Comprehension Test

Five Children and It

Edith Nesbit

1 Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)? TF

a Anthea found the Psammead.
b The Psammead was a hundred years old.
c A Psammeads wish ends when the sun comes up.
d Nobody wanted the childrens gold coins.
e When the children had wings, everybody was nice to them.
f The children had lunch with the vicar.
g Robert wished to be bigger than the bakers boy.
h Bill made a lot of money from showing Robert.
i When the sun went down, Bill found a small boy in his tent.
j Mother thought Jane was a thief.

20marks

2 Who said this in the story? Jane, the vicar, Martha, the Psammead, Robert.

a Leave me alone! ...............
b I cant see anything just two very dirty hands. ...............
c Good Heavens! Theyre children! ...............
d I wish I was bigger than him! ...............
e Id like Mother to have all Lady Chittendens beautiful jewels now. ...............

20marks

3 Put the following events in the story in the right order. Number them 15.

a They ate the food on the church roof.
b The children enjoyed flying in the blue sky.
c When they woke up, they had no wings.
d Anthea wished for beautiful wings.
e They all went to sleep in the sun.

20marks

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 2 1

4 Match a number from A with a letter from B to make complete sentences. B
A

A
1 If a Psammead gets wet ...
2 When the children got to the police station ...
3 Anthea gave the little man some money ...
4 The children had lunch in the garden ...
5 Mother went to the police ...

B
a ... they had no gold in their pockets.
b ... because Robert was too big to get into the house...
c ... it gets ill and usually dies.
d ... because she found Lady Chittendens jewels in her room.
e ... to pay for the plums that they ate.

20marks

5 Fill in the gaps using these words: day, bigger, fur, ended, wish, fat, smaller, ears, sun, eyes.

The Psammead had ............... on stalks, and big ............... . It had ............... on its arms and legs,
and a ............... body. When it gave a ..............., it got ..............., then ............... . But a wish
was only for a ...............; when the ............... went down, the wish ............... .

20marks

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Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 2 2

Multiple-choice Test

Five Children and It

Edith Nesbit

Setting

Choose the best answer.

1 The children go to a _____ house with a green garden.
a [ ] brown b [ ] white c [ ] black d [ ] pink
2 The house is in the _____.
a [ ] country b [ ] town c [ ] city d [ ] mountains
3 _____ goes away to stay with Grandmother, who is ill.
a [ ] Father b [ ] Mother c [ ] Baby d [ ] Martha
4 The children find a sand-fairy at a _____ near their house.
a [ ] park b [ ] beach c [ ] gravel-pit d [ ] shop
5 The sand-fairy is also called a Psammead. It lives in a _____.
a [ ] river b [ ] flower c [ ] tree d [ ] hole
6 The Psammead is _____ old.
a [ ] thousands of years b [ ] a hundred years c [ ] fifty years d [ ] ten years
7 The Psammead can give the children _____.
a [ ] chocolate b [ ] wishes c [ ] books d [ ] new clothes
8 One day the children go to Rochester. Rochester is _____ near their house.
a [ ] a small town b [ ] a big city c [ ] a new shop d [ ] an old school
9 The children fly to a _____ and sit on the roof.
a [ ] hotel b [ ] house c [ ] castle d [ ] church
10 Robert goes to a fair and people _____ to see him.
a [ ] fight b [ ] forget c [ ] pay d [ ] drive

20marks

Characters

Choose the best answer.

11 Martha is the childrens _____.
a [ ] nursemaid b [ ] teacher c [ ] doctor d [ ] friend

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 2 3

 12 _____ finds the Psammead.
a [ ] Mother b [ ] Martha c [ ] Anthea d [ ] Baby
13 The Psammead can _____ the children.
a [ ] carry b [ ] visit c [ ] write to d [ ] talk to
14 When the children look very beautiful, Baby _____ because he doesnt know them.
a [ ] laughs b [ ] cries c [ ] runs away d [ ] stands up
15 _____ wishes for a lot of money.
a [ ] Mother b [ ] Baby c [ ] Robert d [ ] Martha
16 In Rochester, _____ shows the gold to Martha but she cant see it.
a [ ] Cyril b [ ] the Psammead c [ ] Mother d [ ] Lady Chittenden
17 The children take some food from the _____ house.
a [ ] bakers b [ ] Psammeads c [ ] policemans d [ ] vicars
18 Robert _____ with the bakers boy.
a [ ] plays b [ ] sings c [ ] fights d [ ] eats
19 After a wish, _____ becomes much bigger.
a [ ] Robert b [ ] Jane c [ ] Baby d [ ] Anthea
20 Somebody takes _____ jewels.
a [ ] Mothers b [ ] Lady Chittendens c [ ] Marthas d [ ] the vicars

20marks

Dialogue

Who said or wrote this?

21 I wish we were all very, very beautiful.
a [ ] Mother b [ ] Cyril c [ ] Martha d [ ] Anthea
22 But remember, the wish is only for a day. When the sun goes down, everything goes back to
what it was.
a [ ] the Psammead b [ ] the bakers boy c [ ] Martha d [ ] Mother
23 I had to pay with my real money. When they saw all the coins, they wouldnt change the gold.
a [ ] the Psammead b [ ] Cyril c [ ] the vicar d [ ] Martha
24 How many of you are there? Have you got guns?
a [ ] Jane b [ ] the bakers boy c [ ] the vicar d [ ] Baby
25 Ill teach that bakers boy a lesson one day. I wish I was bigger than him!
a [ ] Cyril b [ ] Anthea c [ ] Martha d [ ] Robert
26 Come and see the biggest man in the world!
a [ ] Bill, the headman at the fair b [ ] the Psammead
Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 2 4
 c [ ] Martha d [ ] Anthea
27 ... my brother must be alone when the sun goes down. He gets very angry and strange then.
a [ ] Cyril b [ ] the vicar c [ ] the bakers boy d [ ] the Psammead
28 There were thieves at Lady Chittendens last night. They took all her jewels!
a [ ] the vicar b [ ] Martha c [ ] Baby d [ ] the Psammead
29 I really dont enjoy giving wishes. Its very hard work, you know, and I get so tired.
a [ ] Cyril b [ ] Jane c [ ] Robert d [ ] the Psammead
30 I wish that Mother and Martha will forget all about the jewels.
a [ ] the bakers boy b [ ] the vicar c [ ] Jane d [ ] Lady Chittenden

20marks

Vocabulary

Choose the best answer.

31 very, very big
a [ ] empty b [ ] enormous c [ ] expensive d [ ] exciting
32 a person who makes and sells bread
a [ ] baker b [ ] biker c [ ] beginner d [ ] brother
33 a beautiful and expensive stone, for example a diamond
a [ ] dollar b [ ] money c [ ] gold d [ ] jewel
34 a person who works in another persons house, doing work like cleaning or gardening
a [ ] doctor b [ ] visitor c [ ] servant d [ ] driver
35 when you hit something or somebody with your foot; you do this with a football
a [ ] kick b [ ] give c [ ] stand up d [ ] move of
36 a soft, dark-red or purple fruit
a [ ] cheese b [ ] plum c [ ] onion d [ ] carrot
37 a person who works for the church
a [ ] baker b [ ] footballer c [ ] painter d [ ] vicar
38 you often find this fine, light earth on the beach; it is usually yellow or white
a [ ] bread b [ ] sea c [ ] sand d [ ] sugar
39 when you say what you would like to have or do (usually something which is not possible)
a [ ] wait b [ ] wish c [ ] wear d [ ] work
40 the soft hair on an animals body
a [ ] feet b [ ] face c [ ] fur d [ ] flower

20marks

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 2 5

Plot

Choose the best answer.

41 One day the children _____ at the gravel pit.
a [ ] dig a hole b [ ] build a house c [ ] look in a tree d [ ] play football
42 The children think the Psammead is very strange. It is _____ with big eyes on stalks.
a [ ] green and thin b [ ] brown and furry
c [ ] pink and fat d [ ] tall and yellow
43 When the children look beautiful, Martha wont let them into the house and the children are
very _____ all day.
a [ ] happy b [ ] hot c [ ] hungry d [ ] excited
44 When the children wish for money, they get a lot of _____.
a [ ] big diamonds b [ ] gold coins c [ ] new English money d [ ] old dollars
45 The children try to spend their money but somebody calls _____.
a [ ] Mother b [ ] the bakers boy c [ ] Martha d [ ] the police
46 One day the children get _____ and they can fly.
a [ ] a small aeroplane b [ ] a big aeroplane c [ ] some birds the d [ ] wings
47 When the children are on top of the church, the vicar _____ them and they come down.
a [ ] telephones b [ ] sings to c [ ] helps d [ ] hits
48 Robert puts the bakers boy on a _____. The bakers boy is then late back to the shop.
a [ ] table b [ ] haystack c [ ] chair d [ ] horse
49 Robert _____ away from the fair.
a [ ] drives b [ ] flies c [ ] walks d [ ] runs
50 At the end, the children wish that they will _____ the Psammead again.
a [ ] see b [ ] help c [ ] teach d [ ] write to

20marks

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Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 2 6

Five Children and It
1 a T
b F
c F
d T
e F
f F
g T
h T
i F
j F

2 a The Psammead
b Martha
c The vicar
d Robert
e Jane

3 a 3
b 2
c 5
d 1
e 4

4 1 c
2 a
3 e
4 b
5 d

5 eyes, ears, fur, fat, wish, bigger, smaller, day, sun, ended

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 2 7

Five Children and It
Setting
1 b
2 a
3 b
4 c
5 d
6 a
7 b
8 a
9 d
10 c

Characters
11 a
12 c
13 d
14 b
15 c
16 a
17 d
18 c
19 a
20 b

Dialogue
21 d
22 a
23 b
24 c
25 d
26 a
27 a
28 b
29 d
30 c

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 2 8

Vocabulary
31 b
32 a
33 d
34 c
35 a
36 b
37 d
38 c
39 b
40 c

Plot
41 a
42 b
43 c
44 b
45 d
46 d
47 c
48 b
49 d
50 a

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 2 9