Worksheet
Answer Key
Starter Level
The Black Pearls Richard MacAndrew
Summary
Police Inspector Janet Hunter is in Rarotonga in the Cook
Islands because she knows that an international criminal
called Wolfgang Peters is going there. Peters steals things
from museums for rich people. She wants him for stealing
an old book from her country, New Zealand.
She meets Inspector Tunui Epati from the local police
force and tells him all she knows. She tells him that
Peters is known as the ‘Minute Man’ because he’s here
one minute and gone the next. Epati thinks that Peters
is on the island to steal a beautiful black pearl necklace
from the museum – the Manihiki Necklace.
Next morning, Hunter waits at the airport and follows
Peters when he arrives. First he goes to the same hotel
that she is staying in, then to the museum. Inside
Hunter watches Peters looking at the necklace. When
she meets Epati later at CJ’s Café, he says they can
put police officers in the museum, search Peters’ room
and catch him at the airport. Hunter wants to catch
him at the airport. As they leave the café, they see two
Hollywood actors arriving at a restaurant. They are
filming on the island. One is the star KateWatson, the
other is Maria Gomez, who isn’t famous yet.
The next morning Janet Hunter waits outside the
museum in her car. Two and a half hours later, a taxi
arrives, and a long-haired woman gets out. Hunter
watches her, doesn’t think the person is in fact a
woman, and follows. However, by that time it is too
late – people are shouting and running out of the
museum. The necklace has gone.
That evening Epati and Hunter talk. They know that the
person at the museum was Peters dressed as a woman.
The police search his room but find nothing. They
question Peters for three hours, but get no answers. He
says he’s on the island just to enjoy it. But they know
he is going to watch some local dancing that evening.
Hunter follows him and sees him sitting behind Watson
and Gomez. On the way out after the show, Watson says
something to Peters, and he turns, smiles and says nothing.
The following morning Epati and Hunter are at the
airport. The two actors arrive late and run to get their
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© Cambridge University Press 2008
plane to Los Angeles. Peters arrives later, and they
stop and search him; they find nothing. Hunter thinks
about the fact that Peters steals for rich people only
and decides that it was for Kate Watson. Epati phones
to stop the plane and bring the people back. Hunter
takes Peters’ computer to see if she can find anything.
Later, Peters and Watson are in a room with Epati. The
police search Watson’s bags. She is angry about it and
says she doesn’t know Peters. A policeman comes in
with Gomez. He has a small bag from under Gomez’s
seat on the plane. Inside is the pearl necklace. Gomez
says she knows nothing about it. Peters gets up saying
he can leave now because they have the criminal. But
Hunter stops him and shows Epati an email on Peters’
computer. It is about a payment of $250,000 to Peters
from KW Films (Kate Watson Films). The story ends
with Watson telling Peters that he is stupid.
Before reading
1. The picture shows an aerial view of an island,
the green of the land/forest and the blue of the
ocean. Student’s own answer (perhaps in the
Caribbean, South Pacific, Indian Ocean).
2. The story is about a man called Wolfgang who
arrives in Rarotonga, a Pacific island. He has a
nickname, the ‘Minute Man’, because he comes
and then goes again very quickly. The reason for
his visit is unknown.
3. Student’s own answer. (Pearls are smooth, round
stones that are used as jewels. White ones are
commonly used for necklaces. Black ones are
especially difficult to find, and so they cost a lot
of money. They come from inside the shell of an
oyster.)
4. It takes place on the Island of Rarotonga in
the Cook Islands. The islands are in the Pacific
Ocean. Student’s own answers (They are
beautiful tropical islands, with small populations
and no great tourism.)
5. Two are actors (Kate Watson / Maria Gomez).
Two are police officers (Janet Hunter / Tunui
Epati). The other person (Wolfgang Peters) is a
thief.
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Worksheet
Answer Key
Starter Level
The Black Pearls Richard MacAndrew
Check your reading
Chapter 3
Chapter 1
1. They are Janet Hunter and Tunui Epati. She’s
showing him a picture of Wolfgang Peters.
2. It’s Wolfgang Peters. Student’s own answers. (e.g.
He’s about forty years old, with short dark hair.
He’s dressed in a white shirt and tie. He looks
intelligent.)
3. b/d
4. The old book. Because it comes from a museum
in New Zealand where she is a police officer.
5. The Manihiki Necklace of black pearls.
6. It’s beautiful. It’s from Manihiki Island, one of
the Cook Islands. It’s over 100 years old. It’s in
the Museum on Rarotonga.
7. False – he is arriving by plane from Tahiti that
day.
8. To the airport to see Peters arrive.
Chapter 2
1. b
2. At the Waterside Inn. Hunter is staying at the
same hotel.
3. a) Peters comes out of the airport.
b) Peters’ taxi stops at the Waterside Inn.
c) Peters comes out of the hotel and gets into a
taxi to go to the museum.
d) Peters looks across the room and Hunter
turns and walks away.
e) Hunter leaves the museum.
4. Some old bags and jackets from the Cook
Islands; a boat from the time of Captain Cook.
5. False – he only looks at the Manihiki Necklace.
Cambridge English Readers
© Cambridge University Press 2008
1. (1) the museum; (2) Peters’ hotel room;
(3) the airport.
2. Because the police never catch him when he
steals things.
3. A lot of people (waiting for the Hollywood
actors); some police officers; the two actors.
4. He sees it as just more work for him.
5. False. She isn’t famous now, but she’s going to be
famous soon.
Chapter 4
1. c-f-a-e-g-b-d
2. Student’s own answer.
Chapter 5
1. Because he’s there one minute and not the next.
2. Because this time he dresses as a woman to steal
the necklace.
3. a – 3; b – 1; c – 5; d – 2; e – 4
4. a into; b with; c behind; d at the front; e behind; f
in front of; g to
5. Student’s own answer.
Chapter 6
1. True: a/b/e/g; false: c/d/f/h
2. Student’s own answer.
Chapter 7
1. a angry; b small; c white; d funny; e easy; f good;
g stupid
2. a police officer; b Peters; c Hunter; d Watson
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