Eindexamen engels vmbo bb 2009, tijdvak 1

My six nights up a tree… 1 An Australian farmer, David Jones, was knocked unconscious after falling from his horse when it stumbled. He rolled into a swamp crawling with reptiles. After coming round he realised his only chance to survive was to climb into a nearby tree. He spent seven days up the tree in a lonely part of North Queensland, looking down into the jaws of two hungry crocodiles. 2 Injured and with just two meat sandwiches and a bottle of water in his pocket, he spent the first night tied to a branch around 8ft from the ground, as the crocodiles waited for him below. The next night he got higher and set up some sticks that he could lie on. 3 David said: “I couldn't go down as it was too dangerous. So my only hope was that someone would come and find me before the crocs did! Every night two crocs were sitting at the bottom of the tree staring up at me. All I could see was two sets of red eyes below me, and all night I had to listen to a big bull croc making a lot of noise.” 4 Within three days, his sandwiches and water had gone. His efforts to attract the attention of rescuers, such as making a flag from his shirt, flashing sunlight from his tobacco tin failed because of the thick surrounding bush. 5 He was finally rescued by an army helicopter after the pilot spotted his waving and distress signal. “I could see the choppers, I knew they were there.” David was lifted to safety and he heard they had been looking for him non-stop for the past six days. 6 Officials said he had been fortunate to escape, as the crocodiles had certainly seen him as an easy next meal. Mark Read, of the Queensland Parks and Wildlife Service, said that the crocodiles, although they are less active in winter, would have sensed they were within feet of injured prey. “If breakfast, lunch or dinner presents itself in an easy way, they'll certainly take advantage of the situation,” he said.

I helped the police catch a thief Beth , 15, managed to stop a crime with her fast thinking and texting skills ! 1 “R ubbing my eyes, I looked at my alarm clock - 4am! A loud bang and the sound of glass being smashed had woken me up. Who was making all that noise so early in the morning? When I heard my dad shout, “I’ve called the police - get out of here!” I realised what was going on. I felt sick to my stomach and my blood ran cold. Someone had been trying to break into our house! 2 I grabbed hold of my mobile. If Dad got hurt, we would need help fast. I looked out of the window. All I could make out was a figure in black running up our garden path in the direction of a car with its engine running. As our neighbours’ security light flashed on I could see the number plate quite clearly. Suddenly I knew what to do. I’m quick at texting so I tapped the number into my phone before the driver sped off. 3 When the police arrived I grabbed my mobile and went downstairs. They were asking my parents loads of questions. But it had been dark and the burglar had worn a balaclava, so Dad couldn’t give a good description. Mum said “Go back to bed …we’ll deal with this.” 4 I blurted out: “I saw the car from my window and I took down the number plate.” Then I handed my phone to one of the policemen, PC Miles. He radioed the information to the police station, saying they would run a search to track down the owner of the car. A few days later PC Miles called round. “Good news,” he told us. “We traced down the car and it seems we have arrested the burglars too”. 5 A few months passed and we didn’t hear anything more, so I thought the police had forgotten about us. Then completely out of the blue, Dad got a call. The man in the balaclava and the getaway driver had been accused of two other burglaries and were both going to trial. I had to give evidence as part of the case against them. But because of my age, I wouldn’t have to go along to court and face the two men. 6 A policewoman called at our house and asked me lots of questions about that night to find out what I remembered. It was difficult as so much time had passed since then. I was glad, though, I didn’t have to stand up in court like you often see on TV. The two men were sentenced and were sent to prison for several months. I felt proud. Because of my quick thinking they were punished for what they had done!”

FAMILY DOG SAVES BOY 1 A Welsh border collie, called Bud, saved its eight-year-old master Neil, who was in danger of drowning when he lay helpless in a river with two broken arms. The dog managed to pull the boy out of the water. Neil had been swinging on a self- made rope swing, when he lost his grip and fell into the river. As Neil lay up to his waist in the water he called his family’s seven-year-old dog down from the bank. 2 Neil wrapped the dog’s lead around his body and the dog managed to pull him out of the river. Neil was able to walk home and was taken to hospital by his parents straight away. An X-ray showed he had broken four bones in his arms. 3 Neil said: “I lay on my back in the cold water and called for Bud. When he heard me he came at once. He seemed to know what to do. I was scared to death and covered in mud. It took ages to come out of the water because the bank of the river was slippery. But Bud knew exactly where to go.” 4 Yesterday, with his arms in plaster, Neil was recovering at home. The family has given the dog a lot of treats to reward him. Bud has been in the Thomas family for more than six years. The Thomases found him in a local dogs’ home. His owners had left him in the woods in a black bag. When Neil and his parents saw the dog for the first time they had a good feeling about Bud straight away. 5 A spokesman of the Dogs Trust charity said: “We often hear of cases where dogs have come to their owner’s rescue in many different ways. It seems Bud knew that Neil was in trouble and helped out. You could say it was his chance to pay the family back for taking him in many years ago.”

Mum blows £135,000 1 A jobless British single mother has been charged with stealing a large amount of cash that was transferred to her bank account by mistake. With just £6,59 in the bank 20-year-old Sarah Jane Lee went to her local bank to withdraw £10. To her astonishment she saw that rather more funds were available: an extra £135,000 to be precise. She couldn’t believe her eyes when she saw her bank balance: £135,006.59! 2 “When I realised how much money was in my account I felt nervous and sick,” Sarah Jane said. “All it said on the statement was ‘account adjustment’ and I didn’t touch the money for a day. The next day I went to the bank and drew out £500. They should have said it was their money. I asked them what ‘account adjustment’ meant, but they couldn’t tell me. They just asked me if I wanted to open a savings account with the money.” 3 Over the next few weeks she lived like a lottery winner, blowing almost all of the money. She transferred money to friends and relatives and spent £10,000 on a trip to Disneyworld in Florida, a large-screen plasma television and other luxuries. 4 It took the bank two weeks to realise its mistake. When Sarah Jane found that her account at the Abbey bank was frozen she knew she was in trouble. “I walked into the bank, held my hands up and waited for the coppers. I was arrested and searched in the middle of the bank. I felt totally humiliated,” Sarah Jane said. 5 In court Sarah Jane admitted she knew the money didn’t belong to her. Now she is facing a possible prison sentence. “My mum told me that I shouldn’t spend any of it and tell the bank about it. I wish I had listened to her.”