A Christmas Carol. Stave One - Scrooge

A Christmas Carol. Stave One

SCROOGE

Stave One - Scrooge

Read the paragraph below:

Oh! But he was a tight-fisted hand at the grind- stone, Scrooge! a squeezing, wrenching, grasping, scraping, clutching, covetous, old sinner! Hard and sharp as flint, from which no steel had ever struck out generous fire; secret, and self-contained, and solitary as an oyster. The cold within him froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue and spoke out shrewdly in his grating voice. A frosty rime was on his head, and on his eyebrows, and his wiry chin. He carried his own low temperature always about with him; he iced his office in the dogdays; and didn't thaw it one degree at Christmas.

Multiple Choice

Which 3 adjectives are used to describe Scrooge?

• wrenching, bewitching and safe

• gasping, shapely and squelching

• grasping, secret and solitary

• glad, handsome and friendly

Multiple Choice

To which two things is Scrooge compared?

• Flint and fire

• Flint and an oyster

• An oyster and rain

• Frost and an office

Multiple Choice

Which of the following quotations best describes the effects of the coldness within Scrooge?

• froze his old features, nipped his pointed nose, shrivelled his cheek, stiffened his gait; made his eyes red, his thin lips blue

• he iced his office in the dogdays; and didn't thaw it one degree at Christmas.

Paragraph 2

External heat and cold had little influence on Scrooge.  No warmth could warm, no wintry weather chill him.  No wind that blew was bitterer than he, no falling snow was more intent upon its purpose, no pelting rain less open to entreaty.  Foul weather didn't know where to have him.  The heaviest rain, and snow, and hail, and sleet, could boast of the advantage over him in only one respect.  They often "came down" handsomely, and Scrooge never did.

Multiple Choice

The weather did not have any effect on Scrooge.

• True

• False

Paragraph 3

Nobody ever stopped him in the street to say, with gladsome looks, "My dear Scrooge, how are you?  When will you come to see me?"  No beggars implored him to bestow a trifle, no children asked him what it was o'clock, no man or woman ever once in all his life inquired the way to such and such a place, of Scrooge.  Even the blind men's dogs appeared to know him; and when they saw him coming on, would tug their owners into doorways and up courts; and then would wag their tails as though they said, "No eye at all is better than an evil eye, dark master!"

Multiple Choice

Everyone wanted to be Scrooge's friend.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Nobody ever asked Scrooge the time.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

People often asked Scrooge for directions.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Even guide dogs would sense Scrooge's unpleasant nature and pull their owner aside to protect them from Scrooge.

• True

• False

Multiple Choice

Based on the paragraph you have read today, do you think Scrooge wishes to change?

• Yes

• No

Multiple Choice

Based on the paragraph you have read today, which description best describes Scrooge?

• Scrooge is a shy man who prefers to hide himself away from the world. He is intimidated when people approach him to ask for directions. Scrooge hates dogs.

• Scrooge is cold, unpleasant character who is not influenced by his surroundings. No-one likes him, no-one approaches him and in fact, most people seem scared of him. even dogs sense that he's not a friendly person.

Multiple Choice

'Hard and sharp as flint'

This quotation is an example of a ...

• personification

• metaphor

• simile

• onomatopoeia

Multiple Choice

'solitary as an oyster'

What is an oyster?

• a lonely person

• a fish

• an insect

• a type of shellfish

Multiple Choice

The word 'shrivelled' means ...

(Choose the correct definition)

• Wrinkled and shrunken, especially as a result of loss of moisture or old age.

• Having become or been made smaller in size.

• Having an edge or point that is able to cut or pierce something.

Paragraph 4

But what did Scrooge care?  It was the very thing he liked.  To edge his way along the crowded paths of life, warning all human sympathy to keep its distance, was what the knowing ones call "nuts" to Scrooge.

Multiple Choice

Based on the paragraph you have just read, which of the following words best describes Scrooge?

• lazy and mean

• cold-hearted and isolated

• greedy and sleepy

• shy and retiring