Activity worksheets

PENGUIN READERS
Teacher Support Programme

LEVEL 3

Jim Smiley and his Jumping Frog and Other Stories

While reading
Jim Smiley and his Jumping Frog, pages 15
1 Complete each sentence with a word from the
box.
against exist interest often proud trick

a Simon Wheeler doesnt know Leonidas W.

Smiley because he doesnt .
b Jim Smiley was always looking for someone to
bet .
c Andrew Jackson had a fighting that
helped Jim Smiley to win lots of money.
d Jim Smiley was of his frog because it
was the smartest frog along the west coast.
e Jim Smiley wanted to bet on Daniel Webster
as as possible.
f The story-teller leaves the bar because he
doesnt have any in Simon Wheelers
next story.

The Other Side of War, pages 614

2 Answer these questions.
a Who only had one slave when he died?

b Who told the men of Missouri to throw out
the Union soldiers?

c Who was looking for a war with fine
uniforms, good weather and beautiful
women?

d Who gives the Hannibal Confederate
Company some horses?

e Who thinks the soldiers should have a spy
with them?

f Who shoots the man on a horse?

Is He Living or Is He Dead?, pages 1519
3 Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)?
a Mr. Smith was a poor artist when he was
young.
c
b Millet thinks of a plan to make the group
of artists rich.
c
c Claude, Carl and Mr. Smith travel together
and sell Millets paintings.
c

c Pearson Education Limited 2008

Photocopiable

d Franois Millet taught Mr. Smith how to

paint and draw.
e Mr. Smith sold eighty-five of Millets
paintings and he made 69,000 francs.
f Famous people from around the world
came to say goodbye to Franois Millet
after he died.
g Both Mr. Smith and Franois Millet are
millionaires.
h At the end of the story we understand
that Mr. Smith and Franois Millet are
the same man.

c
c

c
c

Passport to Russia, pages 2028

4 Who says these things? Who or what are they
talking about?
a I dreamed of seeing that city.
b The ticket office will change this for me.
c You can leave it with me, if you want to.
d Theyll send it by mail. Youll get it
tomorrow.
e I will give you exactly twenty-four hours to
solve this problem.
f He is on his summer vacation for the next
two weeks.
g White with a dark green door.
h Its so ugly.
A True Story, pages 2933
5 Finish these sentences.
a Aunt Rachels parents were .
b Aunt Rachel was born in Virginia but her
mother was from .
c Mrs. OHara sells her farm and her slaves
because she loses all of her .
d After the Jeffersons disappear, Aunt Rachel
works for .
e Henry escapes from his owner and moves to
.
f Later Henry becomes a soldier and works for
.
Murder in Connecticut, pages 3440
6 Answer these questions.
a How does the writer feel before the monster
walks in?

b What lies does the writer tell the homeless
man?

Jim Smiley and his Jumping Frog and Other Stories - Activity worksheets  of 2

Activity worksheets

PENGUIN READERS
Teacher Support Programme

LEVEL 3

Jim Smiley and his Jumping Frog and Other Stories

c At the beginning of the story the monster is
light. Why?

d Who comes into the writers room and sees
the mess?

e How much did the writer give for the poor
people in church?

f When was the writers conscience tall and
good-looking?

g Why did the writers conscience become weak
and ugly?

h How does the writer feel after he has killed
the monster?

Ed Jackson Meets Cornelius Vanderbilt,

pages 41 46
7 Choose the right answer.
1 In the 1950s in Memphis many young
men
a studied hard
b sat around all day
c played jokes
2 The letter to Cornelius Vanderbilt is
a rude
b dangerous
c friendly
3 Mr. Vanderbilt reads the letter
a quickly
b carefully
c angrily
4 Mr. Vanderbilt gives Ed a job in
a New York
b his office
c the tobacco business
5 When Robert first saw Ed, he
a ran away
b jumped in the river
c shook his hand
6 Ed is not going to
a work hard
b buy drinks
c hate his friends

c Pearson Education Limited 2008

Photocopiable

8 Circle YES or NO.

a Ed Jackson never stayed angry
with the practical jokes.
YES
b Alfred Fairchild wrote the letter
to Cornelius Vanderbilt.
YES
c Cornelius Vanderbilt and Alfred
Fairchild stole some apples from
YES
Mr. Stevensons yard.
d Mr. Vanderbilt was watching Ed
Jackson for a week.
YES
e When the time is right, the right
man comes.
YES

NO
NO

NO
NO
NO

A Dogs Life, pages 4752

9 Something in each of these sentences is
wrong. Underline the wrong words and write
the correct answers.
a Aileens owner taught her to help others in
danger.

b The baby screamed because Aileen pulled him
along the floor.

c Aileen hides for weeks in the closet, very
hungry and thirsty.

d Mr. Gray does not think that Aileen saved his
baby.

e Mr. Gray makes Aileen blind in a laboratory
test.

f At the end of the story Aileen is sleeping.

10 Choose one or more of these words for each
person or dog.
afraid clever famous kind popular
pretty rich sad trusting young
a Aileen
b Mr. Gray
c Mrs. Gray
d Sadie
e Robin
After reading
11 If you can change the ending, which story do
you want to change? How will you change it?

Jim Smiley and his Jumping Frog and Other Stories - Activity worksheets of 2

Progress test

PENGUIN READERS
Teacher Support Programme

LEVEL 3

Jim Smiley and his Jumping Frog and Other Stories

1 Jim Smiley and his Jumping Frog: Are these
sentences right (3) or wrong (7)?
a The story-teller was told to visit Simon Wheeler. c
c
b Jim Smiley had a horse at one time.
c
c Jim Smiley kept his frog in a little bag.
d The stranger poured three cups of water into
the frogs stomach.
c
e The story-teller didnt want to listen to another
story at the end.
c
2 The Other Side of War: Complete each sentence
with a word from the box.
general leader soldier uniform
a Tom Lyman became our
b He wasnt wearing a
c He probably wasnt a
d The south must win this war, the said.
3 Is He Living or Is He Dead?: Choose the right
names and answer these questions.
Carl Boulander Claude Fre Franois Millet
a Who joined Mr. Smith?
and
b Who was the fourth person in the group?

c Who had a plan that makes four artists rich?

4 Passport to Russia: Complete the sentences with
words from the box.
Connecticut Paris St. Petersburg
American Russian
a Alfred Parrish was planning to go to after
Berlin.
b Professor Jackson told Alfred to go to with
him.
c Alfred went to the consulate to get a visa.
d Alfred went to the consulate to get a new
passport.
e Alfred was born in .
5 A True Story: Choose the correct answer.
c
1 Where was Aunt Rachel born?
a In Virginia.
b In Maryland.
c
2 How many children does Aunt Rachel have?
a Six.
b Seven.

c Pearson Education Limited 2008

Photocopiable

3 Who bought Aunt Rachel twenty-two years

ago?
c
a Mrs. OHara.
b Mr. Jefferson.
4 Who did Aunt Rachel cook for after the Civil
War?
c
a The Union officers.
b The Jefferson family.
c
5 Where does Henry have a bad cut?
a On his arm and on his head.
b On his arm and on his leg.
6 Murder in Connecticut: Circle the correct words.
a A fat, dirty, little green / blue / gray monster walked
in.
b A homeless man came to the door and asked for
food / money / water.
c Aunt Marys conscience is very thin / green / big.
d I shouted at my aunt / son / conscience, No more
speeches about smoking, please.
e I killed my aunt / son / conscience.
7 Ed Jackson Meets Cornelius Vanderbilt: Put these
sentences in the right order, 110.
a When Charley saw Ed, he jumped up, and ran
away.
c
c
b Ed told his friends about his vacation plan.
c
c Eds friends listened to his wonderful stories.
d Ed found Mr. Vanderbilt with the letter in his
hand.
c
e Ed gave the letter to Mr. Vanderbilts secretary. c
f Mr. Vanderbilt asked Ed to run a tobacco
business in Memphis.
c
c
g Ed arrived in New York.
c
h Mr. Vanderbilt invited Ed to his house.
c
i Robert and Ed shook hands.
j Eds friends gave him a letter to carry to
Cornelius Vanderbilt.
c
8 A Dogs Life: Circle YES or NO.
a Did Aileens mother teach her to help
others when she can?
YES NO
b Was Mr. Gray a scientist?
YES NO
YES NO
c Was Robin Aileens son?
d Did Mr. Gray save Aileens son just
like Aileen saved his son?
YES NO
e Did Aileen think that Robin would
grow in the ground like a plant?
YES NO

Jim Smiley and his Jumping Frog and Other Stories - Progress test  of 1