Charles Dickens "A Christmas Carol"

Master "A Christmas Carol" with our guide! Practice plot, character, and author questions.

Watch a video about the life of Charles Dickens. Which year was Charles Dickens born in? 1802 1812 1820 How many of his brothers and sisters died as children? 8 6 2 How old was Charles Dickens when he started working? 12 15 20 What was his first job? making shoes in a factory putting labels on bottles of blacking for shoes filling bottles in a factory How often did Charles Dickens see his father while he was in prison? never again every day every week Was he succesful from the beginning of his writing career? yes no Was it difficult for Charles Dickens to deal with his fame? yes no What happened while he was travelling by train with his new wife, Ellen? he had a heart attack Ellen had a heart attack the train crashed What did Dickens give to people who were injured in the accident? first aid food brandy and water What did he remember to save at the last minute from the wrecked train? Ellen's dog his new book his friend Was he injured in the accident? yes no How old was he when he died? 58 68 78 What was the cause of his death? he died from train injuries he had a stroke he had a heart attack A Christmas CarolRead the plot of the story carefully and do the following task. The story begins on Christmas Eve. Ebenezer Scrooge, a mean, unkind old man, is working in his office with Bob Cratchit, his clerk. His nephew Fred visits him and invites Ebenezer to celebrate Christmas day at his house. Scrooge refuses. He hates Christmas because he thinks it’s too expensive.Next a charity worker collecting money for the poor arrives, but Scrooge gives her nothing. When it is time to finish work, Scrooge is angry that he has to give Bob Cratchit a day off work on Christmas day. After work Scrooge goes home to spend Christmas alone and unhappy.That night the ghost of his dead business partner, Jacob Marley, visits him. He tells Scrooge that he must change his way of life or face the consequences. He tells him that three ghosts will visit him. Scrooge is scared but he goes to sleep.He wakes up to see The Ghost of Christmas Past, who takes him to re-visit his own past. They go to his old school and see Scrooge as a lonely and unhappy child. They also visit him as a happy, young man working in his first job, with a kind boss called Mr. Fezziwig. Finally they see Scrooge’s girlfriend leave him because of his love of money.Later that night, Scrooge meets The Ghost of Christmas Present. He takes Scrooge to see the Crachit family’s Christmas. They are happy even though they are poor. The only thing that makes them sad is that the youngest son, Tiny Tim, is ill. Tiny Tim is likely to die without a doctor, something the Cratchit family cannot afford to pay for. Scrooge also visits the house of his nephew. The people are all having fun and are happy.Finally, The Ghost of Christmas Future arrives. He doesn’t speak but shows Scrooge people talking about a man who has died. They speak about the man without affection and are not sad that he is dead. When Scrooge sees the grave of the man, he realises it has his name on it. It is his death the people are talking about! He is very sad.When he wakes up the next morning, Scrooge realises it is still Christmas morning and he is very happy. He wants to help everyone now and become a better person. He buys a big Turkey for the Cratchit family and pays for the doctor for Tiny Tim. Next, he goes to his nephew’s house and joins in the celebrations. He is sorry for all the bad things he has done and promises to start a new life. Read the story. Decide if the sentences are true or false. TRUE Ebenezer gives nothing to charity. His business partner, Jacob Marley is dead. Bob Cratchit has a son called Tiny Tim. The Ghost of Christmas Future shows Scrooge his own grave. Scrooge promises to change his way of life and become a better person. FALSE Ebenezer Scrooge is a generous man. Every year Scrooge spends Christmas day with his nephew, Fred. The Ghost of Christmas Past is silent. Scrooge was left by his girlfriend because she loved money more than she loved him. On Christmas morning, Scrooge buys a chicken for the Cratchit family. Put the events of the story in the correct order. 1 Fred invites his uncle to his house for Christmas. 2 A charity worker asks Scrooge to give money to the poor. 3 Jacob Marley warns Scrooge to change his way of life. 4 The Ghost of Christmas Past arrives. 5 Scrooge sees himself at school. 6 Scrooge sees his girlfriend leave him. 7 The Ghost of Christmas Present meets Scrooge. 8 Scrooge sees his own grave. 9 Scrooge wakes up on Christmas morning and is very happy. 10 Scrooge buys a turkey for the Crachit family.