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Read the following extract from a short sea story.
 Now read it again and guess the meaning of the words you are not sure of.
THE TOILERS OF THE SEA
by Victor Hugo (1802-1885)
The full moon rose at ten on the next night; but however fine the night, however favourable the wind and sea, no fisherman thought of going out that evening from any
port or harbour in Guernsey; and the reason for it was simple. A cock had crowed at mid-day.
Vocabulary help
Usually 'however' means 'but'. Here, (however fine, however favourable) the meaning is, 'it didn't matter how fine the night was, it didn't matter how favourable the wind and the sea were'.
A cock is a male chicken.
Animal noises - a sheep baas, a cow moos and a cock crows.Understanding
1) Who were the 'toilers'?
2) Why did they choose not to work?
Grammar
3) What are the main verbs in the text?
4) Give the tense and infinitive for each verb.
5) Why is it 'had crowed' and not 'crowed'?
Now check with the Answers page.
Writing
Other superstitions to do with the sea include not whistling on deck as it is supposed to bring bad luck.
More common superstitions on the land include not walking under a ladder. Can you write down 5 superstitions that you know?
Library research
Have you heard of Victor Hugo before? Find out some facts about his life and work from an encyclopaedia. |
