Right There
What two things have been waking Mary recently?
Her (young) son and her (workaholic) husband.
The moon inched its way reluctantly across the cloudless sky.
What does the word reluctantly suggest about how time seems to be passing?
If you are reluctant you don’t want to do something and will probably move slowly to do it. Also if you inch along you go slowly – because an inch is a small unit of length.
Therefore time appears to be passing slowly.
How did Mary feel when she reached the entrance to the cave?
Find evidence from the text to support your view.
She was shocked/very surprised.
We know this because the text says she took a “sharp intake of breath” (a gasp) when she looked down “in disbelief”.
A gasp of disbelief strongly suggests she was shocked by what she saw.
Why did Mary take a deep breath before leaving the cave?
She was about to do something dangerous and risky.
What side of her cheek appeared to be scratched?
Her left
What do you think is the name of Mary’s husband?
Why do you think this?
Jake…
It says: She had tried to phone Jake at the office. We know her husband works a lot and it seems likely that she would phone her husband if something had gone wrong.
Identify one feature of Mary’s personality.
She is determined/practical/independent.
When she hit her head she started to cry but “blinked them (the tears) angrily away.”
This tells us she refused to panic/give up in a difficult and frightening situation and looks for a solution to the problem/way out.
Where was Mary when she was reunited with the daylight?
At the mouth/entrance of the cave where it is light.
Where was the bird sitting?
How do you know that Mary is worrying about her finances?
In the text it says: “Where the money was going to come from she didn’t know.”
Mary popped her head back into the cave and sat down to think.
In your opinion, what was she trying to understand?
She is trying to think of a way out/how she got there.
I think this because she has already looked to the left, to the right and up and down and cannot see any way in or out at the mouth of the cave.
What injuries did Mary collect on her journey along the cave?
bumps and scratches on her elbows and shins
The light at the entrance dwindled to the size of a what?
A peanut
From whom does Mary usually ask for advice when things go wrong?
Her bestfriend Belinda
What were Mary’s feelings when she reached the back of the cave?
How do you know this?
At first she was desperate to find a way out – she frantically waved her torch.
She was then very disappointed = her hopes were dashed.
After she hit her head, Mary looked for a landmark in the darkness.
In what direction did she move?
Towards the light
Who is Tiger?
The neighbours cat
Mary realised she was not in her bedroom and became wide awake.
How do you know that she could not see very well at this moment?
It says that: “Her eyes widened to gather light for her brain.”
Do you think Mary reached safety after leaving the cave?
Find evidence from the text to support your answer.
Yes.
In the text it says that she forced herself to remain calm and began reciting prime numbers to help her remain in control. This shows that she is very good at controlling her fear/emotions to focus on a practical problem.
Why was Mary’s sister away from home?
She was looking to purchase some French wine from a dealer.