Objective: understanding

a famous book passage

Read the passage twice, and highlight all the words

that you know including transparent words

1 The room in which the boys were fed,
was a large stone hall, with a copper at one
end: out of which the master, dressed in an
apron for the purpose, and assisted by one or
5 two women, ladled the gruel at mealtimes.
Of this festive composition each boy had
one porringer, and no more--except on
occasions of great public rejoicing, when he
had two ounces and a quarter of bread
10 besides. The bowls never wanted washing.
(...)
Oliver Twist and his companions
suffered the tortures of slow starvation for
three months: at last they got so voracious
15 and wild with hunger, that one boy, hinted
darkly to his companions, that unless he had
another basin of gruel per diem, he was
afraid he might some night happen to eat the
boy who slept next him, who happened to be
20 a weakly youth of tender age. (...)
The evening arrived; the boys took their
places. The master, in his cook's uniform,
stationed himself at the copper; his pauper
assistants ranged themselves behind him; the
25 gruel was served out; and a long grace was
said over the short commons. The gruel
disappeared; the boys whispered each other,
and winked at Oliver; while his next
neighbours nudged him. Child as he was, he
30 was desperate with hunger, and reckless with
misery. He rose from the table; and advancing
to the master, basin and spoon in hand, said:
somewhat alarmed at his own temerity:
'Please, sir, I want some more.'

Vocabulary toolbox:
To ladle To serve with a very big spoon
A gruel Like a small portion of cereals
with milk
One ounce = around 29ml
Starvation The famine
Per diem Per day
To hint To make an allusion to
A pauper A poor person
Reckless Not to be prudent

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 For each picture can you identify the correct word from
the text?

1. A copper
2. An apron
3. A bread
4. A bowl
5. Hunger
6. To whisper
7. To wink
8. To nudge

For the following regular verbs tick the appropriate –ED

sound:

[d] [t] [id]

Dressed
Assisted
Ladled
Wanted
Suffered
Happened
Arrived
Stationed
Ranged
Served
Disappeared
Whispered
Winked
Nudged
Alarmed

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 In pairs, use your imagination and the past simple to
imagine what Oliver Twist’s life was in the Victorian
time. You can use positive or negative sentences, and
use time indicators. You can use the dictionaries and
ask for help if needed.

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