Robinson Crusoe Daniel Defoe

Retold byC.S. Woolley

Level 2

600 Headwords

Robinson Crusoe Daniel Defoe

First published 2017by Foxton BooksLondon, UK

Copyright © Foxton Books, 2017

ISBN: 978-1-911481-18-8

Illustrations and cover design by Alexander SolovyovRetold by C.S. Woolley

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reprinted, reproduced or utilized in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including photocopying and recording, or in any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publishers.

Foxton Readers are a series of carefully graded books aimed at ESL / EAL learners of beginner to advanced levels. They are based on a comprehensive grammar and vocabulary framework to match each ability level and to ensure each learner progresses. They are not only suitable for ESL / EAL learners but can also be used with native speakers of primary school age.

Printed and bound in Turkey by Onka Printing Ltd. Printing press certificate number: 20419

CONTENTS

Introduction ........................................................................... 4

About the Author ................................................................... 5

Chapter-1 ................................................................................ 6

Chapter-2 ................................................................................ 15

Chapter-3 ................................................................................ 28

Chapter-4 ................................................................................ 37

Chapter-5 ................................................................................ 44

Glossary .................................................................................. 52

Activities ................................................................................. 53

Answer Key ............................................................................ 63

4

INTRODUCTION

This is the story of Robinson Crusoe’s adventures on a desert island. He had many adventures. He learned to live without all the things he was used to. He had to hunt for his own food. He had to build his own house.

Robinson Crusoe wasn’t on his own for long. He met a man called Friday. He was a wild man. The two of them lived together on the island.

5

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Daniel Defoe was born in 1660 in London, England.He was an English trader, writer, journalist and pamphleteer.Robinson Crusoe is one of his most well-known novels.

As he was interested in politics, Defoe wrote political pamphlets. His first published literary work was a political pamphlet that came out in 1683. He also worked as a journalist.

His masterpiece, Robinson Crusoe, was published in 1719. His other books include Moll Flanders, Colonel Jack, Captain Singleton, Journal of the Plague Year and Roxana.

Defoe died in 1731.

I was born in England. My father wanted me to be a lawyer, but I wanted to go to sea.

He said, “God won’t bless you if you go to sea.”

I didn’t believe him.

“You can’t go,” he said.

A year later, I was in Hull, in the north of England. My friend was going on a ship to London. He told me to go with him. I didn’t ask my parents for permission. I just went.

It was 1st September, 1651. We left the river on the ship and things went wrong. There was a storm. The waves were high. I was sick. I prayed and made promises to God.

“I’ll go straight home if we don’t die,” I said.

The next day, there was less wind. The storm was over. My friend gave me a drink of punch and we got drunk. I forgot all my promises to God.

On the eighth day, there was another storm. This was a very bad storm. It was the worst ever.

Our ship was sinking. We got into a lifeboat and watched it. I was scared.

scared (adj.) frightened, afraid

CHAPTER 1

6

7

Our ship was sinking. We got into a lifeboat and watched it.

We got safely to land.

“This journey was a test for me,” I said to my friend and his father.

“Young man, you shouldn’t go to sea again. Heaven is against it,” the man said but I didn’t listen.

I found a ship. It was going to Africa. I didn’t go as a sailor.

8

Pirates attacked the ship by the Canary Islands.

The sailors worked hard but they learned about the sea. They became officers.

I paid to be a passenger. I didn’t learn anything about ships or sailing.

This trip was the only good one. I made friends with the Captain. He died when we returned to England.

I went back to Africa on the ship. Pirates attacked the ship by the Canary Islands. They sailed the ship to the Moroccan port of Sallee. The pirate captain made me his slave.

The rest of the crew became slaves of the Emperor of Morocco.

I was a slave for two years. Then I managed to steal the pirate captain’s fishing boat and escaped. I had two slaves with me. I threw one into the sea.

Xury was the other. “I’ll be your slave,” he said. We sailed away from Sallee.

I was scared of meeting wild men or the Moors of Morocco.

We stopped for water and met a great lion. We shot it three times to kill it. Xury cut off its foot to take with him.

safe (adj) free from harm or danger safely (adv) in a safe manner, without being damaged or harmed

9

GLOSSARY

bow (v) to bend your head or body to show respect to someone or greet them

calm (adj.) (the sea) not having large waves; with almost no motion or

activity, still

cannibal (n) someone who eats the flesh of other humans

capture (v) to take or seize something/somebody by force

capsize (v) (a boat or ship) to turn upside down

carve on something to write on a surface (e.g. to carve your name on a tree)

collapse (v) to fall down suddenly and completely

helpless (adj.) not able to do anything without the help of other people

hurricane (n) a very severe and destructive storm

load a gun = to put bullets into a gun

journal (n) diary

navigate (v) to travel in a boat or ship

properly (adv.) correctly, appropriately

ridge (n) the long narrow top of a mountain or chain of hills

run out of (phrasal verb) to come to an end, to use/finish all of something

sad (adj.) upset, unhappy

safe (adj.) free from harm or danger

safely (adv.) in a safe manner, without being damaged or harmed

savage (n) a cruel and brutal person

scarecrow (n) an object that looks like a human, used to frighten birds away from crops

scared (adj.) frightened, afraid

shiver (v) to shake slightly because of cold or fear

will (n) a legal document in which a person writes what will happen to his/

property afther their death

wrecked (adj.) destroyed in an accident

52

53

ACTIVITIES

Test-1Are the following sentences True (T) or False (F)?

1. Robinson Crusoe’s father wanted him to be a doctor T / F

2. Cannibals came to the island. T / F

3. Robinson Crusoe’s servant was a cannibal. T / F

4. Robinson Crusoe’s servant was called Saturday. T / F

5. Robinson Crusoe ran away to the island T / F to escape from his father.

6. There were storms on Robinson Crusoe’s island. T / F

7. Robinson Crusoe had no food on the island. T / F

8. Robinson Crusoe kept a dog, a parrot and two cats T / F as pets.

9. There was no one else on the island. T / F

10. Robinson Crusoe made a friend to talk to. T / F

COMPREHENSION CHECK

54

GRAMMAR CHECK

58

Test-1Put these words in the correct order so that the sentences make sense.

1. was / island / happy / I / on / my .............................................................................................2. were / hares / the / eating / small / shoots .............................................................................................3. to / of / some / the / boats / cannibals / escaped / their .............................................................................................4. I / through / was / woods / walking / the .............................................................................................5. I / cave / decided / to / underground / dig / an .............................................................................................6. the / his / pirate / made / captain / me / slave .............................................................................................7. parrot / I / speak / taught / found a / and / him / to .............................................................................................8. running / I / gunpowder / out / of / was .............................................................................................9. the / many / I / made / ship / journeys / to .............................................................................................10. I / my / Brazil / cargo / in / sold .............................................................................................

Test-1Fill in the blanks with the words below. shivering safely carved board footprint journal undeground safe permission planted

1. This is not a ................... place. We should stay somewhere else.

2. I went to the ship. I found many helpful things on ............... .

3. I would like to keep a travel ................... on my trip to Spain.

4. He ................... her name on the desk. He loves her so much.

5. She was ................... because she had only her shirt on.

6. We rowed our boat and got ................... to land.

7. He decided to dig an ................... cave to keep them in at night.

8. He wanted to grow his own food. He ................... seeds in the ground.

9. Robinson saw a ................... in the sand. It didn’t belong to him.

10. She didn’t ask her parents for ................... . She just went.

VOCABULARY CHECK

60

Test 1 1. False2. True3. True4. False5. False6. True7. False8. True9. False10. True

ANSWER KEY

COMPREHENSION CHECKTest 2 1. h2. i3. a4. e5. b6. j7. c8. f9. g10. d

Test 31. Man Friday2. Robinson Crusoe3. Robinson Crusoe4. The Captain5. Robinson Crusoe6. Man Friday7. Robinson Crusoe8. The Captain9. Robinson Crusoe10. Robinson Crusoe

Test 5a. 6b. 2c. 10d. 4e. 8f. 5g. 1h. 7i. 3j. 9

63

Test 31. The rescued captain2. Brazil3. 7 months4. 33,000 pieces of eight5. The Spaniards and the mutineers6. The mutineer captain7. Governor8. A cannibal9. He prayed10. A footprint