Friday, March 1st 2002. The pictures on the front page of Britain's popular newspaper, the Daily Mirror, tell another tragic story. Another life lost; another victim to the horror of drugs. This time the story is particularly tragic. Three years ago, Rachel Whitear was a bright young sixth-former, about to start at university. She was a good student, a girl who played the piano very well, had lots of friends, and lived in a happy home. Today she is dead.     Rachel was a lovely girl - a girl who should have had a good time at university, who should have got a good degree, and then enjoyed a successful life. Instead, everything went wrong. And at the age of 21, she died in a dreary bedsit in a seaside town, holding a syringe in her hands.     Perhaps she had been taking her "last shot". A few days earlier, she had phoned her mum saying that she was determined to stop taking heroin. She had also been to see a drugs counsellor. Of course her mum was overjoyed, and was really looking forward to seeing her daughter again. That reunion never came. When Rachel's mum saw her daughter again, she was dead.     Shortly after Rachael's death, her mum and step-father decided to tell Rachel's story in a video, in order to warn other young people against the dangers of drugs. Now that video has been made, and will be shown in schools all over Britain.     It is a warning that cannot be repeated too often. In spite of the warning, a large minority of young people still do not understand the dangers of drugs; and even if few young people do like Rachel did, and get onto heroin, the risk is always there. Most can resist the temptation, but some cannot. And sadly, with drugs like heroin, it is terribly hard to stop. For some people, just one experience with heroin can be one too many.     A few years ago, Michael, a heroin addict, told Linguapress, "With heroin, it's just down, down, and there's no way up." His words were very true. Today, like Rachel, Michael is dead.     So what happened to Rachel? Like most teenage girls, she fell in love. We will never know if she knew, when she first met her new boyfriend, that he was already a heroin addict. But he was. Shortly after the pair met, the young man's father phoned Rachel's parents, to ask if they were happy that their son was dating Rachel. Rachel's parents said yes. The young man's father imagined that Rachel's parents already knew about their son's heroin addiction, so he did not mention it. In fact, Rachel's parents knew nothing at the time.     It was not until Rachel herself had got onto heroin that they found out the awful truth.     Rachel started at Bath University, reading psychology; but heroin and studies were not compatible. Within a few months, Rachel had flunked out of university, and gone to live in a seaside town, where rooms were cheap in the winter months. In May 2000, all alone, she overdosed in her cheap room. It was three days before anyone discovered her body, lying on the floor, clutching a syringe in her hand.     The video, which traces Rachel's transformation from happy teenager to sad addict, and to death in a lonely bedsit, will shock other teenagers into an awareness of the dangers of drugs. Many people agree with this idea, but others do not. "Teens have always experimented with drugs, and they always will," said Jim, a student. "There've been campaigns like this before, but teenagers still keep taking ecstasy and even hard drugs too. You can't stop them."     Of course, Jim is right; but on the other hand, the majority of British teenagers still do not take drugs. According to the BBC, the number of heroin addicts in Britain has remained stable for years - at about 500,000. Only a small minority - many of them actually young teenagers - follow the path that Rachel followed.     If people like Rachel's parents and sister were not brave enough to show the horrible and tragic truth, the number of drug addicts would probably be higher. It's true, you can't stop it, and the video story of Rachel won't get rid of drugs. Too many people make too much money from selling drugs - and those people, the dealers, will keep on selling their death.     But if Rachel's death can save just one life, it will not have been completely in vain.

Pronunciation Rachel: Ray-tchul  Whitear: wittier Minority: mine-oriti Dating: day-ting Psychology: sai-koludgi Campaigns: kam-paines Language points: As you read this article, pay attention to the following points: a) modal verbs b) quantifiers (most, many, few, etc.)

WORDS  according to: it is said by - addict: person who cannot stop something - awareness: conscience - bedsit: room, bedroom/sitting room - compatible: able to go together - counsellor: adviser - degree: university diploma - dreary: sad, unattractive - in vain: for nothing - overdose: take too much of a drug - overjoyed: very happy - read: study - sixth former: person in the final year of an English secondary school - step-father: mother's husband - syringe: needle for injecting drugs -

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Further information:
The case of Rachel Whitear shows that anyone can fall victiom to drugs. Rachel was a teenager who was good at sport, had interests in life, and friends. Though she lived with her mother and stepfather, not her real father, hers was a stable home. Rachel's mother had remarried when Rachel was just 2 years old, and she regarded her step father as a real father. This is not the story of a teenager fleeing from a broken home.
 

Replace the missing words in this extract from the article: in some cases, you can select from a choice of options given in brackets (...).

So what _____________ to Rachel? (Like, As, So) ______ most teenage girls, she ______ in love. We (shall, will, are) ______ never know if she _____ , when she first ____ her new boyfriend, that he was (almost, also, already) _________ a heroin addict. But he was. Shortly after the pair ______ , the young man's father phoned Rachel's parents, to ask if they were happy that (his, their, her) ________ son was dating Rachel. Rachel's parents _______ yes. The young man's father imagined that Rachel's parents already ________ about their son's heroin addiction, (so, as, but) _____ he did not mention it. In fact, Rachel's parents ________ nothing at the time.
    It was not (that, until, before) ________ Rachel herself (has, had, will) _______ got onto heroin that they (took, found, made) ________ out the awful truth.
    Rachel started at Bath University, reading psychology; but heroin and studies were not compatible. (Within, before, by) __________ a few months, Rachel had flunked out of university, and _______ to live in a seaside town, where rooms were cheap in the winter months. In May 2000, all (alone, lonely, one) ________ , she overdosed in her cheap room. It was three days (that, until, later) _________ anyone discovered her body, lying on the floor, (clutched, clutching, clutches) ____________ a syringe in her hand.

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Reading for information: write full sentences of at least six words for each answer.

1. Why did Rachel start taking drugs?

2. How old was she at the time?

3. Did she start taking drugs before or after going to university?

4. Where did Rachel go when she left university?

5. Why did Rachel's parents decide to make this video?

6. Why do some people say that this video is not particularly useful?

Creative writing:

Rachel was a bright girl, and she understood very well what was happening to her. She used to write letters to her mother.
    Imagine a letter that she might have written 3 months before she died.

Or: Imagine that you have just discovered that an old friend of yours has begun taking heroin. Write a letter to the friend in English.
 

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