Read the text below and answer the questions that follow.

The Death Car

It was a cold night in September. The rain was drumming on the car roof as George
and Marie Winston drove through the empty country roads towards the house of their
friends, the Harrisons, where they were going to attend a party to celebrate the
engagement of the Harrisons' daughter, Lisa. As they drove, they listened to the local
radio station, which was playing, “Rain On Me,” a collaboration between Ariana
Grande and Lady Gaga

They were about five miles from their destination when the music on the radio was
interrupted by a news announcement:

“The Cheshire police have issued a serious warning after a man escaped from
Colford Mental Hospital earlier this evening. The man, John Downey, is a murderer who
killed six people before he was captured two years ago. He is also a kleptomaniac and
a paedophile

He is described as large, very strong and extremely dangerous. People in the Cheshire
area are warned to keep their doors and windows locked, and to call the police
immediately if they see anyone acting strangely."

Marie shivered. "A crazy killer? And he's out there somewhere? That’s scary.”

"Don't worry about it," said her husband. “We're nearly there now. Anyway, we have
more important things to worry about. This car is losing power for some reason -- it
must be that old problem with the carburetor. If it gets any worse, we'll have to stay
at the Harrisons tonight and get it fixed before we travel back tomorrow."

As he spoke, the car began to slow down. George pressed the accelerator, but the
engine only coughed. Finally, they rolled to a halt, as the engine died completely. Just
as they stopped, George pulled the car off the road, and it came to rest under a large
tree.

"Blast!" said George angrily. "Now we'll have to walk in the rain."

“But that'll take us an hour at least," said Marie. "And I have my high-heeled shoes
and my nice clothes on. They'll be ruined!"

“Well, you'll have to wait while I run to the nearest house and call the Harrisons.
Someone can come out and pick us up," said George.

“But George! Have you forgotten what the radio said? There's a homicidal maniac
out there! You can't leave me here alone!"

“You'll have to hide in the back of the car. Lock all the doors and lie on the floor in
the back, under this blanket. No one will see you. When I come back, I'll knock three
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times on the door. Then you can get up and open it. Don't open it unless you hear
three knocks." George opened the door and slipped out into the rain. He quickly
disappeared into the blackness.

Marie quickly locked the doors and settled down under the blanket in the back for a
long wait. She was frightened and worried, but she was a strong-minded woman. She
had not been waiting long, however, when she heard a strange scratching noise. It
seemed to be coming from the roof of the car.

Marie was terrified. She listened, holding her breath. Then she heard three slow
knocks, one after the other, also on the roof of the car. Was it her husband? Should
she open the door? Then she heard another knock, and another. This was not her
husband. It was somebody — or something — else. She was shaking with fear, but she
forced herself to lie still. The knocking continued — bump, bump, bump, bump.

Many hours later, as the sun rose, she was still lying there. She had not slept for a
moment. The knocking had never stopped, all night long. She did not know what to
do. Where was George? Why had he not come for her?

Suddenly, she heard the sound of three or four vehicles, racing quickly down the
road. All of them pulled up around her, their tires screeching on the road. At last!
Someone had come! Marie sat up quickly and looked out of the window.

The three vehicles were all police cars, and two still had their lights flashing.
Several policemen leaped out. One of them rushed towards the car as Marie opened
the door. He took her by the hand.

“Get out of the car and walk with me to the police vehicle, Miss. You're safe now.
Look straight ahead. Keep looking at the police car. Don't look back. Just don't look
back."

Something in the way he spoke filled Marie with cold horror. She could not help
herself. About ten yards from the police car, she stopped, turned and looked back at
the empty vehicle.

George was hanging from the tree above the car, a rope tied around his neck. As the
wind blew his body back and forth, his feet were bumping gently on the roof of the car
— bump, bump, bump, bump.

Questions

1. Where were Winstons going when the incident occurred? (2)________ _________________________
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2. What details were given by the police that presented him as dangerous? (2)______________________

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3. What caused the car to lose power? (2) ___________________________________________________

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4. Why did Marie stay in the car when George left? (2)
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5. What terrified Marie so much as she waited in the car? (2)_____________________________________

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6. How has the writer managed to keep the readers interest in the plot?

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7. Identify two features of figurative language use and illustrate them. (4)

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Why did the police tell Marie not to look back when they escorted her out of the car? (2)

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