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Comprehension Test

American Crime Stories Retold by John Escott 1 Which crime? Match a number from A with a letter from B. A 1

A woman’s lover dies for her murders...

2

A woman murders her brother’s wife ...

3

A woman becomes a mugger ...

4

A man murders a another man but makes the death look like suicide ...

5

A detective catches a gang of robbers ...

6

A woman sets fire to a house ...

7

A husband murders his wife ...

B a ... in Death Wish. b ... in Death on Christmas Eve. c ... in The Heroine. d ... in Ride the Lightning. e ... in The Lipstick. f ... in Lazy Susan. g ... in The Gutting of Couffignal. 28 marks 2 Who said this? Match a number from A with a letter from B. A 1

‘It’s about my pay, madam. It’s too much.’

2

‘Didn’t I steal a crutch from a cripple?’

3

‘When you robbed the liquor store, he stayed in the car to drive.’

4

‘You haven’t been out of this house since the inquest.’

5

‘I want you to teach me how to shoot a gun.’

6

‘It’s a tough world, but you’re not going to

find a better one at the bottom of a

river.’ 7

‘You don’t want it known that somebody was pushed out of your office window’

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 6 1

B a The cop in Death Wish. b The lawyer in Death on Christmas Eve. c The governess in The Heroine. d The private detective in Ride the Lightning. e Louise Baring in The Lipstick. f Susan Carpenter in Lazy Susan. g The detective in The Gutting of Couffignal. 28 marks 3 Are these sentences true or false? a

In Death Wish, Edward Wright tried to kill himself by taking too many sleeping pills.

b

In Death on Christmas Eve, Charlie’s wife, Celia, died twenty years ago.

c

In The Heroine, Lucille Smith wanted to kill the children because she hated them.

d

In Ride the Lightning, Nudger saved Curtis Colt from death in the electric chair.

e

In The Lipstick, Fred had been following his wife since Easter.

f

In Lazy Susan, Susan was very angry about being robbed of fifty dollars.

g

In The Gutting of Couffignal, the private detective shot the Russian princess in the leg. 14 marks

4 Who are these women? Match a number from A with a letter from B. A 1

She reminded me of a steel trap ready to shut down on anyone who touched her incautiously.

2

Her eyes looked like her mother’s when they opened wide like that.

3

She went to the sales office where she worked every day, and she smiled at the customers, and her bosses liked her.

4

She would play around with a woman’s husband until she was tired of him.

5

She looked at first to be about twelve years old.

B a Lucille Smith in The Heroine. b Holly Ann Adams in Ride the Lightning. c Celia in Death on Christmas Eve. d Susan Carpenter in Lazy Susan. Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 6 2

e Elinor Hammond in The Lipstick. 20 marks 5 Put these sentences from The Gutting of Couffignal in the right order. Number them 1–5. a

He fell on his face on the floor.

b

I knocked Flippo on the head.

c

When her right foot was in the doorway she laughed.

d

I put a bullet in her leg.

e

The girl was half way to the door when I ordered her to stop. 10 marks

Total marks

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 6 3

Multiple-choice Test

American Crime Stories Retold by John Escott

Setting Choose the best answer. 1 The cop told the man on the bridge _____. a [ ] he’d get over his troubles

b [ ] life was always difficult

c [ ] he should see a psychologist

d [ ] he should get a coffee

2 People suspected that Celia _____. a [ ] had pushed Jessica down the stairs b [ ] had tried to murder her brother c [ ] had murdered her mother

d [ ] was completely mad

3 Charlie wanted Celia to _____. a [ ] go to prison

b [ ] move out c [ ] be executed

d [ ] get psychiatric help

4 The Christiansens employed Lucille _____. a [ ] after talking to Dwight Howell b [ ] after seeing her with their children c [ ] because they liked her big eyes

d [ ] without checking her references

5 Holly Ann Adams said she wanted Nudger to _____. a [ ] prove Curtis had killed the old couple

b [ ] attend Curtis’s execution

c [ ] make the witnesses change their stories

d [ ] visit the gas station

6 The inquest concluded that Elinor Hammond _____. a [ ] accidentally fell out of the window c [ ] jumped from the 10th floor

b [ ] was thrown from the window

d [ ] had always intended to kill herself

7 Louise saw Margaret Hammond looking for _____ at the side of the road. a [ ] her mascara

b [ ] Elinor’s lipstick

c [ ] Fred

d [ ] her lipstick

8 Susan had felt extremely _____ when she was robbed. a [ ] frightened

b [ ] angry

c [ ] foolish d [ ] irritated

9 The private detective had been employed to guard _____. a [ ] the wedding presents

b [ ] some clients

c [ ] the guests

d [ ] the bride’s father

10 The robbers on the island first blew up _____. a [ ] some houses

b [ ] the bridge

c [ ] some boats

20 marks

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 6 4

d [ ] the bank

Characters Choose the best answer. 11 Edward Wright had a long, narrow face and thick _____. a [ ] eyelashes

b [ ] black hair

c [ ] black eyebrows

d [ ] arms

12 The psychiatrist found his patients’ dreams _____. a [ ] tiring

b [ ] annoying c [ ] fascinating

d [ ] ridiculous

13 Lucille _____ when Heloise got scratched. a [ ] overreacted

b [ ] punished Nicky c [ ] wanted to leave

d [ ] didn’t care

14 Celia often behaved as if _____ when she went out. a [ ] she was chasing something c [ ] nothing had happened

b [ ] Jessica were with her

d [ ] something was chasing her

15 _____, but looked ten years older. a [ ] Charlie was the same age as Celia

b [ ] Charlie was five years younger than Celia

c [ ] Celia was the same age as Charlie

d [ ] Celia was five years younger than Charlie

16 The witnesses all said that the car driver was thin with _____. a [ ] curly fair hair and a beard

b [ ] wavy black hair and glasses

c [ ] straight black hair and a mustache

d [ ] curly black hair and a mustache

17 Curtis probably didn’t say who had done the murders, because _____. a [ ] he didn’t think it mattered

b [ ] Holly Ann had threatened him

c [ ] he didn’t mind being in prison

d [ ] he loved Holly Ann

18 Elinor had _____. a [ ] always been faithful to her husband c [ ] had several affairs with married men

b [ ] hated Fred’s many affairs d [ ] always been happy with Fred

19 Princess Zhukovski was _____ the private detective. a [ ] the same height as

b [ ] taller than

c [ ] shorter than

d [ ] fatter than

20 The detective had _____ four years previously. a [ ] sent Flippo to prison c [ ] protected Flippo

b [ ] found Flippo a job

d [ ] become friends with Flippo

20 marks

Dialogue Who said or wrote this? 21 ‘I wonder whether I do these people any good at all.’ a [ ] Doctor Barclay b [ ] Lucille c [ ] Al Sharp Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 6 5

d [ ] Edward’s psychiatrist

22 ‘There’s no reason why you should not be as normal as your father was.’ a [ ] Lucille’s psychiatrist

b [ ] Holly Ann c [ ] Charlie

d [ ] Doctor Barclay

23 ‘I had recommended that she go away for a rest.’ a [ ] Edward Wright

b [ ] Fred Hammond

c [ ] Doctor Barclay d [ ] Charlie

24 ‘This is one day I’d like to take out of the year permanently.’ a [ ] Al Sharp

b [ ] Celia and Charlie’s lawyer

c [ ] Curtis Colt

d [ ] Holly Ann

25 ‘I was worried my false hair might slip, but it didn’t.’ a [ ] Holly Ann b [ ] Charlie

c [ ] Mark

d [ ] Flippo

26 ‘You’re always talking about doing something “important” for us.’ a [ ] Louise

b [ ] Lucille c [ ] Mrs Christiansen

d [ ] Mrs Thompson

27 ‘All my life I’ve never done anything because of her.’ a [ ] Lucille b [ ] Charlie

c [ ] Curtis

d [ ] Fred

28 ‘Why didn’t this fiancée come to the trial and speak for Colt?’ a [ ] Hammersmith

b [ ] Nudger

c [ ] Louise

d [ ] Len

29 ‘I don’t want to hurt you. I just want your money.’ a [ ] Holly Ann b [ ] Susan

c [ ] Celia d [ ] Louise

30 ‘I’m a hunter and you’re something that’s been running in front of me.’ a [ ] the lawyer

b [ ] Nudger

c [ ] Louise

d [ ] the private detective

20 marks

Vocabulary Choose the best answer. 31 a police officer a [ ] coroner

b [ ] clerk

c [ ] cop

d [ ] bandit

32 a street robbery a [ ] ruffle b [ ] mugging

c [ ] inquest

d [ ] gutting

33 to force liquid, air, etc. into or out of something a [ ] pump

b [ ] pour

c [ ] pile d [ ] press

34 a letter to an employer describing an applicant’s suitability for a job a [ ] character

b [ ] alibi c [ ] fingerprint

d [ ] reference

35 put to death as a punishment a [ ] gutted

b [ ] executed

c [ ] scared

d [ ] suppressed

36 a scratch or slight injury to the skin a [ ] nick

b [ ] tear

c [ ] graze

d [ ] wound

37 a woman employed by a family to educate their children Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 6 6

a [ ] nanny b [ ] maid

c [ ] teacher

d [ ] governess

38 a small, round, hard piece of medicine which is swallowed a [ ] trailer

b [ ] pill c [ ] tank

d [ ] wig

39 a room for babies or young children a [ ] nursery

b [ ] range

c [ ] trailer

d [ ] lawn

40 showing great sadness and wearing dark clothes because of a death a [ ] depression

b [ ] stern

c [ ] mourning

d [ ] package

20 marks

Plot Choose the best answer. 41 Edward killed his wife because she _____. a [ ] wanted a divorce

b [ ] never did the right thing

c [ ] wouldn’t divorce him d [ ] used to hit him 42 Mark didn’t think he would be caught because _____. a [ ] he had cleaned his fingerprints off the gun b [ ] Edward’s death would look like an accident c [ ] Edward’s ‘suicide’ wouldn’t be a surprise d [ ] he also intended to kill himself 43 For _____, Celia and Charlie had been acting as if Jessica had recently died. a [ ] three days

b [ ] twenty years

c [ ] two weeks

d [ ] two years

44 Lucille’s main concern was to _____. a [ ] find good books for the children c [ ] work for no payment

b [ ] prove herself in a crisis

d [ ] get on with the children

45 Lucille blew up the house _____. a [ ] after leaving the gas on in the kitchen c [ ] after making some bombs

b [ ] with half a tank of gasoline

d [ ] with a full tank of gasoline

46 Holly Ann had been most worried about _____. a [ ] Curtis going to the electric chair c [ ] Curtis telling the truth in prison

b [ ] Nudger talking to the police d [ ] Len talking to the police

47 _____, disguised as a postman, was responsible for Elinor’s murder. a [ ] Doctor Barclay b [ ] Louise

c [ ] Mrs Thompson

48 After three weeks of self-defense training, Louise _____. a [ ] felt more confident

b [ ] decided to teach self-defense

c [ ] decided to join the police

d [ ] started to mug people

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 6 7

d [ ] Fred

49 The princess and her friends had carefully planned to rob _____. a [ ] businesses outside Russia

b [ ] wealthy houses

c [ ] a group of isolated, wealthy people

d [ ] banks around the world

50 The wedding presents were stolen and _____. a [ ] hidden under the garage

b [ ] taken off the island by Flippo

c [ ] sold for more money d [ ] sent back to Russia 20 marks

Total marks

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 6 8

American Crime Stories 1 1 d

5 g

2 b

6 c

3 f

7 e

4 a 2 1 c

5 f

2 g

6 a

3 d

7 e

4 b 3 a F

e T

b T

f T

c F

g T

d F 4 1 c 2 a 3 d 4 e 5 b 5 a 2 b 1 c 4 d 5 e 3

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 6 9

American Crime Stories Setting 1

a

2

a

3

c

4

d

5

c

6

c

7

b

8

b

9

a

10

d

Characters 11

c

12

b

13

a

14

d

15

b

16

d

17

d

18

c

19

b

20

a

Dialogue 21

d

22

a

23

c

24

b

25

c

26

c

27

b

28

a

29

b

30

d

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 610

Vocabulary 31

c

32

b

33

a

34

d

35

b

36

c

37

d

38

b

39

a

40

c

Plot 41

a

42

c

43

b

44

b

45

d

46

c

47

d

48

d

49

c

50

a

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 611