The Ashton Affair: Comprehension Questions and Answers

Posted on Mar 11, 2025 in English

The Ashton Affair: Comprehension Questions

  1. Malcolm Jaggard first meets Penny Ashton at: c. a dinner party
  2. Malcolm Jaggard is introduced to Penny’s father at: b. his large family home
  3. At Malcolm Jaggard’s office there is a _____ called Nellie: a. computer system
  4. Malcolm Jaggard learns that George Ashton grew up in: c. Russia
  5. At George Ashton’s house there is a very large model: b. railway
  6. George Ashton and Benson run away to: d. Sweden
  7. George Ashton and Benson _____ and then go to the small town of Strangnas: d. jump off a train
  8. The secret laboratory is _____ in Scotland: b. on a lonely island
  9. Penelope Ashton is angry because she wants to get a much _____ laboratory: d. safer
  10. Malcolm Jaggard spends money at _____ in London: a. an auction
  11. Malcolm Jaggard works in the world of: b. spies
  12. Penny Ashton is a _____ at UCL: c. researcher
  13. George Ashton is _____ man in his fifties: c. a fit, intelligent
  14. Gillian is George Ashton’s _____ daughter: b. difficult
  15. Benson works as George Ashton’s: a. personal servant
  16. _____ is the head of Malcolm Jaggard’s department at work: b. Ogilvie
  17. Peter Mayberry wants to protect the world from: d. modern science
  18. Archie Ferguson helps: c. Malcolm Jaggard
  19. _____ is a top man from the government: b. Lord Cregar
  20. Gillian Ashton and Peter Michaelis plan: a. to get married

Quotes

  1. ‘My eyes! Oh my eyes!’: b. Gillian Ashton
  2. ‘I can get you a special licence and you can be married by the end of next week.’: c. George Ashton
  3. ‘…Did you get close to me just to learn more about my father?’: a. Penelope Ashton
  4. ‘All I know is that your father is considered by some people to be a very important man.’: d. Malcolm Jaggard
  5. ‘I’ve opened Level Black for you.’: a. Ogilvie
  6. ‘I understand there is a strong room here.’: d. Penelope Ashton
  7. ‘The biologists are breaking the laws of God.’: d. Peter Mayberry
  8. ‘Miss Ashton gave me permission to use the set upstairs whenever I like.’: c. Peter Michaelis
  9. ‘Well, Daddy never did any experiments in genetics. He learned things from talking with me.’: c. Gillian Ashton
  10. ‘A man must do something important in his life – something that people will remember.’: b. Ogilvie

Vocabulary

  1. An important university teacher of the highest level: b. professor
  2. To print copies of something written: d. publish
  3. A mark made by a finger: a. fingerprint
  4. A dangerous liquid chemical: c. acid
  5. A person’s working life: b. career
  6. A person who has exceptional intelligence: d. genius
  7. A sale where each thing is sold to the person who offers the most money: a. auction
  8. A person who is not a member of a particular group, society, family etc.: b. outsider
  9. A terrible event that causes great sadness: c. tragedy
  10. The scientific study of all living things: a. biology

Plot Points

  1. When Malcolm Jaggard is at George Ashton’s house, someone: d. throws acid at Gillian
  2. Malcolm Jaggard is asked to investigate: a. George Ashton
  3. At first, Malcolm Jaggard can’t find the information he wants: a. on the work computer
  4. Godwin frightens Ashton by: b. speaking in Russian
  5. Benson kills George Ashton because he thinks he will: a. talk about the scientific experiments
  6. The model railway is really: a. the door of a strong-room
  7. Penelope Ashton becomes ill because of: a. an accident in the laboratory
  8. Malcolm Jaggard learns that Benson was _____ for 30 years: a. a Russian spy
  9. George Ashton tried to hide his scientific ideas so that: d. the spies couldn’t give them to the Americans
  10. At the end, Malcolm Jaggard: d. is going to die