The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

Pre-Reading activities:

1. Choose the correct answer:

1. My grandfather has got a long white beard.

2. They had a good marriage because they loved each other.
3. Mother looked in the mirror and was surprised to see grey hair.
4. The cake is beautiful, but it's a little too sweet.
5. Please give me the scissors. I want to cut my hair.
6. They always buy something in our shop. They are good customers.

2. Complete the chart. Match the activities to the appropiate age:

(A) Young boy: 3 / 6 / 7 .

(B) Young man: 2 / 4 / 9 .

(C) Old man: 1 / 5 / 8 .

Chapters 1-2:

1. Complete the sentences:

(calm, sweet, destroy, born, cry, dream)

1. Last night, I had a dream about my grandfather.

2. My mother doesn't get excited. She is usually very calm.
3. My son is six months old. He was born last summer.
4. Please add some sugar. I like sweet tea.
5. The boy fell and hurt his leg. He began to cry.
6. This story could destroy the company's good name.
2. Match each speech bubble to the correct picture:

1. -> c) This blanket is too small.

2. -> d) He's got a long white beard.
3. -> a) She will give birth very soon.
4. -> b) The couple are very happy.

3. Match A to B to make sentences:

1. Roger was excited -> c) to meet his new baby soon.

2. Dr Keene did not want -> e) to see Roger Button or his family again.
3. Roger understood that -> b) something terrible was waiting in room 220.
4. Roger's son was -> a) too big for his cot.
5. The Button child asked -> f) for some real clothes.

4. Answer the questions:

1. What happened after Roger approached the first nurse at the hospital?

Roger told her his name and she stopped smiling immediately and looked very
frightened. Then she told him that the baby was in room 220.

2. What did the second nurse do after she heard Roger's name?

She turned pale and her right hand started to tremble. And then she took a deep
breath and told him that his son was in room 220.

3. Why was the young man at the table next to Roger trying to console his wife?

Because his wife has been in labour for 18 hours and after all that, the baby that
has born was dead.

4. How did the young man and his wife influence Roger?

Roger felt that he is much more fortunate than those people.

5. Describe Roger Button's new son.

He was inside the Button cot, he is a very old man with white hair and a funny
white beard. He look about 70 years old. He was too big for his cot and he
could speak too.

6. Why did Roger's son have a headache? What did he want to do?

Because of the cry of the other baby in the room. He wanted to go home and
wanted a cane, so he told Roger to buy him one cane from the clothes shop.

Chapters 3-4:

1. Find six words in the puzzle to complete the sentences:

Customer, suit, ill, war, obey, toys.

1. Mr Brown is a good customer at our shop. He buys new clothes every month.
2. The man doesn't wear jeans. He wears a suit for work.
3. Mary did not feel well. She was ill for two weeks.
4. The war began because the countries wanted the same land.
5. A soldier must obey an officer.
6. The children played quietly with their toys.

2. Complete the sentences with the words below:

(habit, behave, broke, unusual, scissors)

1. You need scissors to cut the paper.

2. Smoking is not a healthy habit.
3. He threw the ball at the house and broke the window.
4. This picture is very unusual. I've never seen one like it.
5. The children tried to behave nicely when they went out.
3. Write T (true) or F (false) next to each sentence:

T 1. In the clothing store, Roger Button gave his son's age as six hours, six
years, and then 16 years.
F 2. The Button child was very happy with the clothes his father brought him.
F 3. Mrs Button called the baby Benjamin because that was her father's name.
T 4. The nurse left the house immediately after she saw the Button's baby.
F 5. Every week, Mr Button bought books for his son.
T 6. Benjamin and his grandfather became good friends and liked talking
together.

4. Answer the questions:

1. What was the slogan of the Chesapeake Clothing Store?

The slogan was "THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT!".

2. What clothes did Roger buy for his son?

He bought a clown suit.

3. Why did Roger think that Methusaleh was a good name for his son?

Because Methusaleh was the oldest man in the Bible and he lived for 969 years.

4. How did the Buttons try to help people forget Benjamin's age?

They shaved him everyday, and brought him boys to play with him.

5. What was Roger's reaction after Benjamin broke a windows with a ball?

He was content and smiling.

6. What was Benjamin looking for in the medical books?

He was looking his strange problem.