Crime Story Collection

Introduction
Three Is a Lucky Number Margery Allingham - PAG 1
Full Circle Sue Grafton - PAG 2
How's Your Mother? Simon Brett - PAG 3
At the Old Swimming Hole Sara Paretsky - PAG 4
Slowly, Slowly in the Wind Patricia Highsmith - PAG 5
Woodrow Wilson s Tie Patricia Highsmith - PAG 6
The Absence of Emily Jack Ritchie - PAG 7
The Inside Story Colin Dexter - PAG 8
Activities

Student name : Alvaro heredia perez 1 BACH B

Teacher: Paz Victoria Granados Gil

Before you read

1 Why is it important to be careful about the use of electricity in the bathroom?

Because it can create a serious risk of electric shock or electrocution

After you read

3 Answer these questions:

a What was Ronald's reason for marrying Mary, Dorothy and Edyth?

Because all of them agree to make a will lefting him all his money.

b Why does Ronald fill the bath with bubbles?

Bubbles covers the little heater completely.

c What does he expect to happen when he turns on the electricity again?

Kill her by electric shock

d Why does it not happen?

The electricity has gone off because of small explosion

e What makes Edyth go to the police?

Because he wanted to do a will and starts making changes to the bathroom.

f What do the police ask Edyth to do?

Why did he wants to try to kill her and play her part of actions.

g How does she escape from the bathroom?

She escapes over the kitchen roof.

h Whose footsteps does Ronald hear at the end of the story?

The police footsteps.

i What do you think happens next?

He will be arrested by police and will be sentenced in prison by court.

Full Circle

Before you read

5 What qualities and skills does a person need to be a private detective, do you think?

Would a man and a woman be equally good at the job?

I considered these the most important skills, attention to detail, Problem-solving skills,
Communication skills, Analytical skills,

patience and persistence, Discretion.

Gender does not necessarily determine one's ability to be a successful private detective.

The most important factors are the individual's skills, experience, and work ethic.

6 Find these words in your dictionary: freeway lane lieutenant

Are these sentences true or false?

a A freeway is a narrow road for people to walk on. F (A freeway is a narrow road for cars to drive
on.)

b Roads and swimming pools are divided into lanes.T

c Lieutenant is a title for an American police officer.T

After you read

7 Match the cars with their drivers. (One drives two cars.)

Second blue Tayota – Ron Cagle. Volkswagen – Kinsey Millhone.

Green Ford – Terry Layton. First blue Tayota – Terry Layton

Small white car – Caroline.

8 Who is speaking, who are they talking to, and who or what are they talking about?

a ‘She seems to be alive.

Terry Layton says to Kinsey Millhone.

b They’re calling it murder now.

Michalle Spurrier says to Kinsey Millhone

c The man in the Toyota gave a false name and address.

Emerlad, who is the secretaty of Lieutenant Dolan says to Kinsey Millhone.

d ‘He used to follow her around in a green Ford car.

The manager of restaurant says to Kinsey Millhone.

e ‘She went her way and I went mine.

Judy Layton who was a roommate of Caroline says to Kinsey Millhone.

f ‘Somebody stole your plates, and put these in their place.

Kinsey Millhone says to Ron Cagle who is owner of other Tayota.

How's Your Mother?

Before you read

10 How is life in a small village different from city life?

What are the advantages and disadvantages of village life, do you think?

Life in a small village is very different from city life in a number of ways.Here are some differences :

Job opportunities, Access to resources, Pace of life, Environment, Cost of living, Community.

11 Find these words in your dictionary:

bury (we bury somebody after they die)

sergeant (it is more important than an inspector)

Answer these questions:

a Would you bury somebody before or after they die?

b Is a sergeant more important or less important than an inspector.

After you read

12 Answer these questions.

a What does Partridge tell the villagers about his mother?

He tells that she is 86 years old, doesn’t go out much because her friends has already died, has been
in bed since they moved here.

b How do we find out who really lives in Partridge’s house?

One day, it is fire at his home, and they couldn’t find it.

c When does he decide to leave his job and go to Canada?

After winning a lot of money in a competition.

d What makes Sergeant Wallace think that Partridge murdered his mother?
Because of sudden leaving to Canada, no having documents of her funeral.

e Why does a woman visit him one cold, dark evening?

She hears about his arresting then freed from prison and winning a lot of money from newspaper.

f When Partridge goes to the police station to tell his story,Sergeant Wallace does not believe him.
Why not?

He used to hate people who were always asking questions, wanted to come house and to take out
for drinks

The Old Swimming Hole

Before you read

14 Read the first sentence of the story and the questions below. Say what you think.

I was sitting on a wooden seat at the University of Illinois indoor swimming pool, and I was not
enjoying myself.

a Where is Illinois? In USA.

b Why is the woman at the pool? She came to watch a swimming competition of her friend.

c Why is she not enjoying herself? Because the seats which she was sitting on were hard and the air
is hot and wet.

15 Find the word gamble in your dictionary. What do gamblers do? Explain in your own words.

Players play bets that are against the law, betting money and other valuables on a game.

After you read

16 Number these events in the order in which they actually happened.

..... 3 A Louise is shot.

..... 4 B V. I. is shot in the shoulder.

..... 9 C Alicia is shot.

..... 7 D V. I. visits her old school.

..... 5 E Alicia goes to the school.

..... 8 F Tom and his friend go to the school.

..... 2 G Tom steals Alicia disks.

..... 1 H Tom borrows a large sum of money.

.....10 I Tom tells his story to the police.

..... 6 J Alicia tells her story to V. I.

17 Who do you think is the most guilty person in the story? Why?

Tom who is brother of Alicia is the most guilty for crime because he plays a gamble and loses
everything which he has,

also he steals the disk of design that is very important secret to state.

18 V. I. tries to help her friend. How successful is she?

Alicia dont want to inform about Tom’s crime for FBI, as a result she is killed by her brother Tom.

Slowly, slowly in the Wind

Before you read

19 Find these words in your dictionary: b) corn a)scarecrow Which word describes:

a something you can make?

b something you can grow?

After you read

20 Are these statements true or false? Correct the false ones.

a When her parents separated, Maggie decided to live with her father.F
Her father won in the court by the help of lawyers and according to the decision of court, she stayed
with her Father.

b Skip gave up work because of health problems.T

c Frosby wants more money for the fishing rights.F

He didnt want to sell fishing rights.

d Skip is very angry when he learns about Maggie’s marriage.T

e Skip gives Andy a holiday because he wants him to enjoy himself.F

He has made a plan to kill Frosby so he gives Andy a holiday.

f Skip plans the murder carefully.T

g Andy is shocked by the murder.F

He isn’t shocked by the murder. He agrees with Skip not to tell the truth to anyone.

22 Do you feel sorry for Skip? Why (not)?

I don’t ever feel sorry for Skip.He never likes losing, only he is used to win anything.

Woodrow Wilson’s Tie

Before you read

23 Find the word wax in your dictionary. What is wax made of? What is a waxwork?

It is derived from petroleum or as by bees (known as beeswax).Waxwork is a kind of art which makes
sculptures by using wax.

After you read

24 Choose the correct ending to each statement.

a Clive’s first idea is to spend a night in the Hall of Waxworks (i) for an adventure.

b He makes his decision to murder three people (i) before his second visit.

c He puts the bodies in place of the waxworks (ii) because it amuses him.

d When Clive tells the police that he did the murders, (i) they don’t believe him.

25 Work in pairs. Act out this conversation.

Absence of Emily

Before you read

26 Think about the title of this story. What can you be absent from? What reasons might you have
for being absent?

If you aren’t in work or lesson, you are considered to be absence or any reasons like illness,
unexpected situations and etc.

27 Find the word spade in your dictionary. What would you use a spade for?

A spade is used for digging ground, planting flowers and trees.

After you read

28 Complete the story

After his first wife 1 died, Albert marries 2 Emily.She has a sister who is 3 taller and 4 thinner than
she is.

While Emily is away at a 5 healthy, Albert makes her sister believe that Emily is 6San Francisco .

When Millicent discovers her mistake, Albert agrees not to 7 penalize. But Millicent has to give him 8
compensation.

The Inside Story

Before you read

29 In this story the murdered woman has written a crime story. How do you think her story might
help the police to solve the crime?

Her story which is based on real cases might help the police to solve the crime.

30 Find these words in your dictionary. Use them in the sentences below. b) clue a) earthquake

a The earthquake caused a lot of damage in Turkey.

b The detectives looked for a clue to help them find the murderer.

After you read

32 Answer these questions.a Which two events on the list below come from Sheila’s ‘inside story’?
Cross them out.

(vi) A letter is written with a green pen.

(xi) A man and a woman die in a fire.

b Put the other events under the correct headings below, in the order in which they happened.

Before the story begins 1,2,3,5,10 y 11.

Monday 4,6,7.

Tuesday 8,12.
33 Morse found many clues. Discuss what they were and which one finally led him to the murderer.

He found knife, the book of Thoughts on Writing stories ,her pregnancy, some picture postcards,

an advertisements and Sheila’s story led the police to open the murdering.