Lesson video

Welcome back, it's Ms Henman.

In our previous lesson, Kevin was outside the building for him to go for an interview.

So in today's lesson we're read the next part.

So he's going to enter the building.

We're going to consider how he is feeling.

I'm going to read a little bit about the beginning of the interview.

Let's get reading.

Let's go through our agenda for today.

First, we're going to consider what we already know.

And then we're going to read the first part of the interview and make some inferences.

In this lesson, you will need something to write on, such as piece of paper, or an exercise book, something to write with such as a pencil or a pen, and you will need to be helping your brain by making sure that your working environment is really calm and will help you focus.

So make sure you've turned off your phones, that there isn't any music playing and that you can't have up to conversations.

If you want to get your workspace ready, you can pause the video and do that now.

Otherwise we're going to get going.

How much do you think Kevin wants this job? Think back to our previous two lessons and what you know about his character and what you know about this job.

Does he want a little? Is he interested in it, but not desperate for it? Or does he want it a lot? What do you think? Pause the video and say your answer out loud.

Trying to use the word because, off you go.

Okay, I can't decide.

I couldn't decide whether he is interested in it, but not desperate for it or whether he wants it a lot.

He really, really wants it.

I narrowed it down to these two answers based on what I've read and my knowledge of meeting people.

So from my knowledge of meeting people, most people would love a job that pays really well.

And that reflects their interest, they would really, really want that job.

However, from what I've read about Kevin, I know that he can be maybe a little bit lazy or not apply himself to his work.

And I also know that he relies on stealing things for money.

So he may not really want this job because he already has money from stealing things.

And he's never really worked for anything in his life.

So he might not actually be that interested or that desperate for a legal and good job.

So I can't decide.

There's a little bit of me that thinks he really wants a lot, but he's too afraid to admit it.

I hope that as we read the interview in this lesson and the next lesson, we'll start to understand Kevin's attitudes towards this job a little bit further.

Okay, I'm going to start by reading to you.

We've had some of this in our previous lesson.

But why not? Why the hell not? And that was how, three days later, he found himself outside an office in Rupert Street, in the middle of Soho.

He had come to meet a Miss Toe.

That is what she had called herself.

Okay, now its your turn to read to me.

So can you pause the video and read that passage on the screen out loud, please? Before you go, that's just practising the name of the company.

Galactic games.

Fantastic, off you go.

Well done.

How do you think Kevin is feeling and why? We need to pause the video and write down two ways that you think Kevin might be feeling or two things he might have thought about or be feeling at this point as he approaches the office.

If you can, use the word because, and justify your answer.

Pause the video and do that now, please.

So, I think I Kevin is feeling unsure, apprehensive and suspicious.

Could you look at the passage and find some evidence to support my opinion.

Could you look at the passage and find some evidence to support my opinion, that he is feeling unsure and suspicious? Pause the video as you look for this evidence.

And wind up what you found.

So, the address of the building belonged to a narrow red-bricked building squeezed in between a cake shop and a tobacconist.

Does this building sound like it would catch your attention if you walked past it? Thumbs up or thumbs down.

I think thumbs down, it's a red brick building, it's squeezed.

That makes me think that it doesn't have much room, and it's got things either side of it.

I think that he's a bit unsure about this because I would expect a games company to maybe have a really modern building.

So I think I'd feel a little bit unsure about that.

Also read this, and I think this backs up my opinion too.

There was a small brass plaque besides this.

Kevin had to bend down to read it.

Hmm, so the same thing, maybe a little bit suspicious.

You would imagine that a games company might want to advertise their building, and they might want people to know where they work.

They might be trying to create a good impression of that company.

And I'm not sure that the small brass plaque which almost you could walk past and not see is doing those things.

Kevin had to bend down to read it.

He's actively looking for it and finding it quite tricky.

So I think that might be making him feel a little bit unsure or a little bit suspicious.

Think we can describe the face of the building, the facade of the building as unassuming or modest.

So we can say that this building has an unassuming facade, or a modest facade.

It's not trying to draw attention to itself.

Now, could you reread the passage and see if there's anything to support my idea that Kevin might be feeling apprehensive.

Apprehensive means worried or anxious.

Pause the video, as you to look for that evidence.

I wonder what you found.

I found this part.

It was also very old with dusty windows, and the sort of front door you'd expect to find on a dungeon.

That doesn't make me feel like I want to go in there.

That it looks like a dungeon.

In fact, as a reader, I don't want Kevin to go in there either.

It suggests that this building or this story might have an eerie element about it or a sit-in step mysterious atmosphere and element to the story.

Okay, your turn to read out loud.

Can you pause the video and read this passage, off you go.

Can you find some more evidence now to support my idea that he's feeling unsure and suspicious? You might need to reread it.

And pause the video while you look for this evidence, off you go.

Okay.

So I think of the questions that he's almost asking himself.

He's unsure about what this building looks like.

And so he's questioning it in his mind.

And now that he thought about it, what sort of computer games company would be advertising in the window of a newsagent in Camden town? What sort of a computer company would have a crummy office like this? So he's questioning what is happening and what he is experiencing.

I think he also might be a little bit disappointed.

I suspect he was hoping that the building might be really modern, it might be really inviting.

It might look like a store or something interesting and appealing to a teenage boy.

And I think this red-brick building in a very narrow street, isn't looking very interesting for him.

So I think he might be feeling a little bit disappointed.

Okay, it's my turn to read to you.

He rang the bell.

"Yes?" The voice at the other end of the intercom was high-pitched, a bit sing-song.

"My name is Kevin Graham," he said.

"I've come about the job." "Oh yes.

Please come straight up, the first floor." Your turn.

So I'd like you to read this part out loud.

Pause the video as you do that.

Kevin was liking this less and less.

What was he liking less and less? Going inside.

Why was he liking it less and less? Can you pause the video and find two pieces of evidence to tell us what he isn't liking and why he may not be liking it.

So find those things that you wouldn't like if you were entering a job interview.

Pause the video whilst you have a look.

So the first thing I think I wouldn't like are the stairs.

They have dark and an empty corridor leads up to them and they're crooked.

That doesn't sound very appealing and inviting to me.

I don't think I'd like it.

The next thing I found was this, the whole place felt about a hundred years old.

Now, in some instances, I think I might find that attractive.

So for example, if I was going on a tour or I was looking at historic buildings, or I was expecting to go to a unique place.

But here, coupled with the idea that it's dark and that the building was covered in cobwebs and didn't look very appealing, I think I'd find it a little bit scary.

Finally, and the sound from the street disappeared from the moment the heavy door had swung shut behind him.

Why might he not like that? Pause the video and think.

Why might he not like the heavy door swing shut behind him.

So I thought it's because it might make him realise that he's alone and that he's away from the safety of the street outside.

And he might think that it would be difficult for him to escape.

He might feel a little bit trapped.

Okay, my time to read to you.

Once again, he thought about turning around, but it was too late.

The door opened at the top of the stairs, spilling a golden light into the gloom.

What does the word spilling mean? Pause the video and see if you can use it in a sentence, off you go.

Spelling means to cause or allow something to run full out or scattered.

Usually we use it when we're talking about liquid, but here it's been used to refer to the light.

So what does the word spilling suggest about what happens when the door opens? The door opened at the top of the stairs, spilling a golden light into the gloom? I think that gradually more light escaped out of the door door and into the darkness, filling the darkness with light.

So as the door opens that light spills down the corridor and down the stairs.

So that eerie, creepy corridor is suddenly filled with a warm golden light.

How does the light and the verb spill change the atmosphere? So what was the atmosphere before? It was a little bit creepy, a little bit suspicious, a little bit autonomous.

What does the atmosphere feel like now with the light? So darkness and gloom are to fear and apprehension, whereas golden light has more positive feelings associated with it.

For example, with golden light, you might feel safety or you might associate it with beauty or warmth or comfort and money.

So I think the atmosphere here has changed.

Have you ever heard of the saying, I can see the light at the end of the tunnel, thumbs up or thumbs down.

That phrase means that a period of difficulty is coming to an end.

So you've been in the dark where you found something difficult and there's light at the end of the tunnel.

So it's going to get easier or it's going to get better.

And in referring to light here, I think Anthony Horwitz is implying the same thing, that it has been a little bit creepy, a little bit difficult for Kevin entering the building, but there's a light at the top and it's inviting him in.

The atmosphere is changing.

I'd like you to have a go at reading this out loud, off you go.

Okay, I hope you post the video.

Now it's my turn.

A figure appeared, looking down at him.

"Please, this way.

." "I am Miss Toe," she said.

She had a strange accent.

And as she spoke, she left the tiniest of gaps between each word.

"I am Miss Toe, we spoke on the telephone." She closed the door.

A funny way for someone to speak.

Does it remind you of anything? Now we're going to consider Kevin's perspective.

Kevin goes upstairs and he meets Miss Toe.

She tells Kevin that he will be interviewed by Mr. Go.

The text says, Miss Toe and Mr Go in Soho.

So that's three words that rhyme together, Miss Toe, and Mr Go, and Soho.

Kevin wants to laugh, but for some reason he couldn't.

So he found the fact all of their names and the words rhyming together a bit funny.

But for some reason he couldn't.

What does this suggest about how Kevin is feeling? Pause the video and have a think.

Do you think it means that he's feeling uncomfortable or calm or uninterested or peculiar or a number of these things? What do you think? Can you point or say out loud the feelings that you think he's feeling? I think he is feeling uncomfortable and peculiar.

I think the statement that he wanted to laugh but couldn't, suggest that normally he would find something like that funny, because Kevin is quite young and immature and silly.

However, Kevin is feeling abnormal, unusual, strange, odd, or peculiar.

And so he can't find it.

He can't laugh.

Maybe he felt so uncomfortable, that he didn't feel able to laugh because he didn't understand the situation, or he thought that something bad might happen if he laughed.

Well done, you have completed another lesson in this unit.

Now our next lesson is my favourite lesson.

So I look forward to seeing you then.

Have a good day.

Bye.