Reading Comprehension (1) Carrie's War

Reading Comprehension (1)

Carrie’s War
Many large towns and cities in Britain were bombed during the Second
World War (1939 – 1945). In an effort to keep them safe, many children
from towns and cities were sent to live in the country, usually staying with
families. This was called being evacuated, and the children were known as
evacuees.

In Carrie’s War by Nina Bawden, Carrie and her brother Nicholas are
evacuated from London to Wales. In this extract, they have just boarded the
train and it is pulling out of the station, leaving their mother on the platform.

Sheep and mountains. “Oh, it’ll be such fun,” their mother had said when
she kissed them goodbye at the station. “Living in the country instead of the
stuffy old city. You’ll love it, you see if you don’t!” As if Hitler had
arranged this old war for their own good, just so that Carrie and Nick could
be sent away in a train with gas masks slung over their shoulders and their
names on cards round their necks. Labelled like packages – Caroline Wendy
Willow and Nicholas Peter Willow – only with no address to be sent to.
None of them, not even their teachers, knew where they were going.
“That’s part of the adventure,” Carrie’s mother had said, and not just to
cheer them up: it was her nature to look on the bright side. If she found
herself in Hell, Carrie thought now, she’d just say, “Well, at least we’ll be
warm.”
Thinking of her mother, always making the best of things (or

pretending to; when the train began to move, she stopped smiling) Carrie
nearly did cry. There was a lump like a pill stuck in her throat. She
swallowed hard and pulled faces.
Answer the following questions:

~1~
1. How were children protected during the Second World War?
………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………….
2. Where were the children going?

………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………….
3. Tick two sentences that are correct:
a. Carrie and Nicholas were travelling by train.
b. Hitler had arranged the Second World War only for the children to travel
and have fun.
c. Everyone knew where the children were going to stay.
d. From London, Carrie and Nicholas were evacuated.
4. Carrie’s mother always felt disappointed with whatever happened.

Tick (√) one box.
Yes No
Support your answer with a phrase from the text.

………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………….
~2~
5. How were Carrie and Nicholas labelled differently from packages?
………………………………………………………………………………
……………………………………………
6. Find a phrase from the text that shows you that Carrie felt upset.
………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………….
7. Read the following sentence and guess the meaning of the underlined
word:
“Living in the country instead of the stuffy old city. You’ll love it, you see
if you don’t!”
………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………….
8. This text is a ……………………………..……………….
a. familiar setting story.
b. fantasy setting story.
c. historical setting story.
Support your answer with features and examples from the text.
………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………….
9. Do you feel sorry for the children?

Tick (√) one box.
~3~
Yes No
Explain in your own words why you feel so.

………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………….
Reading Comprehension (2)
Oliver Twist
Oliver Twist didn’t know who had named him. It wasn’t his father,
who had never seen him, and it certainly wasn’t his mother, who died giving
birth to him. It was probably someone in the cold, grey workhouse in which
he lived with hundreds of other orphaned boys.
Life in the workhouse was cruel and hard, but the worst thing of all
was the lack of food. At meal times, in the cavernous grey stone hall, the
boys queued before the fat Master for their one ladleful of grey, watery
porridge. Having returned to their hard benches, they would eat their
porridge in seconds, licking their bowls and spoons so clean that washing up
was never necessary. Still their stomachs rumbled.
They were terribly thin and always hungry. When they felt that they
could bear no longer, the orphans decided to take action. One of them must
be brave enough to ask for more. The boy they chose was Oliver Twist.
The evening arrived. As the boys finished licking their spoons, the
room became quiet but for the soft sound of two timid, terrified feet tapping
to the front. Oliver looked up at the master and held out his bowl.
“Please, sir. I want some more.”
~4~
Silence.
The master turned grey and whispered, “More?”
Then he turned from pale grey to crimson red.
“MORE?” he bellowed, grabbing Oliver roughly. “Mr Bumble come
quickly. This boy has asked for MORE!”
Mr Bumble dragged Oliver in front of the owners of the orphanage.
They decided that he was a dangerous influence, and they must get rid of
him immediately.
So, Oliver was thrown from the only home he remembered and sent
to work for a cruel family. The adults worked him hard and beat him, and
the children bullied him. Unable to stand it any longer, Oliver ran away.
Answer the following questions:
1. Why was it impossible that Oliver’s mother or father had named him?
………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………….
2. What was the worst thing at the workhouse?

………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………….
3. Tick two sentences that are correct:
a. Oliver was named by his mother.
b. At the workhouse, the orphans were always full after eating.
c. The orphans chose Oliver to ask for more food.
d. Oliver was kicked out of the workhouse as he would make other

boys ask for more food.
~5~
4. Oliver was treated really well when he worked as a servant for a family.
Tick (√) one box.
Yes No
Support your answer with evidence from the text.

………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………….
5. How did the orphans solve their problem of hunger?

………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………….
6. Read the following sentence:
“Then he turned from pale grey to crimson red.”
What does this tell you about the Master’s reaction?
………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………….
7. Find an example of an adverb of manner and an adverb of time.
 adverb of manner: …………………………………………
 adverb of time: ………………………………………………
8. Write an example of a speech verb from the text.
 ………………………………………..
~6~
9. This text is a ……………………………………………..
a. historical setting story.
b. adventure setting story.
c. horror setting story.
Support your answer with features and examples from the text.
………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………….
………………………………………………………………………………
…………………………………………….
~7~

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Reading Comprehension (1)

Thinking of her mother, always making the best of things (or

Answer the following questions:

2. Where were the children going?

3. Tick two sentences that are correct:

a. Carrie and Nicholas were travelling by train.

c. Everyone knew where the children were going to stay.

d. From London, Carrie and Nicholas were evacuated.

4. Carrie’s mother always felt disappointed with whatever happened.

Support your answer with a phrase from the text.

8. This text is a ……………………………..……………….

a. familiar setting story.

b. fantasy setting story.

c. historical setting story.

9. Do you feel sorry for the children?

Explain in your own words why you feel so.

Reading Comprehension (2)

2. What was the worst thing at the workhouse?

3. Tick two sentences that are correct:

a. Oliver was named by his mother.

b. At the workhouse, the orphans were always full after eating.

c. The orphans chose Oliver to ask for more food.

d. Oliver was kicked out of the workhouse as he would make other

Support your answer with evidence from the text.

5. How did the orphans solve their problem of hunger?

6. Read the following sentence:

“Then he turned from pale grey to crimson red.”

What does this tell you about the Master’s reaction?

7. Find an example of an adverb of manner and an adverb of time.

 adverb of manner: …………………………………………

 adverb of time: ………………………………………………

8. Write an example of a speech verb from the text.

a. historical setting story.

b. adventure setting story.

c. horror setting story.

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