Mr Winkle Prepares for Skating from The Pickwick Papers by Charles Dickens (adapted from Secondary Certificate English textbook)
Old Wardle led the way to a pretty large sheet of ice and the fat boy and Mr Weller, having shovelled and swept away the snow which had fallen on it during the night, Mr Bob Sawyer adjusted his skates with a dexterity which to Mr Winkle was perfectly marvellous, and described circles with his left leg and cut figures of eight, and inscribed upon the ice, without once stopping for breath, a great many other pleasant and astonishing devices, to the excessive satisfaction of Mr Pickwick, Mr Tupman and the ladies…
All this time, Mr Winkle, with his face and hands blue with cold, had been forcing a gimlet into the soles of his feet, and putting his skates on, with the points behind, and getting the straps into a very complicated and entangled state, with the assistance of Mr Snodgrass, who knew rather less about skate than a Hindoo. At length, however, with the assistance of Mr Weller, the unfortunate skates were firmly screwed and buckled on, and Mr Winkle was raised to his feet.
“Now then, Sir,” said Sam, in an encouraging tone; “off with you, and show ‘em how to do it.”
“Stop, Sam, stop!” said Mr Winkle, trembling violently, and clutching hold of Sam’s arms with the grasp of a drowning man. “How slippery it is, Sam!”
“Not an uncommon thing on the ice, sir,” replied Mr Weller. “Hold up, sir!”
This last observation of Mr Weller’s bore reference to a demonstration Mr Winkle made at the instant, of a frantic desire to throw his feet in the air, and dash the back of head on the ice…
“Now, Winkle,” cried Mr Pickwick, quite unconscious that there was anything the matter. “Come; the ladies are all anxiety.”
“Yes, yes,” replied Mr Winkle, with a ghastly smile. “I’m coming.”
1. Give a word or short phrase that could be used her in place of each of the following: dexterity, inscribed, devices, observation, unconscious (5)
2. Explain why Mr Snodgrass’s knowledge of skates should be compared with that of a Hindoo. (1)
3. Give a word or phrase explaining the force of the adjective in each of the following: Excessive satisfaction, unfortunate skates, ghastly smile (3)
4. What technique is being used in the “clutching hold of Sam with the grasp of a drowning man” and how is it effective? (3)
5. Explain briefly what Mr Pickwick meant when he said “the ladies are all anxiety”. (1)
6. Why might you find Mr Winkle’s preparations for skating humorous? (2)
Total: (15)
