Death's Lines

Reading Comprehension - English Language

(Everyone turns.)

Gillian: Who are you?

Zoe: Do you have brains?

(Ad-libbed responses: “Fair enough,” “Good idea,” “Safer that way,” etc.)

William: De’Ath? Don’t you mean Death?

Gillian: Murder? Hang on, why aren’t you scared of us? Boo!

Bella: Slightly? We’re dead, and you’re having a chat like it’s tea time!

Winnie: Zoe likes open minds too—different reason though.

Malcolm: Of course I am!

Bella: (Fake sobbing.) Oh, Victor! My darling! Who could do this to you?

Winnie: Ernest.

Gillian: (Hands De’Ath the card.)

Bella: Don’t forget Patti.

Zoe: Patti the Poltergeist.

Malcolm: Well, technically, we all did.

William: Wait. You said murder? You can’t mean this is murder!

Bella: Oh, must this take long? If Victor—or Ernest or whatever—stays dead, I’ll need a new potential husband. They’re all dressed so splendidly… clearly wealthy enough to keep me in the manner I deserve.

Zoe: Basingstoke?

Gillian: True. I became a ghost immediately after dying. Didn’t even have time to dry off.

Winnie: Unless the CCTV shows nothing, it’s unclear who did it.

(A beat.)

Zoe: Oh, shame—I wanted to watch this on YouBoo.

Malcolm: Zoe, you don’t need to watch—you’re here.

Winnie: Just a minute, Inspector. If one of us is nicked, how do you punish a ghost?

Gillian: Why me?

Winnie: Because you’re easiest to imagine not being there.

Zoe: What? No! I done nothing.

Bella: That’s just how she talks, Inspector. She don’t know no different.

De’Ath: So one or more of you is responsible for the deaths of Professor Ernest Jones and Patti the Poltergeist. I intend to find out who!

Zoe: And then what?

De’Ath: Then the guilty will face consequences.

Malcolm: Consequences! Missed that one.

Zoe: (To Gillian) What did he say?

Gillian: You’ll be nicked.

Zoe: But I didn’t do nothing!

(All groan.)

Gillian: Life? Are you sure?

Zoe: We’re already dead… haha.

Malcolm: A week in Basingstoke?

Gillian: (To audience.) We have a murder to solve. So, ladies and gentlemen, let us see if we can, between us, solve these crimes, as we open up the floor to questions from the audience.

(Audience questions – see production notes.)

Scene 2 – The Reveal

Winnie: Her real name was Sharon.

Zoe: Sharon?

Winnie: Yes, she told me while I was doing her hair before we came out tonight.

William: She didn’t have any ingredients for potions.

Bella: Oh, well surmised, Inspector! Bravo!

Malcolm: (To Gillian) So we can go?

Zoe: What? Me? No! I liked Patti. She was my friend.

Malcolm: That doesn’t sound like Zoe. She only pulls hair off if she’s going to eat their… B-R-A-I-N-S.

William: Real wine!

Winnie: What? Me? No, don’t be silly. Why would I want to kill Victor? And why would I want to kill Patti? I helped her get ready for tonight, for goodness’ sake. I helped her with her hair!

William: So that’s why you wanted me to spend time with Patti! You wanted her sneezes to use in your spells! She and Gillian are the only ones who are officially spooks!

Winnie: Yes, yes, OK. I stabbed him, but I didn’t know then he wasn’t a vampire. He accused me of shoddy spells.

Zoe: Is that near Cognito?

Bella: Yes Zoe, yes, it is. Just down the road.

Gillian: Look, Inspector – Victor, or Ernest, whoever he was, must have known the risks when he came to live with us. Anyone could have found out at any time he wasn’t a vampire. It wouldn’t have taken a genius.

William: Keeping up standards, Winnie, good girl.

Malcolm: Zoe, I’m sorry to say, the house belonged to Victor, I think we’re all going to have to move to… (braces himself) Basingstoke!

(All except De’Ath.) Nooooooo!

(Curtain.)

Module E Vocabulary – List A Group 2

EFL-ESL

Group 2 Exercises 

General Information 

1. Fill in the English definition of each entry. 

Word Definitions approach (verb) 

can (verb) 

complicated (adjective) 

financial (adjective) 

flu (noun) 

frequent (adjective) 

past (adjective) 

personality (noun) 

personally (adverb) 

point of view (phrase) 

purpose (noun) 

seldom (adverb) 

sense (noun) 

unfortunately (adverb) 

unique (adjective) 

2. Fill in the Hebrew translation of each entry. 

Word Translation approach (verb) 

can (verb) 

complicated (adjective) 

financial (adjective) 

flu (noun) 

frequent (adjective) 

past (adjective) 

personality (noun) 

personally (adverb)

point of view (phrase) 

 

Word Translation 

purpose (noun) 

seldom (adverb) 

sense (noun) 

unfortunately (adverb) 

unique (adjective) 

3. Write at least one sentence with each entry. 

Word Example sentences 

approach (verb) 

can (verb) 

complicated (adjective) 

financial (adjective) 

flu (noun) 

frequent (adjective) 

past (adjective) 

personality (noun) 

personally (adverb) 

point of view (phrase) 

purpose (noun) 

seldom (adverb) 

sense (noun) 

unfortunately (adverb) 

unique (adjective) 

Reading Comprehension 

Read the following text and answer the questions following. 

In the past, Mark had a unique way of seeing the world. His personality was vibrant, and he often shared his point of view with anyone willing to listen. Personally, I found his perspectives enlightening, but others found them complicated. Mark seldom talked about his financial troubles, but everyone knew he struggled. He believed money was not the sole purpose of life, and he approached life with a deeper sense of meaning. He would frequently say, "You  can find happiness without being rich." However, unfortunately, Mark caught the flu last winter. His illness became a frequent topic of conversation among our friends. 

Despite the challenges, his approach to life remained steadfast, showing us that it's essential to stay true to oneself. 

Reading Comprehension Questions: 

1. How did Mark view the world in the past?  

a. With disdain.  

b. Indifferently.  

c. With a unique perspective.  

d. With confusion. 

2. How did the narrator feel about Mark's perspectives?  

a. They were boring.  

b. They were too easy.  

c. They were enlightening.  

d. They were too familiar. 

3. How often did Mark discuss his financial troubles?  

a. Always.  

b. Often.  

c. Rarely.  

d. Every day. 

4. What was Mark's belief regarding money?  

a. Money was the sole purpose of life.  

b. Money brought happiness.  

c. You couldn't be happy without money.  

d. You can find happiness without being rich.


 

5. What illness did Mark contract last winter?  

a. A cold.  

b. Pneumonia.  

c. Flu.  

d. COVID-19. 

6. After getting sick, what became a common topic among friends?  a. Mark's financial issues.  

b. Mark's unique perspectives.  

c. Mark's flu.  

d. Mark's past. 

7. What remained consistent about Mark despite his challenges?  a. His financial status.  

b. His complaints about money.  

c. His approach to life.  

d. His disdain for others. 

8. How did others find Mark's perspectives?  

a. Enlightening.  

b. Confusing.  

c. Complicated.  

d. Boring. 

9. What does the narrator personally feel about Mark's perspectives?  a. They are too familiar.  

b. They are enlightening.  

c. They are too complicated.  

d. They are common. 

10. What does Mark believe is not the sole purpose of life?  a. Fame.  

b. Achievements.  

c. Money.  

d. Happiness. 

Question 11: Give the text a title and explain your answer.


 

Matching Definitions 

Match 3 words to their definitions: 

Question 1:  

1. approach (verb) 

2. can (verb) a. To come near or closer to something or someone.  

3. complicated (adjective) b. Difficult to understand or analyse.  

4. financial (adjective) c. Related to money. 

5. flu (noun) 

6. frequent (adjective) 

Question 2:  

1. personality (noun) 

2. personally (adverb) a. A person's individual character or traits.  3. point of view (phrase) b. From a time before now.  

4. past (adjective) c. An individual's perspective or opinion. 5. purpose (noun) 

6. seldom (adverb) 

Question 3:  

1. sense (noun) 

2. unfortunately (adverb) a. One of a kind; not like any other.  

3. unique (adjective) b. A feeling or understanding about something.  

4. approach (verb) c. Illness that affects the nose, throat, and lungs. 

5. flu (noun) 

6. past (adjective) 

Question 4: 

1. financial (adjective) 

2. frequent (adjective) a. Happening often.  

3. complicated (adjective) b. The reason for which something is done.  4. purpose (noun) c. To be able to do something. 

5. sense (noun) 

6. can (verb) 

Question 5: Match 3 words to their definitions:  

1. personally (adverb) 

2. point of view (phrase) a. In one's own opinion.  

3. seldom (adverb) b. Not often; rarely.  

4. unique (adjective) c. In a way that is sad or disappointing. 

5. unfortunately (adverb) 

6. personality (noun)

 

Fill-In 

Fill in the sentences with the words from the word-group. 

1. Her vibrant ________ makes her popular among her peers. 

2. _______, the event had to be postponed due to rain. 

3. This math problem seems very ________. 

4. Each person's fingerprint is ________. 

5. We ________ see them these days as they've moved to another city. 

6. The primary ________ of the event is to raise funds for charity. 

7. The museum displayed artifacts from the ________ century. 

8. From my ________, the situation seems very different. 

9. Many people get the ________ vaccine during winter. 

10. The scientist will ________ the mysterious island tomorrow. 

11. Before making a big purchase, you should review your ______ situation. 

12. The ________ visits to the library made her more knowledgeable. 

13. I don't think I ________ do it without some extra help. 

14. I have a strong ________ that something good is about to happen. 

15. ________, I think that's the best decision. 

 

 

 

Create and Customize Worksheets for Every Classroom

LiveWorksheets makes it easy for teachers, parents and homeschool educators to design and deliver engaging learning materials. Upload a PDF or start from scratch to create what you need: anything from interactive math worksheets to reading comprehension worksheets, multiplication worksheets, and kindergarten worksheets in just a few clicks. Our drag-and-drop editor works across all grade levels and subjects, so you can tailor content to your lesson plans, homework, or assessments. ESL teachers can also build custom ESL worksheets, add a common sound chart, or integrate ESL activities to make each class more engaging. Easily create differentiated, auto-graded activities that save valuable time and support better student learning.

A Complete Library of Learning Resources for K-12 and ESL

Access thousands of ready-to-use worksheets across K-12 subjects, including kindergarten worksheets, math worksheets, multiplication practice, reading comprehension exercises, and ESL resources. Filter by grade, subject, or skill level to find exactly what you need, whether it’s for an elementary classroom, middle school review, or high school practice. ESL teachers can explore our growing collection of ESL worksheets and English as a Second Language activities designed to support all levels of learners. With new content added regularly, LiveWorksheets is a flexible resource that helps build lasting learning outcomes.