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 1–5
1 Complete each sentence with a word from the
box.
against exist interest often proud trick
a Simon Wheeler doesn’t know Leonidas W.
Smiley because he doesn’t ……… .
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
doesn’t have any ……… in Simon Wheeler’s
next story.
The Other Side of War, pages 6–14
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 15–19
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 Millet’s paintings.
c
c Pearson Education Limited 2008
Photocopiable
d François Millet taught Mr. Smith how to
paint and draw.
e Mr. Smith sold eighty-five of Millet’s
paintings and he made 69,000 francs.
f Famous people from around the world came to say goodbye to François Millet after he died.
g Both Mr. Smith and François Millet are
millionaires.
h At the end of the story we understand that Mr. Smith and François Millet are the same man.
c
c
c
c
c
Passport to Russia, pages 20–28
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 ‘They’ll send it by mail. You’ll 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 ‘It’s so ugly.’
A True Story, pages 29–33
5 Finish these sentences.
a Aunt Rachel’s parents were ……………… .
b Aunt Rachel was born in Virginia but her
mother was from ……………… .
c Mrs. O’Hara 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 34–40
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 writer’s room and sees
the mess?
………………………………………………
e How much did the writer give for the poor
people in church?
………………………………………………
f When was the writer’s conscience tall and
good-looking?
………………………………………………
g Why did the writer’s 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
c
c
c
c
c
c
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. Stevenson’s 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 Dog’s Life, pages 47–52
9 Something in each of these sentences is
wrong. Underline the wrong words and write
the correct answers.
a Aileen’s 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 frog’s stomach.
c
e The story-teller didn’t 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 wasn’t wearing a ………
c He probably wasn’t 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 Fère François 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. O’Hara.
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 Mary’s 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, 1–10.
a When Charley saw Ed, he jumped up, and ran
away.
c
c
b Ed told his friends about his vacation plan.
c
c Ed’s 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. Vanderbilt’s 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 Ed’s friends gave him a letter to carry to Cornelius Vanderbilt.
c
8 A Dog’s Life: Circle YES or NO.
a Did Aileen’s mother teach her to help others when she can?
YES NO
b Was Mr. Gray a scientist? YES NO
YES NO
c Was Robin Aileen’s son? d Did Mr. Gray save Aileen’s 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