Comprehension Test

The Hound of the Baskervilles

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

1 Who in the story ...?

a... played the violin? Sherlock Holmes
b ... did Holmes call ‘a very good detective’? Dr Mortimer
c ... followed Sir Henry in London, wearing a false beard? Stapleton
d ... was upset and angry because Holmes had ‘tricked’ him? Dr Watson
e ... fell in love with ‘Miss Stapleton’? Sir Henry

20 marks

2 Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)?

a F Holmes always thought the hound was supernatural.
b T When Sir Charles died, Sir Henry was living in the USA.
c F Holmes didn’t think Stapleton was a very dangerous enemy.
d T Stapleton’s real name was Roger Baskerville.
e F Baskerville Hall was not an old house.
f F Stapleton never really owned a school in the north of England.
g T Stapleton stole one of Sir Henry’s shoes to give the hound Sir Henry’s scent.
h F Laura Lyons knew she was helping Stapleton kill Sir Charles.
i F The hound was really a small lion.
j T Fog nearly stopped Holmes and Watson from saving Sir Henry from the hound.

20 marks

3 Match a description of a character in the book from A with a name from B

A
1 D) Sir Charles Baskerville: Very friendly and generous
2 A) Laura Lyons: Very pretty, dark hair
3 C) Sir Henry Baskerville: Small, healthy, well-built
4 E) Stapleton: Small, thin, between thirty and forty, fair hair
5 B) Miss Stapleton: Beautiful – dark and tall, a lovely face

20 marks

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 4 1

4 Match a word from A with a definition from B.

A
1 C) A living animal or person: Creature
2 E) The place where bad people are punished when they die: Hell
3 A) A kind of dog: Hound
4 B) Very wet, soft ground: Marsh
5 D) Open, rough, windy land without trees: Moor

20 marks

5 Fill in the gaps using creep, faint, hunt, mark, sink. Careful: sometimes you need to change
the form of a word.
a ‘If animals or men go into the marsh, they will sink into it and die.’
b ‘The people say it’s the Hound of the Baskervilles, which is calling for something to hunt
and kill.’
c ‘Why had she nearly fainted when I told her about the letter?’
d ‘The fog was creeping up from the marsh towards the house.’
e ‘She showed us the sticks which she and her husband had put in to mark the way.’

20 marks

Total marks: 100

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 4 2

Multiple-choice Test

The Hound of the Baskervilles

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Setting

Choose the best answer.

1 Holmes and Watson first meet Sir Henry Baskerville at _____.
a [ ] Baskerville Hall b [ X ] Baker Street c [ ] Waterloo Station d [ ] Downing Street

2 Dr Mortimer reads out a letter about the evil Sir Hugo Baskerville who _____.
a [ ] lived in 1240 b [ ] lived in 1440 c [ X ] lived in 1640 d [ ] lived in 1840

3 Baskerville Hall is in the county of _____.

a [ X ] Devonshire b [ ] Yorkshire c [ ] Wiltshire d [ ] Gloucestershire

4 Baskerville Hall is _____ building.

a [ ] a large, beautiful b [ ] an ugly, modern c [ ] a small, pretty d [ X ] a dark,
unwelcoming

5 Baskerville Hall is near a _____.

a [ ] dark, lonely forest b [ ] long, sandy beach c [ X ] wild, dangerous moor
d [ ] deep, wide river

6 Sir Charles died _____ of Baskerville Hall.

a [ X ] in the garden b [ ] on the steps c [ ] in the library d [ ] in the kitchen

7 Watson goes to talk to Laura Lyons at _____.

a [ ] Baskerville Hall b [ X ] her house in Newton c [ ] her father’s house
d [ ] Stapleton’s house

8 Stapleton had a _____ in the north of England.

a [ ] shop b [ ] hotel c [ X ] school d [ ] restaurant

9 Roger Baskerville, who was Stapleton’s father, ran away to _____.

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 4 3

 a [ X ] South America b [ ] South Africa c [ ] the South of France d [ ] South China

10 Sir Henry goes to have dinner at _____ and then starts to walk home alone.
a [ ] a restaurant in Newton b [ ] Laura Lyons’ house
c [ ] Mr Frankland’s house d [ X ] Stapleton’s house

20 marks

Characters

Choose the best answer.

11 Sir Charles Baskerville gave some papers about the Baskerville family to _____.
a [ ] Sherlock Holmes b [ ] Barrymore c [ X ] Dr Mortimer d [ ] Sir Henry Baskerville

12 Sir Charles was _____ man.

a [ ] a handsome and famous b [ ] an angry and lonely
c [ ] a dangerous and evil d [ X ] a friendly and generous

13 Sir _____ Baskerville is the new head of the Baskerville family.

a [ ] Hugo b [ ] William c [ X ] Henry d [ ] Charles

14 At first, _____ goes to Baskerville Hall on the train to learn more about the case.
a [ ] Sherlock Holmes b [ X ] Dr Watson c [ ] Barrymore d [ ] Stapleton

15 _____ is a dangerous prisoner who escapes on to the moor.

a [ X ] Seldon b [ ] Mortimer c [ ] Stapleton d [ ] Frankland

16 _____ falls in love with Miss Stapleton.

a [ X ] Sir Henry Baskerville b [ ] Dr Watson c [ ] Sherlock Holmes d [ ] Barrymore

17 Barrymore is Sir Charles’ butler, he has a _____.

a [ ] red beard b [ X ] black beard c [ ] grey moustache d [ ] brown moustache

18 Stapleton says that Miss Stapleton is his _____.

a [ ] wife b [ ] daughter c [ ] cousin d [ X ] sister
19 Stapleton is helping Laura Lyons with her _____.
a [ ] house b [ ] farm c [ X ] divorce d [ ] wedding
Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 4 4
 20 _____ likes arguing with people and studying the stars.
a [ ] Dr Watson b [ X ] Mr Frankland c [ ] Laura Lyons d [ ] Miss Stapleton

20 marks

Dialogue

Who said or wrote this?

21 ‘I have come to see you because I need your help. I think something terrible is going to happen
in the next twenty-four hours.’
a [ ] Dr Watson b [ X ] Dr Mortimer c [ ] Stapleton d [ ] Barrymore

22 ‘If you think Sir Charles’ death was caused by something supernatural, my detective work can’t
help you.’
a [ ] Dr Watson b [ ] Dr Mortimer c [ X ] Sherlock Holmes d [ ] Sir Henry Baskerville

23 ‘I can understand why my uncle felt that trouble was coming to him here.’
a [ ] Laura Lyons b [ ] Miss Stapleton c [ ] Barrymore d [ X ] Sir Henry Baskerville

24 ‘Go straight back to London immediately. I cannot tell you why, but please do what I ask you,
and never come near the moor again.’
a [ ] Dr Watson b [ X ] Miss Stapleton c [ ] Stapleton d [ ] Sir Henry Baskerville

25 ‘It was the window, sir. I go round at night to see that they are closed, and this one wasn’t
shut.’
a [ X ] Barrymore b [ ] Dr Mortimer c [ ] Mr Frankland d [ ] Sir Henry Baskerville

26 ‘My unhappy brother is cold and hungry on the moor. We cannot let him die.’
a [ ] Selden b [ ] Miss Stapleton c [ ] Laura Lyons d [ X ] Mrs Barrymore

27 ‘Why should I be ashamed of writing to him? I wanted him to help me.’

a [ ] Stapleton b [ ] Mr Frankland c [ X ] Laura Lyons d [ ] Mrs Barrymore
28 ‘I have been searching the moors with my telescope, and although I have not actually seen
the prisoner, I have seen the person who is taking him food.’
a [ ] Stapleton b [ ] Miss Stapleton c [ ] Dr Mortimer d [ X ] Mr Frankland
Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 4 5
 29 ‘I have never been so glad to see anyone in my life, nor so surprised.’
a [ ] Miss Stapleton b [ X ] Dr Watson c [ ] Barrymore d [ ] Sir Henry Baskerville

30 ‘I must apologize to you, Sir Henry. I put your life in danger.’

a [ X ] Sherlock Holmes b [ ] Dr Watson c [ ] Mr Frankland d [ ] Miss Stapleton

20 marks

Vocabulary

Choose the best answer.

31 very big
a [ ] tiny b [ X ] huge c [ ] narrow d [ ] low

32 a row of small trees planted close together

a [ ] lane b [ ] path c [ ] forest d [ X ] hedge

33 very wet, soft ground in the countryside

a [ ] park b [ ] hill c [ X ] marsh d [ ] beach
34 to move along slowly and quietly keeping close to the ground
a [ X ] creep b [ ] chase c [ ] crash d [ ] catch

35 happy and smiling

a [ ] selfish b [ ] miserable c [ X ] cheerful d [ ] sincere

36 to go down under the water

a [ ] float b [ X ] sink c [ ] swim d [ ] climb

37 a mark on the ground made by a shoe

a [ ] grass b [ ] hole c [ ] boot d [ X ] footprint

38 a woman servant who does work like cleaning in a large house

a [ ] lady b [ ] butler c [ X ] maid d [ ] actress

39 the end of a marriage by law

a [ ] wedding b [ X ] divorce c [ ] engagement d [ ] death
Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 4 6
 40 the front of a person’s neck
a [ X ] throat b [ ] chest c [ ] forehead d [ ] face

20 marks

Plot

Choose the best answer.

41 Years ago Sir Hugo Baskerville was killed by a creature that looked like a _____.
a [ ] bear b [ ] tiger c [ ] lion d [ X ] hound

42 Sir Charles Baskerville was very _____ before he died.

a [ X ] frightened and worried b [ ] bored and unhappy c [ ] quiet and calm
d [ ] happy and excited

43 Somebody takes one of Sir Henry Baskerville’s _____ from his hotel.
a [ ] scarves b [ ] shirts c [ X ] shoes d [ ] socks

44 Dr Watson sees Barrymore holding _____ in a window at Baskerville Hall.

a [ ] a flag b [ ] a dog c [ ] a mirror d [ X ] a light

45 Holmes comes to the moor and secretly stays in _____.

a [ ] an old wooden house b [ X ] an old stone hut c [ ] a big hole d [ ] a small hotel

46 Seldon dies because he is _____.

a [ X ] wearing Sir Henry’s old clothes b [ ] wearing cold, wet clothes
c [ ] drinking too much d [ ] eating bad food

47 Stapleton puts special _____ on the hound.

a [ ] make up b [ X ] paint c [ ] paper d [ ] hair

48 Holmes and Watson _____ the hound before it kills Sir Henry Baskerville.
a [ ] catch b [ ] shout at c [ X ] shoot d [ ] tie up

49 Stapleton wants to become the _____.

a [ ] most famous detective in England b [ ] husband of Laura Lyons
Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 4 7
 c [ ] head of a school in Newton d [ X ] head of the Baskerville family

50 Stapleton loses his way in the fog and _____.

a [ X ] sinks in the marsh b [ ] falls off a rock c [ ] falls into the sea d [ ] hits a tree

20 marks

Total marks: 100

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 4 8