🧛 Dracula – Chapter 7 (Adapted, ~600 words)

Title: Lucy’s Strange Illness

Lucy was getting worse. Mina was very worried. Although Lucy didn’t remember her sleepwalking, she now looked pale and weak. She often held her hand to her throat, where the small red marks were still visible.

Mina wrote in her journal:

“Lucy’s health is failing. She walks and talks like she’s in a dream. Her mother thinks it’s the sea air, but I know something is wrong.”

One morning, Lucy could not get out of bed. Her skin was very cold, and her lips looked blue. Mina quickly sent a telegram to Arthur Holmwood, Lucy’s fiancé.

Arthur came at once. Shocked by Lucy’s condition, he called his friend, Dr. John Seward, who worked at a mental hospital nearby.

Dr. Seward examined Lucy but didn’t know what was wrong.

“She is losing blood,” he said. “But there is no bleeding. I need help.”

He sent a message to his old teacher, Professor Abraham Van Helsing, a wise man from Amsterdam who knew about rare and strange diseases.

Van Helsing arrived the next day. He was kind but serious. After looking at Lucy, he turned to the others.

“We must act fast. She needs a blood transfusion. Who will give their blood?”

Arthur stepped forward without hesitation. They gave Lucy a transfusion, and at once her face turned pink, and she began to breathe better.

Everyone felt relieved, but Van Helsing seemed worried. He gave Mina a piece of garlic and told her to put it around Lucy’s neck and in her room.

“Garlic?” Mina asked, surprised.

“Yes,” Van Helsing said. “It will protect her. Do not remove it.”

Mina promised to follow his instructions exactly.

The next day, Van Helsing returned to find the garlic gone—and Lucy weaker than before.

“What happened to the garlic?” he asked.

Lucy’s mother explained she had removed it because it smelled bad. Van Helsing did not scold her, but his face showed fear.

They tried another blood transfusion, this time using Dr. Seward’s blood. Lucy got better again.

But at night, her condition worsened. Each time she seemed to improve, she would suddenly grow weak again, always with new marks on her neck.

Van Helsing began to stay at the house every night. He said nothing of his theories, but Mina could tell he was afraid—afraid of something not natural.

She continued to write in her journal:

“Something evil is hurting Lucy. I feel it. I don’t know what it is—but it comes at night.”

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📘 Glossary

Word	Meaning
Pale	Having little color in the face
Telegram	A message sent quickly by wire (used before phones)
Fiancé	A man engaged to be married
Mental hospital	A hospital for people with mental illness
Blood transfusion	Giving blood from one person to another
Garlic	A plant used in cooking, also believed to protect from evil in legends
Protect	To keep safe from harm
Worsen(ed)	To get worse
Remove(d)	Taken away
Evil	Very bad or harmful; connected with dark or bad powers

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❓ Comprehension Questions

1. What was happening to Lucy’s health?

2. Who did Mina call to help Lucy?

3. Why did Van Helsing use garlic?

4. What happened when Lucy’s mother removed the garlic?

5. How did Lucy keep getting better and then worse?

6. Why did Van Helsing stay overnight at the house?

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✅ Answers

1. Lucy was growing weak, pale, and cold, with red marks on her neck.

2. Mina first called Arthur, who brought Dr. Seward, who then called Professor Van Helsing.

3. Garlic was used to protect Lucy from harm (possibly supernatural).

4. Lucy became weaker again, and new marks appeared on her neck.

5. After a transfusion, she improved, but at night she grew worse with new symptoms.

6. Van Helsing believed something unnatural was attacking Lucy at night and wanted to protect her.

 

✦ IELTS Topic: Travelling by Train – 10 Useful Phrases

1. Catch a train
   e.g., I usually catch a train to work every morning.

2. Miss the train
   e.g., I overslept and missed the train to the airport.

3. Train station
   e.g., The train station was busy with commuters and tourists.

4. Platform number
   e.g., The train to Manchester departs from platform number 3.

5. Reserved seat
   e.g., I booked a reserved seat to make sure I had space to work.

6. Onboard services
   e.g., The onboard services included free Wi-Fi and refreshments.

7. Express train
   e.g., We took the express train to London — it was much faster.

8. Train timetable
   e.g., Always check the train timetable before your journey.

9. Change trains
   e.g., We had to change trains halfway through the journey.

10. Scenic route
    e.g., The train journey through the mountains took the scenic route.

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✦ IELTS Speaking Practice – Travelling by Train

Part 1: Introduction & Interview

1. Do you often travel by train?

2. What do you like or dislike about train journeys?

3. Are trains common in your country?

4. Do you prefer trains or buses?

5. Have you ever missed a train?

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Part 2: Cue Card

Describe a train journey you enjoyed.
You should say:

• where you were going

• what the train was like

• what you did during the journey
  and explain why you enjoyed it.

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✦ Sample Answers Using the Phrases

Part 1 Answers

1. Yes, I catch a train to university almost every day.
2. I enjoy the view, especially when the train takes a scenic route.
3. Trains are very common, especially between big cities.
4. I prefer trains because of the onboard services and comfort.
5. Yes, I once missed the train because I was stuck in traffic.

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Part 2 Sample Answer

Last spring, I took a train from Edinburgh to the Highlands. I had a reserved seat and boarded at the central train station just after lunch.

The train followed a scenic route through hills and valleys. I used the onboard services to grab a coffee and enjoy the ride.

I had to change trains once, but it was easy because I’d checked the train timetable in advance.

It was a relaxing and beautiful trip — the landscape was stunning, and the express train made the journey quick and comfortable. I’d definitely do it again.

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✦ Comprehension Test: Travelling by Train

1. "I usually catch a train to work every morning."
Q: What does the speaker do regularly?

2. "I overslept and missed the train to the airport."
Q: What happened to the speaker's journey?

3. "The train station was busy with commuters and tourists."
Q: What was the station like?

4. "The train to Manchester departs from platform number 3."
Q: Where can the speaker board the train?

5. "I booked a reserved seat to make sure I had space to work."
Q: Why did the speaker reserve a seat?

6. "The onboard services included free Wi-Fi and refreshments."
Q: What was provided on the train?

7. "We took the express train to London — it was much faster."
Q: What was special about this train?

8. "Always check the train timetable before your journey."
Q: What should you check before travelling?

9. "We had to change trains halfway through the journey."
Q: What did they do during the trip?

10. "The train journey through the mountains took the scenic route."
Q: What made the journey special?

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✦ Answer Key

1. Takes the train daily.

2. Missed it due to waking up late.

3. Very crowded and active.

4. At platform 3.

5. To ensure space and comfort.

6. Internet and drinks/food.

7. It was faster than usual trains.

8. The train schedule.

9. Switch to another train.

10. It went through beautiful scenery.

 

🧛 Dracula – Chapter 6 (Adapted, ~600 words)

Title: Sleepwalking and Storms

Mina Murray arrived in Whitby, a quiet seaside town in England. She had come to visit her best friend, Lucy Westenra, who was staying with her mother for the summer. Mina brought her notebook and wrote in it every day.

“Lucy looks so beautiful and happy here,” Mina wrote. “But sometimes she seems tired during the day. She says she sleeps well, but I’m not sure.”

Lucy loved to walk outside. She often sat on the bench near the old graveyard, watching the sea. One night, Mina woke up and saw Lucy’s bed empty. Panicked, she ran out to find her.

She found Lucy outside—sleepwalking! She was wearing only her nightgown and had bare feet. Her eyes were open, but she said nothing.

“Lucy!” Mina cried. “Wake up!”

Lucy did not move. She was standing at the edge of the cliff, near the graveyard. The moonlight made her look like a ghost.

Suddenly, Mina saw something else—something like a tall, dark figure behind Lucy. She blinked, and it was gone.

Mina quickly led Lucy back home. In the morning, Lucy remembered nothing.

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Meanwhile, strange things were happening in the town.

A Russian ship had crashed on the beach during a terrible storm. The ship was empty—except for the dead captain, who was tied to the wheel. His face showed great fear.

“There were no sailors. No one on board. Just a large black dog that jumped out and ran away,” one of the townspeople said.

Mina read the news in the paper and wondered if there was a connection. That night, she again found Lucy missing from her bed.

She ran to the cliff. Lucy stood in the same place, her face turned toward the sea. Again, a dark shape seemed to be near her—this time closer.

Mina rushed forward and grabbed Lucy. Her skin was cold, and she had small red marks on her neck.

“You’re safe now, Lucy,” Mina whispered. But she was frightened.

Back at the house, Mina took care of her friend. Lucy’s mother thought it was only the sea air making her tired.

But Mina wasn’t sure.

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📘 Glossary

Word	Definition
Seaside	A place next to the ocean or sea
Graveyard	A place where people are buried; cemetery
Sleepwalking	Moving around while asleep without knowing it
Panic(ed)	Feeling sudden fear or anxiety
Nightgown	A long, loose dress worn for sleeping
Moonlight	The light from the moon
Blinked	Quickly closed and opened the eyes
Crash(ed)	To hit something hard; in this case, the ship hit land
Wheel	The steering part of a ship
Marks	Small spots or signs on the skin

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❓ Comprehension Questions

1. Why did Mina go to Whitby?

2. What was unusual about Lucy’s behavior at night?

3. What did Mina see behind Lucy during the night?

4. What happened to the Russian ship?

5. What did the townspeople see leave the ship?

6. What marks did Mina see on Lucy’s neck?

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✅ Answers

1. To visit her friend Lucy Westenra.

2. Lucy was sleepwalking and left the house at night.

3. A tall, dark figure, which disappeared when she blinked.

4. It crashed on the beach during a storm and had no living sailors.

5. A large black dog jumped off the ship and ran away.

6. Small red marks.