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