David Copperfield STAGE 5

Before Reading CHAPTERS 4 AND 5 WHILE READING

1 Betsey Trotwood to Mr Dick, about young David.

BEFORE READING ACTIVITIES (PAGE 92)
ACTIVITY 1 BEFORE READING
1 Yes 2 Yes 3 No 4 No 5 No 6 No 7 Yes 8 No
ACTIVITY 2 BEFORE READING
Encourage students to speculate and to make
guesses, but do not tell them the answers. They will
find out as they read that the ‘yes’ answers are 2, 4,
5, 6 (with Dora, and with Agnes) and 8 (his mother
and his first wife).
ACTIVITIES ANSWERS
2 Mr Murdstone to Betsey Trotwood, about David.
3 Betsey Trotwood to Mr Murdstone, about his report
on David’s character.
4 Uriah Heep to David, about becoming Mr
Wickfield’s partner.
5 James Steerforth to David, about studying at Oxford
University.
6 Daniel Peggotty to David, about Emily’s engagement
to Ham.
7 David to his aunt, about becoming a lawyer.
8 Agnes to David, about Steerforth.

While Reading CHAPTERS 6 AND 7 WHILE READING

1 Uriah Heep.
2 Miss Murdstone.
CHAPTERS 1 AND 2 WHILE READING
3 Tommy Traddles.
1 Because she wanted to bring up a girl and prevent
4 Mr Micawber.
her from making the mistakes she had made in life.
5 Peggotty and her brother Daniel.
2 David’s mother married Mr Murdstone.
6 James Steerforth.
3 Miss Murdstone, Mr Murdstone’s sister.
7 Miss Julia Mills.
4 Because he had bitten Mr Murdstone’s hand when
8 Betsey Trotwood.
Mr Murdstone had beaten him.
9 Uriah Heep and his mother.
5 Because she wanted to give David a purse with eight
shillings in it, and a paper bag full of her special BEFORE READING CHAPTER 8
cakes. Open answers. Encourage speculation and
6 The message was ‘Barkis is willing’. discussion, but do not confirm or deny students’
7 Tommy Traddles and James Steerforth. guesses. They will find out as they read that the
8 James Steerforth said he would take care of it for ‘yes’ answer is number 1.
David, and then spent it all on food and drink,
CHAPTERS 8 AND 9 WHILE READING
which all the boys shared.
1 T
8 David’s mother had a new baby, and was not looking
2 F Dora could not accept the fact that David was
well.
now poor.
CHAPTER 3 WHILE READING 3 F Miss Murdstone found David’s letters to Dora,
1 David went home because his mother had died. and told Mr Spenlow about them.
2 Peggotty took David to Yarmouth to stay with her 4 T
brother Daniel, and Ham and Emily. 5 T
3 The Murdstones arranged a job for David in a bottle 6 T
warehouse. 7 F Dora knew she was not the perfect wife for David.
4 David was deeply ashamed of his new job, and 8 F David was unable to share his problems and
hated it. worries with Dora.
5 David became very fond of the Micawber family. 9 F Daniel Peggotty finally managed to find Emily in
6 Mr Micawber was sent to prison because he could London.
not pay his debts.
© Oxford University Press

BEFORE READING CHAPTER 10

BEFORE READING CHAPTER 4
Encourage students to speculate and to make
guesses, but do not tell them the answers. They
will find out as they read that the ‘yes’ answer is
number 2.
Encourage students to speculate and to make
guesses, but do not tell them the answers. They
will find out as they read that the ‘yes’ answers are
numbers 1 and 4.

OXFORD BOOKWORMS LIBRARY STAGE 5

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11 DAVID COPPERFIELD
XXX
 CHAPTER 10 WHILE READING
1 Firstly, that he had lied to his partner so often
that Mr Wickfield thought he himself had been
dishonest. Secondly, that he had copied Mr
Wickfield’s signature on to false documents and
cheques. Lastly, that he had stolen large amounts of
ACTIVITIES ANSWERS
money from Mr Wickfield and the firm.
2 It meant that she was able to get her money back.
3 Australia, because it was a new country, with a lot
of business opportunities, where ‘something could
easily turn up’.
4 James Steerforth.
5 He died while bravely trying to rescue the last
surviving sailor (Steerforth) on the wrecked ship.
6 It was David.
After Reading
ACTIVITY 1 AFTER READING
1 Barkis, the cart-driver, meant that he was ready to
marry Peggotty. He was good-hearted and reliable,
but a man of few words, and a slow thinker, so
this was the closest he could get to a proposal of
marriage.
2 Miss Betsey Trotwood, David’s aunt, said this to
Mr Dick, her companion. She wanted to encourage
him, and show him that she approved of him, as she
believed he was intelligent and sensible, although his
family said he was mad. This was a good example
of her kindness to people generally, though it was
often hidden behind a stern manner.
3 James Steerforth said this, after he had just visited
Emily in Yarmouth. He was expressing his selfish
wish to do whatever he liked. He did not care
about other people’s opinions, or if anyone suffered
because of his actions.
4 Dora said this to her new husband David. She knew
she was silly and inexperienced, and wanted David to
love her for what she was, a foolish, loving, innocent
young girl, rather than be disappointed with her
because she wasn’t a practical, sensible wife.
5 Mr Micawber, in prison for debt himself at the time,
said this to David. It was his way of explaining how
important it was not to get into debt. He wanted to
be able to pay his debts and live within his income,
but was never able to. The remark showed him to be
well-meaning, in that he understood the problem,
and what the answer was. He just couldn’t manage
© Oxford University Press
to live this way himself.
6 Agnes said this to David, expressing her warm
friendship for him (and in fact her love, though
David did not know this). Whenever David was
unhappy or in trouble, she comforted and helped
him with encouragement and unselfish advice.
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7 Uriah Heep said this to David, pretending to be
grateful for polite words and any act of kindness.
He also pretended to be humble and without
ambition, but in fact was ambitious, greedy, and
dishonest. Because he did not want people to suspect
his evil plans, he always thanked people in the most
oily way.
8 Mr Murdstone said this to his new wife, Clara,
because she was too kind and sympathetic towards
young David, her son. He thought that showing
love for the boy was a sign of weakness, and that
all children needed rules and punishment. These
remarks show him to be a cruel, insensitive man.
ACTIVITY 2 AFTER READING
Acceptable answers to these cloze passages are any
words that have an appropriate meaning and fit
the structure of the sentence. Students might like
to check each other’s work and discuss alternative
answers. Some alternatives are given below.
1 David’s letter to Agnes, telling her about his
engagement to Dora
‘I simply cannot believe how very lucky (fortunate)
I am! I know you will want (wish) to congratulate
me on my great happiness (fortune). She is by far
the most beautiful girl I’ve ever seen, with her soft
(long, etc.) golden hair, blue eyes, and lovely, sweet
(blushing, smiling, etc.) face! I am wildly, desperately
in love with her, and she has just agreed (promised)
to marry me! Of course, we have to keep this
engagement of ours secret for a while . . .’
2 Miss Murdstone’s conversation with Mr Spenlow,
telling him she has found David’s love letters to Dora
‘Sir, there is something that I ought (have) to tell
you. I’m afraid your daughter has not been behaving
as a young lady should. When she returned from
her last visit to Miss Mills, I suspected (thought,
realized) something was wrong, and I have just
(now) found the proof in her room – love letters
from a young man who works in your office. There
is no question of his marrying Miss Dora. He’s too
young, has no money, and is quite (completely, most,
etc.) unsuitable.’
3 Betsey Trotwood’s letter to Mr Murdstone, just after
David had arrived at her house in Dover
‘I understand that you are the stepfather of David
Copperfield, my nephew’s son, who arrived on
my doorstep yesterday, looking dirty (dusty, etc.),
hungry, and exhausted, after walking all the way
from London. I hear you sent him there to work in
a warehouse – a child of ten! If you wish (want) to
discuss the boy’s future, you may (can, must) come
here to see me …’
DAVID COPPERFIELD
XXX
4 Dora’s last conversation with Agnes, just before her
death
‘Oh, thank you so much for coming to see me. I have
something particular (important, etc.) to ask you,
before I leave this world.’
‘Oh, my dear, I’ll do anything (whatever) you want!’
DANIEL: No, my dear, they wouldn’t, and we wouldn’t
need to tell them. It’s a new country, you see, where
nobody knows anybody else. We could start a new
life there.
EMILY: Oh, Uncle, I’ve been so wicked!
DANIEL: Wicked? It’s not you who’s been wicked! It’s

ACTIVITIES ANSWERS
‘Perhaps you have guessed what it is. It’s about that … No, I can’t speak about him calmly. That’s
David. We’ve been so happy together.’ all behind us now.
‘Dear David! He’ll miss you so much!’ EMILY: When shall we go to Australia then, Uncle?
‘Yes, but I don’t want him to be sad and lonely DANIEL: As soon as the next ship sails, my dear!
(miserable, etc.) all his life. I want him to be happy.
ACTIVITY 4 AFTER READING
You are so much wiser (cleverer, etc.) and more
3+6+10 5+12+9 7+14+1 11+4+15 13+2+8
sensible than I am. Will you do this for me? When I
I learnt today that Copperfield can’t steal Agnes from
am gone, will you fill the empty place in his heart?’
me because he’s engaged to another young lady, so I
5 Mr Micawber’s letter to David, arranging the
don’t have to worry about him as a rival. He stayed to
meeting in Canterbury when he proves Uriah Heep’s
dinner tonight and after the ladies had left us, I raised
dishonesty
my glass and drank to Agnes’s health. Old Wickfield
‘My dear friend, I am writing to ask you and your
had been drinking a lot and was quite drunk, but
aunt to come to Mr Heep’s office in Canterbury
when I said that I admired and loved his daughter,
tomorrow morning. Heep, my employer, who is no
the silly old fool almost went mad. He shouted and
friend of yours, is the most evil (dishonest, etc.) man
screamed so wildly that the lovely Agnes heard him
in England! And I have proof of his wickedness,
and came into the room to take him away. I know they
which I shall show (give, explain) to you all at our
all dislike me, but I don’t care what any of them think,
meeting.’
because I know I’ll get what I want in the end!
ACTIVITY 3 AFTER READING
ACTIVITY 5 AFTER READING
Students can complete this conversation how they
Open answers. Encourage discussion.
like. Suggested answers are:
DANIEL: What! Is it . . .? Yes, it is! Emily! I’ve found
you at last!
EMILY: Uncle, leave me! Let me die here!
DANIEL: Die? No, that would be wrong! Come away
from the side of the bridge!
EMILY: Why should I want to live, after the wrong I’ve
done?
DANIEL: But you have everything to live for, a young
girl like you, Emily! And as for the wrong you’ve
done, well, I forgive you – and so does Ham!
EMILY: You really forgive me?
DANIEL: Yes, we do. We still love you, Emily. Now,
come home to Yarmouth with me. You’ll be safe
there.
EMILY: No, no, I can never go back there!
DANIEL: Never? You never want to see the houseboat
again, or Ham, or Peggotty, or Master David?
EMILY: No, I’d be too ashamed to face them all.
DANIEL: Well, well, I can understand that, my dear. I
tell you what we could do! You and I could go to
live in Australia.
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EMILY: Would they know about – about my past there?

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