The story of the Hollywood Bandit

ESL Lessons: True Stories

A printable worksheet for story-based English conversation classes.

Difficulty: Intermediate B1

PDF: The story of the Hollywood Bandit

Warm-up

Have you ever heard of a bandit? (Yes, a bandit is...)

Vocabulary Match

clever -   - alias
disguises -   - costumes
nickname -   - thefts
stealing -   - thieving
robberies -   - arrest
capture -   - smart

True Story

Listen and fill in the blanks with words from above.

Scott Scurlock, also known as the "Hollywood Bandit," was a famous bank robber in the early 1990s. He got his ________ because he used Hollywood-style makeup and ________ during his ________.

Scott was born in 1955 in Virginia and later moved to Seattle, Washington. He started robbing banks in 1992, ________ millions of dollars over two years. He was very careful with his plans and used disguises to avoid being caught by the police.

In 1996, after a failed robbery, the FBI almost caught him. He went into hiding but was eventually found. In November 1996, facing ________, Scott took his own life. His story has been told in many books and documentaries. "He was very ________ with his disguises," people often say.

Quiz

  1. When was Scott Scurlock born?
  2. How much money did Scott steal over two years?
  3. What did Scott use to avoid being caught by the police?

True or False

  1. Scott Scurlock was known as the "Bollywood Bandit."  T  |  F
  2. Scott started robbing banks in 1992.  T  |  F
  3. Scott went into hiding after failing to rob the FBI.  T  |  F

Conversation

A: Did you hear about the Hollywood Bandit?
B: Yeah, he used makeup and costumes, right?
A: Exactly! He was really clever with his disguises.
B: How much did he steal?
A: Millions of dollars in just two years!
B: Wow, was it that easy to rob a bank?

Discussion

  1. Have you ever heard of a famous criminal? What did they do?
  2. Do you think it's easy to disguise yourself?
  3. Would you like to visit Hollywood?
  4. Do you think bank security is better now than in the 1990s?
  5. How can you protect your home from burglars?

True Story Answers

Scott Scurlock, also known as the "Hollywood Bandit," was a famous bank robber in the early 1990s. He got his nickname because he used Hollywood-style makeup and disguises during his robberies.

Scott was born in 1955 in Virginia and later moved to Seattle, Washington. He started robbing banks in 1992, stealing millions of dollars over two years. He was very careful with his plans and used disguises to avoid being caught by the police.

In 1996, after a failed robbery, the FBI almost caught him. He went into hiding but was eventually found. In November 1996, facing capture, Scott took his own life. His story has been told in many books and documentaries. "He was very clever with his disguises," people often say.

Vocabulary Answers

nickname → alias
disguises → costumes
robberies → thefts
stealing → thieving
capture → arrest
clever → smart

Quiz Answers

  1. He was born in 1955.
  2. He stole millions of dollars.
  3. He used Hollywood-style makeup and disguises.

True or False Answers

  1. False
  2. True
  3. False

Further Reading

https://allthatsinteresting.com/scott-scurlock

More "True Story" Lessons

ESL Lessons: True Stories