The railway Children

In this reader you will find:

The Railway Children

Three children go to live in the country. Their house is near a train station. They go there with their mother, but their father isn’t there. The train station is an exciting place. Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis are always there and they do a lot of exciting things.

But there’s one thing that they really want to know.

Where’s their father?

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- Information about Edith Nesbit - A section focusing on background and context - A glossary of difficult words - Comprehension and grammar activities including A1 Movers style exercises and 21st century skills activities - Final test

Stage 1

Edith Nesbit The Railway Children

Edith Nesbit

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TheBook Railwaybrief Children

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The Railway Children is E. Nesbit’s most famous book for children.

The novel shows that Nesbit was ‘the first modern writer for children’ as her stories are about children who have their own adventures in the real world, unlike other books of that period.

The Railway Children was immediately popular with children because they liked the exciting adventures of the three children and the railway.

Spazio

didascalia

When Edith Nesbit wrote about Bobbie, the eldest child in the family, she often thought about her friend, Berta Ruck.

The Railway Children is still popular today as people see it as a very modern children’s story, which teaches us many things about life in the early 1900s and the railway in those days.

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In this reader: 21st Century Skills

Movers

To encourage students to connect the story to the world they live in.

A1 level activities.

Story Notes

A brief summary of the text.

Glossary

Explanation of difficult words.

Picture Caption

A brief explanation of the picture.

Audio

These icons indicate the parts of the story that are recorded.

Think

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To encourage students to develop their critical thinking skills.

The FSC® certification guarantees that the paper used in these publications comes from certified forests, promoting responsible forestry management worldwide.

For this series of ELI graded readers, we have planted 5000 new trees.

Edith Nesbit

The Railway Children Retold and Activities by

Michael Lacey Freeman Illustrated by

Zosia Dzierzawska

Teen

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Contents

6

Main Characters

8

Before you read

10

Chapter 1

18

Activities

20

Chapter 2

28

Activities

30

Chapter 3

38

Activities

40

Chapter 4

48

Activities

50

Chapter 5

58

Activities

60

Chapter 6

70

Activities

72

Focus on... Edith Nesbit

74

Focus on...

The Train in the early 1900s

76

Focus on...

Children in the early 1900s

78

Test yourself

79 Syllabus

A New Home Peter’s Idea The Old Gentleman Stop the Train!

The Big Secret Home Again

Main Characters

Father He does an important job for his country but he also takes time to play with his children.

Bobbie

Phyllis

She’s 14 years old and has to grow up quickly after her father goes away.

8 years old, she wants to know about everything and always asks a lot of questions.

6

Mother She’s always there for her children and tries to make them happy even in difficult times.

Peter 10 years old, he loves trains and wants to be a train driver when he’s older.

The old gentleman 7

He waves at the children from the train and soon he becomes their friend.

Before you read

Grammar 1 Read this part of an email. Complete the email with the verbs

below.

are

changes

enjoy

have

is

leave

live

I’m reading The Railway Children at school. Edith Nesbit wrote this have book in 1906. Do you _________ to read this book at your school? It’s about three children. Their names are Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis.

They (1) _________ in London with their mother and father. But one day, everything (2) _________ . They (3) _________ London with their mother. At first, the children are sad to leave their home.

They don’t know that their new house (4) _________ near a railway station. In 1905, trains (5) _________ exciting and railway stations are interesting places. 100 years ago, children didn’t travel on trains very often. The children in the story (6) _________ themselves.

This is why they become the Railway Children.

21st Century Skills

Speaking and Writing

2 The children in this story have to go and live in a house near

a railway station. Discuss these questions with a partner and write your answers.

1 Where do you live? In a town, a city or in the countryside? ________________________________________________ 2 Do you like where you live? Why / Why not? ________________________________________________ 3 What’s your house like? How many rooms are there? ________________________________________________ 4 Who do you live with? ________________________________________________ 5 What can be difficult about going to live in a new place you don’t know? ________________________________________________

8

Reading and Writing

MOVERS

3 These words are all in Chapter 1. Look at the pictures and choose

the correct word for each definition.

railway station

fire

kitchen

hill

bedroom

dining room

candle

toy train

1 2 3 4 5

candle You use this to see when it’s dark _________ You catch a train here _________ A room is warm if it has one of these _________ Some people eat their dinner here _________ This is where you cook _________ This is where you sleep _________

Listening 2 4 Listen to the start of Chapter 1 and circle the words you hear.

They wasn’t / weren’t always the Railway Children. At first they were just Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis; three children who lived in a big house (1) at / in London. They didn’t get the train very often. They (2) didn’t / doesn’t know much about the railway then. Bobbie was 14 years old. She was a kind girl, and she always tried to help (3) people / persons. Then there was Peter. One day, he wanted (4) being / to be a train driver. Phyllis (5) was / were 8 years old, and very curious.

9

Chapter 1

A New Home 2

The children’s mother is always there for them.

She helps them with their school work and reads them stories.

Their father works hard, but always has time to play with the children.

They weren’t always the Railway Children. At first they were just Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis; three children who lived in a big house in London.

They didn’t get the train very often. They didn’t know much about the railway1 then. Bobbie was 14 years old. She was a kind2 girl, and she always tried to help people. Then there was Peter. One day, he wanted to be a train driver. And Phyllis was 8 years old, and very curious3.

The children lived in a beautiful house, with their mother and father. Mother was always there.

She helped them with their school work. And she read them stories. Father did an important job for his country. He had a lot to do. But after work, he always had time to play with the children.

Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis were very happy. So, how did these children become the Railway Children?

The story starts on a very important day.

It was Peter’s birthday. He was ten years old.

1

railway where you can find trains and stations kind nice, good 3 curious when you ask a lot of questions 2

10

The Railway Children

He had a very nice party. There was a lot of good food, and nice games to play, but what Peter really wanted was a toy1 train for his birthday and that’s what he got. It was a beautiful train. He played with it all day. In the evening, Bobbie went into Peter’s bedroom. She wanted to say happy birthday again.

‘Are you playing with your train?’ she asked.

‘No, look! It’s broken2 .’ Peter tried not to cry3 .

I’m a big boy now and big boys don’t cry,’ he thought.

‘Don’t worry,’ said Bobbie. ‘Father is coming home now for dinner. He can help you.’

At dinner, Peter waited. I can’t ask my father now, he thought. I must wait, and ask him when he finishes his dinner. But please finish dinner soon!

When the family finished eating, Peter couldn’t wait another minute. ‘Father, look at my train!

What can I do?’

‘Don’t worry Peter’, said Father. ‘Let’s look at it together.’

‘Together!’ said Peter.

‘Yes, me, you, Bobbie and Phyllis,’ said Father.

1

toy something that children play with broken look at what Peter has in his hand in the picture on

page 13. It’s broken 3 to cry you do this when you’re very sad 2

11

Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis live with their mother and father in London and they’re very happy. Peter gets a toy train for his birthday but he breaks it and he’s sad.

Edith Nesbit

Peter’s father says they can all help Peter with the broken train, but then two men come to the door and their father has to go away with them.

‘But they’re girls!’ said Peter.

‘Girls are clever too, you know,’ said Father.

At that moment, there was a knock1 at the door.

‘Who can that be?’ said Father. ‘It’s very late.

Stay in the dining room, children.’ Mother and Father went to open the door. The children waited in the dining room. They were very curious.

‘Who is it?’ asked Bobbie. ‘It’s strange2 . People don’t usually come to visit in the evening.’

‘I want to listen,’ said Phyllis.

So, Phyllis went near the door and tried to listen. She couldn’t hear everything.

‘There are two men with Father. They’re in the kitchen. Father is talking,’ said Phyllis. ‘He’s not happy. I can hear more now…They’re going outside.

Yes, that’s it, now the men are leaving. I don’t know if Father is with them. Yes, they’re leaving.’

Phyllis went back to the table, but only Mother came back into the dining room.

‘Go to bed now children,’ said Mother. ‘It’s late.’

‘But what about my train?’ said Peter.

1

to knock (at the door) you do this when you want someone to open the door for you 2 strange something that you don’t often see or hear is strange

12

>

Peter can’t wait for dinner to finish so that his father can help him with his broken train.

Edith Nesbit

Next morning, their mother isn’t there.

She comes home in the evening and tells them that their father can’t come back home for a long time.

She doesn’t say why and she doesn’t want the children to ask any questions.

‘Father isn’t here,’ said Mother. ‘He had to go to work.’

‘That’s strange,’ said Bobbie. ‘Why does Father have to go to work now? It’s late’.

The children said goodnight to their mother, and they went to bed.

The next morning, the children were ready for their breakfast, but they didn’t have breakfast with Mother or Father. They weren’t there, but their Aunt Emma was in the kitchen.

First, Father isn’t here. And now Mother. What’s happening? thought Phyllis. Aunt Emma is here. She doesn’t tell us stories. She doesn’t help us with our school work. She’s got no time for children.

Mother didn’t come home all day. The children went to school. When they came back, there was only Aunt Emma. In the evening, Mother came home. She sat down, and then she said: ‘Now my dear children, I want to tell you something. It’s bad news1. Father can’t come back home for a long time. I’m very worried about this, so, you must help me. You must be good.

Please don’t ask me any questions. Don’t worry.

Everything will be fine in the end.’

1

news new information

14

The Railway Children

In their bedroom, the children couldn’t sleep.

‘What’s happening? Bobbie, can you speak to Mother?’ asked Peter.

‘No! We mustn’t ask questions. Mother must have a good reason1 for not telling us. We promised2 to be good, remember? It’s something about father’s job. We have to wait. We can’t do anything now.’

After that, Mother often went out and Aunt Emma stayed with the children. One evening, Mother came home late. She was very tired.

‘Now, my children,’ said Mother. ‘We’re leaving this house. We’re going to a new house. It’s called “Three Chimneys”. You’ll love it. I know you’ll love it.’

‘Everything is changing,’ thought Bobbie.

‘What next?’

‘Can I take my toy train?’ asked Peter.

‘Yes,’ said Mother. ‘But we can’t take everything with us. “Three Chimneys” is small.’

The children were worried. Where was this new house and how small was it?

A week later, they were on the train to begin their new life. At first, the children enjoyed looking out of the train window but soon they were tired.

1

reason why somebody does something to promise to say that you are going to do something

2

15

Their mother tells the children that they’re going to a new house called “Three Chimneys”.

She says they’ll love it.

Peter wants to take his toy train.

Mother agrees but says the new house is small, so they can’t take everything with them.

Edith Nesbit

They travel for a long time on the train and when they see they house they don’t like it at all. It’s cold, dark and there’s even a rat!

After many hours, the train arrived1. They got off the train and looked around2 . They couldn’t see very much. They were cold, tired and hungry and it was very dark.

‘We have to walk now,’ said Mother. So they walked. They saw a lot of farms and then, they saw a hill.3 ‘Where’s the house?’ asked Peter.

‘It’s up this hill,’ said Mother.

And so, they went up the hill, then they saw a house.

‘Look! There it is,’ said Mother.

They opened the door. It was very dark and cold inside. Mother had a candle4 , so they began to see more and more.

‘I can see some things now,’ said Phyllis. ‘There’s a table … and I can see some chairs. But there’s not much in the room. There’s a place for a fire5, but there’s no coal6. That’s why it’s very cold.’

‘What’s that noise?’ asked Bobbie.

‘It’s only a rat7,’ said Mother.

‘A rat!’ said the children, all together.

Think

Would you like to go and live in a new house?

1

arrive come to a place to look around to look everywhere 3 hill 4 candle look at what Mother has in her hand in the picture on page 17 2

16

5

fire

6

coal

7

rat

>

With the light from the candle in Mother’s hand, the children can see that there isn’t much in the room and they’re not very happy with their new house.

After-reading Activities • Chapter 1

Speaking 1 Talk to a partner about the pictures on

pages 13 and 17 and answer these questions.

21st Century Skills

1 How many people are there in each picture?

2 Where do you think their father is now?

3 How do you think the children are feeling in each picture?

4 Which picture do you prefer? Why? 5 Do you think it’s right that their mother doesn’t want the

children to ask any questions? Why / Why not?

6 Do you think it’s right to talk about problems all together in a family? Why / Why not?

Writing 2aPut the words in the correct order to make questions. a b c d e f

is Father Where? Where ____________________________ is Father coming back When? When ___________________ at work Father Why is? Why _________________________ you playing your train with Are? Are ____________________ is house new Where the? Where _______________________ take Can toy train I my? Can __________________________

2bNow match the answers with the right questions.

1 2 3 4 5 6

■ ■ ■ ■ ■ a ■

It’s near a railway station.

I don’t know.

No, it’s broken.

Yes, but you can’t take too many things.

He has a lot of things to do.

He’s at work.

18

Reading and Writing

MOVERS

3 Choose the correct word for each sentence.

Her name was Roberta but everyone called her Bobbie.

called named told

1 Mother always told the children _______. goodnight breakfast stories

2 After dinner, some _______ visited Father. person people man

3 When Father left, the children wanted to _______ Mother some questions. ask say do

4 Near the railway station there _______ farms. was had were

5 In the new house, Phyllis could see a table and _______ chairs. any some no

Grammar 4 Complete the sentences. Put the verbs in brackets in the past tense.

was There (be) _________ a knock at the door. The children (1) (wait) _________ in the dining room. They (2) (be) _________very curious. Some men (3) (go) _________ into the kitchen. Father (4) (talk) _________ to them. He (5) (not be) _________ very happy. Phyllis (6) (listen) _________ near the door. Then the men (7) (leave) _________ with Father.

Before-reading Activity

Listening 4 5 Listen to track 4 of Chapter 2. What can’t the children eat?

Then find out why Mother says this.

1 ■ bread and jam

2 ■ bread with jam and butter

19

3 ■ bread with butter

Focus on...

Edith Nesbit Edith Nesbit British author and poet, born 15 August 1858 in Surrey near London.

1858

Family Her father died when Edith was only 4 years old and her sister was often ill.

Home She was never in one place for a long time because her sister was ill, so it was difficult for her to go to school and she usually studied at home where she read a lot.

Early works She first wrote poems to get money for her family, then books like The Prophet’s Mantle (1885) and The Marden Mystery (1896), but not many people read them.

Personal life She met her husband Hubert Bland, a writer, when she was nineteen.

1885

72

Famous for her books for children which she started writing in 1899. Children loved these books such as, The Adventures of the Treasure Seekers (1899) Five Children and It (1902) and, of course, The Railway Children (1906).

1899

1924

Died in 1924 and buried in the churchyard of St Mary in the Marsh, a village in Kent, Britain.

Did you know?

There are two Railway Children films, one from 1970 and the other from 2000..

When Edith Nesbit wrote about Bobbie, she often thought about a friend. Her name was Berta Ruck.

There is a group called The Railway Children which helps children who don’t have a home.

73

Southend-on-Sea is about 50 miles from London

Focus on...

The Train in the early 1900s Phyllis: To be so near a train, and to see all of it. Usually, at the station you can’t see all of the train at the same time. I want to go to the station now. What do you think?

A train journey in the 1900s was important and exciting for children. This is why the Railway Children always want to go to the station or near the tunnel. They have a lot of fun there.

Children at this time didn’t often go on the train. A train was something different and new.

Many people in those times didn’t

have enough money for a holiday.

Children in London, for example, sometimes went to the sea for a day. This is called a day trip. They went to towns like Southend-onSea. They travelled there by train.

74

Waiting for the train

The train journey was part of the fun. Families went to the station. They waited on the platform. There were always lots of people and a lot of noise.

Children bought their sandwiches and waited there to begin their journey.

On the Train

When they got on the train, the journey was quite long.

The train often stopped at different stations. The trains were slow, but for the children of these times, they were fast.

Eight people could sit in each part of the train. Children often looked out of the window. They wanted to be the first to see the sea. When they arrived, porters helped to carry people’s bags. Then the families could enjoy their relaxing day trip on the beach.

The Steam Train

The first trains used steam engines. Look at the picture. You can see one of these trains. A man called Thomas Newcomen made the first steam engine. Then another man, James Watt, made these trains faster. Steam engines also helped to move boats. Big boats, called ships, also used steam engines. The famous ship, ‘The Titanic’ used steam as well. Steam engines used coal, but this was very dirty, and wasn’t very safe.

That’s why many trains now use electricity and not steam.

1 Underline the words that Bobbie, Peter and Phyllis use to describe the train.

clean dangerous dirty fast exciting

new noisy old quiet safe 2 What words do you use to describe trains today?

Are they different?

75

Focus on...

Girls playing hopscotch

Children playing ring-a-roses

Children in the early 1900s What was life like for children in the early 1900s? They certainly didn’t have television, the internet, smart phones, and other things like that.

They did other things to have fun. Life in the family, at school and at work was very different.

Games

Peter loved his toy train, but there were other things that children used to have fun. Children often played a game called ‘marbles’. Marbles are small balls, made of glass. They were different colours. Children played with their marbles in the streets.

Another game was ‘hopscotch’.

Children jumped onto the numbers that you can see in the picture.

They jumped onto numbers 1, 4 and 7 on one leg. And they jumped onto numbers 2 and 7, 5 and 6, and 8 and 9 on two legs.

Home

The family was very important at this time. Children had to do what their mother and father told them to do. Many people thought that boys were better than girls. The most important thing for boys was to find a job. For girls it was important to find a husband. That is why ‘The Railway Children,’ is called the first modern story for children. Do you remember what Father said to Peter in Chapter 1? ‘Girls are clever too.’

Father wanted Bobbie and Phyllis to help with Peter’s train. This was a strange idea at this time.

76

School

When the Railway Children went to live at “Three Chimneys” their mother was their teacher. In London, they went to school. Going to school at this time was free for all children under 12. To go to school after this age was very expensive. When children were 13, they often went to work. Rich children went to schools that cost a lot of money.

Boys playing marbles

Work

Life was difficult for children in this period.

The Railway Children didn’t have to work, but many children worked at a very early age.

Children could go to school until they were 12, but many children didn’t go to school.

They worked because their family needed the money. At 13, all children could work. A poor child could clean the houses of rich people, on the street. Many children worked in factories.

In the book you often see the words ‘Mother’ and ‘Father’ with a capital ‘M’ and a capital ‘F’. Why do you think Edith Nesbit does this?

1 ■ Because capital letters are always used with these words.

2 ■ Because it shows that they’re very important to the children.

3 ■ Because it shows that they’re very old.

77

Test Yourself 1 Choose the correct person for each question. Bobbie (B), Peter (P) Phyllis (Ph).

Who has a toy train and wants to be a train driver one day?

1 Who listens to Father speaking to the two men who come to the house in London?

2 Who decides to take some coal from the station?

3 Who decides to take a sheet from the bed to tell the old gentleman something?

4 Who asks a train driver to look at the toy train?

5 Who tries to speak French to the Russian man?

6 Who stands on the track to stop the train?

7 Who reads the newspaper that speaks about Father?

8 Who sees the boys going into the tunnel?

9 Who stays with Jim in the tunnel?

10 Who sees Father on the platform?

B P Ph 3 ■ ■

■

■ ■ ■ ■

■ ■ ■

■ ■ ■ ■

■ ■ ■ ■

■ ■ ■ ■

■ ■ ■ ■

■ ■ ■ ■

■ ■ ■ ■

2 Complete the conversation with the words from the box. coming

go

know

told

was

worked

know the father of the Railway Children is not Man: ‘Did you ______

guilty?’

Woman: ‘Yes, a friend (1) ______ me this morning.’

Man: ‘The children will be happy.’

Woman: ‘Yes, you’re right. Who (2) ______ guilty then?’

Man: ‘It was another man. He (3) ______ with the Railway

Children’s father.’

Man: ‘Oh, so now he’ll (4) ______ to prison.’

Woman: ‘Yes, and the father is (5) ______ home today.’

78

Syllabus Topics Love Feelings Family Trains Nature Grammar and Structures Simple Present: states and habits Present Continuous: actions in progress Past Simple: regular and irregular forms Can: ability, permission Could: ability in the past Must: obligation Have to: necessity Comparative and superlative adjectives Prepositions (place, time) Pronouns Question words Relative clauses There is / There are Verbs + infinitive / ing Let’s Would like

79

Teen

Readers

Stage 1

Maureen Simpson, In Search of a Missing Friend Charles Dickens, Oliver Twist Geoffrey Chaucer, The Canterbury Tales Janet Borsbey & Ruth Swan, The Boat Race Mystery Lucy Maud Montgomery, Anne of Green Gables Mark Twain, A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court Mark Twain, The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn Angela Tomkinson, Great Friends!

Edith Nesbit, The Railway Children Eleanor H. Porter, Pollyanna Anna Sewell, Black Beauty Kenneth Grahame, The Wind in the Willows

Stage 2

Elizabeth Ferretti, Dear Diary…

Angela Tomkinson, Loving London Mark Twain, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer Mary Flagan, The Egyptian Souvenir Maria Luisa Banfi, A Faraway World Frances Hodgson Burnett, The Secret Garden Robert Louis Stevenson, Treasure Island Elizabeth Ferretti, Adventure at Haydon Point William Shakespeare, The Tempest Angela Tomkinson, Enjoy New York Frances Hodgson Burnett, Little Lord Fauntleroy Michael Lacey Freeman, Egghead Michael Lacey Freeman, Dot to Dot Silvana Sardi, The Boy with the Red Balloon Silvana Sardi, Scotland is Magic!

Silvana Sardi, Garpur: My Iceland Silvana Sardi, Follow your Dreams Gabriele Rebagliati, Naoko: My Japan

Stage 3

Anna Claudia Ramos, Expedition Brazil Charles Dickens, David Copperfield Mary Flagan, Val’s Diary Maureen Simpson, Destination Karminia Anonymous, Robin Hood Jack London, The Call of the Wild Louisa May Alcott, Little Women Gordon Gamlin, Allan: My Vancouver