PENGUIN READERS

Activity worksheets LEVEL 3 Teacher Support Programme

The Thirty-nine Steps Photocopiable

Chapters 1–2 3) there are three policemen and two spies at
While reading the inn.
1 Who do these words describe in Chapter 1? 4) when it stops by a river.
a a good and honest man 5) is Julia Czechenyi.
b a man who is not easily frightened 6) is in code.
c an American who works for a newspaper 7) going towards Dumfries.
d the only man who can stop war in Europe 5 Imagine that this is the code Scudder uses
e a man outside Hannay’s flat acting rather in the black book that Hannay reads in
strangely Chapter 4:
f a man with no interest in politics A B C D E F G H I J K
g a man with eyes like a bird 10 18 6 3 21 7 12 2 17 24 16
2 Which of these things do you think will be L M N O P Q R S T U V
important in the story? Choose one and 26 5 4 9 8 13 20 14 25 1 22
explain why. W X Y Z
11 19 23 15
the evening newspaper Hannay’s letterbox
Read Scudder’s notes. Decide where each word
the broken glass Scudder’s little black book
ends and the next one begins.
the knife through Scudder’s heart
(a) 4/9/18/9/3/23/6/10/4/14/25/9/8/25/2/21/
3 Choose the correct words in italics about 11/10/20/4/9/11
Chapter 2. (b) 25/2/21/12/21/20/5/10/4/14/10/20/21/
Hannay sits and looks at the body / covers the body 12/9/17/4/12/25/9/10/25/25/10/6/16/14/
with a tablecloth. He decides to write to the Prime 1/3/3/21/4/26/23
Minister / leave London for a few weeks. He speaks 6 Now write a message to send to a friend using
like a Scotsman / German. He speaks Greek / this code.
German very well. He chooses an empty part of 7 Underline the words that are wrong in these
the countryside / a big town to go to. sentences from Chapter 4. Write the correct
Hannay finds Scudder’s little black book in words.
his pocket / tobacco box. The milkman thinks a The thirty-nine steps are somewhere in the
Hannay’s idea is a joke / dangerous. Hannay hills.
leaves his flat dressed as a milkman. / The milkman b The Red Rock is a group of German spies.
leaves the flat dressed as Hannay. He returns the c The policeman’s telegram describes the
milkman’s clothes to the milkman / throws the German spies and the car.
milkman’s clothes over a wall. He catches / misses d ‘Protection’ means free movement of goods
the train to Galloway. between countries.
Chapters 3 – 4 e Richard Hannay comes from Australia.
While reading f Crumpleton is the Prime Minister.
4 Match the letters (a–g) with the numbers g Sir Harry’s uncle is an important man in the
(1–7) to make complete sentences about. church.
a The information in Scudder’s book ….. h Sir Harry is a good speaker.
b The next day he takes a second train ….. i Hannay leaves Sir Harry’s house in a new suit
c He jumps out of this train ….. of clothes and a new car.
d He climbs a hill ….. Chapters 5–6
e The key to the code ….. While reading
f Two men arrive at the inn ….. 8 Answer these questions about Chapter 5.
g At twenty past eight the next morning ….. a What does Hannay do with the bicycle?
1) and suddenly hears a plane coming b Why has the roadman got red eyes and a
towards him. headache?
2) and Hannay steals their car. c How does Hannay change the way he looks?
c Pearson Education Limited 2008 The Thirty-nine Steps - Activity worksheets  of 2
 PENGUIN READERS
Activity worksheets LEVEL 3 Teacher Support Programme

The Thirty-nine Steps Photocopiable

d Why do the Germans stop to talk to the b A good spy …..
roadman? c The German spy now knows …..
e What three things do the Germans ask d He will want …..
questions about? e Hannay and the others go to the
f Why does Jopley do what Hannay says? Admiralty …..
9 Match a word from A with a word from B to f A coastguard …..
talk about Chapter 6. g High tide is at 10.17 p.m. …..
1) the British plans and some of the French
A B
plans.
hill shop stick of bottle place keeper 2) to find out where high tide is at
note hiding farm house field book 10.17 p.m.
glass bird worst top enemy yard 3) has eyes like a camera.
air dynamite 4) knows places where there are steps from
10 Hannay finds himself in several different the land to the sea.
places in Chapter 6. Look through the chapter 5) to take the plans to Germany himself.
and put the places in the right order. 6) at the Ruff in Norfolk.
7) because they know him well.
in a glass building, in the farmyard again, at 14 Put these sentences in the right order to
the back of the bird-house, in a group of trees, describe Chapter 10. Number them 1–10.
at the little river by the farm, in the long grass a Franz escapes and the old man destroys
on a hill, on the roof of the bird-house, in a the steps. c
back room with no light, in a farmyard, in a b Scaife hides his men around the house. c
dark room with only one window c Scaife counts the steps. c
d The old man touches his ear in the
Chapters 7– 8
same way that the old man at the farm
While reading
in Scotland did. c
11 Three people help Hannay in Chapter 7.
e Hannay calls for Scaife and his men. c
Who are they?
f Hannay watches Trafalgar Lodge. c
12 Answer these questions on Chapter 8.
g Scaife and Hannay go fishing. c
a Why is the French officer Royer coming to
h Hannay goes to Trafalgar Lodge to
London?
arrest the men. c
b Why is the First Lord of the Admiralty not
i A sailing boat arrives from the south
coming to Sir Walter’s house to meet Royer?
and stops near the thirty-nine steps. c
c Why will the Chief of Police at Scotland Yard
j Hannay begins to think he is wrong
have to wait 24 hours to hear Hannay’s story?
d Why do you think Hannay feels that only he about the men. c
can fight against the danger? After reading
e Lord Alloa, the First Lord of the Admiralty, 15 Think of a different title for the story.
does come to the meeting after all. Has 16 Read and check
Hannay ever met Lord Alloa? Richard Hannay has a lot of good luck in this
f How does Hannay know that Lord Alloa story. Many lucky things happen which help him
knows him? in his adventure. How many can you think of ?
g How does Hannay know that the man is not You can look through the book to help you.
Lord Alloa? 17 Write
At the end of the book, Hannay says: ‘I was an
Chapters 9 –10
officer during those unhappy war years.
While reading
But perhaps my best work was done before it
13 Match and make sentences about what
started.’ You are Hannay and are now old. Write
happens in Chapter 9.
some of your memories of your days as an officer
a Nobody really looks at Lord Alloa in the
in the war.
meeting …..

c Pearson Education Limited 2008 The Thirty-nine Steps - Activity worksheets 2 of 2

 PENGUIN READERS
Progress test LEVEL 3 Teacher Support Programme

The Thirty-nine Steps Photocopiable

Chapters 1–2 b When Hannay told Jopley who he was, the man
1 There are mistakes in these sentences. Write the was very excited to see him/ he was afraid of him
correct information. because he read in the paper that he was a murderer.
a When Hannay was reading about the German c When Hannay was running from the police, he
Prime Minister, a friend came to his door. got to a farmhouse where he saw a kind-looking
b Hannay told Scudder that he should tell his story old man / more Scottish policemen.
to the President but Scudder said it was not a good d When the old man called Hannay by his name he
idea. realised he was one of Scudder’s friends / he was one of
c Hannay decided to escape to Germany because he Scudder’s enemies.
was British. Chapters 7–8
d Scudder’s little black book was not in his bag but 5 Complete with the correct word.
under Hannay’s bed.
Admiralty butler cottage General Lord
Chapters 3 – 4
a When Hannay left Turbull’s ………… he decided
2 Write right (3) or wrong (7).
to go to Sir Walter’s house.
a On his first night away from home, Hannay
b Sir Walter was a rich and an important man who
slept at an inn. c
had a ………… working for him at his house.
b When Hannay read the newspaper at Dumfries,
c Sir Walter received a telegram from the First
he discovered that the police took the milkman
………… of the ………… .
to prison. c
d Hannay saw Sir Walter in a meeting with five men,
c Hannay tells his story to the young innkeeper
two of which were Drew, the War Minister and
and asks him to write it down and show it to
………… Winstanley.
everybody as soon as possible. c
6 Write right (3) or wrong (7).
d The name Julia Czechenyi helped Hannay
a Sir Walter told Hannay that he believed that
understand the code in Scudder’s little black
there was a spy in the Foreign Office or in the
book. c
War Office. c
3 Choose the right sentence.
b Sir Walter told Hannay that they should go
a Hannay started to worry about his country when he
to Scotland Yard to ask for protection for the
realised …..
Frenchman. c
1) there was going to be a war in Europe.
c When Hannay decided to return to Sir Walter’s
2) The Black Stone were dangerous.
house, Jopley recognised him called him
b When Sir Harry decided to help Hannay taking
‘murderer’. c
him to his house …..
d Hannay realised that Lord Alloa was one of
1) Hannay immediately told him his story and
the men of Scotland Yard. c
Scudder’s.
2) Hannay made him believe he was Australian. Chapters 9–10
c While Hannay was listening to Sir Harry’s 7 Number these sentences in the correct order.
speech ….. a Royer tells the British men that they should
1) he remembered Scudder’s little black book. catch the German spies before they leave the
2) he thought of what the newspaper said about country. c
the war. b Everybody agrees that the matter should be in
d When Hannay gave his speech about Australia ….. Hannay’s hands. c
1) people thought he was lying. c When Hannay and his men find the house,
2) people agreed with some of the things he said. they find some British men but Hannay
suspects they are the German spies. c
Chapters 5 – 6
d After Hannay catches the three spies, the war
4 Choose the right words.
starts. c
a After Hannay leaves Sir Harry’s home by bicycle
e Hannay remembers the ‘thirty-nine steps’ and
he changes his clothes and name from Twidson to
realises that Scudder knew where the spies were
Turnbull / his car and shoes.
hiding. c
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