Comprehension Test

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Oscar Wilde

1 Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)? TF

a Dorian Gray was twenty years old at the beginning of the story.
b He was thirty-eight at the end.
c Lord Henry and Dorian were friends right up to the time of Dorians death.
d Lord Henry was the same age as Dorian.
e Dorians father was a poor soldier.
F Sybil Vane was not very beautiful.
g James Vane was worried about his sister before he left home.
h Basil Hallward didnt care about Dorian after he had painted his picture.
i Dorian killed James Vane.
j Dorian was not sorry about anything he had done before he died.

30 marks

2 Mark the right answer. There is only one correct answer.

1 Where did Lord Henry first meet Dorian?
a At a dinner party.
b At Basil Hallwards house.
c At the theatre.
2 What happened to Dorians mother?
a She ran away from home after he was born.
b She was murdered.
c She died soon after Dorian was born.
3 Where did Dorian first see Sybil?
a At a dinner party.
b In a play he was watching.
c On the steps of a theatre.
4 After a few years, Dorian no longer travelled outside England. Why?
a He was afraid that someone would kill him.
b He was afraid that someone would see the picture.
c He had spent nearly all his money.
5 After he had murdered Basil, Dorian went to find opium. Why?

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 3 1

 a For pleasure.
b To forget what had happened.
c To kill himself.

25 marks

3 Match a word from A with a definition from B. B A

A
1 Art
2 Ugly
3 Pleasure
4 Portrait
5 Soul
B
a The part of a person that is not the body
b The feeling of being happy and doing things that you like
c A painting or picture of a person
d Making beautiful things, e.g. pictures and paintings
e Not beautiful

25 marks

4 Fill in the gaps using: exhibit, influence, paint, sit, stare. Careful: sometimes you need to
change the form of a word.
a Its your best work, Basil, the best portrait that youve ever ................ .
b I cant ............... the picture in an art gallery. Ive put too much of myself into it.
c Dont change him. Dont try to ............... him.
d He ............... at Lord Henry with wild eyes.
e Will you come and ............... for another portrait soon?

20 marks

Totalmarks

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 3 2

Multiple-choice Test

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Oscar Wilde

Setting

Choose the best answer.

1 Lord Henry and Basil Hallward were _____.
a [ ] brothers b [ ] father and son c [ ] cousins d [ ] friends
2 Lord Henry lived in _____.
a [ ] London b [ ] Oxford c [ ] Paris d [ ] Rome
3 Basil Hallward was _____.
a [ ] a teacher b [ ] a Lord c [ ] an artist d [ ] a servant
4 Basil met Dorian Gray at _____ house.
a [ ] Lord Henrys b [ ] Lady Agathas
c [ ] Lady Brandons d [ ] Sybil Vanes
5 Basil thought Dorians beautiful face would bring him _____.
a [ ] pleasure and evil b [ ] evil and horror
c [ ] trouble and pleasure d [ ] danger and trouble
6 Basil felt Dorian could _____.
a [ ] help him paint b [ ] change his life
c [ ] help him be an actor d [ ] learn to paint
7 Basil said that the portrait showed the secret of _____.
a [ ] his life b [ ] his heart c [ ] his art d [ ] his work
8 Dorian thought that Lord Henry had a _____ voice.
a [ ] loud b [ ] quiet c [ ] beautiful d [ ] soft
9 Lord Henry thought that there was nothing in the world as important as _____.
a [ ] youth b [ ] pleasure c [ ] life d [ ] evil
10 Lord Henry was _____ Dorian.
a [ ] ten years younger than b [ ] the same age as
c [ ] older than d [ ] one year younger than

20 marks

Characters

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 3 3

Choose the best answer.
11 Lord Henrys friends always called him _____.
a [ ] Henry b [ ] Harold c [ ] Harry d [ ] Herbert
12 When Basil was with Dorian he painted _____.
a [ ] lots of pictures b [ ] lots of people
c [ ] wonderful people d [ ] wonderful pictures
13 Basil never talked when he was _____.
a [ ] painting b [ ] eating c [ ] walking d [ ] smoking
14 Dorian was _____ that he had met Lord Henry.
a [ ] very sad b [ ] surprised c [ ] happy d [ ] angry
15 Lady Agatha was Basils _____.
a [ ] mother b [ ] aunt c [ ] sister d [ ] cousin
16 Dorian Gray was _____ years old.
a [ ] twenty b [ ] thirty c [ ] twenty-five d [ ] eighteen
17 Dorian had _____ eyes and gold hair.
a [ ] light blue b [ ] green c [ ] brown d [ ] bright blue
18 Sybil Vane was _____.
a [ ] an artist b [ ] an actress c [ ] a servant d [ ] a scientist
19 James Vane was going to start a new life in _____.
a [ ] France b [ ] Australia c [ ] America d [ ] Spain
20 Alan Campbell was _____.
a [ ] a scientist b [ ] an artist c [ ] a sailor d [ ] an actor

20 marks

Dialogue

Who said this? ?

21 Its your best work, the best portrait that youve ever painted.
a [ ] Dorian b [ ] Basil c [ ] Lord Henry d [ ] Lady Brandon
22 When I like people a lot, I never tell their names to my other friends.
a [ ] Basil b [ ] Dorian c [ ] Sybil Vane d [ ] Lord Henry
23 When your youth goes, your beauty will go with it.
a [ ] Dorian b [ ] Lady Brandon c [ ] Basil d [ ] Lord Henry
24 I wish that I could always stay young and that the picture could grow old.
a [ ] Lord Henry b [ ] Dorian c [ ] Basil d [ ] Lady Agatha
25 I thought you fashionable young men never got up until the afternoon.
Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 3 4
 a [ ] Lord Henry b [ ] Lady Brandon c [ ] Basil d [ ] Lady Agatha
26 Mother, Mother, Im so happy, and you must be happy too.
a [ ] Sybil Vane b Dorian c [ ] Basil d [ ] Lady Agatha
27 Ive heard about a gentleman who visits you every night at the theatre.
a [ ] Basil b [ ] Dorian c [ ] Sybil Vane d [ ] James Vane
28 He cant marry an actress.
a [ ] Basil b [ ] James Vane c [ ] Lord Henry d [ ] Lady Agatha
29 You must not look at it. I dont want you to see it.
a [ ] Dorian b [ ] Basil c [ ] Lord Henry d [ ] Alan Campbell
30 Ive done what you asked me to do, and now goodbye. I never want to see you again.
a [ ] Basil b [ ] Alan Campbell c [ ] Dorian d [ ] Lord Henry

20 marks

Vocabulary

Choose the best answer.

31 the sister of your father or mother
a [ ] daughter b [ ] aunt c [ ] cousin d [ ] niece
32 a painting or picture of a person
a [ ] portrait b [ ] paint c [ ] sitter d [ ] exhibit
33 a feeling of very strong fear, dislike, and surprise
a [ ] pleasure b [ ] evil c [ ] horror d [ ] ugly
34 somebody who paints or draws pictures
a [ ] servant b [ ] Lord c [ ] artist d [ ] scientist
35 being young
a [ ] ugly b [ ] youth c [ ] beauty d [ ] unconscious
36 to change something or someone; make someone do what you want
a [ ] influence b [ ] exhibit c [ ] scent d [ ] stare
37 the feeling of being happy and doing things that you like
a [ ] evil b [ ] horror c [ ] pleasure d [ ] youth
38 a drug that is made from flowers and makes people sleep
a [ ] paradise b [ ] unconscious c [ ] scent d [ ] opium
39 the time when a man and a woman get married
a [ ] marriage b [ ] paradise c [ ] soul d [ ] play
40 the part of the person that is not the body
a [ ] scent b [ ] soul c [ ] opium d [ ] portrait
Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 3 5
 20 marks

Plot

Choose the best answer.

41 When Dorian was _____ the picture started to change.
a [ ] cruel b [ ] happy c [ ] sad d [ ] ugly
42 Dorian kept the portrait in _____.
a [ ] the cellar b [ ] Lord Henrys house
c [ ] a locked room d [ ] in Basils house
43 Sybil Vane killed herself because she _____.
a [ ] hated Dorian b [ ] hated Basil c [ ] loved Basil d [ ] loved Dorian
44 Dorian became more and more in love with _____.
a [ ] the flowers in his garden b [ ] the beauty of his face
c [ ] the theatre d [ ] music and conversation
45 Dorian decided to kill Basil because _____.
a [ ] he knew his secret b [ ] he wanted the portrait
c [ ] he was his friend d [ ] he didnt want him to go to Paris
46 Dorian killed Basil with _____.
a [ ] a gun b [ ] a rope c [ ] a knife d [ ] opium
47 Dorian saw _____ face watching him at the window.
a [ ] Sybil Vanes b [ ] James Vanes
c [ ] Lady Monmouths d [ ] Lord Henrys
48 The newspapers said that Basil _____.
a [ ] was in Paris b [ ] was alive c [ ] was in London d [ ] was murdered
49 James Vane found Dorian after _____ years.
a [ ] eighteen b [ ] fifteen c [ ] ten d [ ] three
50 At the end of the story they found a dead man with _____ in the locked room.
a [ ] a happy face b [ ] a young face
c [ ] a gun in his hand d [ ] a knife in his heart

20 marks

Totalmarks

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 3 6

The Picture of Dorian Gray
1 a T
b T
c T
d F
e T
f F
g T
h F
i F
j F

2 1 b
2 c
3 b
4 b
5 b

3 1 d
2 e
3 b
4 c
5 a

4 a painted
b exhibit
c influence
d stared
e sit

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 3 7

The Picture of Dorian Gray
Setting
1 d
2 a
3 c
4 c
5 d
6 b
7 b
8 c
9 a
10 c

Characters
11 c
12 d
13 a
14 c
15 b
16 a
17 d
18 b
19 b
20 a

Dialogue
21 c
22 a
23 d
24 b
25 d
26 a
27 d
28 a
29 a
30 b

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 3 8

Vocabulary
31 b
32 a
33 c
34 c
35 b
36 a
37 c
38 d
39 b
40 b

Plot
41 a
42 c
43 d
44 b
45 a
46 c
47 b
48 d
49 a
50 d

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 3 9