The Time Machine - Greenwich

H.G. Wells The Time Machine

Welcome to The Time Machine

Information about the author, the story and the historical period.

Brief descriptions of the main characters.

The text with cultural details, brief summaries and glossary.

Pre-reading activities.

A wide variety of activities covering Cambridge Exam Certificates, State exams, 21st Century Skills and 2030 Agenda topics.

A final test to check what you remember.

A transcript of two of the most important scenes from the story to act out together in class.

H.G. Wells The Time Machine

Retold by Claire Moore

Illustrated by Francesco Giustozzi

Costituzione e Cittadinanza

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle The Sign of the Four

E. Gaskell, K. Chopin, K. Mansfield, V. Woolf, E.Wharton Portraits of Women

Robert

Louis Stevenson The Strange Case of Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde

Geoffrey Chaucer The Canterbury Tales

Jane Austen Pride and Prejudice

Lewis Carroll Alice in Wonderland

Oscar Wilde The Canterville Ghost

H.G. Wells, G. Orwell, E.A. Poe, S.O. Jewett, V. Woolf One Planet, One Goal

Mary Shelley Frankenstein

George Orwell Animal Farm

K. Mansfield, J. Joyce, O. Wilde, R. Tagore, M. Twain Tales of Friendship

Charlotte Brontë Jane Eyre

Oscar Wilde The Picture of Dorian Gray

H.G. Wells The Time Machine

Series Editors Paola Accattoli, Grazia Ancillani

Art Director Daniele Garbuglia

Graphic Design Emilia Coari

Production Manager Francesco Capitano

Photo Credits Shutterstock, Alamy

© 2023 ELi, Gruppo editoriale ELi

22.83.262.0

ENG011-01

ISBN 978-88-536-3975-2

www.gruppoeli.it

When Wells studied at Midhurst he received 21 shillings a week (a good amount of money in the 1800s), but in his diaries he said he was always hungry and was very thin.

H.G Wells: Early Life

Quick facts

Name: Herbert George Wells

AKA: H.G. Wells

Born: in Bromley, Kent, England on 21st September, 1866

Died: in Regent’s Park, London, England on 13th August, 1946 (aged 79)

Education: Royal College of Science, London

Key works: The Time Machine (1895), The Red Room (1896), The Invisible Man (1897)

Herbert George Wells was born at 162, High Street in Bromley, Kent on 21st September 1866. His family called him ‘Bertie’. He was the last child of Joseph Wells, a shopkeeper and professional cricketer and Sarah Neal, a domestic servant.

In the late 19th century, many lower-class men and women worked as domestic servants in big houses.

Wells’ mother was the housekeeper at Uppark House.

Wells read books from an early age and some of his later novels, The History of Mr Polly and Kipps, talked about the time he worked as a draper between 1880 and 1883. Later, in 1887, Wells went to Uppark in Sussex, a country house where his mother was working and spent hours in its magnificent library.

them.

Teacher and Scholar

In 1879, Wells joined the National School at Wookey in Somerset. He was a senior student but also a teacher of the younger children. Later in 1883, he worked at Midhurst Grammar School and in 1884 he won a scholarship to study biology at what is now the Royal College of Science in London.

Capron House, North Street, Midhurst. The original Midhurst Grammar School building is now partly occupied by the South Downs National Park Authority.

The History of Mr Polly was a comic novel.

A person who makes things from cloth and sells

The blue commemorative plaque in Midhurst marking Wells’ stay at the school.

‘Our true nationality is mankind.’

The Time Machine is considered one of the first works of science fiction.

Early writing

In the late 1890s, Wells started writing short humorous articles for newspapers such as The Pall Mall Gazette to make some money. This was his first step into writing and journalism, but much of this work is now lost. His success as a writer encouraged him to write something longer and his first novel,

The Time Machine, was published in 1895. His early novels were called ‘scientific romances’and set his style as the ‘father’of science fiction. He went on to write other novels, such as The Island of Doctor Moreau (1896), The Invisible Man (1897), The War of the Worlds (1897), and The First Men in the Moon (1901).

Personal Life

Wells married his cousin, Isabel Mary Wells in 1891 but they separated in 1894. In 1895, he married Amy Catherine Robbins and moved to Woking in Surrey. Here he was most creative and he wrote many of his most famous novels.

Amy Catherine Robbins

Later Life

Wells published The Outline of History in 1920. This was his best selling work and was a threevolume study from prehistory to World War 1. Later in his life, he also became interested in politics and films. He went to Hollywood and in 1936 produced a film called Things to Come which was a journey from the next world war into the future. He also travelled to Russia and met Lenin, Trotsky and Stalin. Wells worked until very close to his death in 1946 and is remembered as an author, historian and social idealist.

‘We all have our time machines, don’t we. Those that take us back are memories... And those that carry us forward, are dreams.’

‘If you fell down yesterday, stand up today.’

The Martian Tripod statue from The War of the Worlds in Woking, Surrey, designed by Michael Condron.

T he T ime T raveller

We don’t know the name of the Time Traveller but we do know that the Time Traveller is an inventor and he is fascinated by the future.

T he m orlocks

The Morlocks are the antagonists of the story. Ape-like and dirty, they live underground and the Time Traveller hates them.

T he N arraTor

Mr Hillyer is the narrator of the story and one of the Time Traveller’s dinner guests.

W eeNa

Weena is one of the Eloi. She is a happy, affectionate character and becomes the Time Traveller’s friend.

T he D i NN er gues T s

The dinner guests are a small group of upper-class Victorian men.

Vocabulary – Writing

1 Look at the picture on the front cover of this book. What can you see? Write 35 words.

Vocabulary – Matching

2 Match the words from Chapter 1 to the pictures.

1 three dimensions in space:

4 shelf length (X), width (Y) and height (Z)

2 lever

3 streetlamp

5 cube

6 workshop

Vocabulary – Writing

3 Complete the description of the story with the words in the box.

underground dinner guests friends adventures creatures

It’s 1895 and Mr Hillyer goes to (1) at a famous inventor’s house. The inventor is called the Time Traveller in the story and Mr Hillyer tells us about the Time Traveller’s (2) in his Time machine. The Time Traveller tells his dinner (3) that he went into the future to the year 802,701 and found a land full of child-like (4) called the Eloi. He made (5) with one of the them, Weena, and also discovered some other creatures that lived (6) . His dinner guests don’t know if they believe him or not…

Wordsearch

4 Find five characters from the story in the wordsnake. Then write the correct name under each picture.

Writing

5 Look at the pictures of the Time Traveller and some other characters from the story. Write a short description of them

1 The Narrator

The Narrator is

2 The Time Traveller

The Time Traveller is

3 Weena

Weena is

Prediction

6 Choose the correct answer (A, B or C) for questions 1-5.

1 What is the Time Traveller’s name?

A Mr Percy B We don’t know. C Dr Mason

2 Where does the Time Traveller live?

A Edinburgh B Oxford C London

3 Weena is …

A a baby B male C female

4 The Eloi live…

A underground B above ground

C under the sea

5 The Narrator…

A is curious about the Time Traveller’s story.

B doesn’t believe the Time Traveller.

C wants to go into the future with the Time Traveller.

7 Read the sentences about the story and guess if they are true (T) or false (F). Check your answers at the end of the book.

1 The Time Traveller works in an office.

2 The Time Traveller invites the narrator to lunch.

3 Weena is the Time Traveller’s daughter.

4 The Eloi are happy people.

5 The Morlocks live on top of a mountain.

6 The Narrator goes into the future with the Time Traveller.

Listening Comprehension

8 Listen to Chapter 1. Tick [✔] the sentences you hear.

1 I arrived at midnight.

2 The Time Traveller is an inventor…

3 You may not believe me…

4 I left the house three hours later.

5 We can travel back and forward in time!

6 What a wild idea!

7 We drink some tea.

8 We are all silent.

9 The machine is on the shelf.

10 Save some food for me.

The Narrator has received a dinner invitation from a friend.

Richmond is a town in south-west London.

The story is set in the late 1800s in London. Most public lighting in this period were with gas but the streetlamps only really illuminated a few feet around each lamp post. Lamplighters started lighting the lamps at around dusk and could be seen with small ladders around the city.

There are other dinner guests at the house.

Chapter 1

Introducing the Time Traveller

My name is Hillyer and I want to tell you a story. It starts on a Thursday evening and I am going to my friend’s house in Richmond for dinner. 3 As I walk through the streets of London, the streetlamps begin to light up the city. When I arrive at my friend’s house (I call him the Time Traveller), other guests are already there: the Mayor*, my friend Mr Filby, the doctor and others. After dinner, we all go into the study. The Time Traveller is an inventor and his strange inventions are on tables and shelves. We all sit down and the Time Traveller speaks.

‘Listen carefully,’ he says. ‘I want to tell you something. You may not believe me but what they taught you at school is wrong!’ 3

‘Oh, this is interesting,’ says Filby.

‘For example,’ he continues, ‘the geometry they taught you is incorrect.’

‘Really?’ says Mr Filby.

mayor the most important official of a town

The dinner guests listen to the Time Traveller.

The first unmanned hot-air balloon flight, which lasted just 10 minutes, took place in France in 1783.

‘Well, think about this: can a cube really exist?’ continues the Time Traveller.

‘I don’t understand,’ says Mr Filby.

‘A real body has three dimensions in space: length, width and height. But we forget the fourth dimension: time!’

‘Yes, that’s clear,’ says the Mayor.

‘There is no difference between time and the other three dimensions,’ says the doctor. ‘But we can not move around* in time!’

The Time Traveller smiles and says, ‘Are you sure we cannot move around in time? We can move left and right, and up and down… this is easier now with hot-air balloons*.’

‘Yes,’ says the doctor, ‘but you cannot escape from present time.’

‘You are wrong,’ replies the Time Traveller. ‘We can travel back and forward in time!’

‘It’s impossible!’ says Mr Filby. 4

The Battle of Hastings took place on 14th October 1066 between the French and English armies. William, Duke of Normandy, won the battle and later became King of England.

‘Maybe…’ says the Time Traveller ‘but I’m thinking about a machine…’

‘To travel through time!’ shouts the young man.

‘Great! A historian can go back in time and see what happened during the Battle of Hastings, for example!’ says the psychologist.

move around travel hot-air balloons

‘There’s the future too…’ says the young man. ‘Travelling through time!’ shouts the Mayor.

‘I want to show you something.’ The Time Traveller gets up and walks to his workshop. After a few minutes, he returns with a small metal object and puts it down on a table.

‘This is a little model of my Time Machine. This lever sends my machine into the future and this one sends it back. This is a seat* for the Time Traveller. I press the lever and the machine goes into the future. Look!’

The Time Traveller puts his finger on the lever and says, ‘Who wants to press the lever?’

The psychologist puts his finger on the lever and pushes it forward. Slowly the machine moves, then suddenly it… disappears!

We are all silent. The Mayor looks under the table and the Time Traveller laughs.

‘Do you seriously believe that machine has gone into the future?!’ says the doctor.

‘Future or past, I can’t be sure. I have a big machine nearly finished in my workshop’, the Time Traveller says. ‘Would you like to see it?’. We all nod*.

seat a place to sit nod to move your head up and down to say ‘yes’

The Time Traveller shows his dinner guests a little model of his Time Machine.

5

A big machine is in the workshop! There are drawings* of the machine all over the walls.

A week later, I receive another dinner invitation from the Time Traveller. When I arrive at his house, the doctor, the psychologist and other men are already there; the Mayor, Mr Filby and the young man aren’t there this time. The Time Traveller isn’t there either. 5

drawings illustrations; pictures

Now the Time Traveller shows his dinner guests the real Time Machine.

The Narrator receives a second dinner invitation from the Time Traveller. He is curious to learn more about the machine so he accepts the invitation.

The Time Traveller arrives home.

‘This note says to start dinner without him,’ says the doctor, reading a piece of paper. So, we all go into the dining room and we tell the new guests about the other night. Just then, the door opens and we see the Time Traveller.

‘Goodness!’ exclaims the doctor. ‘What’s the matter, man?!’

The Time Traveller is in a terrible state. His face is pale* and his hair is a mess*. His coat is dirty and he looks very tired. He sits down on a chair and one of the men gives him a glass of water.

‘I’m alright. I’m going to wash and change my clothes. Save some food for me,’ he says and goes upstairs. I see that he isn’t wearing shoes. When he returns, I ask him, ‘Did you travel through time?’

‘Yes,’ he replies. Then we all eat in silence. After dinner, he says, ‘Let’s go into the study and I will tell you about my adventure.’ 2

pale very white mess untidy or dirty

Reading for Overall Understanding

1 Number these sentences in the order that they happen in Chapter 1.

A After dinner, the dinner guests go into the study.

B The Time Traveller shows them a small object.

C A week later the Time Traveller appears in a terrible state.

D Mr Hillyer receives a dinner invitation.

E Later they go to the Time Traveller’s workshop.

F In the study the Time Traveller talks about the fourth dimension: time.

Listening for Detail

2 Listen to an extract from Chapter 1 and complete the text with the words in the box.

carefully doctor house wrong shelves streets study

As I walk through the (1) of London, the streetlamps begin to light up the city. When I arrive at my friend’s (2) (I call him the Time Traveller), other guests are already there: the Mayor, my friend Mr Filby, the (3) and others. After dinner, we all go into the (4) . The Time Traveller is an inventor and his strange inventions are on tables and

(5) . We all sit down and the Time Traveller speaks.

‘Listen (6) ,’ he says. ‘I want to tell you something. You may not believe me but what they taught you at school is

(7) !’

Writing – Names of the Characters

3 Read the sentences. Who says the sentences? Write T (Time Traveller), M (the Mayor), D (the doctor) or F (Mr Filby).

1 I want to tell you something.

2 Yes, that’s clear.

3 I’m going to wash and change my clothes.

4 What’s the matter, man?!

5 I don’t understand.

6 This note says to start dinner without him.

Grammar – Present Simple

1 Complete the sentences with the correct form of the verbs in the box.

sit start forget be speak return want

1 It on a Thursday evening.

2 We all down and the Time Traveller .

3 But we the fourth dimension: time!

4 You wrong.

5 I to show you something.

6 He with a small metal object.

Listening Comprehension

2 Listen and complete the extract from the story with a verb. The first letter of the verb is given.

A week later I r (1) another dinner invitation from the Time Traveller. When I a (2) at his house, the doctor, the psychologist and other men are already there; the Mayor, Mr Filby and the young man a (3) there this time. The Time Traveller i (4) there either.

Listening – Multiple Choice

1 4 Listen to the conversation between the Time Traveller and some of his dinner guests. Choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D) for sentences 1-4.

1 What is the fourth dimension?

A Time. B Width.

C Height. D Length.

2 The Time Traveller says that…

A we cannot move around in time.

B There is a big difference between time and the other three dimensions.

C We can travel back and forward in time.

D Time travelling is impossible.

3 The doctor says that we cannot escape from…

A past time B future time

C past and present times. D present time.

4 Who does not believe the Time Traveller?

A The Narrator. B Mr Filby.

C The Doctor. D The Mayor.

Gap Fill

2 Choose the correct answer (A, B or C).

The Time Traveller puts (1) finger (2) the lever and says ‘Who wants to press the lever?’. The psychologist puts his finger (3) the lever and pushes (4) forward. Slowly the machine moves, (5) suddenly it… disappears!

1 A a B the C his

2 A in B onto C on

3 A through B on C between

4 A it B that C these

5 A after B then C later

Analysing Text

1 The Narrator, Mr Hillyer, is curious about the Time Traveller’s ideas and accepts his second dinner invitation. Who else is as curious as Mr Hillyer and is at the second dinner party? Tick [✔] the names.

The doctor

The young man

The psychologist

The Mayor

Mr Filby

Discussing questions

Who does not believe the Time Traveller at all? What do you think? Do you think time travel is possible or is it just fantasy? Discuss with your partner.

Many rich people in late 19th century England had a number of servants. The housekeeper was the most important female servant who organised the day-to-day life of the house.

Chapter 2

The Adventure Begins

‘Last Thursday,’ says the Time Traveller ‘I showed you my Time Machine, but I only finished it at 10 o’clock this morning! Well… I climbed into the Time Machine, I pushed a lever and I felt a strange sensation of falling…

I pulled the lever back and looked around my workshop: everything was the same. I looked at the clock and I saw something incredible: a moment before, it was 10 o’clock and then ... it was half past three! My machine worked!

I tried again: I pushed the lever forward and the workshop went dark. My housekeeper came in but she did NOT see me! I pushed the lever again and night came and then the next morning. 7

I saw the sun, the moon and the stars. I saw buildings and green hills, summer and winter. I wanted to stop, so I pulled the lever back and I landed* on soft*, green

to land come down on the ground soft not hard

The Time Traveller refers back to the first dinner party.

The Time Traveller in his Time Machine.

grass. There were trees, purple flowers and a big statue that looked like an Egyptian Sphinx* with big wings.

I was scared: where was I? The Time Machine showed I was in the year 802,701! I was in the future!

I relaxed a little but then I heard voices: there were some beautiful people running towards me! One of them was a small man wearing a purple tunic* and

H.G. Wells The Time Machine

Sphinx tunic

The Time Traveller meets the Eloi people

sandals*: he stood in front of me and smiled. He spoke to me in a strange language and I couldn’t understand. They touched me and looked at the Time Machine, so I put the levers in my pocket! The machine cannot go anywhere without me now!’ I thought. The Time Traveller shakes his head as we continue listening to his story.

‘They all smiled. They were all beautiful with soft and curly hair*. Their mouths were small, with red lips, and their eyes were large and sweet. They didn’t try to communicate with me, but simply stood around me smiling.

I pointed to the Time Machine and to myself. Then, trying to say the word “time”, I pointed to the sun. One of those people did the same and imitated the sound of thunder*. Are these people fools? I asked myself.

They led me to the Sphinx building, dancing around me, and one of them put a flower necklace* around my neck. We entered a very large room with tables full of fruit and a lot of cushions on the floor. They all sat on cushions and began to eat the fruit with their hands. I was hungry and thirsty and I did the same.

sandals curly hair

thunder loud sound heard in a storm flower necklace

The room looked old: the curtains were dusty*, the windows and the tables broken. About two hundred people were eating fruit in the large room and a lot of them were watching me with interest. You have to know that the people of the future are vegetarians and the fruit is delicious!

Well… I tried to learn some words in their language, but they all began to laugh! I tried to learn the verb ‘to eat’, but the little people soon tired* and went away from me. Believe me: they were very lazy! They came to me like children but, like children, they soon stopped examining me. I felt like a toy!

After dinner I decided to go outside and explore the city. The River Thames was in a different position and even the flowers were strange. Everything was strange! In the future, London is quite different from the city we know today!

I decided to go to the top of a hill* to get a better view of the city. I noticed that there were no small houses, just large buildings everywhere. I also saw a lot of wells* with small coverings over them and I wondered what they were.

dusty full of dust, dirty to tire lose interest in, become bored hill a small mountain well a deep hole in the ground to provide water

It appears that the Time Traveller is in a future London.

There were lots of little people following me, watching me. I learned that these people were called the Eloi. They all looked the same.

I came to the top of the hill and sat down on a yellow seat and looked out at the view. There were large buildings everywhere – no shops, no houses, no traffic and no animals! What a strange future.… Nobody works but there is food, there are no factories but people have clothes… everything seems too perfect! 8 6

Reading for Overall Understanding

1 Read the sentences about Chapter 2. Tick [✔] the correct sentences.

1 The Time Machines breaks.

2 The Narrator goes travelling with the Time Traveller.

3 The Time Traveller goes into the future.

4 He eats fruit with some small people.

5 He asks his dinner guests to go with him.

6 The future he finds is totally different to the present.

Listening for Mistakes

2 Read an extract from Chapter 2. There are six mistakes. Listen to track 7 and find the mistakes.

‘Last Monday,’ says the Time Traveller ‘I showed you my Time Machine, but I only finished it at 11 o’clock this morning! Well… I climbed into the Time Machine, I pushed a lever and I felt a strange sensation of falling… I pulled the lever back and looked around my house: everything was the same. I looked at the clock and I saw something incredible: a moment ago it was 10 o’clock and now… it was half past four! My machine worked! I tried again: I pushed the lever forward and the workshop went dark. My cousin came in but she did not see me! I pushed the lever again and night came and then the next afternoon.’

Speaking – Description

3 Look at the picture on page 28 and describe what you can see.

Grammar – Past simple

1 Complete the sentences from Chapter 2 with the correct Past simple verb. The first letter of the verb is given.

1 I s the sun, the moon and the stars.

2 I w to stop, so I p the lever back.

3 The Time Machine s I w in the year 802,701!

4 I r a little but then I h voices.

5 They t me and l ______________ at the Time Machine.

6 I t to learn some words in their language, but they all b to laugh!

Writing – Word Order

2 Read the sentences and put the words in the right order.

1 dinner / decided / After / I / to go / and explore / outside / the city.

2 the city / In the / London is / future / different / quite / from / we know!

3 I / to / the top / go / to / of a hill. / decided

4 that there / I noticed / small / were no / just / houses, / everywhere. / large buildings

5 saw / of wells / a lot / I also / with / coverings / over / small / them.

6 There / everywhere. / large / buildings / were

Speaking – Past simple verb game

3 Work in pairs. Take turns to find a past simple verb in Chapter 2. Say it and your partner gives you the infinitive form.

INVALSI INVALSI

Reading Comprehension – True or False

1 Are the sentences True, False or Not Given?

1 The dinner guests finished dinner at 8pm.

2 It was raining when the Time Traveller landed.

3 The little man was blond.

4 The dinner guests asked the Time Traveller lots of questions.

5 The little people were called the Eloi.

6 All the large buildings were blue.

Listening – Multiple Choice

2 8 Listen to the Time Traveller talking about what he saw. Choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D) for sentences 1-4.

1 The Time Traveller went outside because

A he was tired.

B he wanted to explore the city.

C he had nobody to talk to.

D it was morning.

2 He went to the top of the hill

A to find a seat.

B to see the view.

C to find the Eloi.

D to get his Time Machine.

3 He noticed that

A it was always evening.

B there were no large buildings.

C there were no small houses.

D there were no flowers.

4 The Eloi

A all looked different.

B were all men.

C all looked the same.

D were all tall.

The 2030 Agenda Goal 8: Full and productive employment and decent work for all

Analysing and Writing

1 Answer the following questions.

The Time Traveller says ‘nobody works but there is food, there are no factories but people have clothes...’

1 Do you think the Eloi work? If not, why not?

2 Why does the Time Traveller think this is strange?

Discussing and Researching

2 Work in pairs. Read, research and discuss your ideas.

At the beginning of Chapter 2, the Time Traveller mentions seeing his housekeeper in his workshop. Do some online research to find out what a housekeeper did in late 19th century England. Present your findings to the class.

3 Do you think it is possible to meet Goal 8 when millions of people around the world still have inadequate working conditions or don’t work? What effect has Covid-19 had on employment conditions?

COVID-19 has totally changed the way we work with many people still working from home or losing their jobs, especially those working in the hospitality sector.

Reading Comprehension

1 Read the sentences and decide if they are true (T) or false (F).

1 Mr Hillyer is the narrator of the story.

2 The first dinner party takes place on Friday evening.

3 The Time Traveller shows his dinner guests a model of his Time Machine.

4 The narrator gets another dinner invitation from the Time Traveller.

5 The Time Traveller finished his Time Machine late at night.

6 The Time Traveller saw some very tall people when he got out of his machine.

7 They spoke a different language.

8 The Eloi all looked similar.

9 The Eloi worked very hard.

10 His Time Machine disappeared.

11 The Eloi aren’t friendly to him.

12 Weena is a little boy.

13 Other creatures live underground.

14 The Time Traveller went down a well.

15 The Morlocks are kind to the Time Traveller.

16 The Eloi can read and write.

17 The Morlocks like fire.

18 The Time Traveller finds his Time Machine in a big building.

19 Everyone believes the Time Traveller’s story.

20 Mr Hillyer goes back to the Time Traveller’s workshop but he isn’t there.

Vocabulary

2 Put the words in the box in the word map.

dial lazy underground doctor psychologist lever well small metal friendly horrible Mayor

Dinner guests

The Machine

The Eloi

The Time Machine

The Morlocks

Grammar

3 Complete the sentences with the Past Simple of the verbs in the box.

stare stand get put be feel throw see

1 I summer and winter.

2 They simply around me smiling.

3 I stones and rocks at the doors.

4 She scared of the dark.

5 Three Morlocks at me.

6 I it in my pocket.

7 I into my machine.

8 I weak when I got to the top of the ladder.

Reading & Writing – Part 4

4 Choose the correct answer (A, B or C).

We are all silent. The Mayor looks (1) the table and the Time Traveller laughs. ‘Do you seriously (2) that machine has gone into the future?!’ says the doctor. ‘Future or past, I can’t be sure. I have (3) big machine nearly finished in my workshop’ the Time Traveller says. ‘Would you like (4) it?’. We all nod. A big machine is in the workshop. There are drawings (5) the machine all over the walls. A week later, I receive another dinner invitation from the Time Traveller. (6) I arrive at his house, the doctor, the psychologist and other men are already there.

1 A under B to C in

2 A believing B believe C believed

3 A a B an C the

4 A see B to see C seeing

5 A in B to C of

6 A While B When C Why

Gap Fill – Part 5

5 For each question, complete with one word.

The Time Traveller looks at us. Nobody says a word. He continues ‘The Eloi were happy (1) healthy. Nobody seemed richer (2) poorer than the other, as (3) paradise. I saw green fields, beautiful flowers and clean water. In this future world, there (4) no war, poverty or illness: it was

(5) dream. All the Eloi did was eat, laugh and sing. I didn’t find (6) explanation.

Reading & Writing – Part 7

6 Look at the picture. Why is it important in the story? Write 35 words or more.

Reading & Writing – Part 2

7 For each question, choose the correct answer. The Time Traveller (T), Weena (W) or the Narrator (N).

Who… ? T W N

1 falls into a river?

2 attends a dinner party?

3 makes a machine?

4 doesn’t like nighttime?

5 goes down a well?

6 listens to a story?

INVALSI Listening Comprehension

8 16 Listen to the beginning of Chapter 5. Choose the correct answer (A, B, C or D) for questions 1-5. Only one answer is correct.

1 The Time Traveller finds…

A a key.

B a match.

C a box of matches.

D a Morlock.

2 He finds camphor…

A in a jar.

B in a box.

C in his pocket.

D in a big room.

3 The sticks of dynamite were…

A real.

B hot.

C broken.

D fake.

4 The Time Traveller and Weena eat…

A some bread.

B some fruit.

C some vegetables.

D some nuts

5 The Time Traveller knows that the Morlocks don’t like…

A Weena.

B fire.

C the Time Machine.

D the explosives.

Writing – Open-ended questions

9 Answer the questions about the story.

1 Where do the dinner guests sit after dinner?

2 Who pressed the lever of the little model?

3 Who did the Time Traveller see when he first used his Time Machine?

4 What did the Eloi put around the Time Traveller’s neck?

5 What kind of things did the Time Traveller not see in the Eloi land?

6 Who followed the Time Traveller?

7 What does the Time Traveller take out of his pocket as he talks to his dinner guests?

8 What type of skeleton did the Time Traveller find in the green building?

9 What colour was the bench where the Time Traveller sat?

10 Who disappears at the end of the story?

Writing

Summary

10 Write a short summary of the story in about 100 words. Use the mind map to organise your answer.

Travelling through time

Scene:

The Time Traveller tells the dinner guests about his discovery.

The Time Traveller ‘Listen carefully, I want to tell you something. You may not believe me but what they taught you at school is wrong!’

Filby Oh, this is interesting.

The Time Traveller For example, the geometry they taught you is incorrect.

Filby Really?

The Time Traveller Well, think about this: can a cube really exist?

Filby I don’t understand.

The Time Traveller ‘A real body has three dimensions in space: length, width and height. But we forget the fourth dimension: time!’

The Mayor Yes, that’s clear.

The Doctor There is no difference between time and the other three dimensions. But we can not move around in time!’

The Time Traveller ‘Are you sure we cannot move around in time? We can move left and right, and up and down… this is easier now with hot-air balloons.’

The Doctor Yes, but you cannot escape from present time.

The Time Traveller ‘You are wrong. We can travel back and forward in time!’

Filby It’s impossible!’

The Time Traveller Maybe… But I’m thinking about a machine.’

Filby To travel through time!

The Return

Scene:

The Time Traveller finishes telling his story to his guests.

The Time Traveller ‘I know this story is incredible and I don’t expect you to believe me. Say it is a lie or that I dreamt it.’

The Editor It’s a pity you are not a storywriter!

The Time Traveller ‘I know it’s hard to believe’

The Doctor Where did you really get them?

The Time Traveller ‘Weena put them in my pocket. My story is true.’

The Doctor You should rest.

MY BOOK

My favourite character in the book is because

The part that I liked the most is when I really don’t like because

I like / I don’t like the story because

To remember: