ESL Lesson: Camp Somerset Part 3

Reading Activity (20 minutes)

Chapter 3: The Great Race and the Black Sedan

The morning after the muddy prank dawned bright and clear, the air buzzing with excitement. Today was the day of the Great Race, the legendary Camp Somerset competition that tested teamwork, athleticism, and problem-solving skills. Teams of three would navigate a challenging course through the woods, involving running, swimming, climbing, and puzzling obstacles.

Molly, ever competitive, had strategically recruited two athletic boys for her team. She, the strongest swimmer, would tackle the lake portion, while they would handle the running and climbing. But disaster struck when one of her teammates tripped during a practice run, spraining his ankle. With the race just hours away, Molly was left scrambling for a replacement. Her friend Macy, also a strong swimmer, was the only one left without a team. "Looks like we get to team-up, Macy!" Molly declared, trying to sound more confident than she felt. This meant she would have to face the dreaded climbing wall as her remaining teammate Charles would switch to the running leg.

Max, of course, had teamed up with Joey and Jaime. He, a natural in the water, claimed the swimming leg. "Just watch me fly, dudes!" he boasted, picturing himself gliding through the water like a dolphin. But their hopes for victory were dashed when Jaime rolled his ankle during the first running leg. Max, receiving the baton in ninth place, felt a surge of determination. He wouldn't let his friends down.

Mindy, Paul, and Paula, less concerned with winning and more with having fun, approached the race with a sense of whimsical adventure. "We're not just racing," Mindy declared, "we're escaping the Goblins of Grump Gulch!" Their imaginations transformed the course into a fantastical quest, each obstacle a fearsome creature to be overcome.

The starting horn blared, and the camp erupted in a frenzy of cheers and shouts. Molly, watching Macy swimming only in the middle of the pack, felt a knot of anxiety in her stomach. When it was finally her turn, she took a deep breath and began to climb. Her arms burned, her legs trembled, but she pushed herself upward, fueled by a mix of adrenaline and the cheers of her friends.

Max, hitting the water with a powerful dive, felt a thrill of freedom. He sliced through the water, his strokes strong and sure, quickly gaining ground on the older campers. As he emerged from the lake, dripping and triumphant, he couldn't resist a cheeky grin in Molly's direction.

Mindy, lost in her imaginary world, sprinted through the woods, dodging "poisonous mushrooms" and leaping over "treacherous ravines." She stumbled a few times, losing precious seconds, but her spirit remained undimmed. When Paula was tagged in for her swimming leg, Mindy noticed something was wrong. One of the youngest campers, Carl, was missing. Ignoring the counselors' instructions to stay put, she dashed back into the woods, determined to find him.

As the race reached its climax, Molly, exhausted but exhilarated, crossed the finish line in second place. Max, despite Jaime's injury, had pulled his team into a respectable fifth out of twelve teams. And Mindy, after finding a tearful Carl with a scraped knee and helping him limp back to the finish line, felt a glow of satisfaction that had nothing to do with winning.

That evening, as the campers gathered around a bonfire, a new mystery emerged. A sleek black sedan had appeared in the parking lot, its windows tinted, its driver a shadowy figure. Whispers and rumors swirled like the smoke from the fire. Who was this stranger? What was he doing at Camp Somerset?

Molly, her curiosity piqued, decided to investigate. She enlisted the help of her friends, and together they hatched a plan to approach the mysterious man. Max, Joey, and Jaime, fueled by their overactive imaginations, embarked on their own clandestine mission, armed with a stolen Polaroid camera and a healthy dose of paranoia. Mindy and her friends, convinced the man was an evil warlock, devised a series of elaborate rituals to ward off his dark magic.

The stage was set for a new adventure, one that would lead them deeper into the mysteries of Camp Somerset and the secrets hidden within its woods.

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