Name: ____________________________

The Lost World

by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is most famous for creating the fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes. He
also wrote novels such as his 1912 adventure book The Lost World. In it, the narrator is Edward
Malone, a reporter who is traveling with scientists in South America. They have discovered an area
filled with strange creatures including dinosaurs. In this passage Malone is in a forest where he finds
himself being hunted.

Chapter XII: It was Dreadful in the Forest

A
ll was quiet as in a As the huge brute loped along it
dream landscape. dropped forward upon its fore-paws
Silver clearings and and brought its nose to the ground
the black patches of the every twenty yards or so. It was
bushes—nothing else could smelling out my trail. Sometimes,
I see. Then from out of for an instant, it was at fault. Then
the silence, imminent and it would catch it up again and come
threatening, there came bounding swiftly along the path I had
once more that low, throaty taken.
croaking, far louder and Even now when I think of that
closer than before. There nightmare the sweat breaks out
could no longer be a doubt. upon my brow. What could I do?
Something was on my trail, My useless fowling-piece was in my
and was closing in upon me hand. What help could I get from
every minute. that? I looked desperately round
I stood like a man for some rock or tree, but I was in
paralyzed, still staring at a bushy jungle with nothing higher
the ground which I had traversed. Then suddenly than a sapling within sight, while I knew that the
I saw it. There was movement among the bushes creature behind me could tear down an ordinary
at the far end of the clearing which I had just tree as though it were a reed. My only possible
traversed. A great dark shadow disengaged itself chance lay in flight. I could not move swiftly over
and hopped out into the clear moonlight. I say the rough, broken ground, but as I looked round
“hopped” advisedly, for the beast moved like a me in despair I saw a well-marked, hard-beaten
kangaroo, springing along in an erect position path which ran across in front of me. We had
upon its powerful hind legs, while its front ones seen several of the sort, the runs of various wild
were held bent in front of it. It was of enormous beasts, during our expeditions. Along this I could
size and power, like an erect elephant, but its perhaps hold my own, for I was a fast runner, and
movements, in spite of its bulk, were exceedingly in excellent condition. Flinging away my useless
alert. For a moment, as I saw its shape, I hoped gun, I set myself to do such a half-mile as I have
that it was an iguanodon, which I knew to be never done before or since. My limbs ached, my
harmless, but, ignorant as I was, I soon saw that chest heaved, I felt that my throat would burst for
this was a very different creature. Instead of the want of air, and yet with that horror behind me
gentle, deer-shaped head of the great three-toed I ran and I ran and ran. At last I paused, hardly
leaf-eater, this beast had a broad, squat, toad- able to move. For a moment I thought that I had
like face like that which had alarmed us in our thrown him off. The path lay still behind me. And
camp. His ferocious cry and the horrible energy of then suddenly, with a crashing and a rending, a
his pursuit both assured me that this was surely thudding of giant feet and a panting of monster
one of the great flesh-eating dinosaurs, the most lungs the beast was upon me once more. He was
terrible beasts which have ever walked this earth. at my very heels. I was lost.

Copyright © 2014 K12reader.com. All Rights Reserved. Free for educational use at home or in classrooms.
 Name: ____________________________

Supporting the Main Idea:

The Lost World
For the main idea listed in the rectangle, write three examples from the text
that support the main idea.

Edward thought the dinosaur

was hunting him.

Copyright © 2014 K12reader.com. All Rights Reserved. Free for educational use at home or in classrooms.
 Name: ____________________________

THE Lost World

The selection is from the point of view of the newspaper reporter, Edward Malone, who is
being hunted by a dinosaur in the forest. Now it’s time to switch narrators. Write the same scene
but this time with the dinosaur as the narrator and from its point of view. Why is it chasing
Edward? What is it thinking as it chases him?

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Copyright © 2014 K12reader.com. All Rights Reserved. Free for educational use at home or in classrooms.
 Name: ____________________________

The Lost World: Do You Understand?

I. Making Inferences
Below are sentence and phrases from The Lost World. What do they below tell you about the
events in the story? Circle the letter of the best answer.

1. “It was smelling out my trail.”

A. The dinosaur was scared. B. The dinosaur was bored.
C. The dinosaur wanted to find Edward. D. The dinosaur was dumb.

2. “Even now when I think of that nightmare the sweat breaks out upon my brow.”
A. He’s still tired from running. B. It was all a dream.
C. He’s hot. D. It was a frightening experience.

3. “I looked desperately round for some rock or tree, but I was in a bushy jungle with nothing higher
than a sapling...”
A. He wanted to throw something at the dinosaur. B. There was no place to hide.
C. He wanted to build a house. D. It was time to start a fire.

4. “...I knew that the creature behind me could tear down an ordinary tree as though it were a reed.”
A. The dinosaur was strong enough to pull down a tree. B. The dinosaur was smart.
C. The dinosaur could chop wood. D. The trees in the jungle were weak.

II. Order of Events

Put the following events in the passage in the order they happened. Mark the first event with a 1,
the second with a 2 and so on.

A._ _______________ The dinosaur finds C._ _______________ Edward thinks he

Edward on the path. escaped the dinosaur.
B._ _______________ The dinosaur starts D.________________ Edward runs.
following Edward’s smell.

Copyright © 2014 K12reader.com. All Rights Reserved. Free for educational use at home or in classrooms.
 Name: ____________________________

Vocabulary in The Lost World

I. Metaphors and Similes
Below are quotations from the passage from “The Lost World.” For each one, decide if it is
a metaphor or a simile. Write an “M” in the blank if it is a metaphor and an “S” in the blank if
it is a simile. Then on the line below each one, rewrite the sentence or phrase without using a
metaphor of simile.

1. _ _____________ “All was quiet as in a dream landscape.”

_ _________________________________________________________________________________

2. _ _____________ “Silver clearings...”

_ _________________________________________________________________________________

3. _ _____________ “I stood like a man paralyzed...”

_ _________________________________________________________________________________

4. _ _____________ “It was of enormous size and power, like an erect elephant...”

_ _________________________________________________________________________________

II. Context: Discover the Meaning

Below are phrases from the passage. Use the context to discover its meaning of meaning of the
underlined phrase. Circle the letter of the correct meaning.
1. “...at the far end of the clearing which I had just traversed...”
A. I had just avoided B. I had just crossed C. I had just looked at D. I had just explored

2. “It was smelling out my trail. Sometimes, for an instant, it was at fault.”
A. it looked away B. it was lucky C. it was correct D. it was mistaken

3. “As the huge brute loped along...”

A. big monster ran B. big lizard walked C. scary lizard crept D. large beast circled

4. “My limbs ached, my chest heaved...”

A. I was breathing easily. B. my arms hurt C. my chest stuck out D. I was breathing hard.

5. “And then suddenly, with a crashing and a rending...”

A. a thundering B. a booming C. a tearing D. a rush

Copyright © 2014 K12reader.com. All Rights Reserved. Free for educational use at home or in classrooms.
 Name: ____________________________

THE Lost World

Secret Word
Write the answers to each clue in the spaces. The circled letters will spell a secret word.

Clues

1. First name of Malone, the narrator. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

2. Malone traveled with these people. ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

3. Chase something for food or as a sport ___ ___ ___ ___

4. Go across an unknown land ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

5. Opposite of found ___ ___ ___ ___

6. Continent: South _______ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

7. Move very quickly as in a race ___ ___ ___

8. Planet, such as Earth ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

9. Area of thick trees ___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

Secret Word:

_____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____ _____

Copyright © 2014 K12reader.com. All Rights Reserved. Free for educational use at home or in classrooms.
 KEY
Name: ____________________________

Supporting the Main Idea:

The Lost World
For the main idea listed in the rectangle, write three examples from the text
that support the main idea.

Edward thought the dinosaur

was hunting him.

Example of correct answers:

“Something was on my trail,

and was closing in upon “It was smelling
me every minute.” out my trail.”

“He was at my
very heels. I was lost.”

Copyright © 2014 K12reader.com. All Rights Reserved. Free for educational use at home or in classrooms.
 KEY
Name: ____________________________

THE Lost World

The selection is from the point of view of the newspaper reporter, Edward Malone, who is
being hunted by a dinosaur in the forest. Now it’s time to switch narrators. Write the same scene
but this time with the dinosaur as the narrator and from its point of view. Why is it chasing
Edward? What is it thinking as it chases him?

Student’s ansewrs will vary.

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

______________________________________________________________________

Copyright © 2014 K12reader.com. All Rights Reserved. Free for educational use at home or in classrooms.
 Name: ____________________________
KEY

The Lost World: Do You Understand?

I. Making Inferences
Below are sentence and phrases from The Lost World. What do they below tell you about the
events in the story? Circle the letter of the best answer.

1. “It was smelling out my trail.”

A. The dinosaur was scared. B. The dinosaur was bored.
C. The dinosaur wanted to find Edward. D. The dinosaur was dumb.

2. “Even now when I think of that nightmare the sweat breaks out upon my brow.”
A. He’s still tired from running. B. It was all a dream.
C. He’s hot. D. It was a frightening experience.

3. “I looked desperately round for some rock or tree, but I was in a bushy jungle with nothing higher
than a sapling...”
A. He wanted to throw something at the dinosaur. B. There was no place to hide.
C. He wanted to build a house. D. It was time to start a fire.

4. “...I knew that the creature behind me could tear down an ordinary tree as though it were a reed.”
A. The dinosaur was strong enough to pull down a tree. B. The dinosaur was smart.
C. The dinosaur could chop wood. D. The trees in the jungle were weak.

II. Order of Events

Put the following events in the passage in the order they happened. Mark the first event with a 1,
the second with a 2 and so on.

4
A._ _______________ The dinosaur finds 3
C._ _______________ Edward thinks he
Edward on the path. escaped the dinosaur.
1
B._ _______________ The dinosaur starts 2
D.________________ Edward runs.
following Edward’s smell.

Copyright © 2014 K12reader.com. All Rights Reserved. Free for educational use at home or in classrooms.
 Name: ____________________________
KEY

Vocabulary in The Lost World

I. Metaphors and Similes
Below are quotations from the passage from “The Lost World.” For each one, decide if it is
a metaphor or a simile. Write an “M” in the blank if it is a metaphor and an “S” in the blank if
it is a simile. Then on the line below each one, rewrite the sentence or phrase without using a
metaphor of simile.
Examples of correct rewrites
S
1. _ _____________ “All was quiet as in a dream landscape.”

The landscape was very quiet

_ _________________________________________________________________________________

2. _ _____________
M “Silver clearings...”

The brightly lit clearings

_ _________________________________________________________________________________

3. _ _____________
S “I stood like a man paralyzed...”

I stood very still...

_ _________________________________________________________________________________

4. _ _____________
S “It was of enormous size and power, like an erect elephant...”

It was a big and powerful animal...

_ _________________________________________________________________________________

II. Context: Discover the Meaning

Below are phrases from the passage. Use the context to discover its meaning of meaning of the
underlined phrase. Circle the letter of the correct meaning.
1. “...at the far end of the clearing which I had just traversed...”
A. I had just avoided B. I had just crossed C. I had just looked at D. I had just explored

2. “It was smelling out my trail. Sometimes, for an instant, it was at fault.”
A. it looked away B. it was lucky C. it was correct D. it was mistaken

3. “As the huge brute loped along...”

A. big monster ran B. big lizard walked C. scary lizard crept D. large beast circled

4. “My limbs ached, my chest heaved...”

A. I was breathing easily. B. my arms hurt C. my chest stuck out D. I was breathing hard.

5. “And then suddenly, with a crashing and a rending...”

A. a thundering B. a booming C. a tearing D. a rush

Copyright © 2014 K12reader.com. All Rights Reserved. Free for educational use at home or in classrooms.
 KEY
Name: ____________________________

THE Lost World

Secret Word
Write the answers to each clue in the spaces. The circled letters will spell a secret word.

Clues

1. First name of Malone, the narrator. e ___

___ D ___
w ___
a ___
r ___
d

2. Malone traveled with these people. sc

___ I ___
___ ___ entists
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___

3. Chase something for food or as a sport hu

___ N ___
___ ___ t

4. Go across an unknown land ex

___ p ___
___ ___ l ___
O ___
r ___
e

5. Opposite of found lo
___ S ___
___ ___ t

6. Continent: South _______ Ame

___ r ___
___ ___ ___ ic a
___ ___

7. Move very quickly as in a race r ___

___ U ___
n

8. Planet, such as Earth woRld

___ ___ ___ ___ ___

9. Area of thick trees fo

___ r ___
___ ___ e ___
S ___
t

Secret Word:

D _____
_____ I _____
N _____
O _____
S _____
A _____
U _____
R _____
S

Copyright © 2014 K12reader.com. All Rights Reserved. Free for educational use at home or in classrooms.