losing a job, violenceor abuse)


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A F T E R R E A D I N G : E X T R A C H A L L E N G E S

MA K E YO U R ST U D E N T S TH I N K

Here are some points that more advanced students can be asked to consider after reading the book.

1. Would you consider Sue Townsend, the author, a feminist? Support your opinion with examples fromthe book.

2. Can you detect any stereotypes – or attempts to question stereotypes – of professions, gender or ages inThe Secret Diary of Adrian Mole?

3. What typical aspects of British life are presented in The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole?

4. What do you admire and respect about Adrian? What about him do you find fault with?

DR A M A AC T I V I T I E S A N D PR O J E C T SU G G E S T I O N S

1. Write a review of The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole for an English school newspaper.

2. You are a social worker going to visit Bert Baxter. Record your interview on tape and / or act it out infront of the class.

3. Act out the conversation that might have taken place between Adrian’s grandmother and Barry Kent onThursday, May 21st (page 33).

4. Write a letter from Pandora to Adrian, telling Adrian that you and he are getting too serious andexplaining why (page 38).

5. Write out a phone conversation between Adrian’s mother and Mr Lucas after she returned to her family.Act it out in front of the class.

6. Write the poem that Adrian may have written to Pandora in his Valentine’s card to her (page 51).

7. Imagine that you are Adrian, planning to go on a week’s adventure holiday with your youth club.

• Write a list of things you think you may need to take with you.

• Write a letter to Pandora from the trip, telling her what has happened.

8. Write the diary entry that Adrian may have written after the last one in the book.

9. Write your own diary for a week or more.


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A F T E R R E A D I N G : G R O U P W O R K

TO T H E TE A C H E R:

1. Organise a debate on one or both of these statements:

• Adrian has a harder life than most teenagers.

• The fact that Adrian is an only child explains many of his attitudes and problems.

2. Hand out the list of statements below to the groups. The groups discuss the statements and provideexamples from the text to support each statement. The group spokesperson reports the group’s ideas tothe whole class.

TO T H E ST U D E N T S:

Find examples to support the following pairs of statements.

1. (a) Adrian’s behaviour is typical of (b) Adrian behaves responsibly and withsomeone his age. wisdom beyond his years.

Examples: Examples:

2. (a) Adrian’s grandma shows love and (b) Adrian’s grandma is narrow-minded andunderstanding to everyone. intolerant.

Examples: Examples:

3. (a) Nigel is a good friend to Adrian. (b) Nigel is a bad friend to Adrian.

Examples: Examples:

4. (a) Adrian’s parents are childish and (b) Adrian’s parents behave like adults andirresponsible. caring parents.

Examples: Examples:

5. (a) Bert is helpless and senile. (b) Bert is alert and full of life.

Examples: Examples:

See the Burlington Reader Series general information leaflet, pages 13 - 15, for more After Readingactivities.

5. (a) Bert is helpless and senile.

Bert tells Adrian that a Bible printed in1956 saved his life during the First WorldWar. He gives Adrian a book token whichhad to be used before December 1958. Hehas had a set of false teeth since 1946 whichoriginally belonged to his father. His houseis very dirty.

G r o u p W o r k

P O S S I B L E A N S W E R S

4. (a) Adrian’s parents are childish and irresponsible.

Adrian’s father throws his cheese sandwichat the wall. He forgets his cashpoint cardnumber. He stays in bed instead of looking fora job. He wants to hit Adrian because of thehigh telephone bill. He says goodnight to hiscar. He gets drunk.

Adrian’s mother doesn’t give Adrian a noteto get out of sports although he complained ofbeing in pain. She doesn’t bother too muchabout Adrian’s food and clothes. She leavesAdrian and goes to Sheffield with Mr Lucas.

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(b) Adrian’s parents behave like adults and caringparents.

They share their problems and true feelingswith Adrian. Adrian’s father asks Adrian whichparent he would like to live with. He cleans upthe house. He finds a job. He takes Adrianshopping for his school uniform (even though hecomplains how expensive it is).

Adrian’s mother insists that Adrian pay thephone bill himself. She occasionally givesAdrian spending money. She cries and is nice toAdrian when he goes to visit her.

1. (a) Adrian’s behaviour is typical of someone hisage.

Adrian is obsessed with his spots. He hidesbehind a plastic plant in the bank. He hides andburns the phone bills. He leaves his sportsclothes at home because he does not want to dosports at school. He tells his father that the dogbroke the stereo when it was really his own fault.He leaves his new bike outside. He hides Bigand Bouncy magazines under his bed.

3. (a) Nigel is a good friend to Adrian.

Nigel invites Adrian to sleep at his house. Hetells Adrian he can’t see his spot. He asksBarry Kent to stop taking money from Adrian.

2. (a) Adrian’s grandma shows love and understandingto everyone.

Adrian’s grandma feeds Adrian and paysattention to him. She comes round to collectAdrian in a taxi, takes him home and calls thedoctor when he is ill. She helps her son pay hiselectricity bill. She insists that Adrian and hisfather move in with her until the electricity isreconnected. She gets Barry Kent to stop beatingAdrian up. She makes soup for Adrian when heis in hospital.

(b) Adrian behaves responsibly and with wisdombeyond his years.

Adrian takes himself to the doctor, and startsdoing a newspaper round to earn some money.

He helps Bert Baxter clean his house. Hepretends to be Bert’s grandson and phones theSocial Services to ask about a home-help forBert. He calls a doctor when Bert is ill.

(b) Adrian’s grandma is narrow-minded andintolerant.

Adrian’s grandma says she is glad Adrian’sparents are getting divorced. She tells Adrianabout someone who died on the operating tablegetting his tonsils removed. She doesn’t likeblack, brown, yellow, Irish, Jewish or foreignpeople. She sends Adrian a letter on December5th asking him why he hasn’t sent her aChristmas card yet.

(b) Nigel is a bad friend to Adrian.

Nigel lies about Pandora’s father and goesout with her even though he knows Adrianloves her. He tells the whole school that Adrianlikes Barbara Bayer although Adrian told himin secret.

(b) Bert is alert and full of life.

Bert gets Adrian to do his shopping andwashing-up. He tells the social worker thathis grandson looks after him. He escapesfrom hospital and goes to live with theSinghs. He gets married. He speaks perfectHindi.


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A. Fill in the missing names of the characters from the story.

1. ...................... told Adrian that a Bible printed in 1956 had saved his life in the First World War.

2. ...................... owns a horse named Blossom and plays netball.

3. ...................... leaves her husband and takes the furniture from the house.

4. ...................... leaves her husband and her son and moves to Sheffield.

5. ...................... hits Adrian at school and takes “protection money” from him.

6. ...................... talks to his car and throws a cheese sandwich at the wall.

7. ...................... owns a bike with thin wheels, a water bottle, a speedometer and a yellow saddle.

8. ...................... cooks Adrian a real Sunday dinner with gravy and Yorkshire pudding.

9. ...................... thinks his mother doesn’t know enough about vitamins.

10. ...................... sends Adrian’s mother a Valentine’s card in the shape of a big elephant.

B. Complete the sentences with words from the word bank.Which of the words are nouns? Which are verbs? Which are adjectives?

civilised eyes rude treacle card delivered

round token mongrel hair complained uncivilised

1. Adrian thought that Pandora’s ........................ was the colour of ........................ .

2. Adrian’s ........................ and Pandora had the same colour ........................ .

3. At first, Adrian ........................ the wrong newspapers to the people on his paper ........................ .

4. The day that Adrian followed Pandora, people ........................ that their papers were late. But in theend, Adrian’s boss at the newsagents’ was quite pleased with his work. The boss gave Adrian moremoney and two old copies of the ........................ magazine Big and Bouncy.

5. Adrian’s mother arranged a meeting between Mr Lucas and her husband which was supposed to be........................ . But when she said she was going to Sheffield with Mr Lucas, the meeting became........................ .

6. Bert Baxter sent Adrian a birthday ........................ and an out-of-date book ........................ .

C. Fill in the blanks with the Past Continuous form of the verbs in the word bank. Then match A toB to form sentences.

concentrate have beat deliver play watch

A B

1. Adrian ............................ his Abba tape so loudly a. while he ............................. newspapers on her street.

2. Adrian’s heart ............................ so loudly b. when he, his mother and Mr Lucasplayed Monopoly.

3. Adrian saw Pandora coming out of her house c. that he and Adrian’s mother............................. a bad time.

4. Adrian’s father told Adrian d. that the deaf woman next door shouted athim.

5. The neighbours ............................ e. while Mr Lucas and Adrian’s father fought in the front garden.

6. Adrian was the only one who ............................ f. that he thought Pandora could hear it.

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W O R K S H E E T 1 : P A G E 6 T O P A G E 2 8

W o r k s h e e t 1 : P a g e 6 t o P a g e 2 8

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A N S W E R S

A. 1. Bert Baxter

2. Pandora

3. Mrs Lucas

4. Adrian’s mother / Pauline

5. Barry Kent

6. Adrian’s father

7. Nigel

8. Adrian’s grandma

9. Adrian

10. Mr Lucas

B. 1. hair, treacle

2. mongrel, eyes

3. delivered, round

4. complained, rude

5. civilised, uncivilised

6. card, token

Nouns Verbs Adjectiveshair delivered rudetreacle complained civilisedmongrel uncivilisedeyesroundcardtoken

C. 1. was playing, d

2. was beating, f

3. a, was delivering

4. c, were having

5. were watching, e

6. was concentrating, b


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W O R K S H E E T 2 : P A G E 2 8 T O P A G E 5 4

A. Fill in the blanks with although or because.

1. Mr Lucas made Adrian sick ........................ he was always kissing Adrian’s mother.

2. Adrian didn’t want Bert Baxter to die ........................ he didn’t have anything to wear to a funeral.

3. Adrian did his homework ........................ there was no electricity.

4. Adrian avoided Pandora all day ........................ his chin was covered with spots.

5. Adrian needed to have his tonsils removed ........................ he suffered from tonsillitis every year.

6. ........................ the Chinese nurse stayed with Adrian while he was washing, Adrian covered himselfup with a hospital sponge.

7. ........................ Adrian felt dehydrated, he was not allowed to drink anything before his tonsilsoperation.

8. The Singhs came to watch TV at Adrian’s house ........................ their own TV had broken down.

9. ........................ Adrian’s father was not happy at first about the Singh family moving in next door, in the end he acted like a good neighbour.

10. Pandora didn’t send Adrian a card for his 15th birthday ........................ she was very upset withhim.

B. Fill in the blanks with the Past Perfect form of the verbs in the word bank.

do bleed pay belong suffer hide chew burn

1. Bert Baxter’s teeth had sentimental value to him; they ........................ to his father.

2. After Sabre ........................ Bert’s false teeth, Bert washed them and put them back in his mouth.

3. The phone was cut off on November 28th because nobody ........................ the bill.

4. Because Adrian ........................ his homework by candlelight, there was candle wax on his exercisebooks.

5. Adrian’s grandma told him about someone who ........................ to death on the operating table whilehe was having his tonsils removed.

6. Adrian ........................ the red phone bill and ........................ the blue phone bill under his bed.

7. Adrian ........................ from tonsillitis for nine years before his tonsils were removed.

C. Fill in the blanks with the possessive form of the nouns below.

Doreen Slater Nigel Barry Kent Pandora Bert Baxter Sabre

Mrs Lucas grandma Maxwell the Moles Queenie Adrian

1. ........................ hat had flowers and fruit on it and her make-up was orange.

2. ........................ bedroom had black walls, a white carpet, a stereo and a colour television.

3. The postman read ........................ postcard from Tunisia.

4. Maxwell was ........................ two-year-old son.

5. Pandora advised Adrian to put some vodka in ........................ milk.

6. The art teacher wasn’t pleased with ........................ picture of a nude.

7. Adrian found ........................ teeth in ........................ kennel.

8. When they had no electricity, Adrian and his father stayed at his ........................ house for a week.

9. Even ........................ dog couldn’t stop smiling when ........................ mother came back home.

10. The dog destroyed ........................ new path.

W o r k s h e e t 2 : P a g e 2 8 t o P a g e 5 4

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A N S W E R SA N S W E R S

A. 1. because

2. because

3. although

4. because

5. because

6. Because

7. Although

8. because

9. Although

10. because

B. 1. had belonged

2. had chewed

3. had paid

4. had done

5. had bled

6. had burned, had hidden

7. had suffered

C. 1. Queenie’s

2. Nigel’s

3. Pandora’s

4. Doreen Slater’s

5. Maxwell’s

6. Barry Kent’s

7. Bert Baxter’s, Sabre’s

8. grandma’s

9. the Moles’, Adrian’s

10. Mrs Lucas’


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F I N A L T E S T

A. Circle the incorrect answer.

1. Adrian thinks that ............... is / are disgusting.a. Bert Baxter’s house c. his library book, The Care of the Skinb. Bert putting his false teeth back in his d. the plastic pirates the vet removed

mouth after Sabre chewed them from the dog’s stomach

2. At one time or another in Adrian’s house,a. the television breaks down. c. the telephone gets cut off.b. the electricity gets cut off. d. the heating doesn’t work.

3. Adrian’s mother told Adrian she left Sheffield becausea. Mr Lucas treated her like a sex object. c. she was fond of her own husband.b. she wanted to be nearer to him. d. Mr Lucas expected her to cook for him.

4. Adrian’s father takes money froma. Adrian. c. Adrian’s grandma.b. Bert Baxter. d. Mr Lucas.

B. Circle the correct answer.

1. The Chinese nurse stays with Adriana. to watch him shower. c. to make sure he doesn’t drink anything.b. to examine his tonsils. d. to keep him company.

2. Bert Baxter a. sends Adrian a Valentine’s card. c. returns to India with Mr Singh.b. escapes from the hospital. d. keeps his home clean and spotless.

3. When Adrian listened to his Abba tape at full volume,a. his dog went wild. c. he got a migraine.b. his father’s stereo broke. d. his deaf neighbour complained.

4. The postman reada. all the letters the Moles received. c. the postcards that Adrian received.b. Adrian’s secret diary. d. all the post that he delivered.

C. Choose the correct answer.

A lot happened to Adrian (1. from / after / with) the time he was 133/4 to his fifteenth birthday. Hetook care (2. of / for / from) his father and himself while his mother (3. live / was living / has lived)with Mr Lucas in Sheffield. Adrian began doing a newspaper (4. round / token / boss) and he enjoyedvisiting (5. and / or / but) helping Bert Baxter. With his (6. grandma’s / headmaster’s / father’s)help, Adrian stopped Barry Kent taking protection money from him.

Adrian’s diary ends with Adrian waiting (7. for / to / at) Pandora to visit him after he got his(8. chin / nose / spots) stuck to his model plane when he (9. shaved / finished / sniffed) the glue forfive seconds. Pandora had been (10. ashamed / embarrassed / jealous) because Adrian had told Nigelthat he liked another girl.

D. Choose one topic and write a paragraph. Your paragraph should be at least 60 words long.

1. Why do you think Adrian did not tell anyone about his troubles with Barry Kent? How did thesituation get resolved in the end?

2. What kind of a woman, mother and grandmother is Adrian’s grandma?

3. Describe Adrian’s relationship with Bert Baxter. What kind of a friend is Bert to Adrian?

4. Describe Adrian’s relationship with Pandora. Mention the things you like about their relationship.

5. Would you and Adrian be friends? Explain why.

20 points (5 points each)



30 points

F i n a l T e s t

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A N S W E R S

A. 1. c 2. a 3. b 4. d B. 1. c 2. b 3. d 4. c

C. 1. from 2. of 3. was living 4. round 5. and

6. grandma’s 7. for 8. nose 9. sniffed 10. jealous

D. Accept all logical and grammatically correct answers.

Possible points for inclusion:

1. It is hard to understand why Adrian didn’t tell anyone at school about Barry Kent. Adrian probablythought that nobody could do anything to help him or that if he told anyone, Barry would hit himeven more. Maybe he was embarrassed. In March, Nigel talked to Barry and asked him to stoptaking money from Adrian, but Barry just said he would think about it. One day in May, Adrian’sfather noticed Adrian’s torn jacket and Adrian then told him what had been going on. Maybe Adrianhadn’t told his father earlier because he thought that his father had his own problems. Adrian’sfather went to speak to Barry Kent and Barry’s father to get Adrian’s money back, but he didn’tsucceed. Adrian’s father told him they needed proof. The next day, Barry hit Adrian again and gavehim a bruise. Adrian’s grandma found out what happened and she went round to the Kents’ house.She got Adrian’s money back and Barry Kent stopped bothering Adrian.

2. Adrian’s grandma has many different sides to her personality and behaviour. She can be loving andgiving. She is very nice to Adrian and protective towards him. She makes him meals and looks afterhim when he isn’t feeling well. She gets Barry Kent to give Adrian’s money back and makes sure henever bothers Adrian again. She helps her son, too. She gives him money to pay his electricity billand invites Adrian and his father to stay with her when their electricity is cut off.

However, Adrian’s grandma can also be tough, demanding and tactless. For example, she tellsAdrian that she is happy that her son and his wife are going to get divorced. She also tells Adrianabout someone who bled to death while he was having his tonsils removed, just before Adrian goesin to hospital for the same operation. She is also very difficult to please. She is upset when Adrianhasn’t sent her a Christmas card by December 5th! Adrian’s grandma is also narrow-minded.Adrian knows that she does not like black, brown, yellow, Irish, Jewish or foreign people.

3. Bert Baxter is an old man aged 89 who is full of surprises. Adrian belongs to a group at school thathelps old people, and he is given Bert to visit. At first, Adrian doesn’t like Bert and only visits himbecause he has to. Then, Adrian starts to realise that Bert is OK (but a bit senile). Bert starts to relyon Adrian. He gets Adrian to do his washing-up. Once, Bert phones Adrian's school because he haslost his false teeth. The second time, he phones because he is ill and Adrian arranges for anambulance to take Bert to hospital.

In the end, Adrian and Bert become special friends. When Bert escapes from hospital, he comes tolive with Adrian and his father. A week later, he goes to live with the Singh family and – anothersurprise – Adrian finds out that Bert speaks perfect Hindi! Although Bert is an old man, he doesn’tbehave like one. Mr Singh won’t leave Bert alone with all the women in his house. When Bert movesinto an old people’s home, he finds a girlfriend, Queenie. Adrian continues to visit him, and invitesBert and Queenie for Christmas lunch. They invite him to their wedding.

4. Pandora is the new girl in Adrian’s class. She sits next to him in Geography. At first, Adrian noticesher long hair and her good figure. He falls in love with her, but she and his friend Nigel start goingout. However, Adrian thinks about Pandora all the time. Therefore, when Nigel and Pandora breakup, Adrian is very happy. A few months later, Pandora starts to pay attention to Adrian. They spendmore time together and by June, their love is official.

Adrian and Pandora have a good relationship and they do many things together. She visits BertBaxter with him. They go to the swimming pool together. They act in the Christmas play together.She helps Adrian when he is drunk and gives him advice. For example, she tells Adrian how tocalm Maxwell down (by putting vodka in his milk!). They talk to each other a lot, even whenPandora is in Tunisia. They share their thoughts and feelings. They also kiss and touch each other.In the end, Adrian hurts Pandora’s feelings when he tells Nigel that he likes another girl. At the endof the diary, although Pandora is upset with Adrian, she is about to visit him.

A N S W E R S


15

A N S W E R S T O Q U E S T I O N S I N T H E R E A D E R

1. New Year’s resolutions are a person’s (good)intentions for the coming year.

2. Adrian thinks that his spot is growing becausehis mother doesn’t know about vitamins.

3. The vet finds many things in the dog’sstomach. There were even plastic pirates fromAdrian’s father’s model ship. The dog hadeaten these things.

4. Adrian is 133/4 years old at the beginning ofhis diary.

5. Adrian thought that Nigel was being politebecause Nigel said he couldn’t see Adrian’sspot.

6. Adrian decided to go and see a private doctorbecause the doctor who Adrian went to firstdidn’t examine Adrian’s spot.

7. Adrian thought that the family were poorbecause they only had a black-and-white TV(not a colour one).

8. He thought he would be a teenage criminalbecause his mother was looking for a job. (Hethought she would be too busy to look afterhim.)

9. Adrian is in a group at school that helps oldpeople. Adrian is given Bert Baxter to help.

10. Adrian’s mother got a job at the place whereMr Lucas worked.

11. Adrian is angry because Nigel started goingout with Pandora even though Nigel knewAdrian loved her.

12. The real reason is probably that Adrian’sfather is jealous. Adrian’s mother is lookingafter Mr Lucas when she finishes work andhas got no time to look after Adrian and hisfather.

13. Mr Lucas stays with Adrian’s family becausehis wife has taken all the furniture from hishome.

14. Adrian wishes he knew karate so that he couldprotect himself from Barry Kent.

15. When Adrian’s father went fishing, Mr Lucascame for dinner and ate three pieces ofAdrian’s father’s favourite cake. There was nocake left for Adrian’s father. When Adrian’sfather arrived home, he was hungry. His wifemade him a cheese sandwich. Adrian’s fatherthrew the cheese sandwich at the wall. He saidthat he wasn’t a mouse, he was a man.Adrian’s mother cried.

16. Pandora lives on Elm Tree Avenue. Adrianfinds this out when he sees her coming out ofher house while he is delivering newspaperson her street.

17. Adrian found out that his parents wereseparating when he heard his father talking tohis grandma.

18. Adrian’s grandmother was quite happy that hisparents were getting a divorce.

19. Adrian hid his father’s shaving razor becausehe thought that his father was suicidal.

20. After his weekend with Nigel, Adrian thoughtthat he had been living in poverty for 14 years.He thought that he lived in a horrible house,ate terrible food and didn’t get enough pocketmoney. He thought that his father would haveto look for a better job (so he could buyeverything Adrian wanted).

21. Adrian told his mother because he wanted tomake her jealous so she would come home.

22. Adrian was angry that the postman had readhis postcards. He thought he would report thepostman for reading other people’s postcards.

23. Adrian’s father put the flowers into the backseat of his car and went out with DoreenSlater.

24. Adrian’s grandma went mad (got very angry)when she found Adrian and his father readingby candlelight. She said they had got to go toher house. She gave Adrian’s father a chequefor the electricity bill.

25. Adrian’s grandma solved his problem withBarry Kent.

26. Adrian hopes that Bert Baxter doesn’t die fortwo reasons. First, he likes Bert. Second, hedoesn’t have anything to wear to a funeral.

27. Pandora thinks Adrian’s father is racistbecause when an Indian family, the Singhs,moved next door, Adrian’s father said it was“the beginning of the end” of their street.

28. Pandora said she had given all her money to apoor man in Tunisia.

29. Pandora told Adrian they shouldn’t see eachother for a while because she thought theywere getting too serious.

30. Adrian is worried about the operation toremove his tonsils because both his grandmaand Bert said they knew people who had bledto death when they had their tonsils removed.

These answers relate to the questions on pages 56-57 of the reader itself.


31. Adrian burned the telephone bill at the bonfireparty because he did not want his father to seehow big it was (from when he and Pandoraspoke to each other for hours while she was inTunisia).

32. Adrian’s mother left Mr Lucas because hetreated her like a sex object and he expectedher to cook for him. She also said she wasvery fond of Adrian’s father.

33. They had Christmas lunch four hours latebecause the turkey had not defrosted quicklyenough. Adrian told his mother to put theturkey in the oven and it took a long time tocook.

34. Adrian believed Bert and Queenie’s weddingwas a waste of time because they were so old.

35. Pandora refused to make love with Adrianbecause she did not want to risk becoming asingle parent.

36. Adrian had told Nigel in secret that he likedBarbara Bayer. Nigel told the whole school.Pandora was very upset with Adrian, so shedidn’t send him a birthday card.

37. When Adrian sniffed the glue on the modelplane, his nose stuck to the plane. His fathertook him to hospital to have the planeremoved.

Documents

Secret Diary Adrian Mo Let m