The 2030 Agenda Goal 17:

17 Goals to change the world for people with disabilities

Mr Rochester is disabled in the fire. He is rich enough to pay people to help him – not everyone is as lucky.

The UN asks us to imagine a world in 2030 where those of us with disabilities are included in every part of life. They want to make sure that “no one is left behind”.

Inclusion is when all people can live as equals. This includes people with disabilities – disabilities that you can see and those that you can’t.

If we are disabled, we can find it difficult to get work. Imagine you are a business owner, how can you improve inclusion for disabled people at work? Read this advice. Then discuss in pairs.

1 Speak to disabled people about problems they meet, then work together to find solutions. What difficulties might disabled people have where you work or study?

2 Find out what is or isn’t possible. Those with disabilities may share some similar experiences or difficulties, but they are individuals with different needs. How could you make sure disabled people are listened to as individuals?

3 Use the right language. Language can make people feel respected. Find out from disabled people what words help and what words don’t.

4 Find solutions! Small changes can make a big difference. For example, can you offer working from home or different working hours? What else could you do?

The world worries about disability more than disabled people do. Warwick Davies, (English actor, born 1970 – disabled and one of the world’s highest paid actors)

‘I have a disability, yes that’s true, but all that really means is I may have to take a slightly different path than you.’ Robert M. Hensel (born 1969, disability campaigner)

Vocabulary

1 Test your knowledge of new vocabulary in this book with this word search.

1 when your cheeks are red with embarrassment, you are…

2 bad and frightening dream

3 two weeks

4 when two things are of the same importance

5 behaving in a good way, opposite of bad/wicked

6 (noun) having power, being strong

7 when you don’t trust someone, you are…

8 strange, not natural

9 letter to a possible employer from people who know you

10 family

11 free to make your own decisions

12 money paid to a person too old to work

13 change what you look like to hide who you are

14 total loss of hope

15 destroyed

16 person who shows their love and care for others

17 feeling of being free

18 terrible, powerful sadness

19 (adjective) very unhappy and sad

20 go to get something / someone

21 angry, not calm

22 when you are not sure about someone or something

Writing and Summarising

2 Write a short description of three characters in this book. Include, where you know it:

• their childhood;

• their relationship to Jane (if any);

• important events in their life;

• their personality;

• what happens to them in the end.

Comprehension and Reviewing

3 Read the text below and answer the questions, giving examples. Ten-year-old Jane lives with her unkind Aunt Reed until she is sent to a terrible school. Many of the girls there, including Jane’s friend Helen, become ill and die. At 18, Jane starts work as a governess at Thornfield Hall, which is owned by Mr Rochester. Jane falls in love with him, and after saving his life in a fire, thinks he might love her too. One night a visitor, Richard Mason, is attacked in the house. After that, Mr Rochester and Jane agree to marry, but just before the wedding a woman comes into Jane’s room and tears her veil.

On the wedding day, Jane learns that Mr Rochester is already married – to Richard’s sister Bertha. Jane runs away and lives with Diana, Mary and St John Rivers until her uncle John dies and leaves her his money. She goes back to Thornfield. It has been burned down by Bertha. Bertha is dead, and Mr Rochester has been disabled. Jane and he get married, and have a child.

1 What do you think about Jane’s life with the Reeds at Gateshead?

2 What do you think about Jane’s time at Lowood School?

3 What is Jane’s life like at Thornfield?

4 Why do you think Mr Rochester falls in love with Jane?

5 In what ways does Jane change during this story?

Reading and Listening

4 First, read these questions and the 4 possible answers below. Then listen to the recording from Chapter 8 twice. While listening, choose the correct answer A, B, C or D for questions 1-5 only. The first one has been done for you. There is only one correct answer. After the second listening, you will have time to check your answers.

0 When Jane saw Thornfield again, …

A she worried about what to say to Mr Rochester.

B it had recently burned down.

C she asked someone who was living there what had happened.

D ✔ there was nothing left of the house, it was a ruin.

1 Jane had to go back to the village inn, because…

A the house was destroyed, with grass growing inside.

B she could not understand what had happened.

C the house was empty and no one was living there to ask.

D she was tired after the shock of finding the house destroyed.

2 The innkeeper was able to tell Jane what had happened because…

A he had known Mr Rochester when he was a boy.

B he went to the house while it was on fire.

C she both wanted and didn’t want to hear about the fire.

D she was not from the area.

3 Mr Rochester was badly hurt because…

A the governess had disappeared.

B he stayed in the house trying to help everyone escape.

C he was so in love with the woman he wanted to marry.

D he wanted to put his own life in danger.

4 Mr Rochester went up onto the roof…

A because the flames were too high inside the house.

B because he remembered Jane going up there with Mrs Fairfax.

C to try to stop the fire.

D to try and save his wife, Bertha Mason.

5 Mr Rochester got hurt…

A because the fire had made the house unsafe.

B because he couldn’t save Bertha.

C because Bertha was shouting.

D because he saw a figure on the roof.