zita and the crystal ball - euro cordiale · zita: for rose thorn, i’ll keep it to a quarter of...

Sequence 4 page 1

Text: Dominique Sadri-Faure and Erny Plein ; Drawings: Catherine Beaumont - Association Eurocordiale, a.s.b.l. November 2015

Operation CALCULATE in Graphoville - Sequence 4

Zita and the crystal ball

Zita: So, this morning I have Lady Adelaide first. I mean, she repeats herself a little bit, but’s pretty nice. Let’s see what tie…

10:15AM! And it is 9:40AM. That gives me time to finish my coffee and croissants. Ah, but I also have to get dressed!

EXERCISE 1

Zita: It won’t be long with Lady Adelaide. No more than 25 minutes. She always tells me the same things. Let’s see, what did I have next? Rose Thorn at 11AM. That’ll give me a little time to take a tea with one or two cookies…

EXERCISE 2

Zita: For Rose Thorn, I’ll keep it to a quarter of an hour – not a minute longer. For the same price, anyway! Yes, because I have my series at 11:10AM.

Fortunately, they’re always five or six minutes late on the TV. That way, I won’t miss the start!

Sequence 4 page 2


EXERCISE 3

Zita: My series lasts 50 minutes, so I can heat up my lunch right after, at…

EXERCISE 4

Zita: Half an hour to prepare and eat lunch, and a quarter of an hour to go for a

coffee downstairs at Yannis’. Then back for my 1PM appointment with

Maximillian, that pretentious television host!

EXERCISE 5

Zita: With him, it lasts no less than an hour and a quarter.

But for him it’s double the price! Then I have… who’s that again? Oh, yes! Edwina Arty, the old actress is at 2:30PM. Perfect. I’ll have time to take a nap!

Sequence 4 page 3


EXERCISE 6

Zita: This one will also last a long time. Plus, she’s always 20 minutes late.

And then I have Miss Graphoville. I won’t keep Arty more than 40 minutes. Even that’s a lot!

EXERCISE 7

Zita: An hour with Miss Graphoville, and then I’m off. With this beautiful sun, I’ll go for a little walk. I’ve got time. My next appointment would be at 6PM.

EXERCISE 8

Sequence 4 page 4


Zita: So, Lady Adelaide, my crystal ball tells me that you have received… good news?

Adelaide: Yes, my dear Zita! Can you imagine that I have found the man that I used to date in my youth?!

Zita: I see! That was… in the 1970s…

Adelaide: That’s right! What a gift you have! It was 1974. We were both just 17.

Zita: And I was just 5!

Adelaide: Yes, but this stays between us, doesn’t it? I made a little white lie on my ID card, but my actual year of birth is…

EXERCISE 9

Sequence 4 page 5


Adelaide: So, we were 17 years old, like when my great-grandmother Eugenie

was when she married Aristide of Bellevue in 1900!

EXERCISE 10

Adelaide: We were going to get engaged, but then his family went to the United States.

However, I recently saw him in a film from the end of the last century:

The Conquest of the East.

EXERCISE 11

Zita: This film dates from 1996, my crystal ball tells me! It features the famous Johnny Bipp!

Adelaide: That’s it! But my ‘little fiancé’ isn’t as well-known as Johnny Bipp, nor of the

other young star.

Zita: Yes, of course!

Sequence 4 page 6


EXERCISE 12

Adelaide: Simon, my young cousin who lives at the castle, is a computer scientist. He found my dear Hugo’s phone number in Los Angeles! I wanted to call

him this morning, but I didn’t dare call before asking you for advice.

Zita: And you did the right thing! Don’t call him before… 6PM.

EXERCISE 13

Adelaide: Ah! That’s wonderful, my dear Zita! Your crystal ball tells you everything!

Zita: Yes, Lady Adelaide. It tells me that there’s a 9-hour time difference between here and Los Angeles.

Adelaide: Well, I’ll call him at 10PM tonight. My brother Lord Snooty will already

be in bed.

Sequence 4 page 7


EXERCISE 14

Adelaide: But will Hugo remember me?

Zita: Of course, Lady Adelaide!

Adelaide: Ah, you have an exceptional gift!

How old were you when you realised you had this gift?

Zita: Well… I first saw my great aunt Hilda’s future in her goldfish’s bowl! It

wasn’t even made of crystal. I was exactly 10 years old.

Adelaide: You’re just so much younger than me, Zita!

Zita: Oh, hardly, hardly, Lady Adelaide!

EXERCISE 15

Sequence 4 page 8


Zita: Ah, the doorbell is ringing! It’s my 11AM appointment running early – it’s only 10:52AM. It’s Rose Thorn, your grandnephews’ governess. I’ll

keep her waiting in the living room while I walk you out. I imagine that you don’t want to meet her here?

Adelaide: Oh no, of course not! She could say something to my brother, Lord

Snooty! He wouldn’t be at all happy if I found Hugo…

EXERCISE 16

Zita: Come to the living room, dear Rose. I’ll be back in a few minutes – then I’m yours!

EXERCISE 17

Sequence 4 page 9


Rose: During the spring break, I was responsible for the education of…

Zita: … the grandnephews of Lady Adelaide, Countess of Bellevue!

Rose: Ah, Zita, you amaze me! Is that really in your crystal ball?

Zita: Actually, no. You told me that 2 weeks ago.

Rose: Oh, yes, that’s right. It was a Friday… it was…

EXERCISE 18

Rose: I was staying in a room at the castle. So, that same Friday, I got up in the middle of the night to get a drink from the kitchen.

Zita: Water!

Rose: A glass of water. Absolutely! That’s when I heard the furious voices of a couple…

Zita: … who were quarrelling!

Sequence 4 page 10


Rose: Exactly! Then I saw them! Ghosts! I assure you! Ghosts, Zita!

Zita: I’ve heard about this… uh… through my crystal ball, of course! They were from… the last century, I think.

EXERCISE 19

Rose: They must have died a violent death! And now they’re haunting

the castle. How long have you been able to see them?

Zita: Let’s take a look. They look old to me, your ghosts. I see… flames!

Rose: So it was during the Great Fire of Graphoville in 1827!

Zita: Oh, no, no, that was long before last century!

EXERCISE 20

Zita: Hold on… I also see… rats! Hundreds of rats!

Rose: The plague! The Great Plague! The Black Death that is said to

have killed 13 million people in the Middle Ages, around 1350! Yes, they’re probably from around that time!

Zita: Maybe. From the middle of the 14th century… Your ghosts

wouldn’t be very young, in short…

Sequence 4 page 11


EXERCISE 21

Zita: Oh no, I don’t think so. Of course not. Dear Rose, I now see a

chariot pulled by oxen. We are much further down the road of time! In the time of the ‘lazy kings’!

Rose: So it was the 8th century! After Jesus Christ, of course!

Zita: Oh, yes. Anyway, they’ve been haunting the place for a while!

EXERCISE 22

Rose: Well, now I’m informed! I’m going to be able to follow their conversations much better. Do you believe in ghosts, Zita?

Zita: Of course, Rose! I’ll walk you out.

Zita: She made me miss my television show! It’s true that I only got around to seeing her at 11:30AM… but she stayed for three quarters of an hour with

her stories about ghosts! Let’s see… what time is it, then?

Sequence 4 page 12


EXERCISE 23

Zita: It’s just about time for Professor Albert Heritage’s radio show! Wait – is he talking about these ghosts too?!

Albert Heritage: My dear listeners and friends, as we established in the last episode, it was at the beginning of the 8th century that Count Harold the Hideous

and his wife Regina ruled over our beautiful region. This famous couple, who were poisoned, remained at the site of their death:

where Bellevue Castle currently stands…

Sequence 4 page 13


10 mini BONUS exercises

with character-based scenarios

Levels: E: Easy! M: Medium… D: Difficult!

Scenario 1: E

Rose Thorn gets impatient at the bus stop! The bus was supposed to arrive at

10:30AM and it is 12 minutes late! What time is it?

Scenario 2: E

Adelaide would like to call her ‘fiancé’ in Los Angeles. It is 9 hours earlier there. The castle’s clock shows that it is 3PM. Can Adelaide call her ‘fiancé’ without the

risk of waking him up?

Sequence 4 page 14


Scenario 3: E to M

Rose had an appointment with Zita at 11AM. Lady Adelaide arrived at 10:35AM

and the consultation lasted 35 minutes. Rose’s bus was 5 minutes late. Were they likely to cross paths at Zita’s?

Scenario 4: M

Professor Heritage has just finished his radio show. He drives over to a history

conference. It is 12:22PM. His GPS indicates that he will have arrived by 1:03PM. Well, the journey won’t be too long, he thinks. Really? But it’s not that short, is it?

Sequence 4 page 15


Scenario 5: M

The castle’s big clock says that it is 3:30PM, but it is 7 minutes behind.

Rose goes to catch her bus, which leaves at 3:53PM. The stop is 5 minutes away from the castle. Will she still catch her bus (if it’s on time, of course)?

Scenario 6: M

The famous footballer Alex Djibril plays this afternoon in Bogota (Colombia). The game takes place at 3PM local time. It is broadcast on live TV, but is on at night

because Bogota is 6 hours behind. The Major family doesn’t want to miss the game! What time does Marjory Major have to set the TV recording for?

Sequence 4 page 16


Scenario 7: M to D

Zita doesn’t like football! She does her ironing during the match, waiting for it to end (normally at 10:45PM). However, there are stoppages that extend the game by 6 minutes. Both teams are still tied! There is then a 5-minute break, as well as

extra time that lasts half an hour. Then there are the commercials, of course (3 minutes), before the historical documentary that Zita wants to see! What time will

the documentary finally start?

Scenario 8: M to D

Zita: Well, Mrs Porter, come back to me in three weeks. Today is 15 May, so that would be… Where did my diary go?

Sequence 4 page 17


Scenario 9: D

Adelaide dreams of going to Los Angeles to find her dear Hugo. Simon, her cousin, looks up how long the trip would be.

Simon: Look, my dear cousin, the airport is 50km away. I’ll take you by car,

which will take an hour. You must arrive at the airport an hour before the plan takes off. It takes off at 10AM. There is then a 9-hour flight to Los Angeles.

Adelaide: But, my dear Simon, I’ll get there at night! Simon: Not at all, dear cousin! It’s 9 hours behind!

Scenario 10: D

Albert Heritage:Dear listeners, I have just dated the marriage contract between Eleanor and Gaetan of Bellevue. They were both 16 years old,

and it was in 1292, so at the end of the… uhuhuhuh…ihihihihi…ttrrrrr…

Zita: Oh! Why do I have this radio?!

Albert Heritage:tut tut tut… bbrrrr… And they lived at Bellevue Castle, which was then a mighty castle, until their death in 1304, both aged… hut hut hut…

pprrr… Zita: Oh, this radio! I’ll never know how old they were when they died!

They died so young in those times.

Sequence 4 page 18


Sequence 4 Exercise Answers

EXERCISE 1: 35 minutes

Everyone has their own way of counting time! One simple way:

From 9:40AM to 10AM is 20 minutes. From 10AM to 10:15AM, we add 15 minutes. 20 minutes + 15 minutes = 35 minuates

EXERCISE 2: 20 minutes The consultation with Lady Adelaide should end at:

10:15AM + 25 minutes = 10:40AM Therefore, she will have:

11AM – 10:40AM = 20 minutes

EXERCISE 3: Yes, 11:15AM or 11:16AM (if there is a delay, as planned!)

Rose Thorn’s appointment would go to: 11AM + 15 minutes = 11:15AM The show would begin at:

11:10AM + 5 minutes (or 6 minutes) = 11:15AM (or 11:16AM!)

EXERCISE 4: At 12PM or 12:05PM

11:15AM (presumed start of broadcast) + 50 minutes = 12:05 minutes You could also say:

From 11:15AM to noon is 45 minutes. We add 5 minutes, making 50 minutes.

So, 12:05PM.

EXERCISE 5: No. Even if it takes 10 minutes to warm up lunch!

Half an hour + a quarter of an hour = three quarters of an hour (30 minutes + 15 minutes = 45 minutes) 12:05PM + 45 minutes = 12:50PM

She would still have 10 minutes before her 1PM appointment.

EXERCISE 6: A quarter of an hour, or 15 minutes

1PM + 1 hour and 15 minutes = 2:15PM 2:30PM – 2:15PM = 15 minutes

Sequence 4 page 19


EXERCISE 7:

3:30PM 2:30PM + 20 minutes = 2:50PM 2:50PM + 40 minutes = 3:30PM

EXERCISE 8: An hour and a half – it could be more of a ‘grand tour’! 3:30PM + 1 hour = 4:30PM

6PM – 4:30PM = 1 hour and 30 minutes

EXERCISE 9: Lady Adelaide was born in 1957

1974 – 17 years = 1957

EXERCISE 10: Eugenie was born in 1883 1900 – 17 years = 1883

EXERCISE 11:

She is talking about the 20th century EXERCISE 12:

39 years old The ‘little fiancé’ was born in 1957, like Lady Adelaide, since they were both 17 years old

in 1974. So: 1996 – 1957 = 39 years

EXERCISE 13: Because of the time difference… She might wake Hugo up if it’s night-time in his time

zone!

EXERCISE 14: 1PM 10PM – 9 hours = 1PM (in the afternoon!)

10PM could also be written as 22:00. 22:00 – 9 hours = 13:00, which is in the afternoon.

EXERCISE 15: Zita is 12 years younger than Lady Adelaide.

Zita said that she was 5 years old when Lady Adelaide was 17 years old. 17 years – 5 years = 12 years

EXERCISE 16: 8 minutes

11AM – 10:52AM = 8 minutes

EXERCISE 17: 16 minutes 11:08AM – 10:52AM = 16 minutes

You can even find the answer easily: At 11AM, Rose was already 8 minutes early. Now, it’s 11:08AM.

8 minutes + 8 minutes = 16 minutes

Sequence 4 page 20


EXERCISE 18:

Friday, 22 April This one isn’t easy! You should know that there are 30 days in April.

We see from the illustration that it is 6 May. A week would be 7 days ago, so two weeks would be 14 days.

You have to go 14 days back in time. We are 6 days into May, so in April: 14 – 6 = 8 days.

30 April – 8 days = 22 April

EXERCISE 19: The 20th century

EXERCISE 20: 1827 was in the 19th century

EXERCISE 21: 7 centuries

21 – 14 = 7 centuries (700 years)

EXERCISE 22: 13 centuries (1300 years)

21 – 8 = 13 centuries

EXERCISE 23: 12:15PM 11:30AM + three quarters of an hour = 12:15PM

Sequence 4 page 21


10 mini BONUS exercises

with character-based scenarios

Levels: E: Easy! M: Medium… D: Difficult!

Scenario 1: E Rose Thorn gets impatient at the bus stop! The bus was supposed to arrive at 10:30AM

and it is 12 minutes late! What time is it?

Answer: It is 10:42AM.

10:30 + 12 minutes = 10:42AM

Scenario 2: E Adelaide would like to call her ‘fiancé’ in Los Angeles. It is 9 hours earlier there.

The castle’s clock shows that it is 3PM. Can Adelaide call her ‘fiancé’ without the risk of waking him up?

Answer: Surely not!

3PM – 9 hours = 6AM!

Scenario 3: E to M Rose had an appointment with Zita at 11AM. Lady Adelaide arrived at 10:35AM

and the consultation lasted 35 minutes. Rose’s bus was 5 minutes late. Were they likely to cross paths at Zita’s?

Answer: YES! They might run into each other at Zita’s.

Lady Adelaide came out of her appointment with Zita at 11:05AM: 10:30AM + 35 minutes = 11:05AM (this calculation is not so simple)

Rose was supposed to arrive at 11AM, but her bus was 5 minutes late - she arrived at 11:05AM. So, YES! The women could have crossed paths at Zita’s, or on the stairs.

However, now that we know a little bit about Rose, she could have just left earlier and taken another bus.

Scenario 4: M

Professor Heritage has just finished his radio show. He drives over to a history conference. It is 12:22PM. His GPS indicates that he will have arrived by 1:03PM. Well, the

journey won’t be too long, he thinks. Really? But it’s not that short, is it? Answer:

41 minutes 1:03PM – 12:22PM = … not an easy calculation!

Tip: 1:03PM = 12:63PM. So: 12:63PM – 12:22PM = 41 minutes

Sequence 4 page 22


Scenario 5: M

The castle’s big clock says that it is 3:30PM, but it is 7 minutes behind. Rose goes to catch her bus, which leaves at 3:53PM. The stop is 5 minutes away from the castle. Will she still catch her bus (if it’s on time, of course)?

Answer:

Yes, she will catch it (and will even be early!) If the clock is 7 minutes behind, then it is: 3:30PM + 7 minutes = 3:37PM

With the journey: 3:37PM + 5 minutes = 3:42PM

And the bus arrives (in principle!) at 3:53PM. She’ll have to wait 11 minutes at the bus stop! 3:53PM – 3:42PM = 11 minutes

Scenario 6: M The famous footballer Alex Djibril plays this afternoon in Bogota (Colombia). The game takes place at 3PM local time. It is broadcast on live TV, but is on at night because Bogota

is 6 hours behind. The Major family doesn’t want to miss the game! What time does Marjory Major have to set the TV recording for?

Answer: 9PM (precisely!)

3PM + 6 hours = 9PM

Scenario 7: M to D Zita doesn’t like football! She does her ironing during the match, waiting for it to end

(normally at 10:45PM). However, there are stoppages that extend the game by 6 minutes. Both teams are still tied! There is then a 5-minute break, as well as extra time that lasts

half an hour. Then there are the commercials, of course (3 minutes), before the historical documentary that Zita wants to see! What time will the documentary finally start?

Answer: 11:29PM

10:45PM + 6 minutes + 5 minutes + 30 minutes + 3 minutes = 22:89PM! But no, we can’t say that! There are too many minutes! So:

89 minutes – 60 minutes = 29 minutes 10PM + 60 minutes = 11PM (since there are 60 minutes in 1 hour) The document starts at 11:29PM. It’s late!

You could also try this simple way to find the answer:

10:45PM + half an hour = 11:15PM 11:15PM + 5 minutes + 6 minutes + 3 minutes = 11:29PM

Sequence 4 page 23


Scenario 8: M to D

Zita: Well, Mrs Porter, come back to me in three weeks. Today is 15 May, so that would be… Where did my diary go?

Answer: 5 June

3 weeks = 21 days: 1 week = 7 days And 3 weeks: 3 x 7 days = 21 days

There are 31 days in May (but you had to already know that, or find out!) 15 + 21 = 36 days

31 days in May we said, so: 36 – 31 = 5 days It would be the 5th… of June!

(As usual, there are other ways you could have reached this answer!)

Scenario 9: D Adelaide dreams of going to Los Angeles to find her dear Hugo.

Simon, her cousin, looks up how long the trip would be.

Simon: Look, my dear cousin, the airport is 50km away. I’ll take you by car, which will take an hour. You must arrive at the airport an hour before the plan takes off.

It takes off at 10AM. There is then a 9-hour flight to Los Angeles. Adelaide: But, my dear Simon, I’ll get there at night!

Simon: Not at all, dear cousin! It’s 9 hours behind! Answer:

The plane arrives in Los Angeles at 2PM, local time. 2PM + 9 hours = 11PM

But it won’t be 11PM in Los Angeles because of the 9-hour time difference. 11PM – 9 hours = 2PM

Scenario 10:D

Albert Heritage:Dear listeners, I have just dated the marriage contract between Eleanor and Gaetan of Bellevue. They were both 16 years old, and it was in 1292,

so at the end of the… uhuhuhuh…ihihihihi…ttrrrrr… Zita: Oh! Why do I have this radio?! Albert Heritage:tut tut tut… bbrrrr… And they lived at Bellevue Castle, which was then a

mighty castle, until their death in 1304, both aged… hut hut hut… pprrr… Zita: Oh, this radio! I’ll never know how old they were when they died! They

died so young in those times. Answer:

They died at the age of 28 (there’s no need to listen to everything on the radio – we can deduce this)

1292 – 16 = 1276 1304 – 1276 = 28 years.

zita and the crystal ball - euro cordiale · zita: for rose thorn, i’ll keep it to a quarter of...

Documents