Charles Dickens: At 12 He Worked in a Factory… Then Wrote About Poor Children
Level B1 (Intermediate) · Watch the video and do the online quiz at https://brightlivesenglish.com/lessons/charles-dickens-poor-children/
A Match the words to their meanings
- debt (noun)
- label (noun)
- prison (noun)
- novel (noun)
- orphan (noun)
- shoe polish (noun)
- workhouse (noun)
- serial (noun)
- a story that comes out in parts, one part at a time
- a cream that makes shoes clean and shiny
- a paper sticker on something, with information on it
- a long story in a book
- a building where people are kept as a punishment
- in the past, a place where very poor people lived and worked
- a child whose parents have died
- money that you owe to someone
B Complete the sentences from the story
novel · debts · serial · orphan · shoe polish · workhouse · labels · prison
- Oliver Twist first came out as a .
- His father was sent to for debt.
- His Oliver Twist came out month by month.
- Oliver was born in a .
- He stuck on pots of shoe polish.
- Oliver is an in a workhouse.
- He worked in a factory.
- His father could not pay his .
C Did you understand?
- At about twelve, Dickens went to school every day.True / False
- Why was his father sent to prison?
- He stole a horse
- He was a soldier
- He could not pay his debts
- He wrote a book
- What does Oliver say in the workhouse?
- Thank you, sir.
- I am not hungry.
- Where is my mother?
- Please, sir, I want some more.
- He wrote A Christmas Carol in about six weeks.True / False
D Put the words in order
- His / think / made / novels / people
E Grammar: make + someone + verb (no to)
We use it for to say that something causes a person to do or feel something. His novels made people think. · They made people worry about children.
Example from the story: His novels made people think.
- His novels made people . (think / to think / thinking)
- The sad story me cry. (made / did / let to)
- My teacher made us the poem again. (read / to read / reading)
F Your turn
Retell Charles Dickens's story in 5–6 sentences. Use at least three words from exercise A.
Transcript
At twelve, he stuck labels on pots of shoe polish, all day long.
He kept it a secret for most of his life.
This is the story of Charles Dickens.
Welcome to brightlivesenglish.com, where we teach real English using real-life stories.
Debt. A debt is money that you owe to someone.
His father could not pay his debts.
Label. A label is a paper sticker on something, with information on it.
He stuck labels on pots of shoe polish.
Prison. A prison is a building where people are kept as a punishment.
His father was sent to prison for debt.
Novel. A novel is a long story in a book.
His novel "Oliver Twist" came out month by month.
Orphan. An orphan is a child whose parents have died.
Oliver is an orphan in a workhouse.
Now, one pattern: make, plus a person, plus a verb.
It means to cause someone to do something.
His novels made people think.
Ready? Let's begin.
Charles Dickens was born in England in 1812.
His family moved to London when he was a boy.
His father was a friendly man, but he spent too much.
His father could not pay his debts.
When Charles was about twelve, he was sent to work in a factory by the river.
It was an old, falling-down building, full of rats.
For about ten hours a day, he covered pots of shoe polish with paper.
He stuck labels on pots of shoe polish.
He earned six shillings a week.
Then his father was sent to prison for debt.
His mother and the younger children went to live in the prison, too.
Charles lived alone and visited them.
He felt ashamed and alone.
He later wrote that he was a shabby child who worked from morning to night.
He never forgot that time.
After about a year, he went back to school.
He grew up and became a reporter, and then a writer.
But he told almost no one about the factory.
Would anyone ever know his secret?
In 1837, readers met a poor boy called Oliver.
His novel "Oliver Twist" came out month by month.
Oliver is an orphan in a workhouse.
One day, hungry, he held up his bowl and said, "Please, sir, I want some more."
Readers were shocked to see how poor children lived.
His novels made people think.
They made people worry about children with no one to help them.
He wrote quickly, and he walked a lot.
Some nights, he walked 15 or 20 miles through the dark streets of London.
In 1843, he wrote "A Christmas Carol" in about six weeks.
He told his secret to only one friend, John Forster.
Dickens died in 1870.
Two years later, Forster wrote his life story, and the world finally learned the truth.
Today, his novels are still read all over the world.
Let's review. His father could not pay his debts.
He stuck labels on pots of shoe polish.
His father was sent to prison for debt.
His novel "Oliver Twist" came out month by month.
Oliver is an orphan in a workhouse.
And remember: his novels made people think.
Charles Dickens's story teaches us: hard times can become stories that help others.
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Answer key
A. 1h 2c 3e 4d 5g 6b 7f 8a
B. 1 serial · 2 prison · 3 novel · 4 workhouse · 5 labels · 6 orphan · 7 shoe polish · 8 debts
C. 1 False · 2 c · 3 d · 4 True
D. 1 His novels made people think.
E. 1 think · 2 made · 3 read