Activity worksheets

PENGUIN READERS
Teacher Support Programme

LEVEL 4

King Solomons Mines

Chapters 13
While reading
1 Answer the following questions, giving as
much information as you can.
a What was Quatermain doing before he met
Sir Henry and Captain Good?

b What is the name of the ship on which
Quatermain met Sir Henry and Captain
Good?

c Which two people do Quatermain and
Sir Henry both know?

d How long ago did Sir Henry and his brother
argue?

e What happened to Sir Henrys father?

f Who got the money and property belonging
to Sir Henrys father?

2 Who says each of these things? Who to? Why?
a I have worked here in Africa for many years
and I have never made much money.
b I am very happy to agree.
c I remember you.
d I would like to travel with you.
e They make a good pair, dont they?
f He died like a man.
g There is a wall around Solomons mines.
3 Write a sentence explaining why each of these
people wants to go to the Suliman mountains.
a Quatermain .. .
b Sir Henry Curtis .
c Captain Good .. .
d Umbopa .
Chapters 4 6
While reading
4 Write the words from the box in the right
places.
air body cave evening hill map
moon mountain sand sun thirst
sunset village water-bottles
morning day

a Three men from the went with them

to carry the large pots of water.
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b They started in the cool of the .

c Their only guides were the mountains and the
old .
d If they didnt find the pool of bad water on
the map, they would probably die of .
e They marched through the heavy .
f At last daylight came and they saw some
.
g They escaped from the heat of the in
the shadow of one of the rocks.
h They drank and filled their then their
water-carriers and returned home.
i At they rested and got more sleep.
j When the came up, they marched
again.
k Ventvogel lifted his nose and seemed to smell
the .
l They found water on top of a .
m At the foot of the , they ate some
fruit.
n They found Silvestras and stayed
there through the cold night.
o In the , Ventvogel was dead.
p They found the of Silvestra.
5 Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)?
a If the travellers do not find the pool of
bad water, they will still be able to
survive.
c
b The adventurers slept in the day and
walked at night.
c
c The travellers were so thirsty they could
not speak.
c
d The travellers found water at the bottom
of the hill.
c
e After spending the night in the cave, they
found one dead man in the morning.
c
f It was very cold in the mountains and
there was snow.
c
g Silvestras body had a cut on its right arm. c
h The men ate uncooked meat as they
could not cook it.
c
i They found Solomons great road.
c
6 Write down why the old man in Chapter 5
calls the visitors each of these things.
a Children of the Stars . .
b Children of the Shining Eye . .
c Children of the Disappearing Teeth
. . .
King Solomons Mines - Activity worksheets  of 2

Activity worksheets

LEVEL 4

King Solomons Mines

d Men who kill from far away
.. .
7 Match these people from Chapter 6 (ah)
with their descriptions (18).
a Twala is
b Kafa is
c Imotu is
d Gagool is
e Ignosi is
f The Greys are
g Scagga is
h Infadoos is
1 a boy.
2 a wise and terrible woman.
3 Imotus son, the true king of the Kukuana.
4 the finest soldiers in the land.
5 the king.
6 the leader of the Greys.
7 the son of Kafa.
8 Twalas brother.
Chapters 79
While reading
8 Match the things that people say (ai) with
the replies (18).
a It seems to us that Twala the king is a cruel
man.
b Then why dont the people get rid of
him?
c You are mad to talk like that.
d It is my brothers son. It is the king.
e Will you be my man?
f Tell me. Are we in danger?
g Old mother, we are here.
h We are your guests and I demand protection
for him.
1 Do you think so? Look, I will show you
uncle.
2 He must die.
3 I am your man until death.
4 I do not know, my lords. I hope not.
5 If he were killed, Scragga would rule in his
place.
6 Stand up. I am not yet king, but with
your help and with the help of your brave
friends, I shall be.
7 Then go. The killers spears are sharp.
8 Yes, my Lords, he does cruel things and
the land cries out.
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PENGUIN READERS
Teacher Support Programme

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After reading
9 Write down how these things are important to
the story.
a a snake
b an eclipse of the moon
c a dance
d a battle
Chapters 1015
While reading
10 Work with another student and write down
what happened to these people in Chapter 12.
a Foulata b Gagool c the white men
11 Put these events from Chapter 13 in the
correct order, 115.
a Good fell into the river but managed to
hold onto a rock.
c
b Good found the place where the air was
coming in.
c
c Quatermain filled his pockets with
diamonds.
c
d Sir Henry pulled Good out of the river. c
e They all pulled and the heavy stone
came out on top of them.
c
f They ate and drank a little water.
c
g They ate and drank again.
c
h They fell down the side of the mountain. c
i They found a stone ring in the rock floor. c
j They heard a murmuring sound and
found an underground river.
c
k They realised that air must be coming in
from somewhere.
c
l They saw a faint light and found the way
out.
c
m They saw a fire burning and called to
Infadoos.
c
n They went down some steps and into an
underground path.
c
o They went to the door and shouted.
c
After reading
12 Write Jos da Silvestras story from 300 years
ago. Think about the following questions.
How did he find the diamonds? How did the
witch cheat him? Why did he drop the bag of
diamonds? Why did he live in a cave?

King Solomons Mines - Activity worksheets

2 of 2

Progress test

PENGUIN READERS
Teacher Support Programme

LEVEL 4

King Solomons Mines

Introduction and Chapter 1
1 Answer the following questions.
a What is Quatermain, the author, trying to do by
writing the book?
. .
b How old is he?
. .
c Where does he live?
. .
d Is he rich or poor?
. .
e Give two reasons why he is writing the book.
. .
f What is Quatermains son called?
. .
g What does his son do?
. .

Chapters 25
2 Underline the correct answer.
a Neville is Sir Henrys son / brother / father.
b Sir Henry wants to get help / money / a map from
Quatermain.
c Sir Henry says he behaved very well / badly /
generously towards his brother.
d Sir Henry did not offer his brother any inheritance /
kindness / coffee.
e Solomons mines are to the north-west / north-east /
south of Mushukulumbe country.
f Jos Silvestre was Spanish / English / Portuguese.
3 Write the answers to the following questions.
a Who told Quatermain about Solomons mines?
. .
b Where were Solomons mines meant to be?
. .
c Who was Jos da Silvestra?
. .
d Who is Gagool?
. .
e What does Quatermain show Sir Henry?
. .

Chapters 6 10
4 Write the correct word in the sentence.
a There was a years ago among ourselves.
b It is our custom that, when two sons are born at the
same time, that the must die.

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c The king, years ago, had two sons born together.
was the stronger.
d Everyone thought that , the weaker son, was
dead.
e Kafa became king. When he died, his oldest son,
, was made king.
f Twala killed Imotu, but Imotus wife escaped with
her baby, . Nobody has seen her.
5 Choose the correct ending for these sentences.
a At sunset, from the top of some hills, we saw
b They ran quickly up the hill towards us with
shining spears and waving feathers,
c The other eye had gone and there was
d There will be rivers of blood,
1 and made a line on each side of the road.
2 only a hole in his face where it had been.
3 the city of Loo, capital of Kuanaland.
4 and her blood must join it, if she has any.
6 Answer the following questions.
a What is the name of the girl Captain Good saves?

b Who kills Scragga?

c What are the best soldiers called?

d Why does Sir Henry fight Twala?

e Who is the only person who knows where the Place
of the Dead is?

f What are the Silent Ones?

Chapters 1015
7 Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)?
a After the battle, the adventurers marched to
Loo.
b Twalas men refused to open the gate of the
town.
c Ignosi promised life and forgiveness to all who
put down his spear.
d A man of royal Kukuana blood can be put to
death.
e Ignosi wants Twala to fight Sir Henry.
f Twala attacked Sir Henry with an axe.
g Sir Henry killed Twala.

c
c
c
c
c
c
c

King Solomons Mines - Progress test  of