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READING & WRITING

1 READING
Before reading: The following story is adapted from one of
Agatha Christie’s stories. What do you understand from the
title of the story ‘The cat among the pigeons’?

Characters: Hercule Poirot, the famous detective - Adam Goodman gardener
(member of the British Intelligence) - Honoria Bulstrode, headmistress of
Meadowbank School for Girls- Ann Shapland, Miss. Bulstrode’s secretary-
Miss. Chadwick, senior teacher and she helped to found Meadowbank School
for Girls - Eleanor Vansittart, a senior teacher- Grace Springer, a sports
teacher- Angèle Blanche, a French teacher - Eileen Rich, a teacher, -Princess
Shaista, the cousin of Prince Ali Yusuf - Julia Upjohn, student at Meadowbank
and Jennifer’s friend - Mrs Upjohn, Julia Upjohn’s mother. She is a former
member of British Intelligence. - Prince Ali Yusuf, prince of Ramat - Bob Rawlinson, the personal pilot of the prince of
Ramat (and his best friend) - Jennifer Sutcliffe, niece of Bob Rawlinson and student at Meadowbank

The Cat Among The Pigeons - A

1 Meadowbank School for Girls was one of the Sutcliffe were new students. Princess Shaista
best prep schools in England. The summer term was from Ramat*. Jennifer was an easy going
just started and there were new students, teachers girl and a talented tennis player. Jennifer and
and a member of staff. Miss. Bulstrode was the Julia Upjohn became close friends. Julia loves
popular headmistress of this school for a long time observing the people around because of being
and she wanted to get retired. Miss. Chadwick much more intelligent and much more careful.
helped Miss. Bulstrode to found the school thirty At school some strange events began to occur.
years ago. So she wanted to be headmistress after
her. However, Miss. Bulstrode wanted someone 4 First someone threatened Miss. Springer's life
creative to encourage innovation and improve the in the gym and suddenly she disappeared. Then,
education at school after herself. Miss. Vansittart an inspector begun to inquire about the case.
was her second assistant. She was very suitable for Meantime, Jennifer Sutcliffe complained about her
the post or Miss. Rich could be another option racquet deformation and wrote to her mother asking
for the job. Miss. Rich was an open-minded, her for a new racquet. She was an experienced tennis
hardworking teacher too. player. Julia Upjohn and Jennifer Sutcliffe gave their
racquets to each other. Shaista’s uncle sent a man
2 That day a parent, Mrs. Upjohn visited to take her home for the weekend. Most of the girls
headmistress Miss. Bulstrode. She was a member spent the weekend with their families except Julia.
of military intelligence for a long time. Mrs. After exchanging the racquets, Julia took it to her
Upjohn tried to inform Miss. Bulstrode about room and discovered that there were jewels in the
someone who was an attacker in the garden. handle of the racquet. At that moment, someone
While Mrs. Upjohn was speaking, somehow tried to unlock the door quietly to open. She pushed
Miss. Bulstrode wasn’t able to concentrate on her the cupboard in front of the door to stop the attack.
talking. Although nothing important escaped her Julia's “aha” moment came while shivering with fear
attention, she couldn’t understand the importance in her room after the attack at the weekend. She
of the conversation. Then, she felt anxious. decided to tell her story to detective Hercule Poirot

3 There were newcomers as well as old teachers
at school. They were the French teacher Angèle * The story flashes back to Ramat. Ramat was a small and rich
principality in Yemen. There, a revolution was about to happen.
Blanche, the gym teacher Grace Springer, Miss. Because Prince Ali Yusuf always trusted his pilot Bob Rawlinson,
Bulstrode’s new secretary Ann Shapland, and the he gave a fortune in jewels to his pilot and wanted him to take the
family fortune out of the country. While Bob Rawlinson was hiding
gardener Adam Goodman. Meadowbank was an the fortune in the luggage of his sister Mrs. Joan Sutcliffe, a woman
next-door saw him. Mrs. Joan Sutcliffe was on a holiday with her
expensive girls’ boarding school. Students were daughter Jennifer in Ramat. Suddenly, Prince Ali Yusuf and Bob
Rawlinson lost their lives in an airplane crash. Now, everybody and
from rich families. Princess Shaista and Jennifer even the British Intelligence were on the trail of the treasure.

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