Svolgi gli esercizi seguenti sul quaderno o direttamente sulla scheda. Lavora in inglese quando richiesto e in italiano quando l'esercizio lo specifica. Per le risposte aperte sviluppa frasi complete e usa il lessico storico-letterario studiato (Victorian Compromise, workhouse, Utilitarianism, serialised novel). Confronta poi le tue risposte con un compagno e segnala gli errori in rosso.
- In which years did Queen Victoria reign over the United Kingdom?
- A) 1815-1860
- B) 1837-1901
- C) 1801-1851
- D) 1850-1910
- What is meant by the expression 'Victorian Compromise'?
- A) A peace treaty signed in 1851 between Britain and France
- B) The coexistence of official respectability and hidden social problems
- C) A political agreement to abolish the monarchy
- D) An economic pact between landowners and industrialists
- Most Victorian novels were originally published as serialised instalments in magazines.
- Vero / Falso
- Charles Dickens worked in a blacking factory as a child because his father had been imprisoned for debt.
- Vero / Falso
- Hard Times celebrates the Utilitarian system of education promoted by Mr Gradgrind.
- Vero / Falso
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The Poor Law Amendment Act of ___ created the harsh workhouses denounced by Dickens in Oliver Twist.
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In Hard Times, the fictional industrial city dominated by smoke and factories is called ___.
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The novel ___ Expectations narrates the story of Pip and his mysterious benefactor.
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Match each Dickens novel with the correct element or character. | Colonna A | Colonna B | |---|---| | Oliver Twist | Coketown and Mr Gradgrind's philosophy of facts | | Hard Times | Pip and his mysterious benefactor | | Great Expectations | Scrooge visited by three spirits | | A Christmas Carol | Partly autobiographical story of a young writer | | David Copperfield | The workhouse and the request for more gruel |
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Match each historical or cultural element with its correct definition. | Colonna A | Colonna B | |---|---| | Reform Act 1832 | Institution where the poor were forced to work in harsh conditions | | Workhouse | Philosophy based on facts and the greatest happiness for the greatest number | | Utilitarianism | Story published in instalments in cheap magazines | | Serialised novel | Extended the right to vote to part of the middle class |
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Explain in 3-4 lines why London is so important in Dickens's novels.
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In Italian, describe briefly the figure of the Victorian intrusive narrator and give one typical feature.
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Write a structured paragraph (10-12 lines) about the social criticism in Oliver Twist or Hard Times, focusing on at least two specific aspects (workhouses, child labour, mechanical education, urban poverty).
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You have to prepare a 5-minute oral presentation on 'Dickens as social critic'. Plan it step by step.
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In your opinion, why are Dickens's novels still relevant for young readers in the 21st century? Answer in English in 5-6 lines, giving at least one concrete example from today's world.