PENGUIN ACTIVE READING LEVEL 2 The Pimpernel Baroness Emmuska Orczy PENGUIN ACTIVE READING The Scarlet Pimpernel aroness Emmuska Orczy -�

••• �••• -. Contents

Activities 1 IV

Chapter 1 A Dangerous Time in France 1 Activities 2 8

Chapter 2 Who Is the Scarlet Pimpernel? 10 Activities 3 18

Chapter 3 Lord Grenville's Party 20 Activities 4 28

Chapter 4 Lessons for Marguerite 30 Activities 5 38

Chapter 5 Disguises in Calais 40 Activities 6 48

Chapter 6 The Scarlet Pimpernel's Plan 50 Talk about it 56 Write about it 57 Project: Disguises 58 Activities 1

1.1 What's the book about? 1 Look at these pictures of people in the story. Which are the best words for each person? What do you think?

angry beautiful handsome happy sad thin

2 The is important in this story. What do you know about it? Find answers to these questions in books or on the Internet. Then make notes in your notebook. a When did the French Revolution start? b What kind of people started the French Revolution? Why? c What kind of people left France at that time? Why?

1.2 What happens first? Look at the picture on page 1. Discuss these questions and write possible answers. 1 Where are the people in the picture? Why are they there?

...... 2 A man is sitting on a box. What is his job? ......

lV CHAPTER

A Dangerous Time in France 'You're right, Mr Hempseed, 'jellyband answered. 'Peoplein France are dying, and what does our government do? Nothin---g.'

t was September, 1792. Bibot, a soldier, sat on a box at one of the Idoors in the Paris city wall. He watched the door carefully - he enjoyed his job. From inside the wall, a large number of Parisians watched the door too. They were excited. These were France's new revolutionaries and they hated rich aristocrats. They wanted to kill them. It was a very dangerous time for French aristocrats. Many of them tried to leave Paris, but the revolutionary soldiers stopped them here at the city walls. Bibot caught many of them. Sometimes the aristocrats wore disguises, but Bibot was a clever man. He knew an aristocrat when he saw one.

soldier /'sauld3a/ (n) A soldier carries a gun and fights for his or her country. revolutionary /reva'lu:f.lnari/ (n/adj) Revolutionaries want to change their country. This is the time oi the French Revolution. aristocrat /'rerist.lkrret/ (n) Aristocrats were at that time the most important class of people in a country. They were often very rich and had large houses. disguise /d1s'ga1z/ (n) You wear a disguise when you want to look like a different person. You are then in disguise. The Scarlet Pimpernel

But Bibot was more careful these days because the aristocrats had help - the help of an Englishman. This Englishman and his friends rescued French aristocrats and took them to England. Nobody knew the man's name, but people called him the Scarlet Pimpernel. Aftera rescue, he always sent the French soldiers a note with a picture of the little red flower - a scarlet pimpernel - on it. The revolutionary soldiers hated him. Bibot talked to his men. Other people stood near him and listened. 'Did you hear about Grospierre?' Bibot asked. 'No. What happened?' 'It was last week. Grospierre was at the north door. An old man and a young boy drove a cart past him. Grospierre looked inside the cart, but he saw nothing. So the cart left the city. Half an hour later, another soldier arrived with his men. "You stupid man, Grospierre," he said. "The Comte* de Chalis and his familywere in that cart. And the driver was the Englishman - the Scarlet Pimpernel!" Then that soldier and his men went out of the city after the aristocrats.' Everybody laughed at the story. Grospierre was very stupid! Why didn't he look in the cart carefully? Bibot looked at his listeners. 'But the Comte de Chalis wasn't in the cart,' he said. 'What?' 'Nobody was in the cart. But chat soldier was the Scarlet Pimpernel, in disguise - and his men were all aristocrats!' This time, the listeners said nothing. The Scarlet Pimpernel really was very clever. It was night now. Many cart-drivers wanted to leave the city before Bibot closed the door. Bibot looked in each of the carts carefully and talked to every driver.

*Comte, Comtesse, Vicomte, Marquis: French names for aristocrats

rescue /'reskju:/ (v/n) When you rescue somebody, you take them out of a dangerous place. cart /ka:rt/ (n) Carts carry people or things from one place to another place. Horses or people pull carts.

2 Chapter 1 - A Dangerous Time in France

'I'm a better soldier than that stupid Grospierre,' he thought. One driver was an ugly old woman. 'My son is behind me in the cart, but he's very ill,' she told Bibot. 'Be careful when you go near him!' Bibot was afraidand walked away from the cart. 'Leave, old woman,' he said, and the cart drove away.

Later, another soldier ran to the city wall. Bibot knew him. 'A cart!' the man shouted. 'What cart?' asked Bibot. 'The driver was an old woman ...' 'Was the son ill?' 'Yes ... Did they leave the city?' Bibot's faceturned white. 'The Comtesse de Tournay and her two children were in the cart!' 'And the driver?' asked Bibot, but he knew the answer to his question.

3 Chapter 6 - The Scarier Pimpernel's Plan

for me before they went into the house. That gave me an idea. I wrote a note to Armand, then I moved across the ground to the house. It was difficultwith the ropes round me, but I put the note inside. Armand and the Comte read the note and left the house. A small boat took them to the Day Dream. I came back here and waited. Then I began singing.' 'But they hurt you badly.' 'I had to stay here with you. One day, I' fl hurt Chauvelin.' Marguerite laughed. But then there was another sound in the night. She felt afraid again. 'Are they coming back?' she asked. 'No, it's only an old friend.' said Sir Percy. 'You forgot about Sir Andrew. He is one of the Scarlet Pimpernel's men, remember?' 'Blakeney!' Sir Andrew Ffoulkes called. 'What are you wearing?' 'What are you wearing, Ffoulkes?' Sir Percy smiled at the servant's clothes. 'But let's go before Chauvelin sends somebody back here.' 'How can we get to Calais? There are soldiers on the roads,' said Marguerite. 'We're not going to Calais,' said Sir Percy. 'We're going back to England on the Day Dream. I left two notes for Armand in the house. One note, about the river near Le Chat Gris, was really for Chauvelin. Armand left that note in the house for him. The other note told a differentstory . The Day Dream will now come back for us.' 'But I can't walk, Percy. I'm too tired.' Tll carry you, my dear Marguerite.' And Sir Percy Blakeney put his arms round his wife and carried her.

55 The Scarlet Pimpernel

The soldiers started to hit the old man and he cried loudly. Chauvelin turned to Desgas. 'Let's take the cart and go back to Calais. We can leave the old man and the woman here. They aren't important.' He looked down at Marguerite. 'Goodbye, Lady Blakeney,' he said with a smile. Then he walked to the cart with Desgas and the soldiers. Marguerite lay there on the ground. She felt tired, sad and afraid. Then, suddenly, she heard some English words. 'They really hit me hard. Owww! That hurts.' Marguerite was on her feet now. Was that ...? 'Percy! Percy! Is that you? I'm here! Where are you? Come to me.' T d like to, but I can't move.' She looked down at the old man. No ... Yes! It was her husband! 'Hello, Marguerite. Perhaps you can help with these ropes.' 'Percy!' she shouted happily, and took offthe ropes.

'You're a good, brave woman,' Sir Percy told his wife. 'But where's Armand?' 'He's on the Day Dream, with the Comte.' 'But how did that happen?' 'I wanted to stay near Chauvelin, so I bought the cart and these clothes fromReuben in Calais. I made the clothes very dirty, so Chauvelin didn't come near me. Chauvelin wanted the soldiers to wait

54 Write about it f - You are a friend of the Scarlet Pimpernel. A man gives you this note. Read it. Why is the Scarlet Pimpernel writing the note? What does he want you to do? Talk about it.

1 hC\ve SOYY\eirnpcr+�nt �pers .for �Ot.c- Where �nd when CC\n 1 meet �Ot.c? Y0t.c will hC\ve to weo.r � di59t.cise when we meet. How will 1 Know 'P-4? Write � note �nd give i+ to this rt".C\n. He will bring it to rrie.

R� - we hC\ve to be v� CC\retl.41\ 1. thinK the trench �+ C is in Engll\nd �in\ P�pshe is w�tching t.fS. -�- Soorlet Pimpernel.

- You are going to write a note to the Scarlet Pimpernel. Think about these questions, and then write the note.

• Where will you meet the Scarlet • Will anybody come with you? Pimpernel? • Do you have any questions for the • When will you meet him? Scarlet Pimpernel? • What disguise will you wear?

57 Talk about it I Work with another student. Marguerite and Sir Percy are going back to England on the Day Dream. Have their conversation.

Student A \ I You are Sir Percy. You have a lot of questions for Marguerite. Why and how did she come to Calais? How did she find Blanchard's house? How did she feel then? Student B \ I You are Marguerite. Answer Sir Percy's questions, and ask him questions. Where did he get his disguise? How did he feel when he was with Chauvelin? How did he put the notes in Blanchard's house? Why is he the Scarlet Pimpernel?

Work with other students and discuss these questions.

a Sir Percy was cold to his wife after he heard about the St Cyr family. Do you think he was right? Why? b Marguerite told Chauvelin about the Scarlet Pimpernel's note because she was afraid for her brother. Do you think she was right? Why? c What do you think will happen to these people now, in England? Sir Andrew Armand Sir Percy Marguerite

d Did you enjoy the story? Why (not)? e Which person in the story did you like best? Why? 56 Project Disguises

3 Read the note below. Then discuss these questions: What dress is a fancy party? What will happen at this party?

\-ti, ev�bod�! Vie C\re going to hc\ve o. o.nc.f � dress pc>.rt� next So.tl.(r(ll\� eveniV'9, trOrv"\ seven o'clock. Ploose cOYY\e, C\nd bring �CXAr .friends. Yau. CO.Y\ be o. .fo.rnCXAS person, or o. person trGYY\ o. bool( or C\ film. You. co.n be o. servo.nt or o.n o.ristocro.t. Yau. co.n be u.91� or beo.u.ti.fu.l. Will people lo.u.gh o.t �0$' dis9u.ise - or will th� be o.trC\id? The 9u.est with the best disgu.ise will be the winner!

4 Yflu are going to go to the fancy dress party with your friend.

a What will you wear? Will you have a bag, a hat, rings, glasses? Draw a picture. b Tell your friend about your fancy dress, but don't show your picture. Answer questions. Then ask about his or her fancy dress and draw it I below. c Look at your friend's picture of your fancy dress. Is it right? Is your picture of his or her fancy dress right?

59 Project Disguises

1 These pictures of people in disguise. Why is each person wearing a disguise? What are they wearing? Discuss with another student.

2 These famous people from books and films wear disguises. a Find them on the Internet and write their other names, below. b Talk about them with your friend. Why do they wear disguises? c Which other people from books or films wear disguises? Catwoman

58 Project Disguises

to another friend. 5 With the same student, write a letter Would your friend like to come a Write about the fancy dress party. too? are you two going to wear? Give b Write about your fancy dress. What or her fancy dress. your friend some different ideas for his

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. . . . � ......

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60 PENGUIN ACTIVE READING Baroness Emmuska Orczy Level2 600 headwords British English Elementary Classic In Paris, in 1792, people are dying. Aristocrats are running from angry revolutionaries, and a brave Englishman is helping them. He and his friends are taking • them to England. But who is this Englishman, this 'Scarlet Pimpernel'?The revolutionaries really want to know - and then they can kill him.

Number of words (excluding activities): 9,451 Series Editors: Jocelyn Potter and Andy Hopkins For correlations to English Language Teaching exams, please visit www.penguinreaders.com

Penguin Active Reading provides reading and language learning at five levels, through full-colour, beautifully illustrated Readers. As well as enjoyable stories and texts, each book providesa range of integrated activities designed to develop reading skills and consolidate vocabulary, and offers personalised project work. Each book is supported by an interactive CD-ROM which contains additional activitiesand the complete audio recording.

Easystarts 200 headwords Level 1 300 headwords Beginner Level 2 600 headwords Elementary Level 3 1200 headwords Pre-intermediate Level 4 1700 headwords Intermediate

Cover illustration byCarlo Molinari ----- with CD-ROM ....•.• and MP3 ••• ...••• ISBN 978-1-4082-6134-7 ------PEARSON Longman www.penguinreaders.com 9 I781408 11 26134711 >