8/9/2019 Double Bass AK

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Cambridge English Readers Cambridge University Press 2009 www.cambridge.org/elt/readers PHOTOCOPIABLE

Worksheet

Answer KeyLevel 2

The Double Bass Mystery Jeremy Harmer

Summary

When Penny Wade arrives in Barcelona with the

Barston Symphony Orchestra she is upset to find

that her double bass has gone missing somewhere on

the journey from the UK. As a new member of the

orchestra she has been looking forward to this, her

first foreign tour, so when Simon Hunt, her on-off

boyfriend, offers to let her play in his place, she readilyaccepts.

On the first day, Penny tries to persuade Simon to

go out with her around Barcelona. He refuses and is

behaving strangely. So Penny and her friend Adriana

spend the day at the beach. The first BSO concert goes

well. Simon is in the front row of the audience for the

first half and moves to the back for the second half.

That night everyone is woken to find that the popular

orchestra manager, Frank Shepherd, has fallen to his

death from a window in the hotel. As she leaves herroom to see what has happened, Penny sees someone

else in Adrianas room.

Simon appears early the next morning and continues

to act strangely. Later that morning the attractive

Inspector Portillo questions everybody because what

happened to Frank is beginning to look not very much

like an accident at all.

In the evening Penny overhears an argument between

two other members of the orchestra, Marilyn Whittle

and Candida Ashley-Morton. Marilyn is accusingCandida of killing Frank.

The next day Simon has disappeared again. Inspector

Portillo returns to the hotel and tells everyone what

has happened. The orchestra players came by plane

but the big instruments came by truck. When the truck

drivers stopped for a break, two men broke into the

truck and took out Pennys double bass. They wanted

a painting inside the case, worth 2 million, which had

been stolen from the Tate Gallery in London. Simons

cousin stole the painting and Simon put it in Pennys

double bass case. On the night of the concert Frank

saw Simon in a bar, giving a Frenchman a large sum

of money in an envelope. Frank phoned the police in

London from his hotel room and then went to Simons

room, where Simon pushed him out of the window.

Simon is captured by the police at Barcelona airport

and Penny visits him in prison. He tells her he never

wants to see her again.

The BSO moves on to Bilbao and plays its last concert.

Afterwards, while Penny and Adriana are out walking,

they hear a familiar sound and discover some street

musicians, one of whom has Pennys double bass. Just

as she has managed to get it back, a car arrives and

Inspector Portillo gets out. He tells Penny he has one

more question for her. Penny returns to England to

think it over and the story concludes as Penny decides

to return to Spain.

Before reading

3. a Chapter 4

b Chapter 5

c Chapter 2

d Chapter 3

e Chapter 1

8/9/2019 Double Bass AK

2/2

Cambridge English Readers Cambridge University Press 2009 www.cambridge.org/elt/readers PHOTOCOPIABLE

Worksheet

Answer KeyLevel 2

The Double Bass Mystery Jeremy Harmer

Check your reading

1. 1c, 2a, 3b

2. 1d, 2a, 3b, 4c

1. a Penny c Candida

b Simon d Adriana

2. Students own answer.

1. aF,bF, c F, d F, e T, f F

1. The concert started at ten oclock. They played

threepieces of music. Pennyplayedvery well.

Simon sat at the frontof the theatre for the first

half of the concert and after the break he sat at

theback. After the concert had finished, Penny

couldnt find Simon. Adriana said she didnt

knowwhere he was. Penny left the theatre with

Adrianaand they walked down the Ramblas to

their hotel. When Penny got back to her room

she made a telephone calland then went to bed.

2. Students own answer.

1. a Penny e Inspector Portillo

b Adriana f Simon

c Marilyn g Penny

d Frank

1. 1b, 2e, 3d, 4c, 5a

1. a Adriana c Inspector Portillo b Martin d Penny 2. Students own answer.

Chapter 1Chapter 1

Chapter 2Chapter 2

Chapter 3Chapter 3

Chapter 4Chapter 4

Chapter 5Chapter 5

Chapter 6Chapter 6

Chapter 7Chapter 7

1. aF,b F, c T, d?, e T, f F

2. Students own answer.

1. e, g, f, d, c, b, a

1. a Frank e Simon

b Marilyn f Simon; Penny

c the Frenchman g Penny

d Simon

2. Frank called the police in London, then he went

to Simons room.

1. a Simon d Penny

b Adriana e Inspector Portillo

c Martin

2. Will you marry me? Pennys answer

is probably yes.

After reading

5. Word search.

I C A P T E V O P Z

N O R C H E S T R A

S M V O E P O C Y T

T P I N A M U S I C

R O O D T S N O D O

U S L U R A D E L N

M E I C E S V A W C

E R N T D F I N S E

N T L O P L A Y E R T H E R F B O N R T

Chapter 8Chapter 8

Chapter 9Chapter 9

Chapter 10Chapter 10

Chapter 11Chapter 11