Reading Comprehension: The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde, by R. L. Stevenson

About The Book

‘The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde’ is the creepy tale of a man whose inner battle between good and evil becomes manifest in a most dramatic and surreal manner. It is considered a classic horror story, though the descriptions of violence in it are minimal - it is primarily the tragic end and the macabre language used that place it in this category. This is a classic novella which has become so well-known that it is common to refer to a person with two dramatically differing sides to their personality as a case of ‘Jekyll and Hyde’.

Contents & Instructions

The novella will be read in eight sections. Following each section are reading comprehension assignments that focus on language and style. The student is asked:

• to ‘translate’ two short passages into more contemporary language, showing that they have grasped the meaning of the language and can express the same thing as the author using their own words (If you purchase the version that includes the text, these passages are underlined.)

• to familiarize themselves with a list of several words or phrases. These should be looked up or discussed with a teacher to be sure the student fully grasps their meaning. If you wish, you may write down a short definition of each.

• to explain, in one or two sentences, a short passage from the text that includes some form of figurative language

• to write a substantial paragraph in which the student observes the deliberate choice of language made by the author. A specific topic is given for each section.

The complete novella l is available for free as a separate file in our store. Please be careful with your eyes, and limit screen reading to no more than 10 minutes at a time! Print the text if possible, or take frequent breaks.