CHAPTER 7 (The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole)

Adrian realized that he was poor. One day, the father ran out of money in the bank and he was very moody. The mother sent him a postcard and he had to go to Sheffield to see her. Adrian went to visit his mum and he helped to paint her kitchen. He remembered that his mother is really nice. He hated Mr Lucas. 

Adrian's father met another woman: Doreen Slater. When he came back from Sheffield, Doreen was in the house. Adrian's mother sent another postcard to say that she was coming to visit him on Saturday. The father tried to regain the mother and he cleaned the house,  he bought flowers. But the mother came with Mr Lucas and they only gave them bit money for buy candles because the father owed £100 of electricity.

The things with Pandora were improving. They spoke in Geography. 

Bert Baxter lost his false teeth and Adrian found it in Sabre's kennel. 

Vocabulary:

Poverty: (noun) the state of being extremely poor= pobreza.
-I hope she never lives in poverty. 

Cashier: (noun) a person handling payments and receipts in a shop, bank, or business= cajero.
-My father is a cashier in a bank. 

Ashamed: (adjective) embarrassed or guilty because of one’s actions, characteristics, or associations= avergonzado.
- I felt ashamed when my brother told the truth.

Kennel: (noun) a small house for a dog=casa del perro, perrera.
-I can't have a dog because I haven't got a kennel. 

Banging: (noun) a sudden loud, sharp noise= aporreamiento
-When you knock at the door, people in house listen a banging. 

Candle wax: (noun) a white translucent material obtained by bleaching and purifying beeswax and used for such purposes as making candles, modelling, and as a basis of polishes= cera de vela
-Look out with the candle wax! It's burning.

CHAPTER 6 (The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole)

Nigel was very sad about the rupture with Pandora. The 29th of March is Mother's Day and Adrian's father gave him money to buy something his mother. Mr Lucas and the mother organized a meeting that night. Adrian's father hit Mr Lucas and some of neighbors saw this. Adrian was very sad. The mother decided to go to Sheffiel with Mr Lucas.  
Nigel spoke with Barry Kent for help Adrian. The 2nd of April was Adrian's birthday!! He received some presents of his father, his mother, Mr Lucas, Nigel and Bert Baxter.
The father and the son spoke about the mother's getaway and Adrian thought that his father wanted to die. He hid his shaving razor. Other day, his father confessed him that he had a friend called Doreen Slater and Adrian understood that his father didn't die. 
On Saturday Adrian went to Nigel's home because he was alone. They read the erotic magazines, rode the bike, had a dinner and drunk whisky. Adrian said that he will never drink it again.

Vocabulary:

Affair: (noun) a love history= una historia de amor, un lío. 
-He never recovered from his affair.

Arranged (to arrange): (verb) organize or make plans for= organizar, hacer planes. 
-They arranged a party and I couldn't go. 

Book token: (noun) a voucher wich can be exchanged for books costing up to a specified amount= vale para comprar libros.
-I always receive a book token for my birthday

Shillings: (noun) a British coin= chelines.
-In Spain, there aren't shillings. 

Shaving razor: (noun) something that it is use to remove the beard= maquinilla de afeitar, cuchilla.
-My brother doesn't know use the shaving razor. 

Telly: (noun) TV= tele, televisión.
-If you didn't have a telly, you'd be weird. 

• In this video, there are the chapter 5 and 6!

CHAPTER 5 (The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole)

One day, Adrian gets up with a lot of spots in his face. He decides to go at his grandmother's home. She looks after him a lot and she phones the doctor. 

Adrian's parents  are getting a divorce. They don't speak, eat and sleep together. Adrian tries to stay with both. He washes up in Baxter's home and he reads the erotic magazines at nights. 

Adrian's mother tells him that Mr Lucas wants to sell his house. Adrian thinks the many things that he would do if he sold his home. He also starts to notice the relation between Mr Lucas and his mother. 

He has a problem with the social worker of Bert Baxter because he tells a lie like Adrian. And the best new in these weeks is that Nigel and Pandora aren't together now!! 

Vocabulary:
Spare room: (noun) the guests' room= habitación de invitados
-My grandma sleeps in the spare room when she comes to my home. 

Set off: (phrasal verb) to start a journey= partir, comenzar, ir. 

-He sets off for London at ten o'clock. 

Dozen: (noun) a group or set of twelve= docena.

-My cousin ate a dozen of eggs in a day. 

Towards: (preposition) in the direction of= hacia.

-He goes towards the sea.

Bill: (noun) a written or printed account or statement of money owed= factura.

-My parents can't pay the expensive bill. 

CHAPTER 4 (The secret Diary of Adrian Mole)

In this chapter Adrian continues to change. He has a little mustache and new spots in his face. When Adrian's father doesn't stay in home, Mr Lucas comes to Adrian's home and he eats the father's cake. The father enraged when he didn't see the cake. 

Adrian does the delivery in Elm Tree Avenue (rich's street) too. Pandora lives in this street and Adrian discovers for her clothes that she rides a horse. 

Parents' marriage is in danger. Adrian doesn't understand anything of adult's life. He thinks that all is an exaggeration.

He sees Mr Lucas buying an erotic magazine. It's terrible!

Adrian's boss gives him two copies of the erotic magazine too and he hides them. He tries to send Bert Baxter to a home-help.

Finally, Adrian gets into troubles because his dog followed him and it entered in the school. 

Vocabulary:
Lounge: (noun) living room or sitting room= salón, sala de estar.
-My lounge is bigger than my cousin's kitchen.

Supper: (noun) dinner= cena, comida.
-I eat spaghetti for my supper.

Wealthy: (adjective) people who have a lot of money= rico, adinerado.
-I would like be wealthy.

Slave: (adjective) work excessively hard= duro, esclavo.
-Studying is a slave work. 

Punctured (to puncture): (verb) make a hole= pinchó (pinchar), perforó.
-My mother punctured the most beautiful balloon.

Headmaster: (noun) a man who is the head teacher in the school= director.
-This school's headmaster is very stupid.

CHAPTER 3 (The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole)

Valentine's Day is coming. Adrian's parents have a lot of arguments and he can´t sleep. He misses her classes and he goes to Baxter's home. 

His mother only smokes and reads a horrible book with rude words. He has his first wet dream and he starts to speak with the old Baxter. His mother and Mr Lucas pass a lot of hours together.

In Valentine's Day he receives only one card, Pandora 17 and Nigel 7. 

And he has bad experiences with her new classmate: Barry Kent. He takes advantage of Adrian and he hits him.

Vocabulary:

Thoughtful: (adjective) showing consideration for the needs of other people= Considerado, pensativo.

-I think that my brother isn't thoughtful.

Rude words: (adjective+noun) an offensive word, used especially as an expression of anger (to swear) = palabrotas.

-He never says rude works.

Profit: (noun) advantage, benefit= beneficios, ganancia.

-She earns a profit every day.

Heating: (noun) equipment or devices used to provide heat, especially to a building= calefacción.

-The heating is necessary in winter.

Stuck: (past paticipe of stick) something that it is blocked, mired= atascado, pegado.

-My home's lock was stuck.

Gravy: (noun) a sauce made by mixing the fat and juices exuded by meat during cooking with stock and other ingredients= salsa.

-I hate the taste of the gravy.

A NARRATIVE

The Birthday 

Sally is my best friend. I've known her since 9 years. She is very nice and sensible. Last Saturday, it was her birthday. I thought that my friends and I could prepare a surprise party. We could rent a local, decorate it, put good music and make a cake. It would be amazing! So, I took Sally's mobile and I secretly sent a text messages for all her friends. 

The great day came. Sally and I would meet in a park (near the local) like a normal Saturday. While I was entertaining Sally, my other friends finished the decorations and the guests arrived at the local. At 7 o'clock, Sally and I went to the party. Unfortunately, while we were entering in it, I had a terrified scene: Sally's ex-boyfriend was there! I felt embarrassed because Sally hated him and I invited him by mistake. She still had his number in the mobile. The boy thought that Sally had forgiven him. I told him the error and he left the place. Luckily, Sally wasn't very angry with me and she enjoyed the rest of the party. 

Next day, I explained the failure to Sally. She laughed a lot and she told me that at first she thought it was an awful joke. Then she saw that it wasn't. She was very grateful and happy about the party and the little gift which we bought her. In the end everything was good but I'll never prepare a surprise party again!

CHAPTER 2 (The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole)

Adrian goes to the doctor for his spot, but he doesn't say or prescribe anything. The dog destroys Mrs Lucas' path and she has an argument with Adrian's mother. Adrian helps poor too and he gives his comics to a family.

In the next weeks, Mr and Mrs Lucas get a divorce. Adrian's mother looks for a job and she finds one with Mr Lucas. His father is very jealous and he's angry. Adrian is afraid because if his mother gets a job, she doesn't look after Adrian and his father. He thinks that his mother is selfish and he doesn't know that she is into Mr Lucas. Besides he has to help Mr Baxter: a weird and eighty-nine-year-old man with a dog.

He is worried with all its troubles. But the most horrible thing is that Nigel is going out with Pandora! Adrian falls ill when he knows this. He is very sad. Adrian thinks a lot about it. He doesn’t want to do anything. He is ruined. And, of course, he hates Nigel. 

Vocabulary:

Choking (to choke): (verb) to have trouble or fail in breathing, swallowing, or speaking. = atragantarse.

-When I eat very fast, I choke with the meal. 

Selfish: (adjective) especially concerned with one's own interest, advantage, etc. = egoísta.

-My brother is very selfish: he never shares his things.

Barking (to bark): (noun) the loud sound of dogs. = ladrido.

- This dog never stops barking. 

Typing: (noun) to write in a machine (computers) = mecanografía.

-It's very important learn typing for write fast. 

Lorry: (noun) a large motor vehicle designed to carry heavy loads, especially one with a flat platform. = camión. 

-There is a lorry in the street.

Sickbed: (noun) a place where you stay if you are ill. = lecho (cama) de enfermo. 

-I'm going to go to my sickbed because I'm ill.

• In this video there is a part of chapter 2 and a part of chapter 3: 

CHAPTER 1 (The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole)

Adrian Mole is the diary's writer. He's thirteen and three quarters years old and he lives with his parents and his dog. He starts to write resolutions the 1st of January in New Year's Day. 

In home, his parents fall ill and they have a lot of arguments. His mother cries. When she is with Mr Lucas (a neighbor), she is happy. Adrian supposes something. He thinks that his parents are alcoholics. His father is always moody. 

His dog breaks the model ship and the stereo. It runs away from home. When the dog returns, it eats disgusting things and it falls ill too. A vet helps it.  

Nigel, his friend, buys a new and brilliant bike. 

Pandora is a new classmate. Adrian falls in love because she is very nice and handsome. They speak something one day. Adrian looks her chest and he thinks she's got a beautiful hair, figure and eyes.

And the most worrying thing is the horrible spot in his chin!! In almost days Adrian says something about it. 

Vocabulary:

Hang up: (verb) to put on a hook, hanger, etc. = colgar. 

-When I arrive at home, I hang my clothes up. 

Squeezing (squeeze): (verb) to grip or press firmly or compress =rebentar, explotar, estallar. 

-You shouldn't squeeze your spots. 

Spots: (noun) a blemish of the skin, a pimple or something similar =grano.

-People between 12 and 18 usually have a lot of spots. 

Chin: (noun) the part of the face below the lips =barbilla.

-I hurt my chin when I fell down. 

Saddle: (noun) the bike's seat (horses' seat too) =sillín.

-This saddle is very uncomfortable. 

Treacle: (noun) a dark viscous syrup obtained during the refining of sugar =melaza.

-You've got the eyes of the colour of treacle. I love them!

Netball: (noun) basketball =baloncesto.

-In free time, my friends and I like playing netball.

Kick: (verb) to hit with the foot or feet =patear.

-I kicked the ball when I played football. 

Coming round: (verb) to pass at home =pasándose por casa.

-My neighbour comes round everyday. 

Waved: (verb) say goodbye with your hand =decir adiós.

-She waved goodbye to him. 

Mongrel: (adjective) a dog of mixed or unknown breeding; a crossbreed or hybrid =chucho, mestizo.

-My dog's breed isn't very clear because it's a mongrel.

• This is a video that I find on youtube. It's the TV serie of Adrian Mole. This part belongs to chapter 1!

SUE TOWNSEND'S BIOGRAPHY (The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole)

Sue Townsend was born in Leicester in 1946. She learned to read at the age of eight in just three weeks, because she couldn’t go to the school for her mumps. From that moment she became obsessed with reading. Later, she started to write for the school magazine.

Sue left school at fifteen with no qualifications and found employment. She kept writing, but she did it in secret. At eighteen she married and a year later her first child was born. With two more children in her family and a subsequent divorce, she found a job that she enjoyed it: work in a youth club.

In 1978 Sue met Colin Broadway. He helped Sue to continue writing. In 1979 she won a Thames Television Playwright Award, including a bursary as Writer in Residence. She embarked on a professional writing career.

In her works (novels, musicals...) she teases of the most ridiculous aspects of human behavior and social life.

Her most famous books are: ‘The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole, aged 13 ¾ ’, ‘The Growing Pains of Adrian Mole’ (they’ve adapted for radio, television and theatre), ‘The Queen and I’, ‘Number 10’ and ‘The Woman Who Went to Bed for a Year’.

THE SECRET DIARY OF ADRIAN MOLE

These days I'm going to write about a book called 'The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole'. The book's writer is Sue Townsand. I think it will be funny and I hope to learn a lot with it.