Mr Sch oo lin g’s Extr a w ork (1 ):
O l iver Tw is t
by CH A RL E S DI CK E N S
Read the chapter below and, using a paper or online dictionary if necessary, find the vocabulary marked 1 to 24. (/12)
Chapter One: The Workhouse 1
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A long time ago every town in England had a workhouse. This was a house for very poor people. Oliver Twist was born in a
workhouse. His mother was a young woman. She was very ill2 when she came to the workhouse. A doctor and a woman were
with her. After Oliver Twist was born his mother said, “I want to see my baby and then die.” “You are too young to die,” said
the woman.
The doctor put the little baby in his mother’s arms. She kissed3 the baby and died.
“She’s dead,” said the doctor.
“Poor dear! She came here last night. No one knows where she’s from,” said the woman.
The old woman began to dress4 the baby with very old clothes. Oliver was alone5 in the world. He was an orphan6. No one
loved him. When Oliver was small he lived in an orphanage7 with other orphans. He and the other children had very little food
and very little love. Many of the children died because they were cold or hungry. Oliver survived8 but he was small and thin9.
His face10 was very white.
On his ninth birthday Oliver left the children’s home. He was sad to leave his only friends. He went to live in a workhouse.
He worked long hours for the workhouse. They gave him only one bowl11 of porridge12 three times a day and an onion twice a
week. On Sundays he had a small piece13 of bread. Oliver and his companions were very hungry and very unhappy.
They never asked for a second bowl of porridge. They were afraid14. But after three months they became terribly hungry. One
day Oliver took his empty15 bowl to the master.
“Please sir,” he said, “I want some more porridge.”
The master looked at Oliver. He was surprised.
“What?” he said.
“Please sir,” he said, “I want some more porridge.”
The master hit Oliver with his big spoon16. Then he called Mr Bumble. He was an important officer of the town.
“What!” cried17 Mr Bumble. He took Oliver to the directors of the workhouse and said, “Oliver Twist asked for more
porridge!”
“For more porridge!” they cried. They looked at each other18. They were surprised. “He must leave the workhouse!”
Mr Bumble put Oliver in a cold, dark room for one week. Every morning Mr Bumble beat Oliver with a stick19 in front of his
friends. Oliver cried20 all day and he did not sleep at night.
One day Mr Bumble met his friend Mr Sowerberry. Mr Sowerberry was a tall, thin man. He made coffins21 for dead
bodies22. Many of the dead bodies came from the workhouse.
Mr Bumble asked, “Do you want a boy to work in your shop? You will pay nothing and we will give you five pounds!”
Mr Sowerberry thought a moment and said, “Yes, I want the boy and the five pounds.”
Mr Bumble was happy. In the evening he took Oliver to Mr Sowerberry’s shop. Oliver looked at Mr Bumble and started
crying, “I want to be a good boy. I am a very little boy, sir. And it is so... lonely 23. So very lonely!” Oliver’s thin face was
covered with24 tears.
Part One: Reading Comprehension (/30)
Exercise 1: Circle the correct answer. (/7)
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Oliver’s mother was:
a) a rich lady.
b) very ill.
In the orphanage the children:
a) didn’t have a lot of food. b) had a new family.
In the workhouse Oliver:
a) only ate bread.
b) had many friends.
One day Oliver asked for:
a) an onion.
b) another bowl.
Mr Bumble:
a) gave Oliver more food. b) put Oliver in a dark room.
Mr Sowerberry:
a) made coffins.
b) worked in the orphanage.
Oliver started crying because:
a) he was ill. b) he wanted to stay in the workhouse.
c) an old woman.
d) a worker in the workhouse.
c) were all small and thin. d) had love but no food.
c) was often cold.
d) worked long hours.
c) a spoon.
d) more porridge.
c) was the director of the workhouse. d) kissed Oliver.
c) lived in the workhouse. d) paid Mr Bumble for Oliver.
c) no one loved him.
d) he hated Mr Sowerberry.
Exercise 2: Circle the correct words in italics to complete the summary of the first chapter. (/5.5)
(1) Oliver Twist was / is born in a workhouse. (2) His mother did / died soon after his birth. (3) When he were / was small he
lives / lived in an orphanage until the age of nine. (4) Then he want / went to a workhouse. (5) He walked / worked there for many
hours. (6) He eaten / ate porridge. (7) One day he told / said to the master: “Please, sir, I want any / some more porridge”. (8) So,
Mr Bumble putted / put him in a dark room. (9) Then he took Oliver to / at Mr Sowerberry’s. (10) Mr Sowerberry did / made
coffins. (11) Oliver left / leaved the workhouse and begun / began working in Mr Sowerberry’s shop. He was very unhappy.
Exercise 3: Go to http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Workhouse and then in the preterite imagine what the boys’ daily routine in
the workhouse was like, using linkwords and the vocabulary below. (/5.5)
start work
finish work
wake up
have dinner
switch off the lights
have lunch
have breakfast
wash
Part Two: Grammar Work: MAKE or DO? (/20)
Read the explanation in French given below and then translate the eight sentences into English.
Make
Make a le plus souvent le sens de « fabriquer » ou de « créer » (1).
Parfois, il signifie « obliger » (2).
D’autres fois, il veut dire « rendre » (3).
Mais il y a encore d’autres cas où il faut tout simplement apprendre l’expression (4).
Regarder les exemples ci-dessous :
She made a cake. (Elle a fait / fabriqué un gâteau.) (1)
She makes her daughter dresses. / She makes dresses for her daughter.1 (Sa mère fait / fabrique des robes à sa fille.) (1)
They make lots of mess. (Ils font/créent beaucoup de désordre.) (1)
She makes me laugh. 2 (Elle me fait rire.) (2)
I am made to work. 3 (On m’oblige / Je suis obligé de travailler.) (2)
My father sometimes makes me angry. (Mon père me rend parfois fou [de colère].) (3)
I didn’t make it to school on time.4 (Je ne suis pas arrivé / rendu au collège à l’heure.) (3)
I make my bed every day.5 (Je fais mon lit tous les jours.) (4)
She’s making progress in English. (Elle fait des progrès en anglais.) (4)
I make mistakes all the time. (Je fais des fautes tout le temps.) (4)
I can’t make up my mind! (Je n’arrive pas à me décider !) (4)
Notes :
1
Ces deux phrases veulent dire la même chose.
2
La plupart du temps, le verbe qui suit « make » sera juste à la base verbale (sans « to »).
3
L’exception à la règle indiquée au point 2, c’est quand « make » est à la forme passive : le sujet « I » ne fait pas l’action ; il subit l’action faite
par quelqu’un d’autre.
4
Le pronom personnel « it » est placé après « make » dans l’expression « make it to… » pour parler d’arriver à une destination.
5
Cette phrase n’indique pas que le sujet « fabrique » son lit tous les jours… ! C’est le contexte et le bon sens qui nous permet de le dire.
Do
Do s’emploie comme opérateur pour les questions où il y a inversion sujet-verbe et les négations.
Who do you love? (Qui aimes-tu ?) mais… Who likes the film Twilight?1 (Qui aime le film Twilight ?)
He doesn’t like brussel sprouts. (Il n’aime pas le choux de Bruxelles.)
L’opérateur do s’emploie également pour renforcer l’idée du verbe ; l’opérateur est accentué à l’oral :
Do tell him that… (Dites-lui bien que…)
He did tell me the story ! (Bien sûr qu’il m’a raconté l’histoire !)
L’opérateur do s’utilise dans les « question tags » et les réponses brèves :
Tom plays football, doesn’t he?2 (Tome joue au foot, n’est-ce pas ?)
“I don’t like homework.” “Neither do I.” (« Je n’aime pas les devoirs. » « Moi non plus. »)
“I love watching TV.” “So do I.” (« J’adore regarder la télé. » « Moi aussi. »)
“Do you like surfing the net?” “Yes, I do / No, I don’t.”3 (« Aimes-tu surfer sur internet ? » « Oui. / Non. »)
L’opérateur do peut remplacer un verbe pour éviter la répétition de ce verbe :
She always says she goes skiing but she never does. (Elle dit toujours qu’elle va au ski mais elle n’y va jamais.)
Le verbe do signifie le plus souvent l’idée de « faire une activité », d’ « accomplir » :
What are you doing? (Que fais-tu ? / Quelle est ton activité ?)
I always do my best. (Je fais / J’accomplis toujours de mon mieux.)
Tout comme make, do s’emploie dans certaines expressions qu’il faut retenir :
I did the washing up last night. (Hier soir, j’ai fait la vaisselle.)
How do you do?4 (Comment allez-vous ?)
He’s doing well at school. (Il marche bien en classe.)
I could do with a cup of tea.5 (Je prendrais bien une tasse de thé.)
I can’t do without my iPod!6 (Je ne peux pas me passer de mon iPod !)
Do your coat up! And do your shoes up, too!7 (Ferme ton manteau ! Et fais tes lacets !)
Notes :
1
Le pronom interrogatif « who » est sujet de la phrase : pas d’inversion sujet-verbe.
2
Dans les « question tags » une affirmation devient une négation et vice versa ; si le sujet grammatical de la phrase est un nom il sera remplacé
par un pronom personnel sujet.
3
Après la réponse (généralement « oui » ou « non »), on reprend le sujet grammatical par un pronom personnel sujet qui sera suivi de
l’opérateur do (avec la négation si nécessaire) quand do est l’opérateur de la question.
4
C’est une formule de politesse soignée.
5
could do with = prendrait bien…
6
do without = se passer de…
7
do up = attacher
1. Son père lui rend heureux quand il lui fait des jouets. (/1.5)
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2. « Je fais des progrès à l’école, n’est-ce pas ? » « Oui. » « C’est parce que l’on me fait travailler. » (/3)
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3. « J’aime beaucoup les mathématiques. » « Moi aussi. Je fais toujours mes devoirs en dix minutes ! » (/3)
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4. « Comment allez-vous ? » « Très bien, merci. Mais votre famille n’est-elle pas à Paris ? Que faites-vous ici ? »
(/3.5)
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5. Nous prendrions bien un bon repas chaud. Ma veste ne ferme pas et mes fils ont fait une grosse erreur : ils
sont partis sans gants ou écharpe. (/3.5)
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6. « Jane n’aime pas faire la vaisselle. » « Tina non plus. » « Ne me fais pas rire ! Dis-lui bien qu’elle ne peut
pas faire beaucoup de désordre dans la cuisine et ne pas le nettoyer ! » (/3.5)
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7. Les garçons ne pouvaient pas se passer de leur téléphone portable. (/1.5)
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8. Ils n’arrivent jamais à l’heure pour leur leçon de piano. (/1.5)
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Part Three: Written Composition (/20)
Imagine a short conversation between two of Oliver’s companions at the workhouse: they discuss what happened that
day to Oliver and the implications for all the boys in the workhouse.
Write on one line in two.
Length: between 100 and 150 words.
VOCABULARY: ......... / 8
GRAMMAR / SYNTAX: .......... / 7
EFFORT / RISK: .......... / 5