Emergency

Sally froze, her spoon halfway to her mouth, when she heard the crashing, tearing noise.

1. Could Sally have been eating steak? Explain your answer.

2. What could the noise be? Explain your answer

Sally froze, her spoon halfway to her mouth, when she heard the crashing, tearing noise. The soup slopped back into the bowl. Both her daughters sat rigidly, listening.

3. What were the daughters listening for?4. Is the family in danger? Explain your answer

Both her daughters sat rigidly, listening. Her husband, Peter, reacted quickly. Pushing his chair back from the table he moved to the door and stood looking out across the yard.

5. At the moment, how many members of this family do you know about?

6. What was Peter looking for?

Peter moved to the door and stood looking

out across the yard. Half guessing the reason for it, he stared at the rising cloud of smoky dust that was coming from behind the line of trees on the hill.

7. How did Peter half-guess the reason for the noise?

Peter listened, straining to hear any further sounds from that direction, but there was only silence.

8. Reword the phrase “... straining to hear any further sounds...”

Pulling on his boots, Peter gave instructions to his family, who were now with him at the back door. "Someone's come off the road.”

9. What instructions do you expect Peter to give to his family?

“Sally - the mobile phone! You two - blankets! Bring them over as fast as you can.”

Then he was gone, running across the yard and over the field to the trees and the dust cloud.

10. Who were the “... you two...”?

As he got nearer, he could see the overturned bus; the back wheel still slowly moving and the smoky dust settling back on to it.

11. How many people do you expect to be injured? Explain your asnwer.

By the time the emergency services arrived Sally and the girls were handing round hot drinks they had brought from the house to dazed but grateful passengers.

12. Why were the passengers “... gazed but grateful...”?

"The ones who need your help most are over here," she told them, pointing to four passengers who were lying on the ground under the blankets.

13. Who is the “...she ...”?14. Who is the “... them...”?