Stormbreaker – Anthony Horowitz

Reading Comprehension

Chapter 1 – Funeral Voices

1. At the start of the chapter, the author writes: 'When the doorbell rings at three in the morning, it's never good news.' Why is it never good news?

2. How old is Alex Rider?

3. What was the relationship between Alex and Ian rider?

4. What happened to Alex's parents? How old was he when this happened?

5. Who are the five people who visited the house?

6. Why do you think Alex is really upset by the death of his uncle - more so than any other nephew would be?

7. Why do you think the author has Alex say that his uncle was careful and always wore a seatbelt? What does this make the reader think?

8. Why do you think the author has named a character Mr Blunt? Make a prediction about what this character may be like.

Stormbreaker – Anthony Horowitz

Reading Comprehension

Chapter 2 – Heaven for Cars

1. Make a prediction; where do you think the chapter Heaven For Cars may be set?

2. How many years has Alex owned his bike?

3. Why do you think Ian rider said that a comprehensive school would be more of a challenge than a private school?

4. Why did the J.B Stryker advert catch Alex's attention over any other?

5. Find and copy the personification used on page 24:

6. How did Ian Rider die? Why do you think that? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

7. What helped Alex when defending himself against the 2 men?

8. What does the author mean at the end of the chapter when he uses the phrase: 'He could have been looking a lot worse’?

Stormbreaker – Anthony Horowitz

Reading Comprehension

Chapter 3 – Royal & General

1. Why was Alex worried that Jack wouldn't be able to stay much longer?

2. What type of equipment on pages 38 and 39 imply that this is not a bank at all?

3. What can you infer about Alex's character when he decides to go through the window, even though the author writes that it was a 'stupid idea'?

4. Can you find and copy the relative clause used on page 44?

5. What did Alex see on his uncle’s desk? Why did this surprise him?

6. Why do you think Crawley let Alex go into his uncle's office and look through the folders?

7. Do you think Alex has been killed? Why/why not?

Stormbreaker – Anthony Horowitz

Reading Comprehension

Chapter 4 – “So What Do You Say?”

1. What does the word ornate mean? Write a synonym of this word.

2. How does Alex know that the house was Elizabethan? What clues are there in the text?

3. What is Mr. Blunt's role (official job title)?

4. Why is Alex 'not shocked' when Blunt reveals that his uncle was a spy? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

5. What is Stormbreaker?

6. How was the prime minister planning on rewarding Mr Sayle for his generosity?

7. Why wouldn't Alex be suspected of being a spy? Give 2 different reasons given in the text:

8. Did Alex have a choice in turning Blunt and Jones down? Why/why not? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

Stormbreaker – Anthony Horowitz

Reading Comprehension

Chapter 5 – Double 0 Nothing

1. What does it mean if you are 'binned'? What effect does the word binned have on the reader?

2. What happened after Alex finished his lunch with Mr Blunt and Mrs Jones?

3. What happened on Alex's first day there?

4. Why did the training officer feel that training Alex is suicidal? Give 2 reasons:

5. Alex's code name is Cub. Why do you think the author has given Alex this name?

6. What is the Killing House?

7. Why do you think Wolf, Snake and Eagle are so hostile towards Alex?

Stormbreaker – Anthony Horowitz

Reading Comprehension

Chapter 6 – Toys Aren’t Us

1. Why does Mrs Jones think that Ian Rider had been preparing Alex to become a spy? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

2. What effect does the author create when he writes that travelling on the plane was like travelling in a tumble-drier and microwave oven combined? Why has he used this simile?

3. What are the 'toys' Smithers brings to Alex?

4. Why is Mrs Jones concerned about Yassen Gregorovich? What does she think he may do to Alex?

5. Why does she think Yassen in capable of this?

6. Why do you think Wolf has changed his opinion about Alex? How do you know he has changed his opinion? (Find and copy a phrase from the text which supports your answer)

Stormbreaker – Anthony Horowitz

Reading Comprehension

Chapter 7 – Physalia Physalis

1. At the start of the chapter, who do you think the female MI6 operative was pretending to be? Why do you think this?

2. Why does Alex request John Lennon?

3. On page 96, why has the following sentence been written in italics: He's more or less got his own private army. He's acting as if he's got something to hide.

4. Make a list of the different adjectives and adverbs which have been used to describe Herod Sayle on page 99:

5. What can we infer about Sayle by the way that he dresses? For example: he is wearing an expensive black suit and a gold signet ring.

6. How does Alex cover up his mistake when he accidentally refers to himself as Alex?

7. Why is Sayle's assistant known as Mr. Grin?

Stormbreaker – Anthony Horowitz

Reading Comprehension

Chapter 8 – Looking for Trouble

1. How could Alex tell that the note had been left by his uncle?

2. Match the block with what it is used for:

Block A

Block B

Block C

Block D

3. Why do you think the author has chosen to compare Vole to a soldier? What can we infer about her personality from this?

4. Which subject did Stormbreaker make 'almost bearable'?

5. What excuse did Alex give to Vole as to why he went down the stairs?

6. Make a prediction - what do you think Alex will do next? Why do you think that?

Chapter 9 – Night Visitors

Research and Storage

Software Development

Stormbreaker assembly line

Administration and Recreation

Stormbreaker – Anthony Horowitz

Reading Comprehension

1. How is Alex able to cover up accidentally revealing that he knew Sayle's father was a hairdresser?

2. What criticisms does Alex have of the Stormbreaker?

3. Why does Sayle have a strange feeling that he and Alex Rider have met before? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

4. Alex says on page 127 that, "you obviously had a family that loved animals." What did Alex mean by this? Was he being genuine?

5. What vessel emerged from the sea on the abandoned beach?

6. What happened to the guard who dropped one of the boxes? Why do you think Yassen did this?

Chapter 10 – Death in the Long Grass

Stormbreaker – Anthony Horowitz

Reading Comprehension

1. On page 137, Alex summarises what he saw the previous night. What did he see?

2. Alex decides not to report to Mrs. Jones that Yassen is at Port Tallon. Why is this? What does this tell us about Alex's personality?

3. Why does Alex suspect that Mr. Grin had set these machines on him? What evidence does he have?

4. On page 143, why has the author used repetition in the following sentences: It was worse. Much worse.

5. What were the machines that the pursuers were riding on?

6. What does Alex believe were the 2 things which have kept him alive at the end of the chapter?

7. Why do you think Mr. Grin arranged to have Alex killed? Use evidence from the book so far (including the previous chapters) to support your answer.

Chapter 11 – Dozmary Mine

Stormbreaker – Anthony Horowitz

Reading Comprehension

1. Which book was Ian Rider interested in at the start of the chapter?

2. After this, what else was Ian Rider interested in?

3. Which book does Alex find under the reference CL 475/19?

4. Why is Alex frustrated that he had left his zit cream back in his room?

5. Is the hole under the trap door deep? How can you tell? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

6. Why is there a diver's dry suit on the ground?

7. What simile does the author use to show the effect of the cold water on Alex on page 165?

8. Write another simile which could have been used which shows how cold the water is:

Chapter 12 – Behind the Door

Stormbreaker – Anthony Horowitz

Reading Comprehension

1. Why does Alex think the tunnel may be close to Block D in Sayle enterprises?

2. On page 169 - how does Alex know that the mine shaft had been converted?

3. How does Alex know that Ian Rider had been to this place before? Use evidence from the text to support your answer.

4. On page 172, find and copy the rhetorical question the author has use.

5. Why do you think the author has used this question? What does it make the reader think?

6. Look at page 173. Find and copy some clues which suggest that a dangerous chemical is being placed inside the Stormbreaker machines.

7. What does the word languidly mean?

8. On page 175, why did the guard lower his gun?

9. The author has used the metaphor: 'the only duck in the shooting gallery' to describe Alex's situation. What does this mean? Why do you think the author has done this?

Chapter 13 – The School Bully

Stormbreaker – Anthony Horowitz

Reading Comprehension1. On page 183, why do you think the author has reminded the reader that

Alex is being taken to 'the room with the aquarium'? What does the author want you to think?

2. On page 185, find and copy the simile which has been used to describe the jellyfish.

3. Why does Sayle hate school children so much? What happened to him while he went to school in England?

4. What horrid names was Sayle given by his peers?

5. What is the virus inside the Stormbreaker?

6. Where is the Stormbreaker going to be unveiled?

7. The chapter is called: 'The School Bully' why is it called this? Is this referring to one person in particular?

Chapter 14 – Deep Water

Stormbreaker – Anthony Horowitz

Reading Comprehension

1.At what time will the prime minister bring the Stormbreakers online?

2. Who released Alex from his handcuffs?

3. Why did she release him? Was it to rescue him?

4. How did Nadia Vole trick Alex?

5. Why had Vole stayed behind after Mr Grin left?

6. How was Alex able to escape from the tank?

7. Make a prediction - what do you think is about to happen? Why do you think that?

Chapter 15 – Eleven O’Clock

Stormbreaker – Anthony Horowitz

Reading Comprehension1. On page 206, find and copy the phrase which means that Alex has an

advantage over Sayle’s henchmen:

2. On page 209, which 2 opposite words have been used in the same sentence? Identify the words below:

3. Why do you think the author has chosen to use these 2 opposite words so close together? What impression does it give the reader about the plane?

4. As the wind was rushing past Alex while he was suspended from the plane, what 2 things did the wind do to him:

5. Which gadget did Alex use to get him on board the plane?

6. Do you think, if necessary, that Alex would have shot Mr. Grin? Use evidence from the text to support your answer. (Don’t forget to PEE.)

7. Using the numbers 1-5, order/sequence the events from this chapter:

Alex fired the harpoon gun at the plane

Jeeps crashed below the plane and caused an explosion

Alex retrieved a harpoon gun

Alex threatens Mr Grin and orders him to fly him to the Science Museum

Overpowered the guard and stole his Jeep car

Chapter 16 – Twelve O’Clock

Stormbreaker – Anthony Horowitz

Reading Comprehension

1. Match the London landmark with how it is described in the chapter:

2. How do you think Alex felt when the plane finally reached London? Find and copy evidence from the text to support your answer. (Don’t forget to PEE).

3. What might happen if Alex pulled the parachute open too early?

4. On page 217, find and copy an example of alliteration used by the author:

5. What colour was the smoke which was relased from the plane when Alex detonated the bomb?

standing proud with its 4 great chimneys intact

a square dense of green bushes and trees that were making a last stand

perched like a fabulous silver coin, balancing effortlessly on its rim

bright silver crack

Battersea Power Station

Battersea Park

Millennium Wheel

River Thames

Stormbreaker – Anthony Horowitz

Reading Comprehension

6. Match the word plunged with its synonym:

Plunged

7. Where in the Science Museum was Herod Sayle making his speech?

8. How many times had the head of Sayle Enterprises been shot?

Chapter 17 - Yassen

Dropped

Ran

Hesitated

Quickly

Stormbreaker – Anthony Horowitz

Reading Comprehension

1. Why do you think MI6 won’t let the truth be published in the papers? What reasons could they have?

2. Why weren’t MI6 able to talk to Mr. Grin or Nadia Vole?

3. Why do you think, on page 229, that Jones referred to Mr. Grin as ‘…the man you knew as Mr Grin’? What does this mean?

4. Do you think Alex would want to work for MI6 again? Refer to the text in your answer.

5. On page 234, why does Alex assume that the bullets must have hit Sayle in his left arm and shoulder?

6. On page 235, when Sayle uses speech the author has used the word ‘howled’. Why do you think the author has chosen to describe Sayle’s speech in this way?

7. Make a prediction: what do you think Alex will do now? Use evidence from the whole book to support your answer.

Stormbreaker – Anthony Horowitz

Reading Comprehension