Worksheet

Level 5

Death in the Dojo Sue Leather

Before reading Chapter 3
1. Look at the front cover. What is happening? 1. True or false?
2. Read the back cover blurb. What do you think a Jun Kawaguchi was unwilling to talk to Kate
the ‘crime committed thirty years earlier’ about his father.
might be? b Kawaguchi and Asano had had a serious
3. Have you seen these Japanese words before: disagreement.
karate, sensei, dan, samurai, kimono? Check the c Martial arts training makes you more
glossary on page 5. aggressive.
4. If you have the recording, listen to Chapter 1. d The origami birds hadn’t brought the family
good fortune.
e One of the Kawaguchi family was involved in
Check your reading a murder case.
2. Read the letter on page 23. Who do you think
Chapter 1
‘Janey’ was?
1. Look at the words in italics. Who is he, them, him
etc.? Chapter 4
a ... he had the worst temper in the world.
1. Put the events in the right order.
b In London, anybody who wanted to train
a Murphy was accused of the murder of
seriously trained with one of them.
Blakeston.
c He was wearing a particularly horrible tie.
b A young man called Blakeston was driving a
d ... he told us that Kawaguchi had been
girl home.
threatened before.
c The girl picked Murphy out of an identity
e You couldn’t imagine him hurting a fly.
parade.
2. Look at the letter on page 12. Who do you think
d Blakeston stopped to pick up a hitchhiker.
Brendan was? Why was he in prison?
e Blakeston was shot dead and the girl was
seriously wounded.
Chapter 2
2. Why did Brendan write: ‘I can’t tell you how
1. Match the beginnings and endings. disappointed I am’?
1 Kate returned a by a single punch to
to her flat and the stomach. Chapter 5
listened to her 1. Complete the sentences with the right person’s
neighbour name.
2 She dreamt that b playing his a ............... travelled to Peterborough to talk to
she was in the dojo saxophone. ............... ’s brother.
again, b ............... was not sorry that Kawaguchi was
3 Early the next c by an urgent phone dead.
morning, she was call from Jonty c ............... had confessed to the murder after
woken Adams. ............... was hanged.
4 Ito had been killed d fighting against her d ............... thought there had been a cover-up
old friend Sanjay. at the trial.
2. Read the letter on page 16. What was going to e ............... didn’t tell ............... that ...............
happen the following week? had been shot by the London Road murderer.

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 Worksheet
Level 5

Death in the Dojo Sue Leather

Chapter 6 Chapter 9
1. Match the questions and answers. 1. Complete the gaps in the summary.
1 ‘Were all the letters a ‘I think he just Kate returned to her ............... and fell asleep.
written by the same thought it was some Later, she was ............... up by a phone call.
person?’ madman.’ It was Naoko’s housekeeper. She told Kate
2 ‘Do you think b ‘He must have that Naoko wanted to ............... to her now.
Kawaguchi had destroyed them so Naoko told Kate that John Blakeston had
any idea who “The his family wouldn’t been her ............... . Naoko’s father was very
Avenger” was?’ find them.’ ............... with his children and tried to stop her
3 ‘Did Kawaguchi c ‘Yes, definitely. from seeing John. Now, Naoko wasn’t sure if
ever report these It was the same ............... had killed Blakeston.
threatening letters handwriting.’ 2. Kate asked Naoko: ‘ ... is it possible that your father
to the police?’ had John Blakeston killed?’ What do you think?
4 ‘Where are they d ‘No, nobody knew
Chapter 10
now, these letters?’ anything about
them.’ 1. Match the beginnings and endings.
2. Read the letter on page 35. Why did Brendan 1 After Kate’s second a and told him
write: ‘Today I am about as low as I’ve ever been meeting with everything that had
in my life’? Naoko happened.
2 While Kate was b she met Kenji, an
Chapter 7 enjoying noodles old friend.
1. Put the events in the right order. and green tea
a Kate stopped Tim from phoning for a doctor. 3 Kenji persuaded c to watch a training
b As Kate entered her flat, she was attacked. Kate to visit the session and meet
c Kate realised that the attack was a warning. dojo Ando-sensei.
d Tim stayed the night to protect Kate. 4 Afterwards, Kate d she did some
e Kate knocked on the ceiling to attract Tim’s had tea with Ando- sightseeing around
attention. sensei old Tokyo.
2. Read the letter on page 39. What was the only
thing Brendan could look forward to? Chapter 11
1. Match the sentences to the person or place.
Chapter 8
a The place was noisy and crowded and full of
1. Look at the words in italics. Who is somebody, me, smoke.
he etc.? b ‘Left here years ago, he did.’
a Somebody was obviously warning me. c The pub itself looked very old, as if it
b Was he still alive now, I wondered? desperately needed repairs.
c He said he would ring her and tell her I was d He looked like he hadn’t shaved for days.
coming. e ‘Oh, he stopped coming here about last
d Now she looked ill and tired, but was as polite November.’
as her brother.

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 Worksheet
Level 5

Death in the Dojo Sue Leather

The Pelican The Six Bells
2Sandra Watts, the b that The Avenger
the barman at The Six Bells Peter Benson
handwriting expert, was a woman not
2. Read the letter on page 60. What was the
was reasonably sure older than forty.
only way Brendan Murphy could escape
3 Paddy Murphy c and discovered a
hanging?
remembered that top fighter called
Chapter 12 Brendan used to go Brenda Lovat.
out
1. Match Kate’s questions to the answers. 4 Kate checked the d but he didn’t
1 ‘What do you a ‘That is my reading list of black belts in have any new
think, Mr Benson. of the situation, London information for her.
Did he do it?’ Miss Jensen.’ 2. What do you think? Will The Avenger strike
2 ‘Do you think b ‘What, and hurt his again? Who will he or she attack?
there’s a chance that daughter? ... I don’t
Kawaguchi paid think so.’ Chapter 15
your brother to kill 1. Put the events in the right order.
Blakeston?’ a Tony Jensen knocked the person out with a
3 ‘Then the whole c ‘I told the police right hook.
thing was a tragic on more than one b They took off the black cap and saw a
mistake?’ occasion.’ woman’s face.
4 ‘Why didn’t you d ‘The honest truth is c Kate found Sanjay fighting with someone in
come forward and that there certainly the hall.
tell the police?’ is a chance.’ d Just before seven there was a loud noise.
e Kate and Sanjay went to stay with Tony
Chapter 13
Jensen.
1. Correct the mistakes in the summary.
At 10.00 the next day, Kate was talking to Chapter 16
Balzano about a story she was working on. 1. Look at the words in italics. Who is it, they, he
Suddenly Jonty phoned to say that a letter bomb etc.?
had exploded at the Prime Minister’s office. a Nobody knew about it, only Brendan, and
Twenty minutes later they received an email they decided not to tell anyone.
from Reuters News Agency. It read: ‘At 9.00 this b He came from a poor family with no power.
morning we received a fax from someone calling c I don’t think he was an evil man.
himself “The Psychopath”. He said that he was d He had told the police and I was sure they’d
responsible for the two letter bombs. He said find me.
that Murphy was guilty and he would avenge
his death.’ Chapter 17
2. Read Brendan’s letter on page 69. What did
1. Complete the gaps in the summary.
Brendan ask his family to do for him?
Brendan Murphy was hanged for the London
Chapter 14 Road murder ............... years ago. Yesterday
Murphy was given an official ............... by the
1. Match the beginnings and endings. Home Secretary. Tony Jensen had managed to
1 Kate met Jonty for a with a girl called find new ............... which proved that Murphy
a drink Janey Lovat. was in ................ at the time of the murder.

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 Worksheet
Level 5

Death in the Dojo Sue Leather

Murphy’s ............... , Brenda Lovat-Murphy, was 4. Imagine Kate interviews Brenda Lovat when she
delighted to hear the news. She will be released is released from prison. Write the interview for
from prison ............... year. the Daily Echo.
5. Do you think the punishment for murder should
After reading be death?
6. Read the letter on page 78. Imagine you are
Choose some of these activities. Brendan. Write what he really wanted to say to
1. Which character do you like the most? Why? Janey Lovat.
2. Think about the relationship between Kate 7. Make your own activities for other students to
Jensen and her father, Tony Jensen. What has do, e.g. match the question to the answer.
Kate learnt from her father?
3. Write Kate’s article in the Daily Echo about the
murders of Kawaguchi and Ito.

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