1

Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)?

The Fly
a
Andr knew how to send objects from one
place to another.
b
The first thing he sent was a dog.
c
When Andr transmitted himself there was
a fly in the disintegrator.
d
He had a mans head and a flys body.
e
Hlne killed Andr.
Cooking the Books
f
Haldemans restaurant was successful.
g
Haldeman needed an alibi.
h
There was a phone in his motel room.
i
Hyatt forgot to call Haldeman.
j
The day Haldeman died, Jos was sick.
The Voice in the Night
k
The two people in the story had been on a
wrecked boat
l
They escaped on a small boat.
m
They found a ship far from the shore.
n
They found a sandy beach.
o
The fungus tasted awful.
Ringing the Changes
p
Gerald and Phrynne looked at the sea before
dinner.
q
There was one other guest at the hotel.
r
The bells rang every night.
s
The bells rang to wake the dead.
t
The smell of the dead was terrible.
The Landlady
u
Billy had travelled from London to Bath.
v
The room was expensive.
w
Billy met several other guests.
x
Basil the dog was dead.
y
The tea tasted rather strange.

Retold by John Escott

Who, in the stories ... Haldeman, Hlne, the landlady,

Laura, Frederic.

a
b
c
d
e

had a dead parrot? ..

wanted to get to the top? ..
gave the wrong number? ..
was reincarnated? ..
killed her husband? ..
10 marks

Match a word from A with a definition from B.

A

1
2
3
4
5

atom
cathedral
chef
dome
honeymoon

6
7
8
9
10

oar
parrot
raft
skeleton
web

a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j

a long flat pole that you use to move a boat

a structure made by a spider
the bones of a person or an animal
a round roof
a holiday taken after a wedding
a very small particle of matter
a flat boat
a big church
a professional cook
a brightly coloured bird
20 marks
Total marks

50 marks
2

Which story do these words come from?

a
b
c
d
e
f
g
h
i
j

I saw myself outside my body. ..

I want to go upstairs! ..
It must have been an otter. ..
All I ask is that you read this alone.
..
The phone was ringing. ..
I saw the notice in the window. ..
You should have told us about this . . . before
we booked. ..
His left hand knocked the desk twice.
..
We have hidden the lamp. ..
The perfect age! ..
20 marks

oxford bookworms library stage 6

13

oxford university press photocopiable

COMPREHENSION
TEST

The Fly and Other Horror Stories

Setting

13 Larry Hyatt calls Haldeman to tell him that

_____ is sick.
a F the manager b F the waiter
c F a customer d F the chef
14 Frederic Stagg and his mother are on holiday in
_____.
a F New York b F London
c F Rome d F Paris
15 Frederic gives the name skeleton-face to _____.
a F Lady Cornford b F his mother
c F the driver d F the Cathedral guide
16 When the dancers move through the Bell hotel,
_____ is pulled along with them.
a F the Commandant b F Gerald
c F Phrynne d F Mrs Pascoe
17 Mr Bessel and Mr Vincent live _____.
a F in the same apartment b F two miles
apart c F in different cities d F next door to
each other
18 Mr Vincent visits Mrs Bullock because she is a
famous _____.
a F medium b F explorer c F detective
d F actress
19 The parrot and the dog in the landladys livingroom are _____.
a F made of plastic b F sleeping c F dead
d F noisy
20 Just after Laura dies, Egberts chickens are killed
by _____.
a F a dog b F a fox c F a cat d F an otter

Choose the best answer.

1 Andr Delambres body is found under _____.

a F the ground b F his bed c F a steam
hammer d F a car
2 Andr was killed by _____.
a F his brother b F his wife c F his sister
d F a policeman
3 Haldeman plans to burn down his _____.
a F hotel b F cinema c F club
d F restaurant
4 George and Will are sailing across the _____ in
a schooner.
a F Mediterranean Sea b F Pacific Ocean
c F English Channel d F Atlantic Ocean
5 The man in the rowing boat does not show his
face because he is _____.
a F covered in fungus b F made of metal
c F a skeleton d F covered in blood
6 Frederic Stagg sees a golden ball on the top of
_____.
a F Marble Arch b F his hotel c F St Pauls
Cathedral d F the Empire State Building
7 Gerald and Phrynne go to Holihaven _____.
a F for their honeymoon b F to see some
friends c F for a business meeting
d F for a party
8 Mr Bessel tries to send an apparition of himself
by the power of _____.
a F electricity b F an explosion
c F heat d F thought
9 When Billy Weaver arrives in Bath, he first looks
for somewhere to _____.
a F have a meal b F stay c F get a drink
d F meet people
10 Laura believes that when she dies she will _____.
a F live as a different person b F never live
again c F live as a different creature
d F be an angel

20 marks

Dialogue
Who said or wrote this?

21 Tell me, Uncle, do flies live a long time?

a F Andr Delambre b F Hlne Delambre
c F Franois Delambre d F Henri Delambre
22 Im expecting a very important phone call in a
couple of hours.
a F Larry Hyatt b F the motel manager
c F Haldeman d F Jos
23 I seized some of the fungus and pushed it into
my mouth.
a F the man in the rowing boat b F the mans
wife c F Will d F George
24 Now, if you will just come this way
a F Frederic Stagg b F Frederics mother
c F the driver d F the Cathedral guide

20 marks

Characters
Choose the best answer.

11 Andr Delambres brother Franois buries _____

next to Andrs body.
a F a cat b F a fly c F a dog d F a mouse
12 Haldeman is shocked because there is no _____
in his room at the motel.
a F telephone b F air conditioning
c F fridge d F bed

oxford bookworms library stage 2

6

Retold by John Escott

39

oxford university press photocopiable

M U LT I P L E - C H O I C E
TEST

The Fly and Other Horror Stories

M U LT I P L E - C H O I C E
TEST

The Fly and Other Horror Stories

25 Look! That must be the biggest building in the
world!
a F the Cathedral guide b F Frederic Stagg
c F the driver d F Frederics mother
26 Actually, I like church bells.
a F Gerald b F the Commandant
c F Phrynne d F Mrs Pascoe
27 Theyre ringing to wake the dead.
a F the Commandant b F Phrynne
c F Mrs Pascoe d F Gerald
28 I preserve all my little pets when they die.
a F the landlady b F Billy Weaver
c F Mr Greenslade d F Gregory Temple
29 I have the doctors permission to live till
Tuesday.
a F Amanda b F Laura c F Sir Lulworth
d F Egbert
30 The little devil has thrown all my clean shirts
into the bath!
a F Laura b F Sir Lulworth c F Egbert
d F Amanda

Retold by John Escott

40 a small, private, enclosed space

a F gallery b F booth c F asylum
d F motel
20 marks

Plot
Choose the best answer.

41 Andr Delambre discovers a way of transmitting

_____ through space.
a F objects b F music c F pictures
d F words
42 Andrs first successful experiment is when he
transmits _____.
a F a cat b F a book c F his wife
d F an ashtray
43 Haldeman is killed by hot _____ at the motel.
a F steam b F tar c F oil d F water
44 In the evening, Frederic Stagg secretly leaves the
hotel and goes to _____.
a F the Whispering Gallery b F the
Cornfords house c F the railway station
d F the park
45 Gerald and Phrynne notice that the sound of
_____ is very loud in Holihaven.
a F the sea b F people shouting
c F bells d F the traffic
46 Once every year, _____ dance through the
streets and houses in Holihaven.
a F animals b F sailors
c F tourists d F dead people
47 Mr Vincent sees an apparition of Mr Bessel,
looking very _____.
a F happy b F angry c F excited
d F anxious
48 The evil spirit leaves Mr Bessels body after he
_____.
a F falls down a large hole b F is hit by a
train c F falls into the river d F jumps from
a tall building
49 The landlady gives Billy Weaver some _____
which tastes strange.
a F water b F tea c F food d F beer
50 After her death, Laura does a lot of things to
annoy _____.
a F Aurora Burret b F Amanda c F her
cousin Egbert d F Sir Lulworth

20 marks

Vocabulary
Choose the best answer.

31 to die under water (for example when a ship

sinks)
a F dip b F float c F fall d F drown
32 very loud
a F deserted b F deafening c F huge
d F blinding
33 an area of land where dead people are buried
a F cemetery b F shed c F village d F bed
34 thick, soft, expensive fabric
a F sheet b F tile c F tar d F velvet
35 to say sorry
a F apologize b F transmit c F whisper
d F confirm
36 mad
a F smooth b F insane c F bitter d F sane
37 someone who stays at a place (for example a
hotel) for a long time
a F visitor b F customer c F resident
d F tourist
38 to put something quickly into a liquid and take
it out again
a F throw b F dive c F hunt d F dip
39 a smile
a F frown b F cry c F grin d F glance

20 marks
Total marks

oxford bookworms library stage 6

2

40

oxford university press photocopiable