Death Of An Englishman

ACTIVITIES
Before Reading
1 Read the back cover and the story introduction on the first page of the book. Are these sentences true (T) or
false (F)?
1 The story takes place just before Christmas. T
2 The story takes place in Italy. T
3 The murderer moved the dead man's furniture. F The dead man had been in the habit of moving his furniture
on three o'clock in the morning.
4 The dead manwas shot. T
5 The police found an stolen gun in the dead man's flat. F The police found a stolen antique in the
Englishman's flat.
6 Two people said that they heard noises in the night. T
7 Carabiniere Bacci is an experienced police officer. F Carabiniere Bacci is training to be a police officer.
He's serious enthusiastic and very inexperienced.
8 The Marshal is ill. T
2 What is going tohappen in the story? Can you guess? For each answer, circle Y (Yes) or N (No).
1 The police will find out that...
• The dead man was a criminal. [Y]/N
• The dead man was shot by accident. Y/[N]
• The little girl was telling the truth. [Y]/N
2 The police will arrest...
• An antique dealer. Y/[N]
• Miss White. Y/[N]
• A thief. [Y]/N
3 Who will catch the murderer?
a) Carabiniere Bacci [Y]/Nb) The Marshal Y/[N]
c) The Captain Y/[N]
ACTIVITIES

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While Reading
Read Chapter 1, and then answer these questions.
Why
1 . . . was Cipolla at Via Maggio, number fifty−eight? Because he works there, he's the cleaner.
2 . . . was Carabiniere Bacci sleeping in the office? Because the Marshal had a feverish cold, and was in bed
upstairs in his flat.
3 . . . did Cipolla want to speakto the Marshal? Because he knows him, he lives next door to his sister.
4 . . . didn't Bacci wake the Marshal up? Because he didn't like the Marshal at all.
5 . . . did Cipolla look strange? Because he's ill.
6 . . . was the angel's head a problem? Because it was a beautiful antique who has an official government seal
around the neck.
Read Chapters 2 to 4. Are these sentences true (T) or false(F)? Rewrite the false ones with the correct
information.
1 Two policemen came from England to help the Italian police. T
2 Langley−Smythe was shot three times. F Langley−Smythe was shot once, in the back.
3 The police couldn't find the gun. T
4 There was no money in the safe in the bedroom. F There was also a lot of money, almost half a million
pounds, in the safe in the bedroom wall.
5The angel's head had been stolen from a museum. F The angel's head had been taken from the house of an
American woman who was away in America.
6 Giovanna had heard two bangs in the night. T
7 The first bang was the noise of a gun. F The first bang was the noise of the front door downstairs.
8 Bacci's English was good enough for him to question Miss White. F Bacci's English wasn't good enoughfor
him to question Miss White.
9 There were fingerprints of two people in Langley−Smythe's flat. F There were fingerprints of seven different
people in his flat.
10 The police knew that the local greengrocer was a criminal. T
Read Chapters 5 and 6. Why do the police think these things? Give a reason for each one. Do you agree with
the police?
1 Langley−Smythe was waiting for a visitor beforehe died. There were signs that Langley−Smythe had lain
on the bed while he was waiting for his visitor, one of the books that he had borrowed from the library, was
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lying on the bed, and the other was on the little table next to the bed. I agree.
2 The visitor didn't want to steal Langley−Smythe's money. The safe was open and he had turned his back to
the visitor, nobody wanted to stealthe money because it was still in the safe. I agree.
3 Langley−Smythe changed his furniture in the middle of the night about once a month. Miss White said that
she saw Langley−Smythe changing his furniture so many times. I agree.
4 Langley−Smythe was exporting antiques illegally. The new furniture that Langley−Smythe get once a
month were antiques. I agree.
5 Langley−Smythe was shot while...