Reading Comprehension "Charles Dickens "

Charles Dickens

Charles Dickens was born on February 7 in 1812 in the town of Portsmouth in England. He was a weak child and did not like play active games, but he was clever. He learnt to read at an early age and read many books in his childhood. When he was about six he was taken to the theatre first time. He saw the play by Shakespeare and liked it so much that he decided to write a play himself. He wrote the play and showed it with his friends.

When Charles was 9, his family went to London. The life of family was hard, because there were many children in it and his parents were poor. His father was taken in prison for debts and Charles couldn’t go to school. Those were the unhappy days in all Charles' life. At the age of ten he had to start working. The boy worked all day from the early morning till night to help his family. He went to school later when his father was free again.

At the age of 15 he began to work as a clerk. He spent all his free time reading in the British Museum and in this way he has got education himself. Some years later he became a newspaper reporter. In 1836 Dickens published his first book. In the same year he began publishing his “Pickwick papers” that brought him an universal acclaim and after that Charles became the most popular writer of that time. He wrote such famous works as “Oliver Twist”, “Nickolas Nickleby”, “David Copperfield”, “Hard Times” and others. His works showed his love and sympathies for ordinary people. The great English writer died in 1870 at the age of 58.

Task 1. Put “+” if the statement is true or “-“ if the statement is false.

1. Charles Dickens was born in winter.
2. He liked to play active games.
3. He began to read when he was a man.
4. His first literary work was a play.
5. At the age of 9 he and his family went to London.
6. There were only 2 children in his family.
7. His father was taken in a prison because he killed a man.
8. He has got his education in the British Museum.
9. He was a famous poet.
10.            He lived only to 34.

Task 2. Choose the correct item.

1. He was born in the town of Portsmouth in:

1.    the USA; b) England; c) Spanish.

2. He was clever and a:

1.    brave boy; b) weak boy; c) courageous boy.

3. When he was 6 at first time he was taken to the:

1.    theatre; b) museum; c) school.

4. First time he saw a play by:

1.    Show; b) Irving; c) Shakespeare.

5. the life of family was hard because they:

1.    were poor; b) had no money; c) were ill.

6. Charles couldn’t go to school because his father was:

1.    ill; b) taken into prison for debts; c) taken into prison for killing a man.

7. At the age of 15 he began to work as a :

1.    newspaper reporter; b) doctor; c) clerk.

8. What novel by Dickens brought him an universal acclaim:

1.    “Pickwick Papers”; b) “Oliver Twist”; c) “Hard Times”.

9. His works showed his love to:

1.    rich people; b) famous people; c) ordinary people.

10.            In 1836 Charles Dickens:

a) was born; b) publishing his first book; c)died.

Task 3. Answer the questions.

1. When and where was Ch. Dickens born?
2. What kind of a child was he?
3. Why was the life of his family hard?
4. When did he start working?
5. When did he begin to work as a clerk?
6. When did he publish his first book?
7. What books did he write?
8. What did his works show?