Date Title Night Terrors in Cairo The night
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Date: Title: Night Terrors in Cairo The night hung like a curtain. The hot and sticky air was almost impossible to force into your lungs. There were no lights, everything was black, deathly black. The gritty sand swept across black mambas. Scorpions lurked in the night shadows. The darkness was unbearable, the night seeping in through the cacti and submerging the desert in its pity. There was no sound, nothing dared to move. If fear looked like anything, it would be this. Answer the following questions: 1. Name two animals that are mentioned in the extract, explaining what this shows us about the setting. 2. What are we told about the climate? 3. What does the phrase ‘deathly black’ suggest? 4. What type of atmosphere is created through the use of short sentences?
Date: Title: Night Terrors in Cairo The petrifying tranquillity was suddenly shattered as a jeep came ploughing over the sand dunes, headlights flickering like fireflies. Two men sat bolt upright in its tattered seats. The driver was extremely tall and wiry. His face was a horrible sight, red scars etching his thin face all over. The man next to him was quite the perfect criminal, a bristly crew-cut skimming his shiny head. He wore a pair of designer sunglasses, even though it was pitch lack, which rested on his repulsive nose - a large chunk of flesh, bone and cartilage had been lost during an earlier run in. A grim and steely expression showed that nothing would stop him raiding the Pyramids on this sweltering night. On the back seat lay a dazed museum curator, his crinkled face covered in plum coloured bruises. This unfortunate man had been kidnapped at exactly midday whilst busily filing papers at his museum. He was grabbed by the scruff of his veiny neck and bundled into the jeep. Before any passers-by could take note, his screams were hastily muffled by a chloroform-soaked gag. He was the only man who knew the secret entrance to the Pyramids of Cairo. Locate four things that we are told about the museum curator.
Date: Title: Night Terrors in Cairo Hours later, he came to his senses to find two grimacing men watching his every move in the back of a stuffy jeep. A thousand thoughts were rushing through the man's tortured mind. How could he stop these brutal men from raiding his beloved Pyramids? His musings were abruptly interrupted by the lanky man's grating voice accompanied by a sharp prod of his skeletal finger, "Get out of the car and show us the entrance. Move!“ The curator stumbled out, petrified by what was happening and distraughtly staggered across the rough sand, his sandals sinking with every step he took. "THUD!" the entrance boulder, concealed in the face of the pyramid, caved in with a heave. "Take us to the King's Chamber, NOW!" Without warning the curator shuffled on, winding his way down a particularly twisted passage with the horror that he was allowing them to make their way to the King's resting place. To rip open the sarcophagi and plunder a mighty pharaoh's history. He had to stop this. Now. Swiftly he broke free of the crew-cut man, snarling like a lion. He had no time to see their faces, just to sprint exhaustedly along passages, twisting through this maze using memory alone. Breaking through the entrance he didn't hesitate, just heaved the boulder over the entrance and disappeared into the black curtain of the night. . . What did the museum curator realise when he woke up?
Date: Title: Night Terrors in Cairo If something is beloved to you, how do you feel about it? What does this tell us about the museum curator and how he feels about his job and the pyramids? Hours later, he came to his senses to find two grimacing men watching his every move in the back of a stuffy jeep. A thousand thoughts were rushing through the man's tortured mind. How could he stop these brutal men from raiding his beloved Pyramids? His musings were abruptly interrupted by the lanky man's grating voice accompanied by a sharp prod of his skeletal finger, "Get out of the car and show us the entrance. Move!“ The curator stumbled out, petrified by what was happening and distraughtly staggered across the rough sand, his sandals sinking with every step he took. "THUD!" the entrance boulder, concealed in the face of the pyramid, caved in with a heave. "Take us to the King's Chamber, NOW!" Without warning the curator shuffled on, winding his way down a particularly twisted passage with the horror that he was allowing them to make their way to the King's resting place. To rip open the sarcophagi and plunder a mighty pharaoh's history. He had to stop this. Now. Swiftly he broke free of the crew-cut man, snarling like a lion. He had no time to see their faces, just to sprint exhaustedly along passages, twisting through this maze using memory alone. Breaking through the entrance he didn't hesitate, just heaved the boulder over the entrance and disappeared into the black curtain of the night. . . What impression are we given of the museum curator in the middle of the extract? Provide evidence from the text, particularly focusing on the quotes in bold and underlined. Hint: An impression is an idea or a feeling that we may have.
Date: Title: Night Terrors in Cairo Hours later, he came to his senses to find two grimacing men watching his every move in the back of a stuffy jeep. A thousand thoughts were rushing through the man's tortured mind. How could he stop these brutal men from raiding his beloved Pyramids? His musings were abruptly interrupted by the lanky man's grating voice accompanied by a sharp prod of his skeletal finger, "Get out of the car and show us the entrance. Move!“ The curator stumbled out, petrified by what was happening and distraughtly staggered across the rough sand, his sandals sinking with every step he took. "THUD!" the entrance boulder, concealed in the face of the pyramid, caved in with a heave. "Take us to the King's Chamber, NOW!" Without warning the curator shuffled on, winding his way down a particularly twisted passage with the horror that he was allowing them to make their way to the King's resting place. To rip open the sarcophagi and plunder a mighty pharaoh's history. He had to stop this. Now. Swiftly he broke free of the crew-cut man, snarling like a lion. He had no time to see their faces, just to sprint exhaustedly along passages, twisting through this maze using memory alone. Breaking through the entrance he didn't hesitate, just heaved the boulder over the entrance and disappeared into the black curtain of the night. . . What makes the museum curator realise that he has to do something to stop them? Focus your ideas from line 10 onwards, specifically focusing on the quotes that are in bold and underlined. Hint: At what point does the museum curator’s attitude change and why?
Date: Title: Night Terrors in Cairo Hours later, he came to his senses to find two grimacing men watching his every move in the back of a stuffy jeep. A thousand thoughts were rushing through the man's tortured mind. How could he stop these brutal men from raiding his beloved Pyramids? His musings were abruptly interrupted by the lanky man's grating voice accompanied by a sharp prod of his skeletal finger, "Get out of the car and show us the entrance. Move!“ The curator stumbled out, petrified by what was happening and distraughtly staggered across the rough sand, his sandals sinking with every step he took. "THUD!" the entrance boulder, concealed in the face of the pyramid, caved in with a heave. "Take us to the King's Chamber, NOW!" Without warning the curator shuffled on, winding his way down a particularly twisted passage with the horror that he was allowing them to make their way to the King's resting place. To rip open the sarcophagi and plunder a mighty pharaoh's history. He had to stop this. Now. Swiftly he broke free of the crew-cut man, snarling like a lion. He had no time to see their faces, just to sprint exhaustedly along passages, twisting through this maze using memory alone. Breaking through the entrance he didn't hesitate, just heaved the boulder over the entrance and disappeared into the black curtain of the night. . . Does the ending surprise you? Justify your answer. Hint: Justify means to prove something. Use quotes from the text to prove that what you are suggesting is correct.
Date: Title: Night Terrors in Cairo For most of the short story it appeared as though the museum curator would never be able to break free, I was shocked when he found the strength to do so. Your task is to produce an alternative ending to the short story. Here are some examples to consider: Ø The villains double cross each other. Ø The museum curator is accidentally killed or badly injured. Ø A cat and mouse chase between the villains and the museum curator. Can you include a range of ambitious adjectives and pathetic fallacy within your alternative ending?
Summarise the short story in no more than two sentences.
