Worksheet No.

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A. Read the text.

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The young woman on the pavements edge was

facing in, not out to the street, and she moved
about there indecisively, but with a stubborn look.

Several times she seemed about to approach

somebody

who

had

just

come

out

of

the

Underground to walk up the street, but then she

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stopped and retreated. At last she moved in to block

the advance of a smartly dressed matron with a toy
dog on a leash that came to sniff around her legs as

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she said hurriedly, Please give me some money. Ive

got to have it. The Social Securitys on strike and
Ive got to feed my kids. Resentment made her stumble over her words. The woman

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examined her, nodded, took a 5 note from her handbag, then put it back and chose a
10 note. She handed it over. The young woman stood with it in her hand looking at it
disbelievingly. She muttered a reluctant Thanks, and at once turned and crossed the

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street in a blind, determined way, holding up one hand to halt the traffic. She was going to
the supermarket opposite the Underground station, () And she went in, took a basket,
and began selecting bread, margarine, peanut butter, cans of soup.
This incident had been observed by a young man sitting in a shabby blue Datsun

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at the pavements edge. () He followed her into the supermarket. () At the checkout desk, when she took out the 10 note, her face tense with anxiety of wondering if
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it would be enough, he interposed his own 10 note, forcing it into the check-out girls
hand.

English 9th form (L.E.I)

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February 2015

Elsa Escobar

Doris Lessing, D.H.S.S. (abridged)

B.Find evidence in the text for the following statements.

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1. The young woman was uncertain about what to do.

2. She was hesitant about speaking to people who left the tube.
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3. She finally spoke to an older woman.

4. The young woman needed money because she couldnt receive what the
government paid to the unemployed.

5. She had to buy food for her children.

6. The matron decided to give the young woman more money.
7. The young woman was very surprised when she got the 10.

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8. She bought a lot of goods in the shop.

9. A young man in an old car saw everything.
10.

The young man paid the young womans shopping.

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C. Now answer the following questions.

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1. What problem does the text refer to?

2. What are the consequences of such a problem for the people who have to face it?

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D. These are some more words you can use to talk about work. Which do
you associate with employment and which do you associate with
unemployment? Use a dictionary to make two lists.

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redundant
self-employment
strike

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employee

on the dole
unemployment rate
employer

labour force
lay-off

jobless
training
welfare

pay rises

E. Choose five words that seem to you more difficult to memorize and
write an example sentence for each one.
e.g. There are plans to cut the companys labour force.

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GRAMMAR HIGHLIGHT
Phrasal Verbs

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Use We use a verb and a particle (adverb or preposition) to create a verb

phrase, called phrasal verb.
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verb
move
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meaning
to change place

e.g. If the factory closes, well have to move to another city.

verb
move in

meaning
to take control

e.g. At last she move in to block the advance of a smartly dressed matron.
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Formation verb + adverb or preposition

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