UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DI URBINO CARLO BO

FACOLTA DI LINGUE E LETTERATURE STRANIERE

1st YEAR ENGLISH CL1, CL2, LOC, LIN-OC

SUMMER 2012

Comprehension and Composition

A walking tour of Dickenss London
Charles Dickens is well-known as one of the greatest English authors.
According to Claire Tomalins new biography, 'Charles Dickens: A Life', when he
wasnt writing he routinely wandered through the capitals central
neighbourhoods before dinner and after midnight. He was a tireless walker of
London, the setting for many of his novels. This year marks the 200th anniversary
of the authors birth and a walking tour of central London can show fans many of
the same details that the author observed during his (often nocturnal) strolls,
throwing new light on the past. Although London was heavily damaged by the
bombings of World War II, remnants of the city's older architecture survive in
characteristic pubs and courtyards. Some of the most relevant Dickens-themed
spots can be reached without considerable effort in a two-hour walk within a few
miles northeast of Big Ben and a short distance from the River Thames.
A good departure point is the central Charing Cross railway station. Warrens Blacking Factory
once stood where Charing Cross station stands today. This was the factory where Dickens worked as a
twelve-year-old boy. His father John was in prison at the time, due to his unpaid debts; this marked the
end of Charless early education and the start of his working life. He pasted labels onto pots of shoe
polish produced in the factory, working strenuous ten-hour days with many other youngsters of his
age. On Sundays, when not working, he usually spent the day with his sister at Marshalsea prison.
'Temple' is also central to Dickenss working life. This is the centuries-old legal area where
Dickens later began working as a law clerk and stenographer. At Middle Temple Hall, where law
undergraduates often dine, Fountain Court can be found. This is a leafy plaza, within walking distance
of the Thames, where Pip (the character in 'Great Expectations') once lived.
Buckingham Street is lined with pretty, well-preserved Georgian houses. Amidst the houses, the
office block that now stands at number 15 was once home to Dickens, and also the first residence of the
fictional David Copperfield, a character in Dickenss eighth novel, published in 1849, entitled 'The
Personal History, Adventures, Experience and Observation of David Copperfield the Younger of
Blunderstone Rookery'.
In the vicinity of Fleet Street (home, until recently, of the city's newspapers) it is possible to find
'Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese', a pub that was popular with Dickens. Sitting at a wooden table in this small
stone pub, it is possible to enjoy its charm, for this 345-year-old building is a traditional English pub,
and is a popular daytime stop-off for a good pint of beer.
The citys most enduring tourist monument to Dickens is The Old Curiosity Shop, founded
while the author was alive. The cottage structure dates from 1567. Today it tempts customers by selling
Dickens-themed paraphernalia, although it is doubted that it was the inspiration for the novel of the
same name. Dickens said he never wanted statues erected in his honour, and when he died, the city
buried him in a simply marked grave in Westminster Abbey. Recently, however, fans of the author
placed a small statue of him near Furnivals Inn, where he lived and wrote The Pickwick Papers.
The Charles Dickens Museum is definitely worth visiting, located on the same street as the
former house where the author lived while writing Oliver Twist and Nicholas Nickleby. The museum
has several of Dickenss possessions, for example the leather chair on which the prolific writer drafted
A Tale of Two Cities. The similarly themed Dickens and London Exhibition is of even greater interest
and is hosted until 10th June at the Museum of London. On display are evocative artefacts, including the
manuscripts of novels including David Copperfield and Great Expectations in huge notebooks, and
paintings of bygone London. The highlight of the exhibition is a 17-minute documentary by William
Raban called 'The Houseless Shadow', which follows a route described by Dickens in his 1861 essay
Night Walks.
Adapted from the original article by Sean O'Neill, BBC, 07/02/2012 BBC Travel: http://www.bbc.com/travel/feature/20120206-a-walking-tourof-dickenss-london

You have 3 hours to complete both PART (1) (reading comprehension) and PART (2) (writing).
DICTIONARIES ARE NOT PERMITTED
Write your surname, first name, student number and course at the top of every paper. Answer the following
questions. Write all of your answers on the blank paper provided and NOT on this question paper. Do not
use correcting fluid or pencil. Write your answers in blue or black ink only.
PART (1) - READING COMPREHENSION
A walking tour of Dickenss London
A. Match the words from the text on the left with their meaning (as used in the text) on the right.
(The words in the article are in bold.)
1) routinely
2) tireless
3) marks
4) strolls
5) damaged
6) remnants
7) spots
8) pasted
9) strenuous
10) area
11) undergraduates
12) founded
13) drafted
14) huge
15) bygone
16) highlight

a) regularly
a) insomniac
a) grades
a) works
a) harmed
a) remains
a) dots
a) stuck
a) strong
a) quarter
a) students
a) discovered
a) contemplated
a) massive
a) story
a) most illuminated part

b) daily
b) incessant
b) signals
b) walks
b) ruined
b) ruins
b) places
b) sent
b) hard
b) part
b) professionals
b) established
b) wrote
b) impressive
b) past
b) most interesting part

B. Answer True, False or Doesnt say (Doesnt say if the necessary information is not given), based on what
you have read in the text.
1. Tomalins new book is not an autobiography about Dickens.
2. Dickens only loved to travel on foot.
3. Dickens was born just over a century ago.
4. Not all of Londons old buildings were ruined during the First World War.
5. The authors father was imprisoned for stealing money.
6. In Dickenss novels, law undergraduates often had dinner in Middle Temple Hall.
7. The houses on Buckingham Street are attractive and modern.
8. Dickenss eighth book was a biography about David Copperfield.
9. Many London newspapers are now based in Fleet Street.
10. Dickens founded The Old Curiosity Shop.
11. The journalist does not find The Charles Dickens Museum as attractive as The Dickens and London exhibition.
12. Night Walks was written by Dickens in the 19th century.
C. Based on the article you have just read, answer the following questions USING YOUR OWN WORDS,
Write complete sentences. Be brief.
1) What information do we learn about Jonathan Warrens factory?
2) Did Dickens have an easy or a difficult childhood? Why?
3) What do we learn about the various jobs that he did throughout his life?
4) Why may a tourist like to visit these places? Is it easy or difficult to visit them? Why?
5) Are any modern attractions dedicated to Dickens? If so, which?

PART (2) - WRITING:

Based on the article, develop the following to write a composition of around 150-200 words.
Explain very briefly what the article is about. Would you find the Dickens walking tour interesting, or would
you prefer to visit different places in London? Why? Do you know much about the life of your favourite
author? Would you like to go on a walking tour of your favourite authors life? Do you like visiting historic
cities or do you prefer modern cities? Of the historic cities you have visited, which is your favourite? Why?