Penguin Readers Factsheets level

T e a c h e r’s n o t e s 1

Dante’s Peak
3

5
by Dewey Gram
6

ELEMENTARY
S U M M A R Y
ante’s Peak was written in 1997 as a novelization
D of the film of the same name. BACKGROUND AND THEMES
Dante’s Peak is a small town in the north west of the
The placement of the town Dante’s Peak in the Cascade
United States, situated on the side of a volcano that has
Mountains of Oregon and Washington States (in the USA)
been inactive for thousands of years. When the mountain
was no accident. It was in this area that the United States
starts showing signs of activity, Harry Dalton, an expert on
experienced one of its worst ever volcanic eruptions, in
volcanoes, is sent to investigate the movement. Harry
1980, when Mount St Helen’s erupted. The volcano had
finds a volcano which he believes is going to erupt in a
been dormant for over 120 years when it started showing
very short time, but he finds that no one in the town is
signs of activity in early 1980. It erupted in May 1980,

DANTE’S PEAK
willing to listen to him. Even his own boss feels that he is
when the top of the mountain was blown off by the force
exaggerating the danger, and that Harry is over-reacting
of the explosion and its height was reduced by about 400
because his girlfriend was killed in a volcanic eruption
some months previously. Then the volcano starts to erupt, metres. More than sixty people died and an area of 600
and everyone realizes that Harry was right. But has this square metres was devastated. The volcano continues to
realization come too late to save the town? spit steam and ash today. The book is therefore based on
a reality which people in that area of the United States
know very well.
ABOUT THE AUTHORS One of the most important themes of the book is the
The original screenplay for the film ‘Dante’s Peak’ was conflict between humanity and nature, and the fact that
written by Leslie Bohem. Bohem is a scriptwriter who has we should never take nature for granted. The main
written the screenplays of other Hollywood films, for character of the book, Harry Dalton, an expert on
example ‘Daylight’, in 1996, which starred Sylvester volcanoes, is trying to rebuild his life after his girlfriend
Stalone. His move into scriptwriting a few years ago was killed in a volcanic eruption. Although he suspects
marked a dramatic career change from being a bass that the volcano at Dante’s Peak is going to erupt, he feels
guitarist with the rock band Sparks during the 1970s and that it is possible that he is now over-anxious about other
1980s. He was also a songwriter. people being killed in the same way as his girlfriend, and
that this anxiety is affecting his judgement. For this reason
The novelization of ‘Dante’s Peak’ was written by Dewey
he is prepared to put aside for a while his own suspicions
Gram, whose other film novelizations include ‘True Lies’,
about the volcano at Dante’s Peak, and listen to his boss,
‘Sneakers’, ‘The Ghost and The Darkness’, and ‘Fallen’
who believes that there is nothing to worry about. This
(1998). Dewey Gram has also written other novels.
decision in fact has tragic consequences for the town.
Harry is a man with a great affinity and respect for
ABOUT THE FILM volcanoes and for nature in general. He is therefore willing
to take notice of the subtle changes in nature which point
‘Dante’s Peak’ is a romance and an adventure film. The
to the danger, such as the acidity of the water and the
activity of the volcano in the film was very well researched
number of dead trees in the area. On the other hand, his
and the descriptions and scenes of the volcanic eruption
boss and his colleagues place their trust in the computers
are considered to be very accurate, as well as very
and other man-made machines that monitor the volcano -
exciting and dramatic. The director, Roger Donaldson,
and they are proved wrong in the end. Nature wins and
knows a lot about volcanoes himself and once considered
a career in geology before moving into film. One of the takes her revenge on Paul Dreyfus - Harry’s boss - as he
film’s consultants was a volcanologist who, with others, loses his life in the eruption. In this way, the story acts as
predicted the violent eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the a warning not to place too much trust in modern
Philippines in 1991, and in doing so was instrumental in technology, but to respect the old ways of interpreting
saving thousands of lives. nature’s signals.

© Pearson Education 2000

 level
Penguin Readers Factsheets 2
T e a c h e r’s n o t e s
The other main theme of the book is the influence that other students guess ‘who’ they are and who/what they
commerce can have on people’s lives and fates. Dante’s are thinking about.
Peak is about to receive a large investment from a wealthy
businessman who wants to build a winter holiday Chapters 5-8
complex there. This would make the town much richer Put students into pairs. Ask them to read page 20 again -
than it is, and the plan is enthusiastically supported by the where Harry rescues Terry. The students are Harry and
members of the business community in the town. When Terry. They make their conversation in the volcano. Help
them if necessary, e.g. they talk about what happened,
Harry Dalton arrives with his predictions of a volcanic
how Terry feels, if they are frightened. Students write the
eruption, the business people do not want to listen to him, conversation and read it out to the class.
as they know that a volcanic eruption, or even rumours of
one, would ruin their plans. They are happy to support Chapters 9-13
Paul Dreyfus’s opinion and to refuse to believe Harry. In
Divide students in pairs:
doing so, they allow something far worse to happen to the
town than the loss of the anticipated holiday complex. One student is Harry Dalton, when he gets back to his
office. He has to explain what happened at Dante’s Peak.
The other student works with Harry. He/she is upset and
wants to hear all about it. He/she asks questions about
what happened.
Communicative activities
The following teacher-led activities cover the same ACTIVITIES AFTER READING THE BOOK
sections of text as the exercises at the back of the reader,
(Students should do this after the final exercise on page 4
and supplement those exercises. Supplementary exercises
of this Factsheet.)
covering shorter sections of the book can be found on the
DANTE’S PEAK

photocopiable Student’s Activities pages of this Factsheet. Put students into groups. They talk about ‘nature’ (they
These are primarily for use with class readers but, with the look this up in their dictionaries) in groups. Ask them to
exception of discussion and pair/groupwork questions, decide whether Harry or Paul was right: Harry believed in
can also be used by students working alone in a self- nature and the things nature said about the volcano, but
access centre. Paul believed in what the computers ‘said’. Ask students
to talk about this question: Is it always right to believe
ACTIVITIES BEFORE READING THE BOOK nature (the acid in the lake, etc.) or is it better to believe
modern machines?
(Ask students to do the exercise under ‘Activities before
reading the book’ on page 3 of this Factsheet before
doing this activity.)
1 Put students into pairs. Ask them to look at the front of Glossary
the book and at the pictures inside the book and to
say which country they think it takes place in. Then tell It will be useful for your students to know the following new words.
the students that the book is about a volcano (explain They are practised in the ‘Before You Read’ sections of exercises at
the back of the book. (Definitions are based on those in the Longman
what a volcano is). If they are surprised that the story Active Study Dictionary.)
is located in the United States, tell them the true story
of Mount St Helen’s (see Background and Themes). Chapters 1-4
acid (n) this looks like water but is very dangerous because it eats
2 Ask if any students have seen the film ‘Dante’s Peak’. into things and kills or destroys them
If any have, find out what they thought of it: What kind ash (n) this is grey and is there after a fire
of film is it? Did they enjoy it? Why? businessman (n) this man works for a company
earthquake (n) a strong and sudden movement of the ground
ACTIVITIES AFTER READING A SECTION explode (v) to burst (break) with a loud noise
gas (n) this is like air; people use it to make light and heat
Chapters 1-4 mayor (n) people choose this person to be the head of the town
rock (n) this is very hard and is part of the ground
Write the following sentences on pieces of paper and scientist (n) this person studies our world and learns things about it
photocopy them. They are ‘thoughts’ of people in the volcano (n) this mountain sometimes explodes (see above) and hot
story. rock (see above) comes out of the top
‘Why did she have to die?’ Chapters 5-8
‘He never does things I ask him to do!’ explosion (n) this is when something bursts (breaks) with a loud
noise
‘A woman as the mayor? But she’s pretty and very nice.’
helicopter (n) this flies in the air and carries people in it; it is a small
‘I can make this town into a big holiday centre.’ round ‘aeroplane’
‘Oh no! He mustn’t talk to Elliot Blair!’ lava (n) hot rock (see above) that comes out of a volcano (see above)
robot (n) this thing can move and do jobs that people usually do
‘She isn’t doing the right things for my grandchildren.’
Chapters 9-13
Divide the class into groups of six students. Give each
engine (n) this makes cars and aeroplanes move
group the six sentences. Each student takes a sentence
and reads it out - they can add details if they want. The

Published and distributed by Pearson Education

Factsheet written by Diane Hall
© Pearson Education 2000 Factsheet series developed by Louise James
 Penguin Readers Factsheets level

Student’s activities 1

2
Photocopiable Dante’s Peak 3
Students can do these exercises alone or with one or more
other students. Pair/group-only activities are marked.
4

Activities before reading the book 5

Read the introduction on page v of your book. Answer CHAPTERS 5-8 6

the questions.
(a) What is Dante’s Peak? Chapters 5 & 6
ELEMENTARY
(b) Why does the town have a problem? 1 These sentences are all right. Find sentences in the
(c) Find the names of two people in the story. story which tell you this.

(d) Who was in the film ‘Dante’s Peak’? (a) Harry wants to tell the people of the town
something.
(b) The people at the meeting aren’t happy about
Harry’s news.
Activities while reading the book (c) They don’t want to tell Elliot Blair about the
volcano.
CHAPTERS 1-4 (d) Paul Dreyfus thinks Harry is wrong.
Chapters 1 & 2 (e) Rachel doesn’t know which man is right.
(f) Rachel is a businesswoman in the town.

DANTE’S PEAK
1 Answer these questions.
(g) There is another small earthquake.
(a) What is Harry Dalton’s job?
(b) Why did Harry take a year away from his office? 2 Who says these things?
(c) Why does he go to Dante’s Peak? Rachel Wando, Harry Dalton, Paul Dreyfus, Les
Worrell
(d) Why does the mayor of Dante’s Peak go to the
school? (a) ‘I know about the money, but we’re talking about
(e) Why is the mayor unusual? people.’
(f) How many people are there in Rachel’s family? (b) ‘Do we have a big problem?’
(g) What does Rachel think about Dante’s Peak? (c) ‘The volcano is sleeping, not dead.’
(h) Who is Elliot Blair and why is he important for the (d) ‘Do you know that people will die?’
town? (e) ‘I don’t think the volcano is going to explode.’
2 What do you think about the people in the story? (f) ‘Perhaps you’re wrong about our volcano.’
(a) Is Harry Dalton strong or weak? Why?
Chapters 7 & 8
(b) Is Rachel Wando interesting or boring? Why?
(c) What is going to happen when they meet? 1 What happens first, second, third, fourth ...? Write 1-
10 next to these sentences.
Chapters 3 & 4 (a) A large rock breaks Terry’s leg.
1 Are these sentences right or wrong? Put the wrong (b) The scientists meet the men from the town in the
sentences right. bar.
(c) Harry goes into the volcano to look for Terry.
(a) The woman dies in the lake because the water is
very hot. (d) Terry goes into the volcano.
(b) The water is very hot because it was a sunny (e) Harry, Stan and Terry leave the equipment on the
day. mountain.
(c) Rachel wants Harry Dalton to meet Elliot Blair. (f) Harry and Paul have a fight.
(d) Ruth doesn’t think there is a problem with the (g) Acid slowly starts to flow into the lake.
mountain. (h) Harry and Terry take the robot to the mountain.
(e) Harry is happy about the acid in the lake. (i) There is another earthquake.
(j) The helicopter takes Harry and Terry back to the
(f) There is nothing strange about the mountain and
town.
the lake this year.
2 These sentences are about people or things in the
2 Look at these people and places from the story:
story. Who or what is each sentence about?
Harry, Rachel, Ruth, the town, the mountain (a) She’s very beautiful.
Which of these words is about each of the people or (b) It can see for the scientists.
places above? Why?
(c) He follows the robot down inside the mountain.
angry, beautiful, dangerous, forgetful, friendly,
(d) He starts to climb down into the volcano.
hardworking, quiet, sad, strong

© Pearson Education 2000

 level
Penguin Readers Factsheets 2
Student’s activities

(e) He pulls some rocks away. Dante’s Peak, they are happy/sad.
(f) He is afraid of the old volcano. (b) Harry knows that they must get into the
(g) He doesn’t think there is a problem. ground/river.
(h) He doesn’t want to leave Rachel. (c) They can’t get into/out of the mine.
(d) Harry wants to go and get some food/the radio.
3 Read the last paragraph of Chapter 8 again. What do
you think is going to happen in Chapter 9? (e) They are in the mine for two weeks/two days.
(f) The end of the story is happy/sad for Harry and
Rachel.
CHAPTERS 9-13
2 These are the important people in the story:
Chapters 9 & 10
Harry Dalton, Rachel Wando, Paul Dreyfus, Ruth,
1 Complete the sentences. Les Worrell
(a) Harry and Rachel go to her house ...
Which people do you like? Which people don’t you
(b) Lauren wants ... like? Why?
(c) The water is ...
(d) Harry, Rachel and the children go ...
(e) Rachel tells the people to ...
(f) The volcano starts to ...
Activities after reading the book
(g) At Rachel’s house they find ... 1 Finish the story with the words from the box .
(h) Harry and Rachel drive through ...
DANTE’S PEAK

(i) Some people pay ...

(j) Ash gets in the helicopter’s engine and ... acid earthquake equipment explode killed lake
2 In pairs, write Graham’s letter to Rachel (page 28). lava mayor mine problem radio rocks scientist
townspeople volcanoes
Chapters 11 & 12
1 Talk about these questions with other students.
Harry Dalton was a 1................................. . He worked
(a) Why was it impossible for Harry, Rachel and the
others to go back down the mountain on the with 2................................. . He went to a small town
road? called Dante’s Peak. He met the 3................................. ,
(b) Why did they take the small boat? Rachel Wando. After a small 4................................. , Harry
(c) Why couldn’t the boat finish its journey across
thought there was a problem with the volcano and he
the lake?
(d) Why did Ruth help the others, do you think? asked the other scientists to bring some
5
(e) What happened to Paul Dreyfus? ................................. to watch the volcano. Harry’s boss,
(f) How did Harry and the others get back to Paul, didn’t think that there was a 6.................................
Dante’s Peak? and he told the 7................................. not to leave their
2 Do people in the story think these things or do they homes. Then the volcano started to 8.............................. .
know them? Write T (think) or K (know) next to each
Harry and Rachel went to find Rachel’s children and Ruth
sentence.
(the children’s grandmother), and they watched the hot
(a) There are rocks on the road near Ruth’s house
9
and they can’t go back down it. ................................. flow into Ruth’s home. They
(b) They are going to be OK when they find the boat. couldn’t get back to the town by car because there were
(c) There is a lot of acid in the lake. 10
................................. on the road, so they took Ruth’s
(d) Harry can get to the tree and pull the boat in. boat across the 11................................. , but the water in
(e) Ruth dies because she wants to help Rachel and
the lake was 12................................. . The boat stopped
the children to live.
(f) Harry, Rachel and the children can drive across and Ruth got in the water and pushed it, but the acid
13
the lava. ................................. her. Harry, Rachel and the children
went back to the town and went into the
Chapter 13 14
................................. . Harry called for help on the
1 Which one of the two words in italics is right? 15
................................. . Two days later, the earthquakes
(a) When Harry, Rachel and the children drive into
stopped and they left the mine.

Published and distributed by Pearson Education

Factsheet written by Diane Hall
© Pearson Education 2000 Factsheet series developed by Louise James