Robinson Crusoe

- Information about Daniel Defoe - Focus on: Atlantic Slave Trade - A section focusing on Robinson Crusoe in the 20th and 21st Centuries - Glossary of difficult words - Comprehension activities - Exit test

ROBINSON CRUSOE

Readers

Stage 1 A1

In this reader you will find:

Daniel Dafoe

ROBINSON CRUSOE

At the age of eighteen, Robinson Crusoe, a young Englishman, leaves his family to see the world. One night, there’s a terrible storm. His ship goes down and all his friends die. Robinson gets to an island. There are no other people on this island.

What will he do all by himself? How will he live? Will he ever see England again? Daniel Defoe’s classic story, written in 1719, is considered the first English novel.

It’s retold here for beginners.

Daniel Defoe

Daniel Dafoe ROBINSON CRUSOE

Stage 1 A1

ELT A1

Tag

Audio Files

Look at the inside front cover flap to find out how to download your free Audio files.

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Elementary Pre-Intermediate Intermediate Upper Intermediate Advanced Proficiency

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Movers Key Preliminary First Advanced Proficiency

The pleasure of Reading

Readers

BN IS

S ER AD l. RE e -1 .r. I so 24 I s EL ru 32 EL LT n C 36U o -5 AD ins 88 G b 8N Ro 97

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Eli Readers is a beautifully illustrated series of timeless classics and specially-written stories for learners of English.

A1 A2 B1 B2 C1 C2

Young Adult

STAGE 1 STAGE 2 STAGE 3 STAGE 4 STAGE 5 STAGE 6 Classic

Downloadable

Classic

Downloadable

Young Adult

Classic literature, adventure

Audio Files

6

7

Chapter One

A New Life

2 My name is Robinson Crusoe and I want to tell you about my life.

My father was German but came to live and work in Hull, England.

He made lots of money with his business and bought a nice house.

Then, he met my mother. She came from a good English family called Robinson, and soon they were husband and wife. I came into this world in 1632. Now they had three sons and they called me Robinson.

At that time, my family name was ‘Kreutznaer’. After many years in England, everybody started to call us ‘Crusoe’.

My first brother died and nobody knows anything about my other brother. He went out one day and never came back. My father was very old. He often asked: ‘Robinson, my son, will you stay here, please and find a job near home?’

Every time he asked, I didn’t answer. My father understood that I wanted to leave my town. He was very sad. I was a good student but I wanted to stop studying and see the world. I didn’t want a job at a desk. I wanted to travel the seas and make lots of money.

My father said: ‘Robinson, please don’t go!’

My mother said: ‘Robinson, don’t leave your father and I!’ My friends said: ‘Robinson, stay here, where you are safe!’

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After-reading Activities

Stop & Check 1

Complete these questions about Chapter 6 with a word or expression from the box. Then, match the questions to the right answers.

where • when • how much • why • how • what kind of • what time • how many What kind of ship came to the island? d ____________ 0 ■ 1 ■ ____________ did Robinson and Friday go home to get their guns?

2 ■ ____________ prisoners did the English men have?

3 ■ ____________ did Friday take the prisoners?

4 ■ ____________ did Robinson leave the island to go home?

5 ■ ____________ money did his friends in Brazil send him?

6 ■ ____________ did Robinson send his bags from Lisbon to England?

7 ■ ____________ did Friday go up the tree? a b c d

to a cave. by ship.

19th December 1686. an English ship.

e f g h

three. to get the bear. about two o'clock. £5000.

Writing 2 You're Robinson. Write about what you do after visiting the Spanish men on your island. Talk about: • where you go

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• what you do

• who you meet

Grammar 3 Read about Robinson Crusoe. Choose the right word, A, B or C for each space.

A Robinson is a young man and he likes (0) ____.

First, he goes (1) ____ London. Then, he travels on a ship to Africa. The first

time, the voyage goes (2) ____. The second time, some (3) ____ take the ship and Robinson’s money. He works (4) ____ for the captain. The captain sends Xury and Robinson to catch (5) ____ fish. Robinson kicks a man into the water. Then, Robinson and Xury travel in the boat. A Portuguese captain finds (6) ____ and takes Robinson and Xury on his ship to Brazil. (7) ____ Brazil, Robinson buys a sugar plantation and makes (8) ____ of money.

Then, he wants to travel to Africa again to get slaves for the plantation. He (9) _________ gets to Africa because there is a storm. The waves take him to a desert island. (10) ____ on the ship dies. Only Robinson gets to the island. He lives on this island (11) ____ years. In the end (12) ____ English ship takes him home.

0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12

A A A A A A A A A A A A A

travelling at good slaves much an them on many doesn't everybody from the

B B B B B B B B B B B B B

travel to very pirates many any you in very never somebody for an

C C C C C C C C C C C C C

travels in well savages hard some her at lots not anybody to a

Speaking 4

Work in pairs. Talk about these questions.

• What's your favourite part of the story?

• What did you like about Robinson?

• What didn't you like about Robinson?

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FOCUS ON...

Daniel Defoe (1660-1731) Daniel Defoe was English and came from London. He had lots of jobs, but is famous for his books. He wrote about all kinds of things but didn’t start writing books until he was 60.

He liked travelling and visited lots of places in Great Britain and Europe. Then, in 1719, he wrote his famous book Robinson Crusoe. He also wrote for newspapers about the countries he visited.

Family and Early Life His father was James Foe. His mother, Annie, died when Daniel was only 10. He went to school in Surrey and London and was a good student. When Daniel was a child, there was The Great Plague of London in 1665. 70,000 people died. Then, there was the Great Fire of London in 1666. In 1667, Dutch boats came up the River Thames and took his town.

Great Fire of London in 1666.

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Business and Later life People bought clothes and wine from Defoe. He always needed a lot of money for all the things he liked. He had a big house with a big garden. He went to live there with his wife, Mary Tuffley, in 1684. She came from a family with a lot of money. They were together for 50 years. They had 8 children, but only 6 lived. William III was king in 1688. Defoe was his good friend and helped him a lot. Then, he had money problems again, and left England for a short time. People bought wine from him in Lisbon and Cadiz. In 1695 he came back to England and opened a factory in Essex. Then, between 1719 and 1724, he wrote Robinson Crusoe and Moll Flanders, two of the books he is famous for, and some others too. Daniel Defoe died in April 1731.

A house near London, England, where Defoe once lived

Task Answer the questions about Daniel Defoe.

1 2 3 4 5 6 7

What nationality was he?

Which city did he come from?

When did he write Robinson Crusoe?

How old was he when his mother died?

What was his wife's name?

What is he famous for?

When did he die?

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