PENGUIN ACTIVE READING Teacher Support Programme
Activity worksheets
LEVEL 4
About a Boy
While reading Chapters 12 1 Write the names to finish the sentences. Will Marcus John and Christine Fiona Angie Suzie Marcuss dad a would like Will to be godfather to their new daughter. b had a normal life until he was eight, and then a confused one after that. c lives in Cambridge with his girlfriend, Lindsey. d doesnt like having complicated relationships with women. e had moved to London because of a new job. f said she wasnt ready for a serious relationship yet. g is a single mum to a daughter called Megan. 2 Put a word on the left with a word on the right. simple innocent lovely pull shallow generous weird complicated lost horrible push normal guilty won selfish deep Chapters 3 4 3 Put the underlined letters in the right place to make a word. a Suzie was annoyed when Will told her about Paulas veorhibau . b Suzies daughter, Megan, was sitting in a hurphcsia in the park. c Marcus threw a piece of his dihnsacw at a duck. d The park-keeper thought Marcus had thrown enormous oelavs at the duck. e Fiona was wearing a hairy jumper and some trgylhib coloured earrings. f Will hadnt cpdetexe anyone to break into his world. 4 Are these sentences right (3) or wrong (7)? a Will said that he couldnt take Ned to the picnic because he was ill. c
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b Will didnt understand why Marcus liked Joni Mitchell. c Will didnt want to sit with the adults at the picnic because he didnt want to answer any difficult questions. d Marcus was on his own when he found his mother next to a pool of sick. e In her letter, Fiona said she had nothing to look forward to. f When Fiona got back from the hospital, she was in a strange, calm mood. g Marcus wanted Will to go out with Suzie. c
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Chapters 56 5 Underline the wrong word and put the right one. a Marcus thought that Countdown was the most interesting programme in the history of television. b Marcuss face is strange because he hates going to the hairdressers. c Three ugly boys were throwing sweets at Marcus. d When Marcus arrived home from school, he wasnt wearing any socks. e Will and Fiona met in a quiet restaurant to talk about Marcus. f Will said you should never trust a woman talking about feelings. 6 Circle the extra word in the sentences. a Marcus thought he wouldnt hadnt want pictures like Wills on his wall. b Every day now, Marcus felt a horrible frightened fear. c When Will answered the door, Marcus was standing in on the doorstep. d Will thought Marcus needed to look more most like the other kids at school. e Fiona usually argued with Marcus until he was agreed with her. f Ellie didnt want to put take off her sweatshirt. g Will didnt know how to help Marcus to coping cope with a depressed mother. Chapters 78 7 Answer the questions. a What did Will buy Marcus for Christmas? b What did Will help Megan to do?
About a Boy - Activity worksheets of 2
PENGUIN ACTIVE READING Teacher Support Programme
Activity worksheets
LEVEL 4
About a Boy
c When did Will first meet Rachel? d What did Will think was the most interesting thing about his life? e What did Marcus want Ellie to be? f What was Marcus wearing when he went to Rachels house? g What did Ali have on his bedroom walls? h Why didnt Marcus want to go back to Rachels after he had run away? 8 Find words in Chapters 78. a sad and unhappy (p. 54) b something funny (p. 55) c something that children play with (p. 56) d something you say which isnt true (p. 59) e a material we can make jackets, shoes and belts from (p. 60) f a part of the body, at the top of your arm (p. 61) g the bottom part of a house (p. 62) Chapters 910 9 What happened first? Number the sentences, 17. a c Marcus asked Will to help him with his mother. b c Will tells Rachel about Fionas depression. c c Will tells Rachel the truth about Marcus. d c Ellie breaks the glass window of a shop with her boot. e c Ellie gets drunk on the train to Cambridge. f c Will took Marcus to get his hair cut and bought him some new glasses. g c Ellie tells Marcus that Kurt Cobain had tried to kill himself. 10 Who says or thinks these words? Rachel Will Marcus Ellie Fiona a I loved him. He understood me and he sang about me.
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b Id like a quiet girlfriend who likes reading and computer games. c I thought you were a shallow person but now I know that youre not. d Im in love and I want to be deeply involved with this person. e I didnt really want to be a mother and sometimes I hate my son.
Chapter 11 11 Put these words into the right sentences. shook off advice effects down speech troublemaker a Ellie explained to the police that she wasnt a . b Ellie explained that she had got the train and Marcus had followed. c Marcuss father sat on a seat on one side of the room. d Marcus made a very cool in the police station. e The police thought that criminals would understand the of their actions if they met their victims. f When Fiona put her face in Marcuss neck, he her off. g Will thought Marcus was the only person who might be able to give him . 12 Write questions for the answers. a policewoman / ask / Marcus and Ellie? Their ages and addresses. b call / Ellies mum? The police. c shop owner / wear? A Kurt Cobain sweatshirt and black eye make-up. d Ellie / do / Ruth? She hugged her. e Will / afraid? Losing Rachel.
About a Boy - Activity worksheets
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PENGUIN ACTIVE READING Teacher Support Programme
Progress test
LEVEL 4
About a Boy
1 Are these sentences right (3) or wrong (7)? a At the beginning of the book, Will often does half-hour activities to fill all the free time he has. c b Marcuss life hadnt changed very much since his parents relationship ended and he moved c to London. c Marcus was definitely responsible for the c ducks death. d Marcus found a note and was very angry with c his mother for trying to kill herself. e Will thinks that musicians are probably cool c if they take drugs and die. f Ellie lied to Marcus about the picture on her sweatshirt. c g Will was proud of lying about having a kid c when Suzie arrived on Christmas day. h Rachels son, Ali, wanted his mum to find a boyfriend soon and thought Will would be c a good choice. i Marcus wanted Will to help solve his mums problems. c j Marcus didnt want Ellie to know that Kurt c Cobain had killed himself. 2 What happened first in the book? Number the sentences, 110. a c Will listened to stories about womens problems with men at a single parents party. b c Marcus planned to make his family bigger because hes afraid his mum will kill herself. c c The kids at Marcuss school were surprised that Marcus had made friends with Ellie. d c Marcus and Fiona moved to London and started a new life. e c Kurt Cobain tried to kill himself by taking a lot of pills. f c Will fell in love with a woman who he thinks is going to make him unhappy. g c Some bullies stole Marcuss new trainers. h c Will started taking Marcus and Ali out together on Saturdays. i c A duck died in the park and the park-keeper thought it was Marcuss fault. j c Everybody ended up in the police station talking about what Ellie had done wrong.
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3 Write the names to finish the sentences. Will Marcus Fiona Rachel Clive Ellie Angie Suzie Ali Lindsey a cries a lot and has problems looking after her son. b is beautiful and intelligent and does drawings for childrens books. c has long hair and an earring and wears fashionable clothes. d feels afraid when he falls in love. e thinks hes responsible for Marcus getting into trouble with the police. f goes out with Will for six weeks but then finishes the relationship. g is tall and nervous-looking and a good friend of Fionas. h lives in Cambridge and wants to have a baby. i is fifteen, has a friend called Zoe and loves Nirvana. j prefers to have lots of friends around him than be part of a small family. 4 Finish the sentences with the right word. duck cardboard trainers pumped involved truth fancied cope hugged weird a In the end, Will was very with Rachel and wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. b The kids at Marcuss new school thought he was . c The park-keeper thought Marcus had killed a . d Fiona had her stomach after she tried to kill herself. e Eventually, Will told Rachel the about Marcus. f Will made Marcus happy by buying him a new pair of . g Marcus found it difficult to with his mother and the kids at school. h Will asked Marcus to help him because he Rachel. i Fiona Marcus at the underground station. j The figure of Kurt Cobain was made of .
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About a Boy - Progress test
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