MARIAS

DILEMMA
JULIA NEWSOME
TEACHERS NOTES BOOKLET
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CONTENTS
Background information 3
Activities before reading the story 4
Activities while reading the story 4
Activities after reading the story 6
Extended writing 7
Projects 8
Worksheets 9
Key to Book Exercises 15

G R A D I N G S C H E M E
L E V E L ONE (500 headwords)
present simple
present continuous (present)
going to (future)
past simple
imperative
can (ability and permission)
would like (requests and offers)
must (obligation)
lets, shall (suggestions)
gerunds
adverbs (time, manner and place)
adjectives (comparatives and superlatives)
L E V E L T WO (800 headwords)
all of the above, plus
present continuous (future)
going to (intentions)
present perfect
past continuous
past perfect
passive (simple forms)
will/shall (future, requests and offers)
must/cant (deduction)
have to (obligation)
should (advice)
gerund as subject
too/enough + adjective
reported speech (with ask/tell/say)
zero and first conditional
defining relative clauses
L E V E L T H R E E (1200 headwords)
all of the above, plus
present perfect continuous
passive (all tenses excluding modals)
was/were going to
used to
make/let
may/might (possibility)
reported speech
L E V E L F OU R (1800 headwords)
all of the above, plus
past perfect continuous
future perfect
future continuous
passive (modals)
had better/would rather
second and third conditionals
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Marias Dilemma takes place in the present day in a
university town in the north of England. Maria is 19
and has come to England to study. She works hard
and hopes to do well so that she can get a good job
when she goes back to her home in southern Europe.
The university system
Students come from around the world to study in
Britain. Most British universities provide advice and
help to overseas students before they come and
during their stay. Students like Maria who are
European Union nationals dont have to pay tuition
fees, but they do have to finance their daily living
needs and accommodation. This can be very
expensive for their families, particularly when
exchange rates are unfavourable. Marias family
are probably making great sacrifices to support her
during her time at university. She will feel a strong
sense of duty towards her family to do well and repay
them by getting a good job.
Most large towns and cities in the UK have a
university. Young people often choose a university
away from their home town. Living away from home
on their own is part of the university experience.
Universities provide accommodation for some of
their students in halls of residence. Most universities
guarantee a place to first year undergraduates.
Students often want to make their own arrangements
in second and subsequent years.
Halls of residence are usually purpose-built blocks.
Each student has a single room with washing
facilities. A group of students on the same floor share
a kitchen and bathroom. Maria and Yuri live in a
modern hall of residence like this. Other students
make their own arrangements - some live at home
with their parents, some share a flat or house with
friends.
Most British undergraduate courses last three years,
although many such as Medicine or Architecture are
longer. The story doesnt specify what Maria is
studying, but it might be, for example, Environmental
Sciences, Business Studies or Leisure Management.
Entry requirements vary from course to course, and
are higher for more popular courses. English students
are usually asked for 3 A Levels at specified grades.
Students from abroad are asked for comparable
qualifications from their own country, for example
the Maturit from Italy or the International
Baccalaureate. Students also have to achieve a
specified level of English before they are accepted,
for example the British Councils IELTS (overall
score of, for example, 6.5 or higher), TOEFL
(minimum score of 575) or Cambridge Proficiency.
The setting
Marias story takes place in a northern English town
or city, perhaps the size of Lancaster, Durham or
York. These cities all have well-known universities
which attract many students from overseas and have
a very international atmosphere.
It is late March when the weather is damp and cold,
particularly for someone from southern Europe. The
sun begins to rise at about 6.30 at this time of year
and the leaves are just beginning to open on the
trees. Daffodils and other spring bulbs are flowering.
The time framework of the story
The main part of the story takes place over two days.
Most of the action happens on Day 2, with one
event triggering off another, and several things
happening simultaneously. The loose ends of the
story are brought together four weeks later, when
Melvin and Maria meet up again.
BACKGROUND I NFORMATI ON
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Welcome to the Teachers Notes for the Richmond
Reader, Marias Dilemma. Here you will find a wide
variety of activities based on the story. Materials for
the students are given on the Worksheets on pages
9-14.
There are six worksheets. Photocopy them as you
need them for your students. Each activity in the
Teachers Notes that uses a worksheet indicates
which worksheet to use after its title.
All the activities have suggestions for class manage-
ment. They are all labelled as whole class, group, pair,
individual tasks or a combination. You may want to
assign the individual activities for homework, but
make sure that students know exactly what to do
before they start. Some of the activity types may be
new to them.
Activities before reading the story
1 Starting a new book No WS Whole class,
then pairs

Write the title of the story on the board.

Encourage free discussion of what the dilemma
might be.

Give the students the book. Ask them to study

the cover. What kind of story do they think this
is? They might suggest that it is a thriller or a
romance.

Ask students to flick through the book and find

features that will help them understand the story,
for example the chapter titles. Tell students to
make a list in pairs, in their own language if
necessary.

Suggested answers
cover, illustrations, chapter titles, the glossary, the
comprehension questions at the end

Show students how the glossary works. Tell them

to flick through the book and find an asterisked
word. Then tell them to find the word in the
glossary and read the definition.

At this first level, the glossary includes irregular

past forms of verbs. They should already know
the meaning of these verbs in their present or
infinitive forms.
2 Words WS 1 Individual

Hand out Worksheet 1. Students look at the

illustration of Maria by the river, which is taken
from the opening chapter of the story.

Students complete the labels and add any other

words they know.

Answers
1 trees, 2 river, 3 jacket, 4 scarf, 5 bag, 6 letter

Elicit any other words students know.

3 Making predictions WS 1 Groups or pairs

Students look at the illustration of Maria again and

think about the location and the weather. They
write down any words that they can think of.

Suggested answers
countryside, riverside, outside, cold, damp, dry,
winter/spring, daytime.

Students focus on Marias expression and think of

words to describe how she is feeling and what
she is thinking.

Possible answers
sad, unhappy/not happy, nervous
Students may know other words such as anxious,
worried, miserable.

Students use Marias name (not an English name)

and appearance to guess where she is from.

Answer
The story tells us that Maria is from southern
Europe.

Encourage students to discuss what her letter

might say. Tell them to check their predictions
when they have read Chapter 1.
Activities while reading the story
4 Setting the scene No WS Whole class

As the story opens, Maria is reading a letter from

her father. Tell students to read the text on page 5.
What information do the opening paragraphs
give them?
- that Marias father is ill
- that he cannot work
- that the family can no longer pay for her studies

What can they infer from this information?

- that Maria probably has strong family ties and
a deep sense of responsibility
- that her family is not rich
- that it is not easy for her family to find the
money to pay for her university place
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5 Time plan WS 2 Individual

Begin this activity after reading Chapter 1.

Hand out Worksheet 2. Copy the grid onto the

board. Explain that most of the action takes place
over two days. Elicit one or two entries for
Chapter 1, writing the information in note form.
Tell students to complete the worksheet as they
go along, updating at the end of each chapter.

They will find that Day 2 is action-packed, with

many events taking place simultaneously.

The completed plan will be something like this:

DAY 1 DAY 2
AM Maria finds Story in newspaper
Harriet Visit from police
the police arrive Barry Lyle follows
Maria hides the Maria and talks
necklace to her
11am Marias class
MIDDAY Maria and Yuri have
a sandwich
Young man with
black bag watches
Maria
Barry speaks to
Sakks on phone
Melvin returns to
castle
Barry looks in
Harriets study
EVENING Maria could not Maria and Melvin
sleep meet
Melvin goes to police
station and bank
Barry and friends
escape
Melvin and police go
to castle
Yuri and Maria meet
4 WEEKS LATER
WEDNESDAY SUNDAY MONDAY
Maria gets lunch at castle Maria and Yuri
invitation walk by the river

When students have read the whole story and

completed the chart, they will have a skeleton
summary of the story. Get them to write the
short summary on Worksheet 2.
6 All about... WS 3 Individual or groups

Students choose one of the main characters from

the story. As they read through the story, they
note down significant things about their
character, one per box.

When they have finished the story, they will

have a character study in note form of their
chosen character. They can write this up into a
character sketch as an extended writing activity.

Students can complete the boxes in character

groups or on their own. Remind them to update
their chart when they finish reading each chapter.
7 On the way back to the station WS 3
Pairs or individual

In Chapter 3 two police detectives, Maggie and

Bill, visit Maria in her room at the hall of resi-
dence. When students have read the chapter, ask
them about the characters of Maggie and Bill.
Focus on the illustration on page 11, which
suggests that Maggie is hard and Bill is more
friendly.

Students find things the two detectives say to

suggest their characters.

Possible answers
Bill says, Youre famous to make Maria feel
relaxed.
Maggie says, So we can tell Mr Beecham there
was no necklace when you found her. She then
looks hard at Maria to make her feel uncomfort-
able because she is telling a lie.

Students find out the meaning of the four

adjectives in the exercise and then complete the
short conversation between the two detectives.

Answers (in italics)
Maggie: Well, Bill. What do you think of our
young student friend? Guilty or not
guilty?
Bill: Oh, not guilty, I think. She looked
nervous. But then she found a dead
woman in the river yesterday. Im not
surprised shes nervous.
Maggie: I dont believe her. She told us a lie. I
think she has the necklace. When I said,
So we can tell Mr Beecham there was
no necklace when you found her, she
didnt answer for some moments. She
looked very uncomfortable.
Bill: No, I dont think she has it. I like her
face. Shes an honest girl.
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8 Discussion No WS Whole class

After students have read Chapter 6, ask some

questions.
- What trade or business are Barry Lyle and Sakks
involved in? (the drugs trade - selling drugs to
children)
- What does Barry know about Harriets past?
(When she was younger, she took drugs and the
police caught her)
- Does Melvin know about Harriets past? (No)

Tell students to look at the illustration on page

22. Ask them to describe what is happening in
the three pictures. You might want to teach new
vocabulary items here: drugs factory, heroin,
cocaine, ecstasy, dealer, pusher, addict. Broaden
the discussion to a general survey of the drugs
trade in the students own country, discussing
perhaps the problems it creates for young people
or for society as a whole.
9 Resolving the dilemma WS 4 Pairs or groups

After students have read Chapter 7, tell them to

look at the illustration of Maria on page 27.
Maria is about to resolve her dilemma.

Hand out Worksheet 4. Students think of reasons

for selling the necklace and reasons against selling
the necklace.

Possible answers
Reasons for selling the necklace:
1 Maria needs the money to finish her studies,
get a good job and look after her family.
(The end justifies the means.)
2 Melvin Beecham is rich - he doesnt need
the money.
3 No one knows she has the necklace. No one
knows she has done wrong.
Reasons against selling the necklace:
1 The necklace is not hers.
2 Its wrong to take something from a dead
body.
3 The necklace may be important to Melvin.

When students have completed their lists, tell

them to read the text on page 27 and the first
three lines on page 28.

The groups or pairs can then discuss Marias

solution: selling the necklace back to Melvin.
Is this better or worse than selling it to a dealer
in London?

Students read the rest of Chapter 8 and find out

what Maria did.
10 An invitation WS 4 Individual

Do this activity when students have read

Chapter 9.

Show students the invitation on Worksheet 4.

Ask students to predict who the someone is that
Melvin wants Maria to meet.

Tell students to complete the two replies - one

accepting Melvins invitation and one refusing it.

Possible replies
Thursday 30th April
Dear Melvin,
Thank you for your invitation to lunch at the
castle on Sunday. I will be very happy to come.
Who do you want me to meet, I wonder?
Best wishes,
Maria Adami
Thursday 30th April
Dear Mr Beecham,
Thank you for your invitation to lunch at the
castle on Sunday. I am very sorry but I cannot
come. My parents are coming to visit me.
Yours sincerely,
Maria Adami
Activities after reading the story
11 Wanted! WS 5 Individual

Students look at the illustration on page 33.

Explain that the police have issued Wanted

posters to police and customs officers throughout
the country.

Students find what descriptive information they

can about the three men and write it on the
posters. Help with vocabulary as necessary.

Possible answers
WANTED! THREE MEN FOR SELLING
DRUGS TO CHILDREN
Last seen yesterday evening driving at speed away
from Hadburgh Castle in a large black Mercedes.
Barry Lyle
Age: about 35
Description: tall, blond hair, good-looking, sky
blue eyes, wearing polo-neck jumper and jacket
Other information: smiles a lot
Young Man (name unknown)
Age: 20-25
Description: blond hair
Other information: carries a big black bag and a
mobile phone, works for Barry Lyle
Sakks (first name unknown)
Age: 40-50
Description: dark hair and moustache
Other information: laughs a lot
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12 Emotions WS 5 Individual or pairs

Explain that many of the characters experience

different feelings at different times in the story.

Go through the list of feelings given on

Worksheet 5, checking meanings and adding
any others that students suggest:
happy sad angry afraid nervous sorry

Students write the words in the appropriate

boxes. They can use each word as many times as
they like. Explain that they need to be able to
support their choices with evidence from the text.

Encourage students to add other appropriate

adjectives they know.

Copy the names and boxes onto the board. Elicit

words to complete the boxes. Invite different
students to give an example from the story to
support each choice of word before you write it
on the board.

Possible answers
Maria: afraid nervous sorry happy
Melvin: happy sad
Barry: angry nervous afraid
Harriet: happy angry afraid
Lisa: sad
Sakks: happy afraid
13 Past tense forms WS 6 Individual

Several irregular past tense forms are used in

Marias Dilemma.

Hand out Worksheet 6. Students complete the

two tasks.

Answers
L E F T Z M K N E W Y
X D R O V E A L P N T
W S A B P T G O M Y H
H C N L O P F E L L O
E Z A C J M E N U P U
A L K A C S L B O F G
R L T U S A T R P O H
D O L G M Y A X T U T
P S D H M F S M O N H
Q T U T O C O U L D Y
W O R E U G P U D U L
1 Harriet fell into the river and hit her head on a
rock.
2 Lisa cried all day because she felt so sad about
her sister.
3 Maria sat on her sofa and thought about her
problems.
4 Maria knew that Barry wanted the necklace but
she did not know why.
5 Harriet wore her emerald necklace at her sisters
wedding party.
6 Melvin and Maria met in the Campus Caf.
7 Melvin found a small key and a number inside
the necklace.
8 Barry Lyle and Sakks drove away from the
castle in a big black Mercedes.
Extended Writing
14 Writing a summary No WS Whole class,
then individual

Start with a whole class recap of the main events

of the story. You might want to write notes on
the board. Write the title of the summary on the
board: What is Marias dilemma?

Students write a short summary, focusing on

precisely what the dilemma of the title is.
Encourage them to write their summaries
without referring to the book.
15 A newspaper report No WS Pairs or groups

Give students the headline:

EMERALDS FOUND - THREE ON TRIAL

Explain the meaning of on trial.

In pairs or groups, students prepare a newspaper

article describing the events in the story. They
mustnt mention that Maria took the necklace.

Look at the article on page 9 with the whole class

before students begin. Discuss the stylistic
features:
- lots of information packed into every
sentence: who?, what?, where?, when?, why?
- short sentences
- short paragraphs
- concentrating on the main events
- direct quotations from the main characters
- full names of all people mentioned in the
story

Students prepare their reports. Tell them to

organise their information carefully before they
begin. Newspapers want to sell copies, so the
story should be as exciting as possible.

If the class or individuals have access to a

computer, get students to present their material
like a real newspaper report. They can look at
their own daily newspaper for layout styles.
Finished work can be displayed.
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Projects
1 A photo version of Marias Dilemma No WS

Students work in groups to produce a picture

version of the book, with text in speech bubbles
only.

First they choose the points of the story they

wish to illustrate. This involves identifying the
key points of the narrative, summarising and
being concise and precise. They can make a
storyboard, roughly sketching the action in each
shot. You might want to limit the number of
pictures they can include in their book to 12, for
example.

Next they can work out the dialogue, noting

down what the characters will be saying to each
other in each frame.

When all the groups are happy with their rough

outlines, get each group to organise a photo-
shoot. First they have to cast their script. They
can choose anyone from the class (including the
teacher). Then they have to produce a running
order, so that they take their photographs in the
most time-effective order. All photographs in one
particular location, for example by the river or at
the castle, should be shot at the same time. They
need to think about locations or, if all the photos
are to be shot in the classroom, the backdrops.

Specify how much time students can have to take

their photographs.

When students have their printed photographs,

they need to organise them in a book and add
their speech bubbles. They might need to type
out the dialogue beneath their photos or let the
speech bubbles break out of the picture frame if
space is a problem. They should avoid covering
up too much of each photo with speech bubbles.

Arrange an exhibition of the completed books.

Invite teachers and students from other classes to
come and admire them.
2 Dilemmas No WS

Students work in groups to produce a short play

based around a moral dilemma. The dilemma has
to be presented but not necessarily resolved. It
need only be one scene. There might be a
narrator and two or three actors. Class discussion
and the resolution of the dilemma can follow
each play. You might want to teach useful
grammatical items for the discussion phase:
I would ... She should ... If I were him, I would...

Begin with a class discussion where students

suggest moral dilemmas that might be used as the
basis for a short play. Record them in note form
on the board. You might want to use the
students own language for this stage so that lack
of vocabulary doesnt interrupt the free flow of
ideas.

Organise the class into groups and give them

time to choose a dilemma - it doesnt have to be
one from the board.

Students write their plays, allocate parts, learn

their lines, rehearse and perform them. Help at all
stages as requested or necessary, providing
vocabulary. Encourage students to bring in props
for their performances.

Possible dilemmas:
A You see your best friends husband/wife at a
nightclub. They seem to be with another wom-
an/man. The next day you meet your best friend
for lunch. Do you tell her/him?
B Your mother is unwell. Your father can look
after her but he is getting old. You have been
offered a really good job on a one-year contract
abroad. You may never get another similar offer
again. Do you take it?
C You have three children. You dont have
much money. Your oldest child - a son - has
been offered a place at a prestigious art/music/
sports school because he is very talented. But you
will have to contribute to the fees. You cant
afford to spend the same money on your other
children. What do you do?
D You work for a government office. You
discover that a government minister has been
lying to the press. If you reveal the lies, the coun-
try may lose a big contract from overseas. You
may lose your job. You have a family to support.
The minister may lose his/her job. What do you
do?
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ACTIVITY 2 Words
Six vocabulary items are labelled on this illustration of
Maria. Complete the labels.
ACTIVITY 3 Predictions
1 Look at the illustration of Maria again and think
about these questions.
Where is Maria?
What is the weather like?
What time of year is it?
What time of day is it?

Write words in the box.
2 Look at Marias face. How does she feel? Write as
many words as you can.
3 Where do you think Maria is from?
....................................................
4 What do you think her letter says?
.....................................................
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MARI A S DI LEMMA
WO R K S H E E T 1
Do these activities before you read the story.
1 trees
3
2
4
5
6
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ACTIVITY 5 Time plan
Begin this activity after reading Chapter 1.
Update the time plan after you finish each chapter. Write what happens in the story in note form. Some of the
boxes will be empty. Most of the action takes place on Day 2.

When the time plan is complete, use the notes to make a short summary of the plot of Marias Dilemma.
Use words like then, while, and and but to make longer sentences.
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MARI A S DI LEMMA
WO R K S H E E T 2
Do these activities after reading the parts given.
DAY 1 DAY 2
AM Maria finds Harriet

MIDDAY
EVENING
4 WEEKS LATER
WEDNESDAY SUNDAY MONDAY
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ACTIVITY 6 All about...
Begin this activity after reading Chapters 1 and 2.
Choose one of the main characters from the story:
Harriet Maria Melvin Barry
Write their name in the box in the centre below.
When you learn something about your character,
write it in a box with the page number. At the end of
the story, you will know all about your character.
If you choose Harriet for example, the first thing you
learn about her is that she is dead. So write in one of
the boxes: She is dead (6). In another box you could
write: She had a beautiful necklace (6). The next time
she comes into the story is on page 9. Here you
could choose: She was rich and beautiful (9).
At the end of the story, use your notes to write a
paragraph about the character you have chosen.
ACTIVITY 7 On the way back to the
station
Do this activity after reading Chapter 3.
Maggie and Bill are police detectives. They are
investigating the death of Harriet Beecham.
They visit Maria Adami, a student, in her university
accommodation.
Look at the illustration on page 11. What is Maggie
like? What is Bill like? Find things they say in Chapter 3
that tell us what their characters are like.
On their way back to the police station, they talk
about Maria. What does Maggie think about Maria?
What does Bill think about Maria? Do they think she
has the necklace?
Find out the meaning of these four adjectives and
then use them to complete the conversation below.
You can use some of them more than once.
honest guilty nervous uncomfortable
MAGGIE Well, Bill. What do you think of our young
student friend? or not
?
BILL Oh, not , I think. She looked ...
But then she found a dead body in the river
yesterday. Im not surprised shes
MAGGIE I dont believe her. She told us a lie. I think
she has the necklace. When I said, So we
can tell Mr Beecham there was no necklace
when you found her, she didnt answer for
some moments. She looked very ...
BILL No, I dont think she has it. I like her face.
Shes an girl.
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MARI A S DI LEMMA
WO R K S H E E T 3
Do these activities after reading the parts given.
Characters name
............................................
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ACTIVITY 9 Resolving the dilemma
Do this activity after reading Chapter 7. Half of Maria
wants to sell the necklace, the other half wants to
return the necklace. Write down as many reasons as
you can for each option.
Reasons for selling the necklace
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2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Reasons against selling the necklace
1 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
2 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
3 . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Compare your lists in pairs or groups.
Now read the text on page 27 and the first three
lines of page 28. Discuss Marias decision in pairs or
groups.
ACTIVITY 10 An invitation
Do this activity after reading Chapter 9.
Look at the invitation from Melvin to Maria.
You are Maria. Write back to Melvin.
1 Accept his invitation.
2 Refuse his invitation.
12
MARI A S DI LEMMA
WO R K S H E E T 4
Do these activities after reading the parts given.
Thursday, April 30th
Dear
Thank you ...
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ACTIVITY 11 Wanted!
On page 32, Barry, Sakks and the man with the black
bag escape from Hadburgh Castle. There is an
illustration of this on page 33. Detective Chief Inspec-
tor Wheeler and his officers look for them. Complete
the Wanted poster they send to police officers all
over the country.
ACTIVITY 12 Emotions
Many of the characters in Marias Dilemma feel
different emotions at different times in the story.
Choose appropriate emotions for each of the charac-
ters below. Write the words in the boxes. You can
use each adjective as many times as you want.
happy sad angry afraid nervous sorry
Add any other appropriate adjectives you know to
the list.
For each adjective you choose, think of a moment in
the story when the character shows that emotion.
Note down the page number.
Maria
Harriet
Melvin
Lisa
Barry
Sakks
13
MARI A S DI LEMMA
WO R K S H E E T 5
Do these activities after reading the story.
WANTED!
THREE MEN FOR SELLING
DRUGS TO CHILDREN
Last seen yesterday evening driving at
speed away from Hadburgh Castle in a
Barry Lyle
Age:
Description:
Other information:
Young Man
(name unknown)
Age:
Description:
Other information:
Sakks (first name
unknown)
Age:
Description:
Other information:
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ACTIVITY 13 Past tense forms
The past tense forms of these verbs all appear in
Marias Dilemma. Find them in the wordsearch.
catch can drive fall feel find hear know
leave lose meet run sit think tell wear
L E F T Z M K N E W Y
X D R O V E A L P N T
W S A B P T G O M Y H
H C N L O P F E L L O
E Z A C J M E N U P U
A L K A C S L B O F G
R L T U S A T R P O H
D O L G M Y A X T U T
P S D H M F S M O N H
Q T U T O C O U L D Y
W O R E U G P U D U L
Use past tense forms from the wordsquare to
complete these sentences.
1 Harriet into the river and hit her
head on a rock.
2 Lisa cried all day because she so sad
about her sister.
3 Maria on her sofa and
about her problems.
4 Maria that Barry wanted the
necklace but she did not know why.
5 Harriet her emerald necklace at her
sisters wedding party.
6 Melvin and Maria in the Campus
Caf.
7 Melvin a small key and a number
inside the necklace.
8 Barry Lyle and Sakks away from the
castle in a big black Mercedes.
14
MARI A S DI LEMMA
Do these activities after reading the story
WO R K S H E E T 6
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A Comprehension
Chapter 1 By the River
1 Maria has two problems: her father is ill and there
is no more money for her studies.
2 A dead woman.
3 A beautiful green necklace.
4 She wants to sell it.
Chapter 2 In the News
1 Harriet Beecham.
2 At Hadburgh Castle.
3 She fell into the River Had and hit her head.
4 On Saturday night.
Chapter 3 A Visit from the Police
1 Police detectives.
2 What time Maria found Harriet, what clothes
Harriet had on, and if Maria saw an emerald
necklace.
3 Nothing.
4 No, it isnt.
5 Because she has a class.
Chapter 4 Partners
1 Because when she moves, he moves and when
she stops, he stops.
2 Barry Lyle.
3 To tell him anything she remembers before she
tells the police.
4 No, he doesnt.
5 Because he knows where she lives and where she
goes to class. He can find her any time.
Chapter 5 The Young Man with the Black Bag
1 Someone who works for Barry Lyle.
2 No, she isnt.
3 Because she knows it is wrong but she needs the
money.
Chapter 6 At the Castle
1 Harriets sister and Barrys wife.
2 On Saturday, the day Harriet died.
3 Very sad.
4 That they sold drugs to children.
5 That she took drugs when she was young.
6 No, he didnt.
7 The USB drive that Harriet had.
8 In a safety deposit box in Harriets bank.
Chapter 7 Barry looks for the USB Drive
1 Drug problems (and other problems).
2 Because he wants to cry.
3 In her study.
Chapter 8 Maria Decides what to Do
1 Mr Beecham.
2 Barry Lyle gave it to her (see Chapter 4).
3 The young man with the black bag.
4 Because she has done wrong.
5 He opens the largest emerald in it.
6 A piece of paper and a key.
7 No, he isnt.
Chapter 9 A Good Nights Sleep
1 Three USB drive and a letter.
2 Because the young man with the black bag
followed Melvin to the police station.
3 Yuri.
4 Meet for lunch and go to the cinema in the
evening.
5 Because she has returned the necklace to Melvin.
Chapter 10 An Invitation to the Castle
1 No, she doesnt.
2 No, he didnt.
3 No, they dont.
4 Put some money into Marias bank.
5 Very happy. She wants to dance.
6 She gives him a kiss.
Chapter 11 By the River Again
1 The first chapter.
2 To say goodbye and thank you to Harriet.
B Working with Language
1
was / had / wanted / was / could not / hit / was /
saw/ closed / looked / saw / was / saw / was / had /
was / screamed / called / came / could not / was /
did
2
1 under 2 between 3 in front of 4 from 5 at
6 through 7 up 8 by 9 next to 10 into
15
MARI A S DI LEMMA
KEY TO BOOK EXERCI S ES
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M A R I A S D I L E M M A
The Richmond Readers Series presents a selection
of high quality, original and simplified stories which
have been graded in four levels, from beginner to
upper-intermediate. Our grading scheme has been
devised with reference to the Council of Europes
Waystage and Threshold syllabi and the Cobuild lists
of the most frequently occurring words in the
English language. Structures and vocabulary have
been selected according to two criteria:
1 what students are likely to have been taught
2 what students will be able to deduce through
transference from their own language
Each Reader has a glossary and a number of different
exercises to check comprehension and practise
language manipulation.
The Teachers Notes Booklets are a unique feature
of the Richmond Readers Series. Each reader has
an accompanying booklet with photocopiable
worksheets, background notes for the teacher
and ideas for additional activities, discussion work
and project material.
Richmond Readers offer the student
Well-written stories in a variety of styles which
guarantee an enjoyable reading experience.
Language which is carefully graded to ensure that
the Readers will be within the appropriate language
level.
Background information, glossaries and
comprehension exercises to encourage student
autonomy.
Richmond Readers offer the teacher
A broad selection of genres which will appeal
to a wide variety of students.
Support for the teacher, with a large number
of additional activities and projects provided
in the Teachers Notes.
THE RI CHMOND READERS SERI ES
Richmond Publishing
58 St Aldates
Oxford OX1 1ST
United Kingdom
Richmond Publishing 1997
First published 1997
Revised: 2010
EAN: 8431300108028
All rights reserved.
No part of this work may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system or
transmitted in any form, electronic, mechanical, photocopying or otherwise
without the prior permission in writing of the copyright holders. Any
infraction of the rights mentioned would be considered a violation of
the intellectual property (Article 270 of the Penal Code). If you need to
photocopy or scan any fragment of this work, contact CEDRO (Centro
Espaol de Derechos Reprogrficos, www.cedro.org).
However, the publisher grants permission for the photocopying of those
pages marked photocopiable, for individual use or for use in classes taught
by the purchaser only. Under no circumstances may any part of this book
be photocopied for resale.
Design: Giles Davies Design
Illustrations: Kathy Baxendale, Pat Ludlow
269267 _ 0001-0016.indd 16 05/05/10 16:20