Title Children and It

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

a
b
c

d
e

f
g

Anthea found the Psammead.

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

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.
20 marks
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 ............... .

20 marks
2

Who said this in the story? Jane, the vicar, Martha,

the Psammead, Robert

20 marks

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. ...............

Total marks

20 marks
3

Put the following events in the story in the right

order. Number them 15.

a
b
c
d
e

They ate the food on the church roof.

The children enjoyed flying in the blue sky.
When they woke up, they had no wings.
Anthea wished for beautiful wings.
They all went to sleep in the sun.

20 marks
4

Match a number from A with a letter from B to make

complete sentences.
A

1
2

If a Psammead gets wet ...

When the children got to
the police station ...
Anthea gave the little man some money ...
The children had lunch in the garden ...
Mother went to the police ...

3
4
5

oxford bookworms library sTAge 2

17

oxford university press photocopiable

COMPREHENSION
TEST

Edith Author
Nesbit

Five Children and It

Edith Nesbit

Setting

15 _____ wishes for a lot of money.

a c Mother b c Baby
c c Robert d c Martha
16 In Rochester, _____ shows the gold to Martha
but she cant see it.
a c Cyril b c the Psammead
c c Mother d c Lady Chittenden
17 The children take some food from the _____
house.
a c bakers b c Psammeads

c c policemans d c vicars
18 Robert _____ with the bakers boy.
a c plays b c sings c c fights d c eats
19 After a wish, _____ becomes much bigger.
a c Robert b c Jane c c Baby d c Anthea
20 Somebody takes _____ jewels.
a c Mothers b c Lady Chittendens
c c Marthas d c the vicars

Choose the best answer.

1

2

M U LT I P L E - C H O I C E
TEST

4

5

6

9
10

The children go to a _____ house with a green

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

20 marks

Dialogue
Who said or wrote this?

21 I wish we were all very, very beautiful.

a c Mother b c Cyril
c c Martha d c Anthea
22 But remember, the wish is only for a day. When
the sun goes down, everything goes back to
what it was.
a c the Psammead b c the bakers boy
c c Martha d c Mother
23 I had to pay with my real money. When they
saw all the coins, they wouldnt change the
gold.
a c the Psammead b c Cyril
c c the vicar d c Martha
24 How many of you are there? Have you got
guns?
a c Jane b c the bakers boy
c c the vicar d c Baby
25 Ill teach that bakers boy a lesson one day.
I wish I was bigger than him!
a c Cyril b c Anthea
c c Martha d c Robert
26 Come and see the biggest man in the world!
a c Bill, the headman at the fair
b c the Psammead c c Martha d c Anthea
27 ... my brother must be alone when the sun goes
down. He gets very angry and strange then.
a c Cyril b c the vicar
c c the bakers boy d c the Psammead

20 marks

Characters
Choose the best answer.

11 Martha is the childrens _____.

a c nursemaid b c teacher
c c doctor d c friend
12 _____ finds the Psammead.
a c Mother b c Martha
c c Anthea d c Baby
13 The Psammead can _____ the children.
a c carry b c visit c c write to d c talk to
14 When the children look very beautiful, Baby
_____ because he doesnt know them.
a c laughs b c cries
c c runs away d c stands up

oxford bookworms library sTAge 2

72

oxford university press photocopiable

Five Children and It

Edith Nesbit

Plot

28 There were thieves at Lady Chittendens last

night. They took all her jewels!
a c the vicar b c Martha
c c Baby d c the Psammead
29 I really dont enjoy giving wishes. Its very hard
work, you know, and I get so tired.
a c Cyril b c Jane
c c Robert d c the Psammead
30 I wish that Mother and Martha will forget all
about the jewels.
a c the bakers boy b c the vicar
c c Jane d c Lady Chittenden

41 One day the children _____ at the gravel pit.

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

20 marks

Vocabulary
Choose the best answer.

31 very, very big

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

20 marks
Total marks

20 marks

oxford bookworms library sTAge 2

73

oxford university press photocopiable

M U LT I P L E - C H O I C E
TEST

Choose the best answer.