Stage 4

Young Adult Eli Readers B2 FCE

Henry James
The Turn of the Screw

Pages 8 and 9
1a The Turn of the Screw is set in a Victorian country house. Such houses had a very large staff.
Match the household job in Box A to the job description in Box B. Use your dictionary to help you.
Box A Box B
governess looked after and taught children
gardener was responsible for the parks and grounds
housekeeper was responsible for running the house
butler was in charge of the other servants
housemaid did the cleaning and helped in the kitchen
lady’s maid looked after the mistress and her clothes
valet looked after the master and his clothes
groom looked after the horses and stables
cook made the meals for the family and the servants

2b Use your dictionary. Complete the word-building table.

noun(s) verb adjective(s)
death die deathly/dead
possession possess possessive
disappearance disappear not applicable
cruelty not applicable cruel
murder murder murdering/murderous
love love lovely/lovable
sickness not applicable sick

3 Anagrams. Solve these anagrams to find the ten verbs we use to report speech. Then put
them into the context phrases in the Past Simple.
1 exclaim ‘Oh no!’ exclaimed Miles.
2 cry ‘Help!’ cried Flora.
3 ask ‘Why are you here?’ she asked.
4 whisper ‘Shh!’ he whispered.
5 reply ‘I don’t know,’ replied the governess.
6 demand ‘Tell me now,’ she demanded.
7 continue ‘And another thing,’ he continued.
8 answer ‘At ten,’ they answered.
9 scream ‘There!’ Flora screamed.
10 enquire ‘When?’ he enquired.

Pages 18 to 21
1 Choose the best answer – A, B, C or D
1A 2A 3B 4A 5C 6D

2 Are these statements true or false? Correct the false answers.

1 True 2 False (Her father is poor) 3 True 4 True 5 False (Their parents are dead)
6 True 7 False (The main condition of employment is that she should never bother him and
should leave him in peace) 8 True

1
3a Divide the adjectives in the table into two columns. Which describe the governess? Which
describe the children’s uncle? Some adjectives describe both of them.
The governess: shy, nice, clever, young, unmarried, anxious, beautiful.
The children’s uncle: fashionable, nice, bold, unmarried, pleasant, handsome, charming, fine,
impressive.

4a Complete the table using words from the Prologue.

dreadfulness/dreadful, scariness/scary, ugliness/ugly, beauty/beautiful, shyness/shy,
respectability/respectable, disappointment/disappointed, pain/painful.

4b Complete these quotations from the prologue with words from the box.
1 “Nothing at all that I know touches it […] for dreadful – dreadfulness! […]
For general ugliness and horror and pain.”
2 “Yes, but that’s the beauty of her passion.”
3 “Everyone groaned in disappointment, so he explained.”
4 “There were also a cook, a couple of maids, an old pony, an old groom and an old gardener,
who were all very respectable indeed.”

6 Read the letter below from Douglas to his servant below and think of the word which best fits
each gap. Use only one word in each gap.
Hudson,
I’m sure(1) that everything is going very (2) well at the house in London, (3) as usual.
I need you to do a couple of things for me.
First of all, I need a document from my study. You will find the document (4) in the top drawer
of my desk. The drawer is locked, (5) but I have enclosed the key. Make sure that you lock the
drawer again, then send the document and the key back to me, (6) at this address. Please wrap
the parcel well, (7) because/as the document is quite old and is important to me.
Secondly, please forward (8) any messages for me in the same parcel.
Many thanks

7b Listen to the first part of Chapter One and check.

1 False 2 False 3 False 4 True 5 True 6 True 7 False

Pages 30 to 33
1 Answer the questions, true (T) or false (F). Correct the false answers.
1 True 2 True 3 False (She says the governess will be carried away by him.) 4 True 5 True
6 False (She says it’s a big ugly antique of a house.) 7 True 8 False (She can’t read.) 9 False
(There are no details in the letter.) 10 False (She died at her own home.)

3 Choose a logical ending for each expression from the words in the box. More than one answer
may be possible.
a a roomful of people
b a pocketful of coins
c a bagful of shopping
d a glassful of water
e a vaseful of flowers
f a boxful of paper

2
4 -ing or infinitive? Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs and then check
your answers in the wordsearch.
1 ‘It’s like saying that the little lady is harmful,’ said Mrs Grose. 2 Flora seemed to like the
governess. 3 Mrs Grose avoided talking to the governess. 4 Mrs Grose was very glad to see the
governess. 5 The children’s uncle sent the letter to the governess instead of reading it himself.
6 The governess felt lucky to be able to teach Flora. 7 The governess persuaded Mrs Grose to
listen to her. 8 The governess told Flora to do some exercises. 9 The governess was looking
forward to meeting Flora. 10 The governess wasn’t used to living in such a big house.

5 Quotations. “[we were] almost as lost as a handful of passengers in a great drifting ship. Well,
I was, strangely, at the helm!” is one of the most famous quotations from The Turn of the
Screw. Can you match the following citations to the author?
To be or not to be, that is the question - William Shakespeare
Romeo, Romeo, wherefore art thou Romeo - William Shakespeare
I wandered lonely as a cloud - William Wordsworth
O captain! my captain! - Walt Whitman
Tyger, Tyger burning bright - Willaim Blake
It is a truth universally acknowledged that a single man in possession of a good fortune, must be
in want of a wife. - Jane Austen

6a Are these adjectives positive (P), negative (N) or both (B)?

• fresh B
• fragrant P
• innocent B
• loving P
• cunning B
• mean N
• pure P
• handsome P
• charming B
• ugly N

Pages 42 to 45
1 Put these nine events into the order they appear in the story.
1 [ 5 ] Before leaving the house, the governess goes into the dining room.
2 [ 8 ] The governess tells Mrs Grose about her two ‘meetings’ with the man.
3 [ 2 ] One afternoon, the governess goes into the garden for a walk.
4 [ 4 ] One Sunday, the governess and Mrs Grose decide to go to church.
5 [ 9 ] The governess and Mrs Grose decide not to write to the children’s uncle.
6 [ 1 ] The governess meets Miles for the first time.
7 [ 7 ] The governess runs outside to try and find the man.
8 [ 3 ] The governess sees a man standing at the top of the tower.
9 [ 6 ] The governess sees the man from the tower at the dining room window.
3
2 Look again at the first page of Chapter Two. Find words that mean the same as the words/
phrases below. The words are in the same order in the text.
a) negatively surprised - horrified
b) sent away from - expelled
c) immediately - instantly
d) innocence - purity
e) extremely - incredibly
f) apart from - except (for)
g) confidential - private
h) horribly ugly - grotesque
i) fascination - charm
j) reply - add

3 Use of English. Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first
sentence, using the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two
and five words, including the word given.
1 It was the first time she had ever seen a ghost. 2 If she hadn’t looked up she would never have
seen the ghost. 3 ‘If I were you I would/I’d write to the children’s uncle,’ she said. 4 ‘I’ll stand by
you,’ she said. 5 If only I hadn’t seen the ghost.

4 Idioms. Use words from the box to complete these common idiomatic phrases. Use a
dictionary to help you.
1 as white as a sheet 2 as strong as an ox 3 as fit as a fiddle 4 as sick as a parrot
5 as light as a feather 6 as cool as a cucumber

5a Phrasal verbs. Match the phrasal verbs in A to the definitions in B

A B
‘I’ll stand by you,’ she said. support
We’ll sort the problem out ourselves. solve
We talked over the problem for some hours. discuss
My task was to bring these children up. raise/educate
That child should be locked up. put in jail
I had to face up to the problem. accept and solve

8a Listen to the beginning of Chapter Three. Complete the information about the man at the
window.
Name: Peter Quint
Hair colour and style: red, curly
Height: tall
Clothing: smart, no hat
Occupation: valet / servant
Other information: long face, beard, stands straight, dark eyebrows and sharp eyes, handsome,
active, not a gentleman, wearing his master’s clothes. He’s dead.

Pages 54 to 57
1 Choose the best answer – A, B, C or D
1A 2C 3A 4C 5D 6A

3 Use the word given in capitals at the end of some of the lines to form a word that fits in the
gap in the same line.
Essex - the location of Bly
Essex is a county in the southeast of England. The main 1 ADMINISTRATIVE
headquarters are in the town of Chelmsford. The countryside is quite flat and marshy, especially
in 2 COASTAL areas. Stansted airport is 3 LOCATED in Essex.
Some 4 INTERESTING seaside resorts include Clacton and Southend. Important industries are
5 ENGINEERING and food 6 PROCESSING.

4
4 Adjective Wordsearch. There are ten adjectives from Chapter Three in this wordsearch.
Find the adjectives and match them to the definitions below.
1 beautiful 2 smart 3 kind 4 scared 5 innocent 6 icy 7 heroic 8 infamous 9 aware 10 pale

5a Reported speech. Put these direct sentences into reported speech.

1 “I don’t know this man.” She said she didn’t know that/this man.
2 “He is handsome.” She said he was handsome.
3 “They were both here last year.” She remembered that they had both been/were both here
last year.
4 “The master left Quint in charge.” She said the master had left/left Quint in charge.

5b Now do the same with these direct questions. Remember: the word order is the same as for
affirmative sentences.
1 “Did Flora tell you this?” She asked whether Flora had told me this.
2 “How do you know?” She asked how I knew.
3 “How can you be sure? She asked how I could be sure.

Pages 66 to 69
1 Who did/said these things in Chapter Four?
1 C 2 D 3 B 4 C 5 C 6 B 7 B 8 C 9 C 10 C 11 A 12 B

2 Use your dictionary to help you. Which of these is the odd one out? Give your reasons.
1 stink: it’s negative, the others are positive
2 groom: the rest are all teachers
3 dawn: the rest are in the evening, dawn is in the morning
4 warm: the rest are all cold
5 gloomy: gloomy is dark, the others are light

3a Adjectives and prepositions. Complete these sentences with a preposition from the box.
1 The governess was very proud of not contacting the children’s uncle.
2 Mrs Grose was ready to believe the governess.
3 Miles was very good at playing the piano.
4 The governess was suspicious of the children’s behaviour.
5 She was responsible for looking after the children.
6 The children were keen on acting.

5
5 Read this summary of the story so far and decide which answer (A, B, C or D) best fits each gap.
The main action in The Turn of the Screw is (1) set in Bly, a house in the English countryside. The
story (2) involves two orphaned children, Flora and Miles who are being looked (3) after by a
new governess. Most of the story is told from the governess’s point of (4) view. The governess
is young and it is her first job, as well as her first time away from home. The governess is very
protective of the children. She (5) initially sees them as beautiful and innocent, although later
she begins to be suspicious of them. The main (6) reason for her suspicion is that she believes
they are communicating with the spirits of two people: their former governess and a servant,
both of whom are dead. The governess and Mrs Grose, the housekeeper at Bly, talk about these
events, (7) although Mrs Grose has not seen the spirits herself. At this stage of the story, the
governess is sleeping very badly and is disturbed by (8) frequent meetings with the ghosts.

6 Conjunctions. Complete the sentences with a conjunction from the box. More than one answer
is sometimes possible.
1 Mrs Grose had spoken to Miles despite/in spite of Miss Jessel’s anger.
2 The governess walks towards the ghost although/even though she is afraid.
3 The governess doesn’t go to church in case the ghost comes for Miles.
4 The governess describes the ghost so/in case Mrs Grose recognizes him.
5 The governess accepted the job at Bly despite/in spite of her doubts.
6 Mrs Grose defends Miles although/even though he has been expelled.

Pages 78 to 81
1 Answer the questions about Chapter Five.
1 Why does Miles say he went into the garden?
He wanted the governess to think he was bad.
2 According to the governess, who is controlling the children?
The ghosts (Quint and Miss Jessel).
3 Why is the governess afraid of Mrs Grose?
She is afraid that Mrs Grose will disturb the children’s uncle.
4 What season is it now?
Autumn.
5 What question does Miles ask the governess?
He asks when he can go back to school.
6 What does the governess tell Miles about his uncle?
That she doesn’t think his uncle cares very much.

3a Modal Verbs. Match the sentence in Box A with a meaning from Box B.
Box A Box B
He ought to be here! It’s his duty
He must come here! There is no alternative
He needn’t come here! It is not necessary
He has to come here! There is no alternative
He doesn’t need to come here! It is not necessary
He mustn’t come here! There is no alternative

3b Choose the correct alternative to make these sentences true to the text.
1 Mrs Grose thinks the governess ought to to write to the uncle.
2 She also thinks the uncle must take the children away.
3 The governess tells Mrs Grose she has to tell the uncle.
4 The children think they ought to write to their uncle
5 Miles says his uncle has to come to Bly.

6
4 Make and Let. Complete the sentences with the correct form of make for obligation or let for
permission.
1 The governess makes/made Mrs Grose keep quiet.
2 The governess won’t let the children talk about the past.
3 Miles makes/made the governess listen to him.
4 The governess lets/let Miles go into church alone.
5 The governess doesn’t make the children study hard.
6 The children make/made the governess talk about her past.
7 Mrs Grose lets/let the governess make all the important decisions.

6 Three-part Phrasal Verbs. Read the dictionary definitions then complete the sentences with
the correct three-part phrasal verbs.
1 The governess was not looking forward to her next encounter with the ghosts.
2 Miles did not want to put up with being educated at home for much longer.
3 The governess is looking back on her past experiences as a governess at Bly.
4 Miles stood up for/stands up for himself by arguing with the governess.

7 Listen to the beginning of Chapter Six. Are these statements true or false?
1 False 2 True 3 True 4 False 5 True 6 False 7 False 8 True

Pages 90 to 93
1 Answer the questions, true (T) or false (F). Correct the false answers.
1 False (She decides not to follow him into church) 2 False (He asks when he can go back to
school) 3 True 4 False (She is very happy that the governess is going to write) 5 True 6 False
(Miles wants his uncle to come to Bly) 7 False (She asks him to help her to save him) 8 False
(The governess has written the letter – Mrs Grose can’t read or write) 9 True 10 False (The
governess and Mrs Grose go to look for Flora)

3 In Chapter Six, the governess says “I knew I had gone too far”, meaning that she had been too
extreme. Put the right form of these expressions using go into the sentences below. Use your
dictionary to help you.
1 I can’t do my maths homework. Pete has gone off with my book.
2 She bought 300 cakes for a party with 150 guests. She went over the top.
3 He was really tired. He had been on the go all day.
4 I want the business to succeed. I really w ant to make a go of it.
5 I think the head teacher was unfair. She really had a go at me for being late.
6 I’d like to have a go at hang-gliding. It looks fun!

4 Use your dictionary to help you. Which of these is the odd one out? Give your reasons.
1 library: it’s not a place of worship 2 similar: it means the opposite of all the others
3 remove: it means ‘take away’ 4 whisper: all the other ways of speaking use noise
5 moonlight: it’s the only form of natural light

5 Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first sentence, using
the word given. Do not change the word given. You must use between two and five words,
including the word given.
1 The ghosts weren’t as frightening as I’d expected.
2 The children’s uncle won’t know unless you write the letter.
3 We had/’d better look for Flora.
4 The governess told Flora not to put out the candle.
5 She refused to wear her hat

7
6 Confusing words. What’s the difference between the following words? Use your dictionary to
help you.
shade: if you are in the shade you aren’t in the sun. There isn’t any shade at night.
shadow: your shadow is the shape you see on the ground when there is a light behind you – you
can make a shadow at night

carefree: without any worries or problems

careless: not careful

cooker: a machine for cooking

cook: a person who cooks

lend: give something to someone for a temporary period – the bank often lends money to
people
borrow: take something from someone for a temporary period – when people want to buy a
house they often borrow money from the bank

a water glass: a glass used for water

a glass of water: a glass with water in it

6b Choose the correct alternative in the sentences below.

1 I was boiling hot, so I stood in the shade of an old oak tree.
2 I felt liberated. I was completely carefree.
3 That zabaglione was perfect. He really is a very good cook.
4 I’m going to have to borrow the money from the bank.
5 She poured me an ice-cold glass of water.

Pages 102 to 105

1 Answer the questions about Chapter Seven
1 The governess’s attitude to Flora has changed. How does she describe Flora now?
She says Flora is sometimes not a child but an old, old woman
2 What does Flora do when she sees the governess and Mrs Grose?
She waits for them to go to her and she smiles and smiles
3 Can Flora or Mrs Grose see the ghost of Miss Jessel at the lake?
No/They say they can’t
4 What does the governess do when Mrs Grose and Flora set off back to the house?
She throws herself on the ground and cries.
5 Who comes to join the governess in the schoolroom?
Miles
6 Where did Flora spend the night?
With Mrs Grose.
7 How is Flora the next morning?
She’s ill (she has a fever).
8 Where does the governess tell Mrs Grose to take Flora?
To her uncle/To London.
9 Why does the governess want to stay at Bly with Miles?
She wants to try to get his trust so he will tell her about school.
10 Was the governess’s letter sent to London?
No – Luke went to look for it but it wasn’t there – Miles took it.
11 Why does the governess think Miles was sent away from school?
For stealing.

2 Who am I? Write the name of the character next to the description.

1 I am the governess 2 I am Miles 3 I am Miss Jessel

8
3 Use the word given in capitals at the end of some of the lines to form a word that fits in the
gap in the same line.
Henry James was born in New York City, in 1843. He was of both Scottish and Irish 1 DESCENT.
James went to Harvard to study law, although he didn’t really have a 2 LEGAL mind. He started
to write literary views and he soon gained a reputation for 3 BRILLIANCE. He moved to London
in 1876. He wrote many plays and novels although, to his 4 DISAPPOINTMENT the plays were
generally 5 UNSUCCESSFUL. James eventually became known as the master of the
6 PSYCHOLOGICAL novel.

4 There are a lot of references to legal language in Chapter Seven. Match the words in the box
to the definitions below.
1 A person who has seen a crime is a witness to that crime.
2 A person who must decide something is a judge.
3 Proof is the noun. The verb is prove.
4 Someone who has committed a crime is guilty of that crime.
5 To convict someone of a crime, the court needs evidence.
6 To say that someone has done something wrong is to accuse/accusing someone.
7 To say that you have done something wrong is to admit/admitting something.
8 You have the right to defend yourself, if someone says you have committed a crime.

7b Now listen to the beginning of Chapter Eight and check your answers.
1 False (They leave the same morning) 2 False 3 False (There weren’t any more lessons)
4 True 5 True 6 False (He’s not in the least worried by events)

Pages 116 to 117

1 Answer the questions about Chapter Eight. Support your answers with evidence from the text.
1 How does the governess describe her feelings after Mrs Grose and Flora have left for London?
I missed her greatly and I began to realize what I was facing. I was alone against the elements.
The maids and men could not help, they simply looked blank a little confused at events, so
I became very grand and very dry. All I could do was to hold on to the helm to avoid a total
wreck. I wandered around the house, appearing firm, but I paraded with a sick heart.
2 How does the governess think Miles is feeling?
Miles was obviously unconcerned.
3 Why, in your opinion, does the governess feel it necessary to show her “high status”?
various answers are possible
4 The governess tells Miles why she has decided to stay with him. What explanation does she give?
‘I don’t mind spending time with you, dear child. I enjoy it greatly, although you are free not to
spend time with me. Why else would I stay?’
5 Why did Miles take the letter?
He wanted to see what the governess said about him.
6 According to Miles, why was he expelled?
Because he ‘said things’ to people he shouldn’t have ‘said things’ to.
7 Who sees the ghost of Peter Quint at the window? Miles, the governess, or both of them?
The governess
8 What were Miles’s last words before he died?
‘Peter Quint – you devil!’ He looked around the room again. ‘Where?’

Page 119
Name: Henry James
Date of birth: 15th April 1843
Occupation: Writer
Place of birth: New York City
Number of novels written: 20
First novel: Watch and Ward
Date of The Turn of the Screw: 1898
Reason he became a British citizen: to protest at America’s refusal to enter World War One.
Date of death: February 1916
9
Page 126
1 Answer the questions about The Turn of the Screw.
1 Who reads the governess’s story and who does he read it to?
Douglas – to friends at a country house.
2 The story is set in Bly. What do we know about Bly?
It’s a large country house in the south of England. It’s got a large garden. Part of the house is
old and part of it is modern.
3 What is the uncle’s main condition for employing a governess?
That she won’t bother him about the children.
4 What is the governess’s first impression of Flora?
That she’s beautiful and angelic.
5 Where does the governess first see a ghost?
At the top of the tall tower.
6 What reason does Miles give for going into the garden at night?
He wants to show the governess he can be bad.
7 Who were Peter Quint and Miss Jessel?
Quint was the master’s valet (servant). Miss Jessel was the former governess.
8 After what event does Flora become ill?
When the governess asks her about seeing Miss Jessel’s ghost at the lake.
9 In the final scene, what happens to Miles?
He dies.

2 Find a word in English for these definitions. The words are all from the glossary.
1 The times in the year when children are at school - term time
2 To walk around without any special destination in mind - to wander
3 Evening, before the sky is completely dark - twilight
4 To invent a story - to make something up
5 To make someone or something go away - to get rid of
6 To say no by turning your head left and right - to shake one’s head

10