To catch a king

Anna Keay reviews Charles Spencer's book about the hunt for King Charles II during the
English Civil War of the seventeenth century
Charles Spencer's latest book, To Catch a King, tells us the story of the hunt for King Charles
II in the six weeks after his resounding defeat at the Battle of Worcester in September 1651.
And what a story it is. After his father was executed by the Parliamentarians in 1649, the
young Charles II sacrificed one of the very principles his father had died for and did a deal
with the Scots, thereby accepting Presbyterianism* as the national religion in return for being
crowned King of Scots. His arrival in Edinburgh prompted the English Parliamentary army to
invade Scotland in a pre-emptive strike. This was followed by a Scottish invasion of England.
The two sides finally faced one another at Worcester in the west of England in 1651. After
being comprehensively defeated on the meadows outside the city by the Parliamentarian
army, the 21-year-old king found himself the subject of a national manhunt, with a huge sum
offered for his capture. Over the following six weeks he managed, through a series of heart-
poundingly close escapes, to evade the Parliamentarians before seeking refuge in France. For
the next nine years, the penniless and defeated Charles wandered around Europe with only a
small group of loyal supporters.

Years later, after his restoration as king, the 50-year-old Charles II requested a meeting with
the writer and diarist Samuel Pepys. His intention when asking Pepys to commit his story to
paper was to ensure that this most extraordinary episode was never forgotten. Over two three-
hour sittings, the king related to him in great detail his personal recollections of the six weeks
he had spent as a fugitive. As the king and secretary settled down (a scene that is surely a gift
for a future scriptwriter), Charles commenced his story: After the battle was so absolutely lost
as to be beyond hope of recovery, I began to think of the best way of saving myself.

One of the joys of Spencer's book, a result not least of its use of Charles II's own narrative as
well as those of his supporters, is just how close the reader gets to the action. The day-by-day
retelling of the fugitives' doings provides delicious details: the cutting of the king's long hair
with agricultural shears, the use of walnut leaves to dye his pale skin, and the day Charles
spent lying on a branch of the great oak tree in Boscobel Wood as the Parliamentary soldiers
scoured the forest floor below. Spencer draws out both the humour - such as the preposterous
refusal of Charles's friend Henry Wilmot to adopt disguise on the grounds that it was beneath
his dignity - and the emotional tension when the secret of the king's presence was cautiously
revealed to his supporters.

Charles's adventures after losing the Battle of Worcester hide the uncomfortable truth that
whilst almost everyone in England had been appalled by the execution of his father, they had
not welcomed the arrival of his son with the Scots army, but had instead firmly bolted their
doors. This was partly because he rode at the head of what looked like a foreign invasion
force and partly because, after almost a decade of civil war, people were desperate to avoid it
beginning again. This makes it all the more interesting that Charles II himself loved the story
so much ever after. As well as retelling it to anyone who would listen, causing eyerolling
among courtiers, he set in train a series of initiatives to memorialise it. There was to be a new
order of chivalry, the Knights of the Royal Oak. A series of enormous oil paintings depicting
the episode were produced, including a two-metre-wide canvas of Boscobel Wood and a set
of six similarly enormous paintings of the king on the run. In 1660, Charles II commissioned
the artist John Michael Wright to paint a flying squadron of cherubs* carrying an oak tree to
the heavens on the ceiling of his bedchamber. It is hard to imagine many other kings marking
the lowest point in their life so enthusiastically, or indeed pulling off such an escape in the
first place.

Charles Spencer is the perfect person to pass the story on to a new generation. His pacey,
readable prose steers deftly clear of modern idioms and elegantly brings to life the details of
the great tale. He has even-handed sympathy for both the fugitive king and the fierce
republican regime that hunted him, and he succeeds in his desire to explore far more of the
background of the story than previous books on the subject have done. Indeed, the opening
third of the book is about how Charles II found himself at Worcester in the first place, which
for some will be reason alone to read To Catch a King.

The tantalising question left, in the end, is that of what it all meant. Would Charles II have
been a different king had these six weeks never happened? The days and nights spent in
hiding must have affected him in some way. Did the need to assume disguises, to survive on
wit and charm alone, to use trickery and subterfuge to escape from tight corners help form
him? This is the one area where the book doesn't quite hit the mark. Instead its depiction of
Charles II in his final years as an ineffective, pleasure-loving monarch doesn't do justice to
the man (neither is it accurate), or to the complexity of his character. But this one niggle
aside, To Catch a King is an excellent read, and those who come to it knowing little of the
famous tale will find they have a treat in store.

Questions 27–31: Complete the summary using the list of phrases, A–J, below.
Write the correct letter, A–J, in boxes 27–31.

A. military innovation B. large reward C. widespread conspiracy

D. relative safety E. new government F. decisive victory
G. political debate H. strategic alliance I. popular solution
J. religious conviction

The story behind the hunt for Charles IICharles II’s father was executed by the
Parliamentarian forces in 1649. Charles II then formed a 27… with the Scots, and in order to
become King of Scots, he abandoned an important 28…. that was held by his father and had
contributed to his father’s death. The opposing sides then met outside Worcester in 1651. The
battle led to a 29…. for the Parliamentarians and Charles had to flee for his life. A 30…. was
offered for Charles’s capture, but after six weeks spent in hiding, he eventually managed to
reach the 31…. of continental Europe.

Questions 32–35:
Do the following statements agree with the claims of the writer in Reading Passage 3? In
boxes 32–35, write

YES if the statement agrees with the claims of the writer

NO if the statement contradicts the claims of the writer
NOT GIVEN if it is impossible to say what the writer thinks about this

32. Charles chose Pepys for the task because he considered him to be trustworthy.
33. Charles’s personal recollection of the escape lacked sufficient detail.
34. Charles indicated to Pepys that he had planned his escape before the battle.
35. The inclusion of Charles’s account is a positive aspect of the book.

Questions 36–40: Choose the correct letter, A, B, C or D.

36. What is the reviewer’s main purpose in the first paragraph?

A. to describe what happened during the Battle of Worcester

B. to give an account of the circumstances leading to Charles II’s escape
C. to provide details of the Parliamentarians’ political views
D. to compare Charles II’s beliefs with those of his father

37. Why does the reviewer include examples of the fugitives’ behaviour in the third
paragraph?

A. to explain how close Charles II came to losing his life

B. to suggest that Charles II’s supporters were badly prepared
C. to illustrate how the events of the six weeks are brought to life
D. to argue that certain aspects are not as well known as they should be

38. What point does the reviewer make about Charles II in the fourth paragraph?

A. He chose to celebrate what was essentially a defeat.

B. He misunderstood the motives of his opponents.
C. He aimed to restore people’s faith in the monarchy.
D. He was driven by a desire to be popular.

39. What does the reviewer say about Charles Spencer in the fifth paragraph?
A. His decision to write the book comes as a surprise.
B. He takes an unbiased approach to the subject matter.
C. His descriptions of events would be better if they included more detail.
D. He chooses language that is suitable for a twenty-first-century audience.

40. When the reviewer says the book ‘doesn’t quite hit the mark’, she is making the point that

A. it overlooks the impact of events on ordinary people.

B. it lacks an analysis of prevalent views on monarchy.
C. it omits any references to the deceit practised by Charles II during his time in hiding.
D. it fails to address whether Charles II’s experiences had a lasting influence on him.

GIẢI THÍCH

CÂU 27
- GIẢI THÍCH CHI TIẾT

(Read in structure)

Bài đọc: After his father was executed by the Parliamentarians in 1649 ,

the young Charles II

sacrificed one of the very principles his father had died for and did a deal with the Scots
, ...

=> Sau khi cha anh ta (vua Charles II) bị hành hình vào năm 1649, vua Charles II đã [...] và
có 1 thương thảo với người Scots.
So với câu hỏi:

Charles II's father

V
was executed by the Parliamentarian forces in 1649 . Charles II then formed a strategic
alliance with the Scots

=> Ta thấy cụm từ 'the Scots' --> cụm từ did a deal with the Scots = formed a ... with the
Scots --> từ tương ứng là 'deal'
=> did a deal = có 1 thỏa thuận với, nhìn vào các đáp án ta đoán được alliance tương ứng từ
deal vì từ alliance là word family của từ ally (đồng minh/ liên mình)
=> did a deal with = form an alliance with = có 1 sự cộng tác/ hợp tác với

=> Đáp án là strategic alliance

- PARAPHRASING
Question:

Charles II's father was executed by the Parliamentarian forces in 1649. Charles II then formed
a strategic alliance with the Scots

So sánh cụm từ bên câu hỏi và bài đọc, ta có:

Cha của Vua Charles II bị hành hình bởi Quốc hội vào năm 1649

Charles II's father was executed by the Parliamentarian forces in 1649 =

Sau khi vua của ông bị hành hình bởi Quốc hội vào năm 1649

After his father was executed by the Parliamentarians in 1649

Charles II = the young Charles II

tạo lập 1 liên minh chiến thuật với người Scot

formed a strategic alliance with the Scots =

có 1 sự thương thảo với người Scot

did a deal with the Scots

- CÂU ĐƯỢC ĐỊNH VỊ

After his father was executed by the Parliamentarians in 1649, the young Charles II sacrificed
one of the very principles his father had died for and did a deal with the Scots, thereby
accepting Presbyterianism* as the national religion in return for being crowned King of
Scots.

CÂU 28
- GIẢI THÍCH CHI TIẾT

(Read in structure)

After his father was executed by the Parliamentarians in 1649 ,

the young Charles II

V1

sacrificed one of the very principles his father had died for and

V2

did a deal with the Scots , thereby accepting Presbyterianism* as the national religion in
return for being crowned King of Scots.

=> Main idea: Charles II hy sinh 1 trong những nguyên tắc mà cha ông ấy đấu tranh do đó
chấp nhận Presbyterianism như là 1 tôn giáo để được làm vua người Scots.

=> cụm từ (that) his father died for là mệnh đề quan hệ đã được lược bỏ đại từ quan hệ bổ
nghĩa cho từ principles --> one of the very principles THAT his father had died for
=> cụm từ '(that) his father had died for = that was held by his father and contributed to
his father's death
=> từ tương ứng là 'principles'
=> dùng 'read connection' đọc vế sau 'thereby accepting ... as the national religion' -->
biết principles có liên quan đến religion (niềm tin tôn giáo)
=> nhìn vào các lựa chọn ta thấy có từ religious là word form của religion
=> đáp án là religious conviction

- PARAPHRASING
Question:

and in order to become King of Scots, he abandoned an important religious conviction that
was held by his father and had contributed to his father's death.
So sánh cụm từ bên câu hỏi và bài đọc, ta có:

in order to become King of Scots = in return for being crowned King of Scots

từ bỏ niềm tin tôn giáo

abandoned an important religious conviction =

từ bỏ 1 trong những nguyên tắc

sacrificed one of the very principles +

chấp nhận Presbyterianism như là 1 tôn giáo của cả quốc gia

accepting Presbyteriansim as the national religion

mà được cha tin vào và đưa đên cái chết của cha mình

that was held by his father and had contributed to his father's death = his father had died for

- CÂU ĐƯỢC ĐỊNH VỊ

After his father was executed by the Parliamentarians in 1649, the young Charles II sacrificed
one of the very principles his father had died for and did a deal with the Scots, thereby
accepting Presbyterianism* as the national religion in return for being crowned King of
Scots.

CÂU 29
- GIẢI THÍCH CHI TIẾT

(Read in structure) để nắm ý chính, ta có:

1 The two sides finally faced one another at Worcester in the west of England in 1651 .

2 After being comprehensively defeated on the meadows outside the city by the
Parliamentarian army , the 21-year-old king found himself the subject of a national
manhunt , with a huge sum offered for his capture.

=> 1 nói về 2 phe đối mặt nhau ở Worcester vào 1651 --> dựa vào từ battle trong câu hỏi ta
hiểu là 2 phe đánh nhau/ giao chiến ở Worcester vào 1651
=> 2 nói về sau khi bị comprehensively defeated on the meadows --> the meadows ám chỉ
về Worcester
=> dựa vào cấu trúc bị động và cụm từ by the Parliamentarian army --> ta hiểu sau khi bị
đánh bại bởi Parliamentarian army --> Parliamentarian giành chiến thắng và Charles thua
cuộc
=> ta thấy có verb pattern find sb N = sb be N (ai đó là gì đó) --> từ manhunt (săn người) -->
ta hiểu là Charles bị truy đuổi bởi phe chiến thắng (Parliamentarian army)
=> Main idea: 2 phe đánh nhau, Parliamentarian army thắng cuộc và Charles bị săn đuổi bởi
phe chiến thắng
=> Đáp án là decisive victory

- PARAPHRASING
Question:

The opposing sides then met outside Worcester in 1651. The battle led to a decisive victory
for the Parliamentarians and Charles had to flee for his life.

So sánh cụm từ bên câu hỏi và bài đọc, ta có:

hai phe đối lập gặp nhau ngoài Worcester vào 1651

The opposing sides then met outside Worcester in 1651 =

hai phe cuồi cùng cũng gặp nhau ở Worcester ở phía Tây nước Anh 1651

The two sides finally faced one another at Worcester in the west of England in 1651

trận chiến dẫn đến 1 chiến thắng mang tuyệt đối cho phe Quốc hội

The battle led to a decisive victory for the Parliamentarians =

Sau khi bị đánh bại hoàn toàn bởi quân đội củaQuốc hội trên cánh đồng ngoài thành phố

After being comprehensively defeated on the meadows outside the city by the
Parliamentarian army

Charles phải bỏ chạy cứu thân

Charles had to flee for his life =

vị vua 21 tuổi trở thành đối tượng của 1 cuộc săn người trên khắp cả nước
the 21-year-old king found himself the subject of a national manhunt

- CÂU ĐƯỢC ĐỊNH VỊ

The two sides finally faced one another at Worcester in the west of England in 1651.After
being comprehensively defeated on the meadows outside the city by the Parliamentarian
army, the 21-year-old king found himself the subject of a national manhunt, with a huge sum
offered for his capture.

CÂU 30
- GIẢI THÍCH CHI TIẾT

(Read in structure) để nắm ý chính, ta có:

1 After... , the 21-year-old king found himself the subject of a national manhunt , with a
huge sum offered for his capture .

2 Over the following six weeks he managed, through... escapes, to evade the
Parliamentarians before seeking refuge in France .

=> a huge sum offered for his capture có cấu trúc mệnh đề quan hệ rút gọn --> a huge sum
(which was) offered for his capture
=> dùng Read connection --> hiểu his ám chỉ đến vua Charles II --> a huge sum offered
for his captured tương ứng với cụm trong câu hỏi ... was offered for Charles's capture
=> a huge sum --> 1 khoản tiền lớn --> ta hiểu là 1 phần thưởng lớn được dành cho his
capture
=> Main idea: Sau khi bị thua cuộc, Charles II bỏ trốn và 1 phần thưởng lớn cho his capture
=> ta thấy đáp án large reward có từ large = huge (lớn)
=> Đáp án là large reward

- PARAPHRASING
A large reward was offered for Charles's capture, but after six weeks spent in hiding, he
eventually managed to reach the relative safety of continental Europe.

So sánh cụm từ bên câu hỏi và bài đọc, ta có:

1 phần thưởng lớn

A large reward =

1 khoản tiền lớn

a huge sum

cho ai bắt được Charles

offered for Charles' capture = offered for his capture

six weeks = Over the following six weeks

đến được nơi tương đối an toàn tại Châu Âu

reach the relative safety of continental Europe =

lánh nạn tại Pháp

seeking refuge in France

- CÂU ĐƯỢC ĐỊNH VỊ

After being comprehensively defeated on the meadows outside the city by the
Parliamentarian army, the 21-year-old king found himself the subject of a national manhunt,
with a huge sum offered for his capture.Over the following six weeks he managed, through a
series of heart-poundingly close escapes, to evade the Parliamentarians before seeking refuge
in France.

CÂU 31
- GIẢI THÍCH CHI TIẾT

(Read in structure) để nắm ý chính, ta có:

Over the following six weeks he managed, through...escapes, to evade the

Parliamentarians before seeking refuge in France .

=> ta thấy trong cụm through ... escapes cùng với cấu trúc manage to do sth = succeed in
doing sth --> hiểu là thông qua việc trốn thoát Charles đã manage to evade the
Parliamentarians
=> cấu trúc S1 V1 before S2 V2 --> ta hiểu là S1 V1 dẫn đến S2 V2
=> dựa vào sentence structure ta thấy after six weeks spent in hiding = Over the following
six weeks, he managed, through .. escapes, to evade the Parliamentarians --> dù không
biết từ evade nhưng khi compare sentence structure --> hiding = to evade
=> ta thấy từ Continental Europe (general) = France (specific) --> dùng 1 từ general
paraphrase 1 từ specific
=> Main idea: sau 6 tuần lẩn trốn Parliamentarians, Charles đã đến Pháp an toàn
=> Dùng Read connection --> Charles bị thua cuộc ở Anh --> lẩn trốn Parliamentarians 6
tuần --> đến Pháp an toàn
=> Đáp án là relative safety

- PARAPHRASING
but after six weeks spent in hiding, he eventually managed to reach the relative safety of
Continental Europe

So sánh cụm từ bên câu hỏi và bài đọc, ta có:

after six weeks = over the following six weeks

trốn

hiding =

tránh né

to evade

đến 1 nới tương đối an toàn ở Châu Âu

reach the relative safety of Continental Europe =

lánh nạn tại Pháp

seeking refuge in France

- CÂU ĐƯỢC ĐỊNH VỊ

Over the following six weeks he managed, through a series of heart-poundingly close
escapes, to evade the Parliamentarians before seeking refuge in France.

CÂU 32
- GIẢI THÍCH CHI TIẾT

(Read in structure) để nắm ý chính, ta có:

1 Years later , after... , the 50-year-old Charles II requested a meeting with the writer
and diarist Samuel Pepys .

2 His intention when asking Pepys to commit his story to paper was to ensure that...

3 Over two three-hour sittings , the king related to him in great detail his personal
recollections of the six weeks....

4 As the king and secretary settled down , Charles commenced his story:...
=> 1 và 2 --> Charles gặp Pepys và yêu cầu Pepys làm 1 việc
=> trong 2 asking Pepys to commit his story to paper là 1 việc mà Charles yêu cầu Pepys
làm --> đây là task mà câu hỏi đề cập
=> 3 và 4 nói về quá trình làm việc giữa Charles và Pepys
=> Không có thông tin về lý do Charles chọn Pepys cho nhiệm vụ này
=> Đáp án là NOT GIVEN

- PARAPHRASING
Question:

Charles chose Pepys for the task because he considered him to be trustworthy.

So sánh cụm từ bên câu hỏi và bài đọc, ta có:

Charles = Charles II

chọn Pepys cho 1 nhiệm vụ

chose Pepys for the task =

yêu cầu Pepys viết câu chuyện của mình xuống

asking Pepys to commit his story to paper

- CÂU ĐƯỢC ĐỊNH VỊ

Years later, after his restoration as king, the 50-year-old Charles II requested a meeting with
the writer and diarist Samuel Pepys.His intention when asking Pepys to commit his story to
paper was to ensure that this most extraordinary episode was never forgotten.Over two three-
hour sittings, the king related to him in great detail his personal recollections of the six weeks
he had spent as a fugitive.As the king and secretary settled down (a scene that is surely a gift
for a future scriptwriter), Charles commenced his story: After the battle was so absolutely lost
as to be beyond hope of recovery, I began to think of the best way of saving myself.

CAU 33
- GIẢI THÍCH CHI TIẾT

(Read in structure) để nắm ý chính, ta có:

Over two three-hour sittings , the king related to him in great detail his personal
recollections of the six weeks he had spent as a fugitive.

=> dựa vào cụm từ Charles's personal recollection = his personal recollections --> of the
escape = of the six weeks he had spent as a fugitive
=> dù không hiểu sufficient là gì, nhưng ta vẫn có thể hiểu cụm lack sufficient detail (thiếu
chi tiết) # in great detail (có nhiều chi tiết)
=> Opposite meaning với câu hỏi
=> Đáp án là NO

- PARAPHRASING
Question:

Charles's personal recollection of the escape lacked sufficient detail.

So sánh cụm từ bên câu hỏi và bài đọc, ta có:

Hồi ức của Charles

Charles's personal recollection = his personal recollections

về cuộc trốn chạy

of the escape =

về khoản thời gian 6 tuần Charles làm người trốn chạy

of the six weeks he had spent as a fugitive

thiếu chi tiết

lacked sufficient detail #

1 cách chi tiết

in great detail

- CÂU ĐƯỢC ĐỊNH VỊ

Over two three-hour sittings, the king related to him in great detail his personal recollections
of the six weeks he had spent as a fugitive.

CÂU 34
 - GIẢI THÍCH CHI TIẾT

(Read in structure) để nắm ý chính, ta có:

As... , Charles commenced his story : After the battle was so absolutely lost as to be
beyond hope of recovery , I began to think of the best way of saving myself.

=> dựa vào sentence structure --> after S1 V1, S2 V2 và before S1 V1, S2 V2 --> so sánh
giữa câu hỏi và bài đọc (after the battle và before the battle) --> ta thấy planned his escape =
think of the best way of saving myself
=> dựa vào dấu : trong bài đọc --> Charles kể lại câu chuyện của mình --> từ I và myself =
Charles
=> ta thấy before the battle # after the battle
=> Opposite meaning với câu hỏi
=> Đáp án là NO

- PARAPHRASING
Question:

So sánh cụm từ bên câu hỏi và bài đọc, ta có:

Charles indicated to Pepys that he had planned his escape before the battle.

Charles / he = Charles / I

had planned his escape = think of the best way of saving myself

before the battle

after the battle

- CÂU ĐƯỢC ĐỊNH VỊ

As the king and secretary settled down (a scene that is surely a gift for a future scriptwriter),
Charles commenced his story: After the battle was so absolutely lost as to be beyond hope of
recovery, I began to think of the best way of saving myself.

CÂU 35
- GIẢI THÍCH CHI TIẾT

(Read in structure) để nắm ý chính, ta có:

1 One of the joys of Spencer's book , a result ... , is just how close the reader gets to the
action .

=> từ joys = positive (mang nghĩa good) --> one of the joys of Spencer's book = a positive
aspect of the book
=> cụm từ a result of ... là mệnh đề quan hệ rút gọn (reduced relative clause) --> the use of
Charles' II's own narrative ... tạo ra one of the joys of Spencers' book (cause - effect)
=> dựa vào cấu trúc sở hữu cách --> Charles' account = Charles II's own narrative
=> ta hiểu lời kể của Charles tạo ra điểm hay của sách
=> thông tin đọc khớp với câu hỏi
=> Đáp án là YES

- PARAPHRASING
Question:

The inclusion of Charles's account is a positive aspect of the book.

So sánh cụm từ bên câu hỏi và bài đọc, ta có:

The inclusion of Charles's account = Charles II's own narrative

a positive aspect of the book = One of the joys of Spencer's book

- CÂU ĐƯỢC ĐỊNH VỊ

One of the joys of Spencer's book, a result not least of its use of Charles II's own narrative as
well as those of his supporters, is just how close the reader gets to the action.

CÂU 36
- GIẢI THÍCH CHI TIẾT

(Read in structure) để nắm ý chính, ta có:

Charles Spencer's latest book , ...

tells us the story of the hunt for King Charles II ...

2 And what a story it is .

3 After

S
his father

was executed by the Parliamentarians in 1649 ,

the young Charles II

V1

sacrificed principles his father had died for

V2

and did a deal with the Scots , thereby accepting Presbyterianism* as the national
religion in return for being crowned King of Scots.

His arrival in Edinburgh

prompted the English Parliamentary army to invade Scotland in a pre-emptive strike.

This

V
was followed by a Scottish invasion of England .

The two sides

finally faced one another at Worcester in the west of England in 1651.

7 After being comprehensively defeated ... by the Parliamentarian army , the 21-year-
old king found himself the subject of a national manhunt , with a huge sum offered for
his capture.

8 Over the following six weeks

he

managed, through ...escapes, to evade the Parliamentarians

before seeking refuge in France.

9 For the next nine years ,

the penniless and defeated Charles

wandered around Europe with only a small group of loyal supporters.

=> Trong câu 1 và 2, tác giả giới thiệu quyển sách này kể câu chuyện về cuộc săn đuổi (the
hunt) trong 6 tuần sau thất bại (defeat) của vua Charles.
=> các câu sau 3 -> 9 đưa ra câu chuyện dẫn đến sự thất bại đó.
=> trong đáp án B: Đoạn 1 đã đưa các thông tin về những circumstances (hoàn cảnh) dẫn
đến sự trốn chạy (escape) của Charles II vì
=> Chọn đáp án B to give an account of the circumstances leading to Charles II's escape

- PARAPHRASING
1

Charles Spencer's latest book , ...

tells us the story of the hunt for King Charles II ... .

2 And what a story it is .

3 After

his father

was executed by the Parliamentarians in 1649 ,

the young Charles II

V1

sacrificed principles his father had died for

V2

and did a deal with the Scots , thereby accepting Presbyterianism* as the national
religion in return for being crowned King of Scots.

His arrival in Edinburgh

prompted the English Parliamentary army to invade Scotland in a pre-emptive strike.

This

was followed by a Scottish invasion of England .

The two sides

finally faced one another at Worcester in the west of England in 1651.

7 After being comprehensively defeated ... by the Parliamentarian army , the 21-year-
old king found himself the subject of a national manhunt , with a huge sum offered for
his capture.

8 Over the following six weeks

he

managed, through ...escapes, to evade the Parliamentarians

before seeking refuge in France.

9 For the next nine years ,

the penniless and defeated Charles

wandered around Europe with only a small group of loyal supporters.

Đọc connection:

Câu 1 + 2 => Giới thiệu sách của Charles Spencer --> hunt for King Charles II

Câu 3 + 4 + 5 + 6 => lý do tại sao 2 phe giao chiến (Scots vs English Parliamentary army)

Câu 7 + 8 + 9 => nguyên nhân Charles trốn chạy Parliamentary army và đến Châu Âu để lẩn
trốn

- CÂU ĐƯỢC ĐỊNH VỊ

Charles Spencer's latest book, To Catch a King, tells us the story of the hunt for King Charles
II in the six weeks after his resounding defeat at the Battle of Worcester in September
1651.And what a story it is.After his father was executed by the Parliamentarians in 1649, the
young Charles II sacrificed one of the very principles his father had died for and did a deal
with the Scots, thereby accepting Presbyterianism* as the national religion in return for being
crowned King of Scots.His arrival in Edinburgh prompted the English Parliamentary army to
invade Scotland in a pre-emptive strike.This was followed by a Scottish invasion of
England.The two sides finally faced one another at Worcester in the west of England in
1651.After being comprehensively defeated on the meadows outside the city by the
Parliamentarian army, the 21-year-old king found himself the subject of a national manhunt,
with a huge sum offered for his capture.Over the following six weeks he managed, through a
series of heart-poundingly close escapes, to evade the Parliamentarians before seeking refuge
in France.For the next nine years, the penniless and defeated Charles wandered around
Europe with only a small group of loyal supporters.

CÂU 37
- GIẢI THÍCH CHI TIẾT

(Read in structure) để nắm ý chính, ta có:

One of the joys of Spencer's book , a result ... of Charles II's own narrative as well as
those of his supporters ,

is just how close the reader gets to the action.

The day-by-day retelling of the fugitives' doings

provides delicious details : ..., ..., ...

=> Đọc connection --> the fugitive's doings = doings của Charles + his supporters -->
doings của Charles + his supporters trong 6 tuần trốn chạy
=> trong câu 1 joys of Spencer's book là how close the readers to to the action = events
brought to life (miêu tả các sự kiện 1 cách sống động)
=> trong câu 2 từ day-by-day retelling và delivious details --> nói về các chi tiết để minh
họa quá trình trốn chạy của fugitives (Charles + his supporters)
=> Đáp án là C to illustrate how the events of the six weeks are brought to life

- PARAPHRASING
1

One of the joys of Spencer's book , a result ... of Charles II's own narrative as well as
those of his supporters ,

is just how close the reader gets to the action.

The day-by-day retelling of the fugitives' doings

provides delicious details : ..., ..., ...

Đọc connection:

Câu 1 => sách của Spencer làm người đọc hiểu rõ về câu chuyện của Charles

Câu 2 => ví dụ về các chi tiết thú vị trong câu chuyện của Charles

- CÂU ĐƯỢC ĐỊNH VỊ

One of the joys of Spencer's book, a result not least of its use of Charles II's own narrative as
well as those of his supporters, is just how close the reader gets to the action.The day-by-day
retelling of the fugitives' doings provides delicious details: the cutting of the king's long hair
with agricultural shears, the use of walnut leaves to dye his pale skin, and the day Charles
spent lying on a branch of the great oak tree in Boscobel Wood as the Parliamentary soldiers
scoured the forest floor below.

CÂU 38
- GIẢI THÍCH CHI TIẾT

Lưu ý:

=> Dạng câu hỏi “what point”: thông tin thường nằm ở câu đầu hoặc cuối vì 2 câu trên
thường có tính chất tóm tắt ý chính trong đoạn.

(Read in structure) để nắm ý chính, ta có:

Charles's adventures after losing the Battle of Worcester

hide the uncomfortable truth that whilst almost everyone in England had been appalled
by the execution of his father , they had not welcomed the arrival of his son with the
Scots army , but had instead firmly bolted their doors.

This

was partly because he rode at the head of what looked like a foreign invasion force and
partly because, after almost a decade of civil war, people were desperate to avoid it
beginning again.

3
S

This

makes it all the more interesting that

Charles II himself

loved the story so much ever after.

4 As well as retelling it to anyone who would listen ,...,

he

set in train a series of initiatives to memorialise it.

5 There was to be a new order of chivalry , the Knights of the Royal Oak .

A series of enormous oil paintings depicting the episode

were produced , including ...

7 In 1660 ,

Charles II

commissioned the artist John Michael Wright to paint a flying squadron of cherubs*
carrying an oak tree to the heavens on the ceiling of his bedchamber.

It

is hard to imagine many other kings marking the lowest point in their life so
enthusiastically , or indeed pulling off such an escape in the first place.

=> Câu 3 --> 7 nói về cách Charles tưởng nhớ về quá trình trốn chạy của mình
=> Câu 8 --> sự ngạc nhiên của tác giả về cách mà Charles tưởng nhớ về cuộc chạy trốn của
mình
=> cấu trúc It is hard to imagine many other kings ... -> Many other kings would not ...
=> marking ... so enthusiastically = celebrate + the lowest point in their life = what
essentially a defeat
=> Đáp án là A He chose to celebrate what was essentially a defeat.

- PARAPHRASING
1

Charles's adventures after losing the Battle of Worcester

V
hide the uncomfortable truth that whilst almost everyone in England had been appalled
by the execution of his father , they had not welcomed the arrival of his son with the
Scots army , but had instead firmly bolted their doors.

This

was partly because he rode at the head of what looked like a foreign invasion force and
partly because, after almost a decade of civil war, people were desperate to avoid it
beginning again.

This

makes it all the more interesting that

Charles II himself

loved the story so much ever after.

4 As well as retelling it to anyone who would listen ,...,

S

he

set in train a series of initiatives to memorialise it.

5 There was to be a new order of chivalry , the Knights of the Royal Oak .

A series of enormous oil paintings depicting the episode

were produced , including ...

7 In 1660 ,

Charles II

commissioned the artist John Michael Wright to paint a flying squadron of cherubs*
carrying an oak tree to the heavens on the ceiling of his bedchamber.

It
V

is hard to imagine many other kings marking the lowest point in their life so
enthusiastically , or indeed pulling off such an escape in the first place.

- CÂU ĐƯỢC ĐỊNH VỊ

Charles's adventures after losing the Battle of Worcester hide the uncomfortable truth that
whilst almost everyone in England had been appalled by the execution of his father, they had
not welcomed the arrival of his son with the Scots army, but had instead firmly bolted their
doors.This was partly because he rode at the head of what looked like a foreign invasion
force and partly because, after almost a decade of civil war, people were desperate to avoid it
beginning again.This makes it all the more interesting that Charles II himself loved the story
so much ever after.As well as retelling it to anyone who would listen, causing eyerolling
among courtiers, he set in train a series of initiatives to memorialise it.There was to be a new
order of chivalry, the Knights of the Royal Oak.A series of enormous oil paintings depicting
the episode were produced, including a two-metre-wide canvas of Boscobel Wood and a set
of six similarly enormous paintings of the king on the run.In 1660, Charles II commissioned
the artist John Michael Wright to paint a flying squadron of cherubs* carrying an oak tree to
the heavens on the ceiling of his bedchamber.It is hard to imagine many other kings marking
the lowest point in their life so enthusiastically, or indeed pulling off such an escape in the
first place.

CÂU 39
- GIẢI THÍCH CHI TIẾT

(Read in structure) để nắm ý chính, ta có:

Charles Spencer

is the perfect person to pass the story on to a new generation.

His pacey, readable prose

V1

steers deftly clear of modern idioms and

V2

elegantly brings to life the details of the great tale.

S1

He

V1

has even-handed sympathy for both the fugitive king and the fierce republican regime
that hunted him , and

S2

he

V2

succeeds in ... than previous books ... .

4 Indeed ,

the opening third of the book

is about how Charles II found himself at Worcester in the first place , which for some
V

will be reason alone to read To Catch a King.

=> câu 1 nói về Charles Spencer là 1 người hoàn hảo (the perfect person to...) --> các câu 2
3 và 4 sẽ giải thích, làm rõ ý này
=> trong câu 3, dùng read connection --> he = Charles Spencer --> He (Charles Spencer)
has even-handed sympathy for both the king and the regime that hunted him
=> Charles Spencer có sự thông cảm cho cả 2 phe (vua Charles II và cái regime mà săn
ông ấy)
=> dù không biết từ even-handed sympathy nhưng ta có thể suy luận nghĩa từ từ 'even'
(bằng nhau, không chênh lệch) --> even-handed sympathy = unbiased approach
=> Đáp án là B He takes an unbiased approach to the subject matter.

- PARAPHRASING
1

Charles Spencer

is the perfect person to pass the story on to a new generation.

His pacey, readable prose

V1

steers deftly clear of modern idioms and

V2

elegantly brings to life the details of the great tale.

3

S1

He

V1

has even-handed sympathy for both the fugitive king and the fierce republican regime
that hunted him , and

S2

he

V2

succeeds in his desire to explore far more of the background of the story than previous
books on the subject have done .

4 Indeed ,

the opening third of the book

is about how Charles II found himself at Worcester in the first place , which for some

will be reason alone to read To Catch a King.

- CÂU ĐƯỢC ĐỊNH VỊ

Charles Spencer is the perfect person to pass the story on to a new generation.His pacey,
readable prose steers deftly clear of modern idioms and elegantly brings to life the details of
the great tale.He has even-handed sympathy for both the fugitive king and the fierce
republican regime that hunted him, and he succeeds in his desire to explore far more of the
background of the story than previous books on the subject have done.Indeed, the opening
third of the book is about how Charles II found himself at Worcester in the first place, which
for some will be reason alone to read To Catch a King.

CÂU 40
- GIẢI THÍCH CHI TIẾT

(Read in structure) để nắm ý chính, ta có:

The tantalising question left , in the end,

is that of what it all meant .

2 Would

Charles II

have been a different king had

these six weeks

V
never happened ?

The days and nights spent in hiding

must have affected him in some way.

4 Did

the need to assume disguises, to survive on wit and charm alone, to use trickery and
subterfuge to escape from tight corners

help form him ?

This

is the one area where the book doesn't quite hit the mark.

=> Câu 2 có cấu trúc đảo ngữ của Conditional sentence type 3 --> câu 1 và 2 đưa ra câu hỏi
giả định của reviewer về Charles II --> Charles II có trở thành 1 vị vua khác nếu như cuộc
trốn thoát trong 6 tuần không xảy ra?
=> Câu 3 Những ngày trốn chạy chắc hẳn đã ảnh hưởng đến Charles II
=> Câu 4 đưa ra những việc đã xảy ra trong những ngày trốn chạy của Charles
=> Câu 5 có từ this ám chỉ đến việc the need to assume ... help form him?
=> Đây là những điểm mà quyển sách chưa “hit the mark”
=> suy ra, quyển sách chưa nói rõ về cách mà những trải nghiệm của ông này khi escape hình
thành con người sau này.
=> Đáp án là D it fails to address whether Charles II's experiences had a lasting influence on
him.

- PARAPHRASING
1

The tantalising question left , in the end,

is that of what it all meant .

2 Would

Charles II

have been a different king had

these six weeks

never happened ?

3
S

The days and nights spent in hiding

must have affected him in some way.

4 Did

the need to assume disguises, to survive on wit and charm alone, to use trickery and
subterfuge to escape from tight corners

help form him ?

This

is the one area where the book doesn't quite hit the mark.

6 Instead

its depiction of Charles II in his final years as an ineffective, pleasure-loving monarch

V

doesn't do justice to the man (neither is it accurate), or to the complexity of his character.

7 But this one niggle aside ,

To Catch a King

is an excellent read , and

those who come to it knowing little of the famous tale

will find they have a treat in store.

- CÂU ĐƯỢC ĐỊNH VỊ

The tantalising question left, in the end, is that of what it all meant.Would Charles II have
been a different king had these six weeks never happened?The days and nights spent in
hiding must have affected him in some way.Did the need to assume disguises, to survive on
wit and charm alone, to use trickery and subterfuge to escape from tight corners help form
him?This is the one area where the book doesn't quite hit the mark.Instead its depiction of
Charles II in his final years as an ineffective, pleasure-loving monarch doesn't do justice to
the man (neither is it accurate), or to the complexity of his character.But this one niggle aside,
To Catch a King is an excellent read, and those who come to it knowing little of the famous
tale will find they have a treat in store.