2015-2016 FEBRUARY WORKSHEET -1/ RDG
KOU SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES
READING WORKSHEET
There are two texts. Read and answer the questions below each of them.
The Hunger Games: Book Review
Introduction
The Hunger Games is a book by the American author Suzanne Collins. It was
published in 2008 and has sold millions of copies. It is the first book for young
readers to sell a million electronic books and you can buy it1 in 26 different
languages. The Hunger Games is now a very successful film. It made 152.5
million dollars in its2 first weekend in North America!
A Fight to the Death
The story is set in the future, after the destruction of North America. The
country is called Panem. There are twelve poor districts governed by the rich
Capitol. There was a thirteenth district in the past but the Capitol destroyed
them3 because they rebelled.
The Capitol organises the Hunger Games every year to punish the districts.
One boy and one girl aged 12 to 18 fight in a battle. Only one person will live.
The chosen teenagers are called “tributes”. The whole country must watch the
games on television.
The story is about Katniss Everdeen, a sixteen-year-old girl. Her father died and now she has to kill animals for
her4 family to eat. Her younger sister, Prim, is chosen to be a “tribute”, but Katniss volunteers to go instead.
The other “tribute” from District 12 is a boy named Peeta.
Where did the idea for The Hunger Games come from?
One night in 2003, Suzanne Collins was watching TV. It was at the time of the US invasion of Iraq. The only
programmes she could find on TV were ‘reality’ programmes of young people competing to win a million dollars
and news programmes about the war. Suzanne says that the two things started to mix together in her head and
she5 had the idea for The Hunger Games.
She has always found news programmes of wars upsetting. When she was a child, her father was a pilot in the
US airforce and he fought in Vietnam. It6 was a very frightening experience for her.
Too much violence?
Some parents in the US have complained about the violence
in the book. But Suzanne says she was very worried about
how much violence we see on TV nowadays. Suzanne is also
worried about the amount of reality TV we watch. “We put
too much of our lives on TV,” she says. “And we care less for
people because of this.” She said that writing about death
and violence in the story was the hardest thing for her7 to
do and she hopes it will make people think about what they
watch in future.
Brendan Dunne - britishcouncil.org
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2015-2016 FEBRUARY WORKSHEET -1/ RDG
KOU SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES
A. Choose the correct option.
1. You can buy The Hunger Games in _______________ different languages.
a. sixteen
b. twenty six
2. In the story, The Hunger Games are organised by _______________.
a. the Capitol
b. the people
3. Katniss has a younger sister named _______________.
a. Suzanne
b. Prim
4. The other “tribute” from District 12 is called _______________ .
a. Colin
b. Peeta
5. The idea for The Hunger Games came while Suzanne was _______________.
a. watching TV
b. reading a book
6. Suzanne’s father was a/n _______________.
a. author
b. pilot
B. Check your understanding: Circle True or False for the sentences.
1. There are 10 districts in Panem.
TRUE
FALSE
2. The “tributes” must be over 18 years old.
TRUE
FALSE
3. The author’s father was in the Iraq war.
TRUE
FALSE
4. Some parents complained about the violence in the book.
TRUE
FALSE
5. The Hunger Games was the first story for young readers to sell
a million electronic books.
TRUE
FALSE
6. The author thinks that reality TV is good for people.
TRUE
FALSE
C. What do these words refer to?
1. it (para 1): ________________________________
2. its (para 1): ________________________________
3. them (para 2): ________________________________
4. her (para 4): ________________________________
5. she (para 5): ________________________________
6. It (para 6): ________________________________
7. her (para 7): ________________________________
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2015-2016 FEBRUARY WORKSHEET -1/ RDG
KOU SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES
THE LIFE OF PI
“The Life of Pi” is about a teenage boy from India,
called Pi, who travels across the Pacific Ocean in a
lifeboat. His companion in the lifeboat is an
enormous tiger. It1 was written by the Canadian
author Yann Martel, and has sold seven million
copies worldwide.
The story
At the start of the book, we learn about Pi’s
childhood in India. His father is a zookeeper and the
family live in a house in the zoo. Pi and his brother help their2 father in the zoo and learn to look
after the animals.
When Pi is sixteen, his family decide to close the zoo and move to Canada. They sell some of the
animals to zoos in North America and the family take the animals with them3 on a ship to Canada.
On the way, there is a terrible storm and the ship sinks. Pi finds himself in a lifeboat with a hyena,
zebra, orang-utan and a tiger. When he sees the animals, Pi is scared and he jumps into the ocean.
Then he remembers there are sharks in the ocean and he4 climbs back into the lifeboat. Sadly, Pi’s
family and the ship’s sailors die in the storm. One by one, the animals in the lifeboat kill and eat
each other, till only Pi and the tiger are left alive. Luckily for Pi, there is some food and water on the
lifeboat, but he soon needs to start catching fish. He feeds the fish to the tiger to stop it5 killing and
eating him6. He also uses a whistle and his knowledge of animals from the zoo to control the tiger.
Pi and the tiger spend 227 days in the lifeboat. They live through terrible storms and are burnt by the
Pacific sun. They are often hungry and ill. Sometimes, Pi is happy and hopeful, but sometimes he
feels sad and lonely. Finally, they7 arrive at the coast of Mexico, but you will have to read the book
to find out what happens in the end!
What do you think?
Three teenagers give their opinions of “The Life of Pi”.
I think it’s an excellent book and I couldn’t stop
reading it. In one chapter, Pi is in the lifeboat and he
sings “Happy Birthday” to his mother on the day of
her birthday, even though he thinks she is dead. It8
was a very sad moment and I wanted to cry.
Alex, 15
I didn’t like this book because it’s very slow and
boring. In some chapters, there isn’t any action and
we only read about what Pi is thinking.
Danny, 16
What a fascinating book! I enjoyed the story, but I also learnt so much about animals and surviving at
sea. It’s a book for everyone to enjoy, old and young, men and women.
Paula, 18
Robin Newton, britishcouncil.org
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2015-2016 FEBRUARY WORKSHEET -1/ RDG
KOU SCHOOL OF FOREIGN LANGUAGES
A. Number the events in the story from first (1) to last (8).
_____ Pi sees the animals in the lifeboat and jumps into the ocean.
_____ The animals in the lifeboat kill and eat each other.
_____ Pi and the tiger cross the Pacific Ocean in the lifeboat.
__1__ Pi’s family live in a house in a zoo.
_____ Pi’s family decide to close the zoo and go to Canada.
_____ Finally, Pi and the tiger see the coast of Mexico.
_____ When Pi’s family are travelling to Canada, there is a storm and the ship sinks.
_____ Pi climbs back into the lifeboat.
B. Check your understanding: Circle True or False for the sentences.
1.
Yann Martel is from India.
TRUE
FALSE
2.
Pi and his brother help their father look after the animals.
TRUE
FALSE
3.
Pi is scared when he sees the animals in the lifeboat.
TRUE
FALSE
4.
Pi finds some food and water on the lifeboat.
TRUE
FALSE
5.
Danny thinks the book is exciting.
TRUE
FALSE
6.
Paula only recommends this book to teenagers.
TRUE
FALSE
C. What do these words refer to?
1. It (para 1): ________________________________
2. their (para 2): ________________________________
3. them (para 3): ________________________________
4. he (para 3): ________________________________
5. it (para 3): ________________________________
6. him (para 3): ________________________________
7. they (para 4): ________________________________
8. It (para 5): ________________________________
What do you think?
 Have you read these books or seen the films?
 Are these the type of books or films you are interested in?
 Why do you think the Hunger Games became so popular?
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