Silas Marner

George Eliot
1 Are these sentences true (T) or false (F)?
a

Silas was born in Raveloe.

Silas stole money from the Light Street chapel.

Silas knew how to make simple medicines.

Dunstan and Godfrey were brothers.

Dunstan stole Godfreys horse.

Silas went to church every Sunday.

Eppie was Dunstans daughter.

Godfrey wanted to adopt Eppie.

Godfrey married twice.

The Casses went to Eppies wedding.

Look at these two pictures and answer the questions.

a In picture 1 the man on the left is ............... .

b In picture 1 the man on the right is ............... .
c Which of these two men is older? ...............
d In picture 2 the man is ............... .
e In picture 2 the woman is ............... .
Match a number from A with a letter from B to make complete sentences.

3
A
1

Silas lived alone ...

Aaron and Eppie lived with Silas ...

Silas was a rich man ...

Silass neighbours were suspicious of him ...

Godfrey couldnt marry Nancy ...

B
a ... until Molly was dead.
b ... before he became poor like them.
c ... after they got married.
d ... until his gold was stolen.
e ... until he found Eppie.

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 4

4 Fill in the gaps, using these words: morning, dead, bedroom, knife, chapel, ill, lots, fit, money,
family.
One night, one of the chapel leaders was ............... . He had no ..............., and Silas was sitting with
him. At four oclock in the ..............., Silas discovered that the man was ............... . He thought that
he had not noticed before because he had had a ............... . The next morning Silas had to go to
the ............... . The ............... which was in the dead mans ..............., had gone, and Silass ...............
was found by the bed. They drew ............... to decide what had happened.
5 Complete the following sentences using information from the story.
a Dunstan stole Wildfire, but during the hunt the horse ...
.....................................................................
b Silas needed the door key to cook his meat so he ...
.....................................................................
c Dunstan knew that Silas was rich so he ...
.....................................................................
d When Silas got to the public house he looked like ...
.....................................................................
e Silass gold was found again when ...
.....................................................................

Setting
Choose the best answer.
1 The story of Silas Marner is set in the quiet villages of England in the _____ century.
a [ ] late nineteenth b [ ] early nineteenth c [ ] early eighteenth d [ ] late eighteenth
2 The linen-weavers were small and thin with _____.
a [ ] strong legs b [ ] strong shoulders

c [ ] tired white faces d [ ] dirty hair

3 The villagers said you couldnt trust a man if you didnt know his _____.
a [ ] father or mother b [ ] brother or sister

c [ ] mother or sister d [ ] wife

4 Country people used to be suspicious of all _____.

a [ ] gentlemen and ministers b [ ] strangers and travellers
c [ ] widows and orphans d [ ] landlords and farriers
5 Silas Marner lived near the village of _____.
a [ ] Ravenscroft

b [ ] Raveloe c [ ] Ravenscliffe d [ ] Runnymede

6 The small boys of the village had never heard the sound of a _____ before.
a [ ] loom b [ ] quarry c [ ] dairy d [ ] church
7 The village had a fine old church and a number of _____.
a [ ] small farms

b [ ] large chapels c [ ] large farms

8 In the village Silas began to _____.

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 4

d [ ] small dairies

a [ ] earn less b [ ] work less c [ ] not work d [ ] earn more

9 The most important person in the village was _____.
a [ ] Squire Cass b [ ] Silas Marner c [ ] Mr Macey d [ ] Miss Nancy
10 At night, when he finished his work, Silas spent time with his _____.
a [ ] gold coins b [ ] friends c [ ] family d [ ] wife
20 marks
Characters
Choose the best answer.
11 In his childhood, Silas had been taught by his mother to _____.
a [ ] earn lots of money b [ ] weave c [ ] make simple medicines d [ ] make gold
12 Silas had been engaged to a young woman called
_____.
a [ ] Sarah b [ ] Samantha

c [ ] Nancy d [ ] Sally

13 Silas never _____ his neighbours unless it was necessary for his work.
a [ ] talked to b [ ] listened to c [ ] looked at d [ ] went to church with
14 Two of Squire Casss sons were called _____.
a [ ] William and Godfrey b [ ] Godfrey and Dunstan
c [ ] Dunstan and William

d [ ] Godfrey and Jem

15 Silass gold coins were stolen by _____.

a [ ] Godfrey b [ ] Dunstan c [ ] William d [ ] Jem
16 Jem Rodney was the local _____.
a [ ] poacher b [ ] butcher c [ ] farrier d [ ] minister
17 John Bryce had agreed to buy _____ from Dunstan.
a [ ] the dairy b [ ] the cottage c [ ] the quarry d [ ] the horse
18 Dolly Winthrop was worried about _____.
a [ ] Silass gold coins b [ ] Silass absence from church
c [ ] Silass loom d [ ] Silass cottage
19 Dolly had a _____.
a [ ] son called Aaron b [ ] son called William
c [ ] daughter called Nancy d [ ] daughter called Molly
20 Eppies mother and father were _____.
a [ ] Nancy and Godfrey b [ ] Dunstan and Molly
c [ ] Godfrey and Molly d [ ] Nancy and Dunstan
Dialogue

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 4

Who said this?

21 God knows I did not steal the money.
a [ ] Silas b [ ] the minister

c [ ] William Dane d [ ] Sarah

22 Perhaps Ill go to the Squire now and confess everything to him.

a [ ] Dunstan b [ ] Godfrey c [ ] Silas d [ ] William
23 Ill throw this glass at you if you accuse me of stealing your money!
a [ ] Jem b [ ] Silas c [ ] the farrier d [ ] the butcher
24 Now, if you know where Dunstans hiding I expect you do tell him he neednt come home.
a [ ] the Squire b [ ] Godfrey c [ ] Silas d [ ] the landlord
25 You could make Sunday different from the other days, you know, by washing yourself, and
cooking a little piece of meat, and going to church.
a [ ] Nancy b [ ] Priscilla c [ ] Dolly d [ ] Molly
26 Any woman with a good father and a good home had better stay single.
a [ ] Priscilla b [ ] Dolly c [ ] Nancy d [ ] Sarah
27 Its not very kind of you to be sorry youve danced with me.
a [ ] Dunstan b [ ] Silas c [ ] Dr Kimble d [ ] Godfrey
28 Ive come for the doctor. Theres a woman dead, I think near my cottage.
a [ ] Godfrey b [ ] Silas c [ ] the Squire d [ ] the landlord
29 Father, if I get married, do you think I should wear my mothers ring?
a [ ] Nancy b [ ] Priscilla c [ ] Eppie d [ ] Molly
30 Can you ever forgive me for what Ive done, Nancy?
a [ ] Silas b [ ] the Squire c [ ] Dunstan d [ ] Godfrey
Vocabulary
Choose the best answer.
31 a small, simple house, usually in the country
a [ ] chapel b [ ] dairy c [ ] cottage d [ ] house
32 to play games of chance for money
a [ ] gamble

b [ ] drain c [ ] blush d [ ] draw lots

33 someone who puts new shoes on horses

a [ ] pedlar b [ ] poacher

c [ ] farrier

d [ ] minister

34 feeling strongly that someone or something is useless

a [ ] scornful b [ ] suspicious c [ ] cheerful

d [ ] bitter

35 to walk with uncertain steps

a [ ] hunt b [ ] weave c [ ] toddle d [ ] confess
36 a song usually sung at Christmas

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 4

a [ ] curl b [ ] carol c [ ] cottage

d [ ] chapel

37 to tell the truth about something you have done wrong

a [ ] confess b [ ] gamble c [ ] trust d [ ] drain
38 something you feel you have to do because it is right
a [ ] duty b [ ] confess c [ ] blush d [ ] forgive
39 a place where stone, sand etc. are taken out of the ground
a [ ] pile b [ ] service c [ ] porridge

d [ ] quarry

40 a machine for weaving cloth

a [ ] linen b [ ] loom c [ ] orphan d [ ] weave
Plot
Choose the best answer.
41 Silas had come to the village _____ years before.
a [ ] twenty b [ ] fifteen c [ ] five

d [ ] sixteen

42 Godfrey had secretly married _____.

a [ ] Molly b [ ] Nancy c [ ] Dolly d [ ] Priscilla
43 After his gold was stolen Silas went to the _____ to get help.
a [ ] public house b [ ] church c [ ] dairy d [ ] chapel
44 Silas thought it felt _____ to talk to his neighbours and tell them his problems.
a [ ] wrong b [ ] exciting c [ ] strange and pleasant d [ ] mad
45 The New Years Eve dance was at _____.
a [ ] the Red House b [ ] the church c [ ] the Rainbow d [ ] the Dairy
46 Silas found the little girl in _____.
a [ ] the quarry b [ ] his cottage c [ ] the church d [ ] the snow
47 Silas called the girl Eppie, which had been his _____ name.
a [ ] mothers b [ ] big sisters c [ ] wifes d [ ] little sisters
48 Dunstans body was found _____.
a [ ] in the old quarry b [ ] in the snow c [ ] in the cottage d [ ] at the Red House
49 _____ wanted to adopt Eppie.
a [ ] Godfrey and Nancy b [ ] Dolly and Aaron
c [ ] Nancy and Priscilla

d [ ] Molly and Godfrey

50 Eppie was married in a white wedding dress bought for her by _____.
a [ ] Silas b [ ] Nancy c [ ] Priscilla d [ ] Dolly

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 4

Silas Marner
1 a F
b F
c T
d T
e F
f F
g F
h T
i T
j F

Oxford Bookworms Library Stage 4

2 a Godfrey
b Dunstan
c Godfrey
d Silas
e Eppie
3 1 e
2 c
3 d
4 b
5 a
4 ill, family, morning, dead, fit, chapel, money, bedroom, knife, lots
5 a was killed/died.
b left the door unlocked.
c looked for the gold.
d a ghost.
e the quarry went dry.

Silas Marner
Setting
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Characters
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Dialogue
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Vocabulary
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Plot
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