Question

firstly, read the extract below. it has been taken from the novel buddy, which is about a young boy named buddy and his two friends, julius and charmian. they decide to visit a house on their street where a murder has taken place.

1 the houses were tall and all set back from the pavement, some with front
2 gardens so large that there were trees in the middle of the lawns. buddy lost count of
3 the house numbers but it didnt matter because, when they reached it,
4 it was obvious which house was number 56.

5 tall, brick gateposts guarded the two entrances to the semi-circular drive but there was
6 only one gate and that was half-open and hanging off its hinges. the other entrance
7 looked like a barricade - with wooden posts and tangles of barbed wire. there was a
8 tall, straggly hedge that hid the garden and the lower part of the house but what buddy
9 could see made the skin crawl on the back of his neck. the windows were all boarded
10 up as if what was inside was too terrible to see, or as if someone had tried to stop
11 something horrible from getting out.

12 buddy had known that julius would dare him to go up to the front door and he had
13 made up his mind to say no, but at the last minute he changed his mind. julius was
14 right: it was only an old house, even if some people had died there. so what - people
15 must have died in almost every old house in the town; that didnt make them scary. it
16 was just an ordinary old house and he had to prove it to himself - if not hed go on
17 being scared by stupid things like ghosts. hed walk right up to the front door. there
18 was nothing to be afraid of. he just had to stop acting like a kid; he was nearly fourteen,
19 after all. it was ridiculous all this stuff about ghosts and death. he had to stop it. if he
20 walked up to the front door and stood there while he counted to ten - no, twenty - it
21 would be like a victory and all his fears would stop for ever.

22 he crossed the lawn and walked softly up the gravel path up to the front-door steps.
23 the steps were worn in the middle from all the people who had climbed them, including
24 them - the murder victims! buddy got to the top step and stared at the front door.
25 there was an old door-knocker in the middle and on either side of it two planks had
26 been nailed lengthways, presumably to cover broken glass panels. half way down was
27 a letter box. he was just about to push it open and peer through when there was a
28 noise behind him.

29 he whirled around to see julius and charmian standing at the bottom of the steps.
30 \you scared me, you idiots! whatre you doing, sneaking up on me like that?\
31 \coming to look for ourselves,\ julius explained in a loud voice.
32 \sssh! im going to look through the letter box.\

33 as buddy turned back to the door, julius skipped up the steps and banged the door-
34 knocker. \anyone home?\ he shouted. buddy and charmian stooped to look through
35 the letter-box. buddy bent down just as she pushed open the flap. through the large slit
36 they saw a flickering candle and a face staring back at them. charmian screamed and
37 together they fled down the steps in terror.

Explanation:

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<reasoning>

Analyze the text for Buddy's motivation to walk to the front door

Lines 12–21 show Buddy's internal conflict and reasoning:

• He wants to prove to himself that he is not scared of "stupid things like ghosts" (lines 16–17).
• He wants to stop acting like a kid, noting he is "nearly fourteen, after all" (lines 18–19).
• Standing at the door and counting to twenty would feel like a "victory" that would make his fears "stop for ever" (lines 20–21).

Synthesize the primary reasons

1. To prove to himself that he is not a coward or afraid of superstitious things like ghosts.
2. To stop acting like a child and demonstrate maturity since he is nearly fourteen.
3. To achieve a personal victory over his fears so they will stop forever.

</reasoning>

<answer>
Based on lines 12–21 of the extract, Buddy decides to walk up to the front door for the following reasons:

1. To prove his bravery: He wants to prove to himself that he is not scared of "stupid things like ghosts" and that the old house is just an ordinary house.
2. To grow up: He wants to stop acting like a child, reminding himself that he is nearly fourteen years old.
3. To conquer his fears: He believes that if he can stand at the door and count to twenty, it will be a personal victory that will make his fears disappear forever.

</answer>

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Answer:

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</pre_analysis>

<reasoning>

Analyze the text for Buddy's motivation to walk to the front door

Lines 12–21 show Buddy's internal conflict and reasoning:

• He wants to prove to himself that he is not scared of "stupid things like ghosts" (lines 16–17).
• He wants to stop acting like a kid, noting he is "nearly fourteen, after all" (lines 18–19).
• Standing at the door and counting to twenty would feel like a "victory" that would make his fears "stop for ever" (lines 20–21).

Synthesize the primary reasons

1. To prove to himself that he is not a coward or afraid of superstitious things like ghosts.
2. To stop acting like a child and demonstrate maturity since he is nearly fourteen.
3. To achieve a personal victory over his fears so they will stop forever.

</reasoning>

<answer>
Based on lines 12–21 of the extract, Buddy decides to walk up to the front door for the following reasons:

1. To prove his bravery: He wants to prove to himself that he is not scared of "stupid things like ghosts" and that the old house is just an ordinary house.
2. To grow up: He wants to stop acting like a child, reminding himself that he is nearly fourteen years old.
3. To conquer his fears: He believes that if he can stand at the door and count to twenty, it will be a personal victory that will make his fears disappear forever.

</answer>

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