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📕 A2: Grades 7-9 • MYSTERY & MYTHS

The Abandoned Mansion Mystery

Learn to describe places and objects using present simple and there is/are. Read a story about friends who explore an old mansion and uncover strange secrets.

The Abandoned Mansion Mystery
💬 Warm-up
1 Have you ever seen an old, abandoned house? What did it look like?
2 What do you think people might find inside an abandoned mansion?
3 Would you explore an abandoned building? Why or why not?

🎯 Objectives

  • Use present simple third person to describe people and facts (e.g., The friend finds a diary).
  • Use there is and there are to describe places and objects (e.g., There is a hidden room behind the bookshelf).
  • Learn and use 7 new vocabulary words: secret, clue, search, hidden, explore, ancient, disappear.
In this block:

📚 Vocabulary

1.
secret
"The old diary contains a secret about the family."
something that is kept hidden or not known by others
2.
clue
"A torn piece of cloth was the first clue to the mystery."
a piece of information that helps solve a mystery
3.
search
"We will search the attic for more evidence."
to look carefully for something or someone
4.
hidden
"The key is hidden under the old rug."
placed where it is not easy to see or find
5.
explore
"The children love to explore the forest near their house."
to travel around a new place to learn about it
6.
ancient
"The mansion is ancient; it was built in the 1700s."
very old, from a long time ago
7.
disappear
"The candle flame disappeared when the wind blew."
to go away suddenly so that no one can see it
🗓️ Friday, 9th October 2026
secret
something that is kept hidden or not known by others
clue
a piece of information that helps solve a mystery
search
to look carefully for something or someone
hidden
placed where it is not easy to see or find
explore
to travel around a new place to learn about it
ancient
very old, from a long time ago
disappear
to go away suddenly so that no one can see it

✍️ Practice

Guess the missing word.
1. We need a clue to understand who lived in this house.
2. The secret passage behind the painting led to a small room.
3. The detectives search every room, but they found nothing unusual.
4. The treasure is hidden somewhere in the garden.
5. We want to explore the old castle ruins this weekend.
6. This ancient book has pages that are falling apart.
7. The magician made the rabbit disappear in front of the audience.
🗓️ Friday, 9th October 2026
1. We need a clue to understand who lived in this house.
2. The secret passage behind the painting led to a small room.
3. The detectives search every room, but they found nothing unusual.
4. The treasure is hidden somewhere in the garden.
5. We want to explore the old castle ruins this weekend.
6. This ancient book has pages that are falling apart.
7. The magician made the rabbit disappear in front of the audience.

📖 Reading

The Mystery of Maplewood Mansion

There is an ancient mansion at the end of Maple Street. It has been empty for over fifty years. People say strange sounds come from it at night. There are stories about a family that lived there and then suddenly disappeared. One day, three friends—Emma, Jack, and Leo—decide to explore the mansion. They want to find out if the stories are true.

They enter through a broken window. Inside, there is a large hall with dusty furniture. There are old paintings on the walls. 'Look at this diary!' says Emma. She finds a small book on the floor. It is a hidden clue. The diary tells about a secret room behind the bookshelf. The friends search the library and find a lever. When they pull it, the bookshelf moves and reveals a dark staircase.

They go down the stairs. There is a small underground room. In the centre, there is an old chest. They open it carefully. Inside, they find letters, photographs, and a golden locket. But suddenly, they hear a loud noise from above. They run back up, but the bookshelf is closed again. The diary has disappeared from Emma's hand! Did the ghost of the family take it? They are scared but also excited. They promise to return and solve the mystery another day.

Comprehension Questions

1.
Where is the ancient mansion located?
It is at the end of Maple Street.
2.
What did Emma find on the floor of the hall?
She found a small diary.
3.
What did the diary tell about?
It told about a secret room behind the bookshelf.
4.
What did the friends find in the underground room?
They found letters, photographs, and a golden locket.
5.
What happened when they returned upstairs?
The bookshelf was closed again and the diary disappeared.

🎧 Listening Practice

My Night in the Mansion

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Listening context

Comprehension Questions

1.
When did Emma and her friends explore the mansion?
Last Saturday.
2.
Where did Emma find the diary?
Under a chair in the library.
3.
What did the diary tell them to do?
It said to pull the third book on the second shelf.
4.
What was inside the chest in the underground room?
Old letters and a locket.
5.
What happened to the diary at the end?
It disappeared from Emma's hands.

🗣️ Pair Work

Mystery Investigation Plan

"Work with a partner. Imagine you are detectives investigating the Maplewood Mansion mystery. Plan how you would search for more clues. Use vocabulary words like secret, clue, search, hidden, explore, ancient, disappear. Then present your plan to the class."

👉 Decide what you want to find out (e.g., who lived there, why they disappeared).

👉 Make a list of 3 places you would search inside the mansion and what you might find there.

👉 Use there is/are to describe each place (e.g., There is a locked chest in the attic).

👉 Explain your plan to your partner using present simple and vocabulary words.

🚀 EnglishDee Tasks

KEYWORDS: secret clue search hidden explore ancient disappear
✍️ WRITING

Abandoned Place Description

Write 80–100 words describing an abandoned place you have seen or imagined. It could be an old house, a ruined castle, an empty factory, or any mysterious location. Start by introducing the place and where it is. Then describe 3 things you can see inside using 'there is/are'. End by explaining why this place is mysterious.

✅ Checklist:
  • Write 80–100 words.
  • Use at least 4 vocabulary words from the list.
  • Use 'there is/are' and present simple correctly.
  • Structure: introduction, description, conclusion.
🎙️ SPEAKING

Explorer's Report

Record a 45-second voice note as if you just explored an abandoned place. Begin by saying where you went and when. Then describe 3 things you saw there (use 'there is/are'). End with one question you still have about the mystery. Speak clearly, as if you are reporting back to a friend or team.

✅ Checklist:
  • Record for 45 seconds.
  • Use at least 3 vocabulary words from the list.
  • Use 'there is/are' and present simple.
  • Speak at a natural pace with clear pronunciation.
Helpful Phrases
  • There is an old mansion on the hill...
  • I explored the abandoned factory last weekend.
  • There are strange symbols on the wall.
  • The hidden room had a mysterious chest.
  • I still don't understand why it disappeared.
  • Did the ancient family leave a clue behind?