Comprehension Test

The Unquiet Grave Short Stories

M. R. James

1 Match a name from A with a description from B. B A

A
1 Mr Betts
2 Mrs Bowles
3 Mr Williams
4 Professor Parkins
5 Mr Karswell

B
a A young man who went away on holiday, to play golf and to read.
b Owner of an inn in Suffolk.
c A rich man who used witchcraft against his enemies.
d A collector and buyer of pictures at Oxford University.
e A murderer who was burnt to death.

20 marks

2 Which words are missing? For each sentence, tick 1, 2 or 3.

a The tall white stone that Mr Thomson saw on the heath was used for ... .
1 showing the time
2 guiding ships at sea
3 hanging people
b Professor Parkins found a whistle with some words in ... on the side.
1 French
2 Latin
3 Greek
c Eventually, the figure in the picture of Anningly Hall carried away ... .
1 a dog
2 a child
3 a purse
d Squire Bowles died ... .
1 suddenly

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 4 1

 2 when he was very young
3 in an accident at sea
e Karswell secretly gave Dunning a piece of paper covered in ... .
1 crosses
2 pictures
3 strange letters

20 marks

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

a Mr Britnell wanted to sell a picture of an old country house for twenty pounds.
b The innkeeper knew about the ghost in the inn, but hed never seen it.
c Karswell eventually killed Mr Dunning.
d Squire Bowles was buried in an expensive coffin.
e When the Colonel saw the whistle, he advised Parkins to throw it into the sea.

20 marks

4 These sentences are about some of the events in The Picture. Fill in the gaps using: amateur,
nervous, lawn, rows, crawling.
Picture Number 978 showed the front of a large country house. The house had three ............... of
windows. There was a large ............... in front of the house. It was not a very good picture, and
was probably painted by an ............... artist. At first, there were no people in the picture: but later
a figure appeared, ............... towards the house on its hands and knees. Mr Williams locked the
picture in a cupboard. He felt very ............... when he went to unlock the cupboard the next
morning.

20 marks

5 Put the following events in the story Oh, Whistle, and Ill Come to You, My Boy in the right
order. Number them 15.
a Parkins found a piece of old metal pipe.
b Parkins went to the Globe Inn for a holiday.
c A violent wind blew Parkins window open in the night.
d A dark figure followed Parkins along the beach.
e Parkins discovered the remains of a very old church.

20 marks Total marks

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 4 2

Multiple-choice Test

The Unquiet Grave Short Stories

M. R. James

Setting

Choose the best answer.

1 Mr Britnell sends Mr Williams a picture of a _____.
a [ ] church b [ ] mountain c [ ] country house d [ ] school
2 At first, Mr Williams thinks the picture is _____.
a [ ] interesting b [ ] too expensive c [ ] beautiful d [ ] strange
3 Mr Thomson stays at an inn near _____.
a [ ] the sea b [ ] a city c [ ] a mountain d [ ] a lake
4 The inn where Mr Thomson stays is very _____.
a [ ] noisy b [ ] expensive c [ ] busy d [ ] quiet
5 Karswell is very interested in _____.
a [ ] magic b [ ] sport c [ ] music d [ ] trees
6 John Harrington died because he said bad things about Karswells _____.
a [ ] wife b [ ] house c [ ] book d [ ] face
7 Squire Bowles wants to be buried _____.
a [ ] in a coffin b [ ] in the earth c [ ] in the family tomb d [ ] in his garden
8 When Squire Bowles dies, his wife wants to find out about his _____.
a [ ] friends b [ ] clothes c [ ] books d [ ] money
9 Professor Parkins goes to an inn in Burnstow because he wants to _____.
a [ ] go fishing b [ ] improve his golf c [ ] swim in the sea d [ ] look for ghosts
10 Professor Parkins finds a whistle under a stone _____.
a [ ] on a golf course b [ ] in the sea c [ ] in a garden d [ ] in the remains of a church

20 marks

Characters

Choose the best answer.

11 Mr Williams works for the _____ at the University of Oxford.
a [ ] library b [ ] museum c [ ] restaurant d [ ] bookshop
12 The _____, Mr Filcher, thinks Williams picture would give his daughter bad dreams.
Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 4 3
 a [ ] teacher b [ ] doctor c [ ] painter d [ ] servant
13 Mr Thomson stays at an inn for a month because he wants to _____.
a [ ] study b [ ] go sailing c [ ] sleep d [ ] meet his friends
14 When Mr Thomson faints, Mr Betts gives him a glass of _____.
a [ ] beer b [ ] milk c [ ] whisky d [ ] water
15 One Christmas, _____ showed a film that frightened the village children.
a [ ] Dunning b [ ] Mrs Bennett c [ ] Karswell d [ ] Mr Gayton
16 _____ knows more about alchemy than any other person in England.
a [ ] Mrs Bennett b [ ] Mr Gayton c [ ] Karswell d [ ] Dunning
17 After his death, Squire Bowles soul is _____.
a [ ] angry b [ ] happy c [ ] silent d [ ] peaceful
18 Squire Bowles wife tries to escape with _____.
a [ ] Dr Hall b [ ] Mr Wickem c [ ] her son d [ ] Mr Fowler
19 Professor Parkins finds a whistle with some _____ words on the side.
a [ ] French b [ ] Latin c [ ] English d [ ] Greek
20 After seeing a ghost, _____ is more nervous than before.
a [ ] Colonel Wilson b [ ] Mr Rogers c [ ] Dr Hall d [ ] Professor Parkins

20 marks

Dialogue

Who said or wrote this?

21 I think you might be interested in Picture Number 978 in our list.
a [ ] Mr Williams b [ ] Dr Green c [ ] Mr Britnell d [ ] Mr Filcher
22 I would buy it if the price was two pounds.
a [ ] Mr Britnell b [ ] Mr Williams c [ ] Dr Green d [ ] Mr Garwood
23 Ill just check that I havent left a book or anything in my room.
a [ ] Mr Betts b [ ] Mrs Betts c [ ] a villager d [ ] Mr Thomson
24 You shouldnt go looking into other peoples secrets.
a [ ] Mr Betts b [ ] Mr Thomson c [ ] a villager d [ ] Mrs Betts
25 I am returning your paper on The Truth of Alchemy.
a [ ] John Harrington b [ ] Mr Gayton c [ ] Dunning d [ ] Karswell
26 I can grow a beard so that he wont recognise me.
a [ ] Dunning b [ ] Mr Gayton c [ ] Karswell d [ ] John Harrington
27 I had only just finished saying the words when I heard him.
a [ ] Squire Bowles b [ ] Mrs Bowles c [ ] Mrs Bowles son d [ ] Dr Hall
Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 4 4
 28 Well take the night boat to Holland.
a [ ] Mrs Bowles b [ ] Mr Wickem c [ ] Dr Hall d [ ] Squire Bowles
29 I cannot accept the idea of ghosts.
a [ ] Colonel Wilson b [ ] Mr Rogers c [ ] the servant at the inn d [ ] Professor Parkins
30 The sheets and blankets were thrown all over the place.
a [ ] Professor Parkins b [ ] Mr Rogers c [ ] the servant at the inn d [ ] Colonel Wilson

20 marks

Vocabulary

Choose the best answer.

31 an area of grass in a garden
a [ ] court b [ ] pitch c [ ] lawn d [ ] square
32 to move slowly along the ground on hands and knees
a [ ] crawl b [ ] run c [ ] jump d [ ] roll
33 metal rings joined together
a [ ] string b [ ] chain c [ ] key d [ ] rope
34 to shake with fear
a [ ] growl b [ ] rush c [ ] tremble d [ ] lean
35 an activity that you do in your free time
a [ ] hobby b [ ] garment c [ ] dream d [ ] habit
36 a printed piece of paper which contains information
a [ ] leaflet b [ ] blanket c [ ] booklet d [ ] film
37 someone who knows a lot about a subject
a [ ] amateur b [ ] secretary c [ ] neighbour d [ ] expert
38 to make a low angry sound like a dog
a [ ] shout b [ ] whistle c [ ] crawl d [ ] growl
39 in the shape of a circle
a [ ] wide b [ ] round c [ ] crumpled d [ ] square
40 annoyed, a little angry
a [ ] polite b [ ] cross c [ ] nervous d [ ] tired

20 marks

Plot

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 4 5

Choose the best answer.
41 Williams is shocked by the picture because it _____.
a [ ] talks b [ ] moves c [ ] disappears d [ ] changes
42 In the end, the figure in Williams painting carries _____ from the house.
a [ ] a box b [ ] a child c [ ] a dog d [ ] some money
43 One afternoon when the inn is empty, Mr Thomson decides to _____.
a [ ] leave without paying b [ ] look in other rooms c [ ] watch TV d [ ] steal money
44 Many years ago, the innkeeper of Mr Betts inn was _____.
a [ ] shot b [ ] burnt c [ ] hanged d [ ] drowned
45 Karswell secretly gives Dunning a _____.
a [ ] stone b [ ] book c [ ] coin d [ ] piece of paper
46 A piece of stone falls from a church and kills _____.
a [ ] Karswell b [ ] Dunning c [ ] Henry Harrington d [ ] Mr Gayton
47 Mrs Bowles kills her husband with _____.
a [ ] a knife b [ ] a rope c [ ] poison d [ ] a gun
48 Mrs Bowles tells _____ the truth.
a [ ] a journalist b [ ] a priest c [ ] a neighbour d [ ] a policeman
49 When Professor Parkins blows the whistle, there is a terrible _____.
a [ ] wind b [ ] fire c [ ] explosion d [ ] noise
50 Colonel Wilson takes the whistle and _____.
a [ ] throws it away b [ ] keeps it c [ ] gives it to a shop d [ ] throws it in the sea

20 marks

Totalmarks

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 4 6

The Unquiet Grave Short Stories
1 1 b
2 e
3 d
4 a
5 c

2 a 3
b 2
c 2
d 1
e 3

3 a T
b T
c F
d F
e T

4 rows, lawn, amateur, crawling, nervous

5 a 3
b 1
c 5
d 4
e 2

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 4 7

The Unquiet Grave Short Stories
Setting
1 c
2 b
3 a
4 d
5 a
6 c
7 b
8 d
9 b
10 d

Characters
11 b
12 d
13 a
14 c
15 c
16 d
17 a
18 c
19 b
20 d

Dialogue
21 c
22 b
23 d
24 a
25 b
26 a
27 c
28 a
29 d
30 c

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 4 8

Vocabulary
31 c
32 a
33 b
34 c
35 a
36 a
37 d
38 d
39 b
40 b

Plot
41 d
42 b
43 b
44 c
45 d
46 a
47 c
48 b
49 a
50 d

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 4 9