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Before Reading

1 Find these things in the picture on page 6 and label them.

a)keyboard b)mouse c)screen d)videocamera e)monitor f)key

2 Find these things in the picture on page 7 and label them.

a)theset b)costumes c)screenplay d)actor e)director f)thelighting

3 Talk about the pictures on pages 6 and 7. What do you think?

• Wherearethepeopleinthepictures?• Whataretheydoing?• WhatisRickylookingatonthescreen?Why?• Whatishappeninginthepictureonpage7?

4 The things in the two pictures are important to the story. Why are they important? Can you guess? In groups write a scenario. Include all the things from exercises 1 and 2 in your scenario. Then tell the class. Choose the best scenario.

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Before Reading

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5 Listen and write the numbers.2

a) b)

c) d)

6 Now answer the questions.

a)WhyisRicky’ssisterSoniaunhappy?

b)WhyisRicky’sfatherconfused?

c) WhoisJackangrywith?

d)WhoisJadesendingthetextmessageto?

7 Look through the pictures in the book and guess.

• WhatisRicky’s“bigidea”?

• Howdoesheupsethisfriendsandfamily?

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Ricky’s Big Idea

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Laterthatevening,Rickywaswatchinghismonitor.HecouldseeDavidandJackrunningaway.ThentheimagemovedaroundandRicky’sfacefilledthescreen.Andhewassmiling!

Rickywassmilinginreallife,too.Itwashisbestfootagesofar.Hewantedtomakeaneditedfilmasquicklyashecould.Sohewentdownstairs,saidgoodnighttohisparentsandwentbacktohisroom.Buthedidn’tgotobed.Heworkedsecretlyandinsilence.Laterheheardsomeonegotothebathroom.Thenheheardvoicesintheroad,shouting.Andallthetimehewaswatching,cutting,addingmusic–makinghisfilmsharper•andfunnier.Thenheheardasinglebirdsinginginthegarden.Hewenttothewindowandlookedout.Greylightwasinthesky.Thesunwasrising.Herubbedhisredeyes•.Hehadtogetsomesleep.Twohourslatertherewasaloudknockingathisdoor.‘Ricky,areyouup?’hismothercalledout.‘Yourbreakfastisonthetable!’

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OnWednesdayafterschool,Hollywaswalkinghomewithabigpile•oflibrarybooks.Shehadtodoaprojectandtheinformationsheneededwasn’tontheInternet.Shehadtousebooksandtheywereheavy!‘CanIhelpyouwiththosebooks?’askedDavid.‘What?’saidHolly.Shedidn’tlookfriendly.‘IsaidcanIhelpyouwith...’‘Iheardwhatyousaid!’‘Whatisit?Iwasjustbeingpolite.’‘Well,Idon’twantyoutobepoliteandIdon’twantyourhelp.Andstoplookingatmelikethat.’‘Likewhat?’‘Likethat!Inthatweirdway!’‘Takeiteasy,Holly!’saidDavid.Shewasreallyangrywithhimnowandhedidn’tknowwhy.

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On Wednesday after school, Holly was walking home with a big pile•of library books. She had to do a project and the information sheneeded wasn’t on the Internet. She had to use books and they wereheavy!‘Can I help you with those books?’ asked David.‘What?’ said Holly. She didn’t look friendly.‘I said can I help you with...’‘I heard what you said!’‘What is it? I was just being polite.’‘Well, I don’t want you to be polite and I don’t want your help.And stop looking at me like that.’‘Like what?’‘Like that! In that weird way!’‘Take it easy, Holly!’ said David. She was really angry with him nowand he didn’t know why.

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‘OK,Icantakeiteasy.Butstopsendingmeallthosestupidletters!’Davidwascompletelyconfusednow.‘Idon’tknowwhatyou’retalkingabout.’‘I’mtalkingaboutthese!’Hollyputdownthelibrarybooksandtookabunchof•lettersfromherschoolbag.Sheheldthemupinfrontofhisface.‘Doyourememberthemnow?’David took the letters and started reading. They all started ‘My deerest• Holly’.Andtheyallfinishedwith‘I love you! ’‘I didn’t write these,’ said David. ‘And anyway, there are spellingmistakesinthem.AndI’mgoodatspelling.’Hollythoughtaboutthatforamoment.Itwastrue.Infact,Davidwasabrilliantwriter.HewasprobablythebestspellerinthewholeofWestbourne.‘Well,ifyoudidn’twritethem,’saidHolly,‘whodid?’Davidshookhishead.

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‘OK, I can take it easy. But stop sending me all those stupid letters!’David was completely confused now.‘I don’t know what you’re talking about.’‘I’m talking about these!’Holly put down the library books and took a bunch of• letters fromher school bag. She held them up in front of his face.‘Do you remember them now?’David took the letters and started reading. They all started ‘My deerest•deerest•deerest Holly’. And they all finished with ‘I love you! ’‘I didn’t write these,’ said David. ‘And anyway, there are spellingmistakes in them. And I’m good at spelling.’Holly thought about that for a moment. It was true. In fact, Davidwas a brilliant writer. He was probably the best speller in the wholeof Westbourne.‘Well, if you didn’t write them,’ said Holly, ‘who did?’David shook his head.

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OnThursdayafternoon,aboywassittingintheshadows•outsideagarage.Heclearlydidn’twantanybodytoseehim.Hewasholdingalaptopandstudyingitsscreen.

Insidethegarage,Zadie,GraceandHollyweregettingreadytostarttheir rehearsal•. They always rehearsed in the garage of Grace’sparents.That’swhytheycalledtheirband‘TheGarageGirls’!

Zadiesatdownbehindherdrums.Hollypickedupherguitarandpluggeditin•theamplifier.Gracepickedupherguitarandstoodinfrontofthemicrophone.

‘Whatarewegoingtoplay?’askedZadie.‘Let’stryournewsong,’saidGrace.‘OK?’‘OK!’saidHollyandZadietogether.

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