🧛‍♂️ Dracula – Chapter 12 (Adapted)

Title: The Chase to Transylvania

The group knew they had to move quickly. Dracula was on a ship heading back to his castle in Transylvania. Time was running out.

Jonathan, Mina, Van Helsing, Dr. Seward, Arthur, and Quincey planned how to catch him. They would travel different routes and meet near Dracula’s castle.

Jonathan and Mina took a train, then a carriage, through dangerous mountains. Jonathan protected Mina day and night. She was growing weaker. Her connection with Dracula was strong. Sometimes, she could see through his eyes.

“He is resting in his box,” she whispered one night. “The ship is close to shore.”

Van Helsing and the others took another route by horse. They carried weapons, holy water, and crucifixes. The journey was hard, but they were determined.

Mina continued to help. She wrote everything in her journal. She even made maps using Dracula’s thoughts.

Finally, the group met at the edge of the Borgo Pass, near Dracula’s castle. Snow covered the ground. The wind howled.

“He is here,” Mina said. “He knows we are coming.”

They found the group of gypsies who were helping Dracula. The Count’s box was in their wagon, guarded closely. A chase began.

The vampire hunters rode fast, surrounding the wagon. The gypsies tried to fight, but the group was ready. Arthur and Quincey jumped off their horses and reached the box.

Suddenly, Dracula stood up from inside, his red eyes burning. The sun was setting—but not gone. It was still light enough to act.

Quincey pulled out his knife. Jonathan grabbed a wooden stake.

“Now!” Van Helsing cried.

Jonathan drove the stake into Dracula’s heart. Quincey slashed his throat. The Count gave a loud, terrible cry—then turned to dust.

Mina screamed—but it was not pain. It was relief. The mark on her forehead, left by Dracula, faded away.

Dracula was gone.

But there was sadness too. Quincey had been badly hurt in the fight. He lay in the snow, bleeding.

“It was worth it,” he said. “Now she is safe.”

He died as the sun finally disappeared behind the mountains.

---

📘 Glossary

Word	Meaning
Carriage	A horse-drawn vehicle
Crucifix	A cross with Jesus on it
Borgo Pass	A mountain route in Transylvania
Gypsies	Traveling people (now more respectfully called Romani)
Wagon	A vehicle for carrying goods
Howled	Made a loud, crying sound like wind or wolves
Stake	A sharp wooden stick used to kill vampires

---

❓ Comprehension Questions

1. Where was Dracula trying to go?

2. How did the group plan to catch him?

3. What ability did Mina have while connected to Dracula?

4. What happened when they found Dracula’s box?

5. Who helped destroy Dracula?

6. What happened to Quincey Morris?

---

✅ Answers

1. He was returning to his castle in Transylvania.

2. They traveled different routes to meet near the castle and stop him.

3. She could see through his eyes and know where he was.

4. The group chased and fought the gypsies guarding the box, then attacked Dracula.

5. Jonathan and Quincey both struck him—Jonathan with a stake, Quincey with a knife.

6. He was wounded during the fight and died afterward.

 

✦ IELTS Speaking Practice – Sport Equipment

Part 1: Introduction & Interview

1. Do you play any sports that require equipment?

2. What sports equipment do you own?

3. Do you prefer team sports or individual sports?

4. Have you ever borrowed or shared sports gear?

5. Do you think quality equipment makes a difference?

---

Part 2: Cue Card

Describe a piece of sports equipment you own or have used.
You should say:

• what it is

• how you got it

• how often you use it
  and explain why it is useful or important to you.

---

✦ Sample Answers Using the Phrases

Part 1 Answers

1. Yes, I play tennis and use a tennis racket every week.
2. I have a cricket bat and football boots that I use for weekend games.
3. I prefer team sports — I enjoy playing goalkeeper and wearing my goalkeeper gloves.
4. Yes, I once borrowed a table tennis paddle at a tournament.
5. Definitely — good protective gear and shoes help performance and safety.

---

Part 2 Sample Answer

One piece of sports equipment I use often is my tennis racket. I bought it last year when I joined a tennis club near my house.

It’s lightweight and has a strong grip, which really helps with control and power. I use it about twice a week when I play with friends.

I’ve also invested in protective gear like wristbands and a case to protect the strings.

It’s important to me because tennis helps me stay fit, and having the right gear makes it even more enjoyable.

---

✦ Comprehension Test: Sport Equipment

1. "She bought a new tennis racket for the school tournament."
Q: What equipment did she buy?

2. "His grandfather gave him a wooden cricket bat as a gift."
Q: What did he receive?

3. "You need proper football boots to play on grass pitches."
Q: What kind of shoes are required?

4. "The goalkeeper’s gloves helped him make some amazing saves."
Q: What helped the player?

5. "Cyclists should always wear protective gear like helmets and pads."
Q: What is recommended for safety?

6. "He forgot his table tennis paddle and had to borrow one."
Q: What did he forget?

7. "They installed a basketball hoop in the schoolyard."
Q: What was added to the schoolyard?

8. "The wind kept blowing the shuttlecock off course."
Q: What object was affected by the wind?

9. "She always wears swimming goggles to protect her eyes."
Q: What does she use in the pool?

10. "The team left their hockey sticks in the changing room."
Q: What equipment did they leave behind?

---

✦ Answer Key

1. A tennis racket.

2. A cricket bat.

3. Football boots.

4. Goalkeeper gloves.

5. Helmets and pads for safety.

6. A table tennis paddle.

7. A basketball hoop.

8. The shuttlecock.

9. Swimming goggles.

10. Hockey sticks.

 

🧛‍♂️ 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