Oxford English Second Edition 3B Unit 5 1 of 4

Thematic reading and comprehension by Laura K. Leung

Name: ( ) Class: Date:

Time to shine!
You are in the Drama Club and have written a proposal to stage a school musical.

Proposal for a school musical

To: The Principal Date: 22 April 2011
Programme: Les Misérables Prepared by: Stanley Mui
Proposed performance date: 27 May 2011

Synopsis
5 1 Les Misérables is regarded as one of the most renowned and performed musicals
worldwide. It is based on Victor Hugo’s famous novel of the same name. Set in 19th-
century France, it is a compelling tale of one man’s journey of redemption. As the
musical opens, Jean Valjean is released on parole by Javert, a policeman, after spending
19 years in prison for stealing a loaf of bread for his starving family. He discovers that
10 he has become an outcast, looked down upon wherever he goes. Homeless, unemployed
and starving, he is taken in by the Bishop of Digne. The embittered Valjean steals
the bishop’s silver and leaves, only to be arrested and brought back to the bishop’s
home. The bishop covers for him, claiming that the silver was a gift. The authorities
release Valjean and the bishop makes him promise to become an honest man. Moved
15 by the bishop’s kindness, Valjean rebuilds his life, working his way up to become the
respectable Monsieur Madeleine, a factory owner and the mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer.
2 One of his employees is a woman named Fantine, who is working to support her
daughter Cosette. When the foreman discovers that she is an unmarried mother, he
sacks her. Feeling desperate for money, she sells her locket and her hair. She is also
20 forced into prostitution and soon becomes ill. Taking pity on her, Valjean promises the
dying Fantine that he will find and raise Cosette as his own daughter.
3 Cosette has been living with the Thénardiers who run an inn. The Thénardiers have
been treating the little girl like a servant. Valjean pays the Thénardiers to let him take
Cosette away, and they leave for Paris.
25 4 Nine years later, there is great unrest in Paris because General Lamarque, the only
man in the government who is sympathetic towards the poor, is ill and dying. A group
of idealistic students prepare for the revolution they are sure will erupt when Lamarque
dies. Meanwhile, a street gang led by the Thénardiers plan to rob Valjean and Cosette
during the unrest. The Thénardiers’ daughter, Éponine, secretly falls in love with a
30 student revolutionary called Marius and warns him to stay away from the impending
revolution. However, Marius accidentally bumps into Cosette and falls in love with her.
The Thénardiers’ plan fails as Valjean and Cosette are rescued by Javert, who does not
recognize Valjean until later.

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Oxford English Second Edition 3B Unit 5 2 of 4

Thematic reading and comprehension

Name: ( ) Class: Date:

5 The revolutionary students led by Enjolras defy the army’s warning to give up and
35 instead prepare to build a barricade against the army. Marius sends Éponine with a
letter to Cosette, but Valjean receives it instead. On Éponine’s return to rejoin Marius
at the barricade, she is killed. The students also discover that Javert is a police spy and
they tie him up.

6 Valjean arrives at the barricade searching for Marius. He saves Enjolras from being
40 killed by a sniper. As a reward, he asks to be the one to kill Javert, but instead he
releases him. Valjean finds Marius alive but unconscious in the sewers and he comes
across Javert once more. He pleads with Javert to let him bring Marius to the hospital,
and Javert reluctantly agrees.
7 However, Javert feels tormented as he is torn between his police duty and the debt
45 he owes Valjean for saving his life. Filled with remorse, he eventually kills himself.
8 Marius recovers in Cosette’s care, and at their wedding, he realizes that it was
Valjean who rescued him on the night the barricade fell. He and Cosette go to Valjean
where they learn the truth about Valjean’s past before he dies.

Rationale
50 9 The Drama Club would like to perform this musical for a number of reasons. First
of all, the universal concepts and rich characters of Victor Hugo’s classic novel make it
a great show to produce. Its musical adaptation is also widely popular. We believe that
students would be interested in watching and taking part in a musical adaption of this
novel.
55 10 Secondly, it would be a good idea for the school to support a staging of Les
Misérables because students can learn more about modern history. Learning about
history may seem distant to students, but bringing it to life on stage instantly makes it
more interesting. It also covers many social issues that are very relevant to our daily
lives, such as prejudice, crime and punishment, and poverty.

60 Costs
11 We will work with the school orchestra to produce all the music for the musical.
Also, some classes have already agreed to help make the costumes, props and scenery.
However, we will need to buy the material for the costumes and for the construction of
the props and scenery, as well as make-up for the different characters. We believe we
65 can offset these costs through ticket sales and fund-raisers.

Conclusion
12 We should perform Les Misérables this year because it is an inspirational story of
love, courage and redemption.

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Oxford English Second Edition 3B Unit 5 3 of 4

Thematic reading and comprehension

Name: ( ) Class: Date:

Write your answers in the spaces provided. For multiple-choice questions, choose the best answer
and blacken one circle only.

1 Why is Valjean an outcast?

A Because he is homeless.
B Because he is unemployed.
C Because he is an ex-prisoner. A B C D
D Because he has no friends.

2 Find words in paragraph 1 which are the opposite in meaning to:

(a) compassion ___________________
(b) voyage ___________________
(c) famous ___________________
(d) honourable ___________________

3 What does ‘it’ in line 36 refer to?

4 Complete the sentences below.

Valjean is allowed to ___________________ Javert after he ___________________ Enjolras.
But he chooses to let Javert ___________________ instead.

5 Why does Javert kill himself?

6 What can ‘inspirational’ in line 67 be replaced by?

A disturbing
B exciting
C touching A B C D
D unmoving

7 Which person in Les Misérables would you attribute the following quotes to? The first one has
been done for you as an example.
(a) ‘We’ll not surrender to the army!’ Enjolras
___________________
(b) ‘He didn’t steal my silver. I gave it to him as a gift.’ ___________________
(c) ‘Please give Cosette this letter.’ ___________________
(d) ‘I’ll find and care for your daughter as if she were my own.’ ___________________

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Oxford English Second Edition 3B Unit 5 4 of 4

Thematic reading and comprehension

Name: ( ) Class: Date:

8 Number the following events (2–6) in chronological order. The first one has been done for
you as an example.

Valjean becomes the mayor of Montreuil-sur-Mer.

Valjean saves Marius.

1 Valjean is released from prison.

Valjean and Cosette leave for Paris.

Marius meets Cosette.

Marius and Cosette get married.

9 Complete the following summary by filling in the blanks or blackening the circle.

Name of musical (a)

Proposed performance date (b)

What is the musical about?
(Blacken the correct circle.)
(c) a man looking for his daughter
a love story between Éponine and Marius
a man imprisoned for a small crime
the struggle of a man trying to change his life
by helping others

Why is Les Misérables a great (d) Because it is a classic story with

show to produce?
.

What would students learn (e) They would learn about

about?
.

What social issues does (f)

Les Misérables cover?

10 Read the proposal again and decide if the following are true (T), false (F) or not stated (X).
Put the appropriate symbols in the boxes below.
(a) Fantine lived with Cosette.
(b) The Bishop of Digne persuaded Valjean to be a good person.
(c) The Thénardiers were related to Cosette.
(d) The music teachers will help create music for the musical.

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