🧛‍♂️ Dracula – Chapter 11 (Adapted)

Title: Hunting the Count

Van Helsing and his team continued their mission: to find all of Dracula’s boxes of earth—his safe places—and destroy them. They believed this would weaken him and make it possible to end his evil forever.

Jonathan, Arthur, Dr. Seward, and Quincey searched every location Dracula had visited. In one house near the Thames River, they found several of the boxes. Some were empty, but others still held dirt. They placed holy wafers in them so Dracula could not return.

Van Helsing stayed with Mina, who was now very weak. Her face was white, her lips red, and the wounds on her neck deeper. She had dreams of a dark fog entering her room and of hearing Dracula’s voice. Still, she helped with the group’s work—writing, organizing notes, and encouraging the men.

One day, Van Helsing gathered them together.

“Dracula is planning to escape. He knows we are closing in.”

“Where would he go?” asked Arthur.

“Back to Transylvania,” said Jonathan. “To his castle.”

Van Helsing nodded.

“We must stop him before he leaves England.”

Then something terrible happened. Mina cried out in the night. The men ran to her room and found her lying in bed, her face pale and wet with tears. In the dark corner stood Count Dracula, his red eyes glowing.

Dracula hissed at them, his lips stained with blood. Jonathan rushed forward, but the Count disappeared into a cloud of mist.

Van Helsing ran to Mina. Her nightdress was soaked with blood. But this time, the marks were not only on her neck—there was also a small wound on her chest.

“He made her drink his blood,” Van Helsing said in horror. “Now their minds are connected.”

Mina began to cry.

“Am I becoming one of them?”

“No,” Van Helsing said firmly. “We still have time.”

They quickly put protections around the house—garlic, holy water, crucifixes. Mina was given sacred items to keep with her at all times.

But now there was a new idea: if Mina and Dracula were mentally linked, perhaps they could use this to track him.

Van Helsing spoke to Mina.

“If you concentrate, can you see where he is?”

Mina closed her eyes. After a long pause, she said:

“He is on a ship. I feel the sea. I smell salt in the air. He is going home…”

“Then we must follow!” shouted Jonathan.

---

📘 Glossary

Word	Meaning
Wafer	A small piece of holy bread used in church
Thames River	A river in London
Encouraging	Giving support and confidence
Escape	To run away
Nightdress	A dress worn for sleeping
Sacred	Religious or holy
Mentally linked	Connected by the mind or thoughts

---

❓ Comprehension Questions

1. What did the group do to Dracula’s boxes?

2. How was Mina feeling during this chapter?

3. What did Dracula do to Mina during the night?

4. Why was Van Helsing so worried after the attack?

5. How did they plan to use Mina’s condition to help?

6. Where was Dracula going?

---

✅ Answers

1. They placed holy wafers inside the boxes to make them unusable.

2. She was weak but still tried to help the others.

3. He made her drink his blood and bit her again.

4. Because Dracula and Mina were now mentally connected.

5. They planned to track Dracula using Mina’s mental link.

6. Back to Transylvania, on a ship

 

✦ IELTS Topic: Sport Places to Play – 10 Useful Phrases

1. Football pitch
   e.g., The match was held on a well-maintained football pitch.

2. Athletics track
   e.g., She trains every morning on the local athletics track.

3. Stadium atmosphere
   e.g., The stadium atmosphere was electric during the final.

4. Spectator stands
   e.g., Thousands of fans filled the spectator stands before kickoff.

5. Cricket ground
   e.g., We watched a game at one of the oldest cricket grounds in the country.

6. Tennis court
   e.g., You need to book the tennis court in advance at our club.

7. Basketball court
   e.g., They play every weekend on the outdoor basketball court near the school.

8. Home ground advantage
   e.g., The team usually performs better with the home ground advantage.

9. Indoor arena
   e.g., The match had to be moved to an indoor arena because of the rain.

10. Training facility
    e.g., The club has invested in a state-of-the-art training facility.

---

✦ IELTS Speaking Practice – Sport Places

Part 1: Introduction & Interview

1. Do you like playing or watching sports?

2. Are there good sports facilities in your area?

3. Have you ever been to a stadium?

4. What’s your favourite place to play or watch sport?

5. Do you prefer indoor or outdoor sports venues?

---

Part 2: Cue Card

Describe a sports venue you have visited or seen.
You should say:

• what kind of place it is

• what sport is played there

• what it looks like
  and explain why you remember it.

---

✦ Sample Answers Using the Phrases

Part 1 Answers

1. Yes, I love both! I enjoy playing on the football pitch at my local park.
2. Definitely. We have a nice basketball court and a modern training facility.
3. Yes, I’ve been to a huge stadium for a concert, but also to watch a match — the stadium atmosphere was amazing.
4. I like watching matches from the spectator stands at the cricket ground near my house.
5. I prefer indoor arenas for sports like volleyball — no weather interruptions!

---

Part 2 Sample Answer

Last year, I visited a famous cricket ground in London with a group of friends. It was a historic stadium and had a great stadium atmosphere, especially when the home team scored.

We sat in the spectator stands quite close to the field, and the view was fantastic. I learned it was also used as a training facility when matches weren’t on.

The whole experience was exciting — even though I’m not a huge cricket fan, being in such a place made it really memorable.

---

✦ Comprehension Test: Sport Venues

1. "The match was held on a well-maintained football pitch."
Q: What kind of surface was the game played on?

2. "She trains every morning on the local athletics track."
Q: Where does she go to train?

3. "The stadium atmosphere was electric during the final."
Q: What was the atmosphere like?

4. "Thousands of fans filled the spectator stands before kickoff."
Q: Where were the fans sitting?

5. "We watched a game at one of the oldest cricket grounds in the country."
Q: What kind of venue was it?

6. "You need to book the tennis court in advance at our club."
Q: What do you have to do before playing tennis?

7. "They play every weekend on the outdoor basketball court near the school."
Q: Where do they usually play?

8. "The team usually performs better with the home ground advantage."
Q: What helps the team perform better?

9. "The match had to be moved to an indoor arena because of the rain."
Q: Why was the venue changed?

10. "The club has invested in a state-of-the-art training facility."
Q: What did the club build?

---

✦ Answer Key

1. A football field or pitch.

2. At an athletics track.

3. Very exciting or lively.

4. In the stadium seating area.

5. A place where cricket is played.

6. Make a reservation.

7. At an outdoor basketball court.

8. Playing on familiar ground.

9. Bad weather.

10. A modern place for practice.

 

🧛‍♂️ Dracula – Chapter 10 (Adapted)

Title: A New Target

Now that Lucy had been laid to rest, Van Helsing and his friends knew that Count Dracula was still alive—and dangerous. He had already taken one victim, and they feared he would take more.

Van Helsing spoke to Jonathan and Mina.

“We must be brave. Dracula is in London. He hides by day and walks by night. We must find him and stop him.”

Jonathan remembered the castle in Transylvania. His face went pale as he said:

“I know him. I was his prisoner. I saw him crawl down the castle wall like a lizard.”

Mina hugged him. She was proud of how strong he had become. But Van Helsing noticed something else—Mina looked tired. Her skin was pale, and her eyes had dark circles beneath them.

He looked at Jonathan.

“Has Mina been sleeping well?”
“Not really,” he replied. “She wakes up with bad dreams.”

Van Helsing began to worry. Lucy had also started with strange dreams before she became ill. He asked Mina to write everything in her journal—her dreams, thoughts, and feelings. Mina agreed.

Meanwhile, Van Helsing and the others searched London for Dracula. They visited graveyards, dark alleys, and even the docks, looking for signs of him.

Then, something terrible happened.

One night, Mina was alone in her room. A mist entered through the window. She couldn’t move or speak. She saw a tall, pale figure in black leaning over her. It was Dracula.

Mina later wrote:

“I felt cold, as if my blood was turning to ice. He pressed his lips to my neck. I could not stop him. I could not scream.”

Jonathan, sleeping in the next room, did not hear anything. When he found Mina the next morning, she was weak and pale.

Van Helsing arrived and examined her. He found two small wounds on her neck—the same as Lucy had.

“He has started with her,” Van Helsing said sadly. “We must act quickly.”

They gave Mina garlic and hung a crucifix above her bed. Van Helsing also placed mirrors and sacred objects around the room to protect her.

Then they planned their next move.

Van Helsing believed that Dracula had brought boxes of earth from Transylvania—boxes filled with his native soil. These were his hiding places during the day.

“If we find and destroy his boxes, he will have no place to rest. Then we can destroy him,” he said.

The group split up. Jonathan and Dr. Seward searched the docks. Arthur and Quincey Morris went to investigate old houses Dracula might be using.

Mina stayed behind, growing weaker each night. But she still helped, typing notes and keeping their records in order.

Van Helsing looked at her with admiration.

“You are brave, Miss Mina. Stronger than many men.”

But he knew they were running out of time.

---

📘 Glossary

Word	Meaning
Laid to rest	Buried after death
Brave	Showing courage
Pale	Having little color in the face
Mist	Light fog or steam
Sacred	Related to religion or protection
Crucifix	A Christian cross with Jesus on it
Soil	Earth or dirt
Admiration	Respect and approval

---

❓ Comprehension Questions

1. Why did Van Helsing believe Dracula was still in London?

2. What symptoms did Mina begin to show?

3. What happened to Mina one night while she was alone?

4. How did Van Helsing try to protect Mina afterward?

5. What did Van Helsing say about the boxes of soil?

6. How did Mina continue to help the group?

---

✅ Answers

1. Because strange things were happening and people were still in danger.

2. She became pale, weak, and had strange dreams.

3. Dracula visited her, drank her blood, and she couldn’t move or scream.

4. He used garlic, a crucifix, mirrors, and sacred objects.

5. Dracula used them as places to hide during the day; destroying them would leave him vulnerable.

6. She typed notes, organized journals, and stayed involved despite being weak.