Step Four B2.

READING & TRAINING

K E Y

Wilkie Collins

The Woman
in White

T O

T H E

6 He fell in love with her.

7 She seems to have a trusting
nature. She tells Walter not to
compliment her because Ill
believe everything you say to me.
8 A little girl who Laura and
Marians mother treated very
kindly. She came to Limmeridge
from Hampshire with her mother.
9 Because her clothes were old.
10 The realization that the woman in
white and Laura looked alike.
Page 20 exercise 3
Open answers.
Page 20 exercise 4

KEY TO THE EXERCISES AND EXIT TEST

1C 2B 3D 4D 5A 6B 7C 8D 9D
10A 11B 12D
Page 21 exercise 5

About the Author

Chapter ONE

Page 6 exercise 1

Page 8 exercise 1

1 He was born in 1824 and died in

1889.
2 He was a painter.
3 He worked in the tea trade and
then studied law.
4 Charles Dickens
5 Household Words.
6 They combined aspects of gothic
novels and detective stories.
7 They created feelings of fear,
excitement and curiosity.
8 The Woman in White, 1860; No
Name, 1862; Armadale, 1866 and
The Moonstone, 1868.
9 Make them laugh, make them cry,
make them wait.
10 It is told by several narrators.
Each one saw the events that he
or she describes.

1B 2D 3A 4C 5E
Page 8 exercise 2
1 July 2 job 3 London 4 young and
thin 5 behind a tree 6 aristocrats
7 kind

1 Walter and Marian.

2 Walter is listening to Marian tell
him about her mothers letter, but
he is also watching Laura.
3 Open answer.

Suggested answer
Dear Helen,
Im sure you remember Laura Fairlie.
Her father and I were close friends.
Now that he is dead and cannot
protect her, I feel responsible for her. I
feel as if she were my daughter. She is
going to get married soon, and I must
obtain the best marriage settlement
possible for her. Unfortunately, I do
not like the changes in the marriage
settlement proposed by Sir Percivals
lawyer. It says that Sir Percivial will
inherit twenty thousand pounds if she
dies. This gives him a reason to want
her dead. For now, he seems very kind
and loving. In any case, I wrote to Mr
Fairlie telling him not to accept the
changes suggested by Sir Percival. He
wrote back saying that he was too ill
to argue! Can you imagine that? Oh, I
feel so worried for Laura.
I hope I can help her.
Your husband,
Vincent
Page 33 exercise 3

Page 21 exercise 1

1 Marian refused to help Sir Percival.

2 Mr Gilmore agreed to ask Sir
Percival about the letter.
3 Walter offered to carry Lauras
drawing materials.
4 Walter promised to show Laura his
book of drawings.
5 Percivals friend refused to lend
him any more money.

1F 2E 3B 4B, F 5A 6F 7C 8D
9B 10F 11C
Page 19 exercise 2

Page 22 exercise 2

1 His Italian friend Pesca found it

for him.
2 She asked him if he knew any
aristocrats.
3 She was relieved.
4 She had escaped from his asylum.
5 They are half-sisters they have
the same mother but different
fathers.

Page 32 exercise 2

Chapter TWO
1D 2B 3C 4E 5A
1 sign 2 property 3 debts 4 will
5 inherited

Page 19 exercise 1

E X E R C I S E S

1 quickly 2 happy 3 in 4 good

5 secret 6 touch 7 smell 8 heart
9 and 10 But
Page 31 exercise 1
1E 2H 3G 4B 5F 6A 7J 8I 9D
10C

Chapter THREE
Page 33 exercise 1
1 22 December 2 Italy 3 engagement
4 drawings 5 charming and friendly
6 Central America

K E Y

T O

T H E

E X E R C I S E S

K E Y

T O

T H E

E X E R C I S E S

Page 43 exercise 1

Page 44 exercise 4

Victorian Asylums

Page 67 exercise 2

1 T
2 F She did not break her
engagement with Sir Percival
because it was her fathers dying
wish.
3 F She had changed a great deal:
she once talked a lot and was
irritating, and now she says little
and does nothing but roll
cigarettes for her husband.
4 F Count Fosco said that he left
Italy for political reasons.
5 T
6 T
7 F She refused to sign it because
Percival would not give her time to
read it first.
8 T

1
2
3
4

Page 56 exercise 1

1 The Countess, because Lauras

husband was out of the country.
2 In Cumberland.
3 Did Count Fosco ever give Laura
any medicine?
Was Count Fosco ever alone in the
room with Laura?
4 He suspected that he killed Laura
by poisoning her.

Pages 43-44 exercises 2-3

will not discuss everything

makes me want to
has lost her
wears simple clothes

1 T
2 F People were afraid to go to
asylums because of the crowded
conditions and often inhumane
treatment.
3 F They thought just the
opposite: that strictness and
discipline were essential to good
mental health.
4 T
5 T
6 F They could be put into
asylums.
7 F She was a writer who fought
for better conditions in asylums.
8 T

Page 45 exercise 5
A
B
C
D
E
F
G

4 lawyer, settlement
2 aristocrats, asylum
7 document, tame
3 student
1 drawing, nieces
6 wedding
5 future

Chapter FOUR
Page 52 exercise 1
1C 2A 3C 4A 5B

Chapter FIVE

Page 53 exercise 2

Open answers.

Page 58 exercise 1

1A 2C 3B 4A 5A 6B

P
2
2 S Y M P A T H Y
H
I
4

3 H Y P O C H O N D R I A C
N
E

9
8 L A W Y E R
S
12 W H I S P E R 13
E
B
C
L
15 S I G N A
A
M
16 V I L L A G E
L
Y

Page 67 exercise 1

7 C A R R I A G E
H

U
L
L
I
10
N 11 W I T N E S S
I
F
E
14 C A L L E D
T U R E

1 Laura, Walter and Anne. No, he

wasnt.
2 He became happy and laughed.
3 Because she had been out on the
ledge in the rain.
4 Count Fosco.
5 The housekeeper at Blackwater
Park.
6 Paris
7 By the lake.
8 London
9 Because the journey to
Cumberland was too long.
10 Because she had already gone to
London.
11 The doctor.
12 She died in London of heart
disease.

Page 68 exercise 3
1 but 2 even 3 and 4 by 5 since
6 always 7 through 8 when 9 in
10 before
Page 68 exercise 4
Open answers.

Chapter SIX
Page 69 exercise 1
1 Laura and Marian
2 Laura is supposed to be dead.
Open answer.
Page 69 exercise 2
1B 2C 3C 4A 5A
Page 78 exercise 1
1K 2E 3J 4G 5C 6A 7H 8D
Page 79 exercise 2
1 successful 2 idolised
3 Interestingly 4 readers
5 inspiration 6 biographers
7 original 8 novelist 9 unattractive
10 courageous 11 openly 12 married
Page 79 exercise 3
1 library 2 Laura died 3 ill
4 London 5 in the asylum
6 Mrs Catherick 7 mother
8 his property and title

K E Y

T O

T H E

Chapter SEVEN
Page 80 exercise 1
1F 2F 3F 4T 5T
Page 87 exercise 1
A6 B4 C2 D7 E1 F8 G3 H9
I extra heading J5
Page 87 exercise 2
1 Because she did not want to sign a
document revealing her secret.
2 Because she was thankful that
Walter had caused Sir Percivals
death.
3 Major Donthorne.
4 The key to the vestry.
5 Expensive presents.
6 Because he thought that Sir
Percival was his wifes lover.
7 Because she too was guilty of
forgery and could end up in prison
for many years.
8 He had to produce a birth
certificate and to do this he
needed to show that his parents
were legally married.
9 He thought that Anne knew his
secret.
10 He had her sent to an asylum.
11 To show the doctor from the
asylum where Laura was hiding.
12 He didnt want to cause Marian
pain.
Page 88 exercise 3
1C 2A 3E 4B
Page 89 exercise 4
Elements in common to be noted:
Two sisters who are very close
An older sister is like a mother
because their real mother is dead
The younger sister is going to
marry an aristocrat

E X E R C I S E S

The older sister has extreme

doubts about this aristocrat
The aristocrat is not really an
aristocrat

Chapter EIGHT
Page 89 exercise 1
1 T
2 F She could remember nothing
of the time from her leaving
Blackwater Park and her escape
from the asylum.
3 F He wrote a letter to her
former employer.
4 T
5 F He had never even met Sir
Percival.
6 T
Page 95 exercise 1
1A 2A 3D 4D 5C 6D 7A
Page 96 exercise 2
Suggested answer:
Without a doubt Marian and Count
Fosco are the most interesting
characters in the book. First, of all,
they are both very unusual. Marian has
an unattractive face but she is very
intelligent, loving and courageous. She
is the one who keeps Count Fosco from
doing everything he plans. She is Count
Foscos perfect adversary. And that is
saying a lot because Count Fosco is a
big character in many different ways.
First, physically he is enormous. He is
obviously evil, but he is also very
charming. Marian says he has a face
like the great general Napoleon
Bonaparte. He is also very intelligent.
He is the character that creates the
story. The strange idea of eliminating
Laura by changing her into Anne was
his. Finally, Fosco becomes even more

K E Y

T O

T H E

interesting when he, just like the

reader, admires Marian very much. We
may like Walter and Laura but they are
too much like standard heroes.
Page 97 exercise 4
1 called 2 whose 3 They 4 in 5 of
6 which 7 The 8 between 9 that
10 about 11 who 12 made 13 that
Page 97 exercise 5
1 whispered 2 recognise 3 improved
4 protect 5 betray 6 join 7 haunts
8 buried

Chapter NINE
Page 98 exercise 1
1A 2B 3C 4A 5B
Page 106 exercise 1
1 F He had to hurry before Fosco
left London.
2 T
3 F He adored her passionately.
4 T
5 F He said they were enough.
6 T
7 F The blond man with the scar
killed Fosco.
8 F He was killed because he had
betrayed the Brotherhood.
9 F She wasnt wealthy because
Sir Percival and the Count had
already spent all of her money.
10 T
Page 106 exercise 2
Suggested answer:
The ideal woman of Victorian England
was physically attractive, and often

E X E R C I S E S

had a light complexion and hair. She

did not have a strong character in
many situations. However, if there
was a question of morality she could
be quite strong. This comes out in The
Woman in White when Laura, a
typical Victorian heroine, refuses to
sign a document for her husband
because she does not think it is right:
she must read it first. Also, the
Victorian woman became heroic and
strong when she sacrificed herself. In
The Woman in White Laura marries a
man who is obviously bad because
she wants to respect her fathers
dying wish. With regard to the man
she loves, she is very dependent. She
totally accepts his opinions (unless,
of course, she believes they are
morally wrong), and she waits for
him to save her in any difficult or
dangerous situations.
Page 107 exercise 3
Open answer.
Page 107 exercise 4
1 parents 2 title 3 impostor
4 fatal 5 married 6 opera
7 member 8 kill 9 proof
10 conspiracy 11 traitor 12 heir
Page 107 exercise 5
A
B
C
D
E
F
G

7 traitor, heir
4 opera
1 parents, title
5 member, kill
2 impostor
6 proof, conspiracy
3 fatal, married

2007 Black Cat Publishing,

an imprint of Cideb Editrice, Genoa, Canterbury

E X I T

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E X I T

T E S T

8 Laura refused to sign Sir Percivals document because

Marian had told her not to.

1 Answer the following questions.

1 What was Walters Italian friends name?
2 What was Walters job?
3 What surprised Walter about Marian when he first met her?
4 Who wrote the anonymous letter to Laura that said she should not
marry Sir Percival?
5 Why did Mr Gilmore not want Mr Fairlie to agree to Sir Percivals
marriage settlement?

9 Mrs Catherick told Walter Sir Percivals secret because

she wanted her revenge on Sir Percival.
10 Walter thought that Pesca would recognise Fosco because
they had both left Italy many years earlier.
11 When Lauras true identity was legally proved, she became
a rich woman.
12 Pesca killed Fosco.

6 Why would Count Fosco receive money if Laura died?

7 Why was Sir Percival so desperate to find Anne Catherick?
8 What was Foscos opinion of Marians description of him in her diary?
9 How did Anne Catherick die?
10 How was it possible to convince people that Laura was Anne?
11 What did Walter discover when he went to visit Lauras grave?

K E Y

12 Why, in the end, was the discovery of Sir Percivals secret of no use to
Walter?
13 Who gave Walter the legal proof that of Lauras true identity?

2 Say whether statements are true (T) or false (F), and then correct the
false ones.
1 The woman in white had very sad memories of her time
in Limmeridge.
2 Anne Catherick was alone on Hampstead Heath because
she had run away from her mother.
3 Laura and Marian had the same mother but different fathers.
4 Mr Frederick Fairlie was an energetic, courageous man.
5 Walter had to leave Limmeridge House because Marian
discovered his love for Laura.
6 Laura married Sir Percival because her father had wanted
her to.
7 Sir Percival put Anne in the asylum because he thought
that she knew his secret.

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T O

T H E

E X I T

T E S T

Exercise 1

Exercise 2

1 Pesca. 2 He taught drawing.

3 Even though she had a graceful
figure, she was ugly. 4 Anne
Catherick. 5 Because the settlement
gave Sir Percival a financial reason to
want Laura dead. 6 He would receive
the money through his wife, who was
to receive ten thousand pounds if
Laura died. 7 He thought that she
knew his secret. 8 He thought it was
brilliant. 9 She died of heart disease.
10 Anne had looked like a thinner and
paler version of Laura, and so, after
Lauras illness, she looked almost
exactly like Anne. 11 He discovered
that Laura was not dead. 12 As soon
as he discovered the secret, Sir
Percival died. Therefore, Walter could
not use his knowledge of the secret
to force Percival to sign a confession
that Laura was actually alive.
13 Count Fosco.

1 F She had happy memories

because Mrs Fairlie, Lauras mother,
was kind to her. 2 F She had
escaped from an asylum. 3 T
4 F He was a lazy hypochondriac.
5 F He had to leave because Laura
was already engaged to be married
and her future husband was coming.
6 T 7 T 8 F She did not sign
because Sir Percival did not let her
read the document. 9 F She told
Walter because she thought that
Walter was responsible for Percivals
death and she was thankful. 10 T
11 F Percival and Fosco had spent
all her money. 12 F The blond man
with the scar killed Fosco.

Photocopiable 2007 Black Cat Publishing