The Canterville Ghost Oscar Wilde

1 Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)? 4 Who, in the story . . . the ghost, Mrs Otis, the twins,
a The Otis family were English. his wife’s brothers, Mrs Umney, Virginia
COMPREHENSION

b The ghost killed his wife.
c At first the ghost didn’t want any oil.
d One night Washington put on a suit of
armour.
TEST
a ... looked as English as any Englishwoman?
………………..
b ... had long grey hair? ………………..
c ... wanted more money? ………………..

e The ghost was frightened of the ghost
that the twins made.
f The ghost frightened the young Duke of
Cheshire as the Horseman of Death.
g Virginia was afraid of the ghost.
h The ghost told his story to Virginia.
i Virginia helped the ghost.
j The ghost was at Canterville Chase at the
end of the story.
20 marks
5 Fill in the gaps. Use these words: away, appear,
2 Put the following events in the right order. Number
them 1–10.
a The Otis family moved to Canterville
Chase.
b Washington cleaned the bloodstain.
c Mr Otis bought Canterville Chase.
d The ghost gave some jewels to Virginia.
e Virginia got married.
f Mr Otis gave the ghost some oil.
g Virginia talked to the ghost.
h The Otis family met Mrs Umney the
housekeeper.
i The Otis family saw the bloodstain for the
first time.
j The twins frightened the ghost.
d ... made a ghost? ………………..
e ... gave the ghost some stomach medecine?
………………..
f ... put a jug on top of a door? ………………..
g ... went horse-riding? ………………..
h ... killed Sir Simon? ………………..
i ... prayed for the ghost? ………………..
j ... got peace in the end? ………………..
20 marks
bloodstain, dirty, fireplace, garden-syringe, jumped,
library, frightened, stairs
One night, the ghost decided to go to the
........................ to look at the ........................ . The
twins ........................ out on him and frightened
him. At the bottom of the ........................ .
Washington was waiting for him with a big
........................ . The ghost escaped by going
into the ........................ , so of course he got
very ........................ . After that he didn’t
........................ for a very long time because he
was too ........................ . The Otis family thought
that the ghost had gone ........................ .
20 marks

20 marks Total marks

3 Who said this? Who did they say it to? The ghost,
Lord Canterville, Mr Otis, Mrs Umney, Virginia,
Washington
a ‘Too many of my family have seen the ghost.’
……………….. to ………………..
b ‘Pinkerton can clean anything!’ ………………..
to ………………..
c ‘Hold up your hands!’ ……………….. to
………………..
d ‘It is very wrong to kill anyone.’ ………………..
to ………………..
e ‘You are much nicer than the rest of
your horrible family.’ ……………….. to
………………..

20 marks

oxford bookworms library sTAge 2  © oxford university press photocopiable

 The Canterville Ghost Oscar Wilde

Setting 12 When the Otis family arrived, the ghost _____.

a c suddenly left the house  b c had an easy
Choose the best answer.
time  c c was very happy  d c didn’t have an
1 Mr Hiram B. Otis was an _____. easy time
a c English businessman  b c English lord    13 Mrs Otis _____.
   c c American businessman  d c American
a c spoke with an English accent  b c looked
builder very English  c c looked very American   
2 The Otis family bought Canterville _____. d c was English
a c Castle  b c Chase  c c House  d c Palace 14 Washington Otis was very good at _____.
3 The family _____ ghosts. a c painting  b c riding   
a c didn’t believe in  b c were afraid of    c c dancing  d c singing
c c had experience of  d c really liked 15 Virginia was _____.
4 The Canterville Ghost lived in the house for a c fifteen with blue eyes  b c sixteen with
_____. brown eyes  c c fifteen with brown eyes   
a c 300 years  b c less than 300 years    d c sixteen with blue eyes
M U LT I P L E - C H O I C E

c c 30 years  d c 3 years 16 The twins liked playing _____.

5 When the family first arrived at the house, a c football  b c cards  c c tricks  d c tennis
_____. 17 At first, the ghost _____ the oil for his chains.
a c it became very hot  b c it started to snow a c was very angry about  b c thanked Mr
TEST

c c storm clouds suddenly appeared    Otis for  c c cried about  d c laughed about
d c a strong wind started to blow 18 The Otis Ghost was really _____.
6 The blood on the floor was _____. a c Virginia  b c Washington   
a c Sir Simon de Canterville’s  b c Lord c c Mr Otis  d c the twins
Canterville’s  c c the Duchess of Bolton’s    19 Virginia was the only member of the Otis family
d c Lady Eleanore de Canterville’s who _____.
7 Washington cleaned the bloodstain off the floor a c was very afraid of the ghost  b c felt sorry
with _____. for the ghost  c c wanted to go back to the
a c oil  b c a small black stick    USA  d c wanted to become an artist
c c soap and water  d c a special cloth 20 The ghost’s biggest wish was to _____.
8 Sir Simon _____ in 1575. a c eat a big meal  b c see his wife again   
a c got married  b c bought the house    c c go to sleep  d c frighten Virginia
c c went on holiday  d c murdered his wife
9 After nine years, Sir Simon suddenly _____. 20 marks
a c went on holiday  b c bought another
house  c c went away and didn’t return   
d c married again Dialogue
10 Mr and Mrs Otis decided to _____.
Who said or wrote this?
a c find another housekeeper  b c pay Mrs
21 ‘I will buy both the house and the ghost.’
Umney less money  c c pay Mrs Umney more
a c Lord Canterville  b c Lord Augustus   
money  d c have no housekeeper
  c c Mr Otis  d c Sir Simon
20 marks 22 ‘I can’t have bloodstains on my floor. It must
go.’
a c Mrs Otis  b c Mrs Umney   
Characters c c Virginia Otis  d c Mr Otis
23 ‘Be careful! Trouble is coming to this house!’
Choose the best answer.
a c the ghost  b c the Duke of Cheshire   
11 Lord Canterville said that the ghost always c c Lord Canterville  d c Mrs Umney
appeared _____. 24 ‘They’ll be sorry for this – oh yes, they will!’
a c every Wednesday  b c before dinner    a c Mr Otis  b c the ghost   
c c before midnight  d c before the death of c c Lord Canterville  d c Washington Otis
one of the family

oxford bookworms library sTAge 2 54 © oxford university press photocopiable

 The Canterville Ghost Oscar Wilde

25 ‘I’ve brought you some of Dr Dobell’s special Plot

stomach medicine.’
Choose the best answer.
a c Virginia Otis  b c Washington Otis   
c c Mrs Umney  d c Mrs Otis 41 Mr Otis _____ the house.
26 ‘She’s never played any tricks on me, and she’s a c didn’t think it was dangerous to buy   
sweet and pretty.’ b c thought it was dangerous to buy   
a c the Duke of Cheshire  b c the ghost    c c didn’t really like  d c wanted to rent
c c Mr Pinkerton  d c Mrs Umney 42 Pinkerton’s Famous Stain Cleaner _____.
27 ‘I’ll go and speak to this other ghost. Perhaps we a c could only clean floors   
can be friends.’ b c cleaned the ghost’s clothes   
a c Washington  b c Virginia    c c didn’t clean up the bloodstain   
c c the ghost  d c Mr Otis d c could clean anything
28 ‘My wife was not beautiful like you.’ 43 The ghost was _____ he frightened many
a c Mr Otis  b c the ghost    people.
c c Lord Canterville  d c Washington Otis a c bored with the way  b c a little sad that   
c c very pleased that  d c angry that

M U LT I P L E - C H O I C E
29 ‘Green blood! I’ve never seen green blood.’
a c Mrs Umney  b c the ghost    44 The first time the ghost met the twins, _____.
c c Mrs Otis  d c Virginia a c they were very polite  b c they screamed
30 ‘When she is a woman, she will be happy to and ran away  c c they ran to their parents   

TEST
have pretty things to wear.’ d c they threw pillows at him
a c Lord Canterville  b c Mr Otis    45 When the ghost gave his terrible ghostly laugh,
c c the ghost  d c the Duke of Cheshire Mrs Otis _____.
a c fell to the floor  b c offered him some
20 marks medicine  c c started to cry  d c decided to
leave the house
46 He stopped trying to frighten the family after
Vocabulary _____.
a c water fell on him in the twins’ room   
Choose the best answer.
b c he saw the other ghost   
31 the bones of a complete person
c c he lost his favourite shroud   
a c armour  b c skeleton   
d c Mr Otis asked him to stop
c c chain  d c shroud
47 The ghost told Virginia that _____ killed him.
32 a dirty or coloured mark on something
a c his wife  b c his wife’s brothers   
a c paint  b c stain  c c noise  d c trick
c c his wife’s father  d c his wife’s sisters
33 metal rings linked together
48 The bloodstain changed colour because _____.
a c chain  b c chair  c c curtain  d c change
a c the ghost used Virginia’s paints   
34 you put your head on this when you sleep
b c of the Stain Cleaner   
a c feather  b c sheet  c c brush  d c pillow
c c Mrs Umney used Tammany’s Sun Oil   
35 to lose consciousness for a short time
d c the blood was very old
a c turn  b c fall  c c faint  d c drop
49 Before the ghost died, _____.
36 to go where people can’t see you
a c he asked Virginia to frighten the twins
a c disappear  b c disappoint   
b c he went for a walk in the garden   
c c follow  d c appear
c c he gave Virginia a box of jewels   
37 two children born from the same mother at the
d c he frightened the family one last time
same time
50 Virginia _____ about the ghost.
a c sticks  b c twins  c c terrors  d c sisters
a c told her husband  b c didn’t tell her husband
38 to close with a key
c c told her children  d c wanted to tell people
a c keep  b c clean  c c lock  d c sound
39 a cloth that is put around a dead body 20 marks
a c shroud  b c flash  c c sheet  d c storm
40 a beautiful, expensive stone
a c jug  b c cross  c c gun  d c jewel Total marks

20 marks

oxford bookworms library sTAge 2 55 © oxford university press photocopiable