BBC LEARNING ENGLISH

Seven Uses of 'light'

Oliver Twist

Mariam
Hello, I'm Mariam and today I've got a story about a young orphan - he has a tough life but
with hope, spirit and a little bit of luck, all that could change.

This young orphan is called Oliver. At the age of nine he ends up in a miserable, grim
workhouse. All the children who work there are always cold and light fires to keep warm.
They are also badly treated and are always so hungry. One day, Oliver bravely goes up to
the manager to ask him for more food, but he is thrown out because of his insolence. And
so begins Oliver's new life.

I'll jump on a bit in the story. He's in London and he gets in with the wrong crowd: a
friendly young beggar invites him to shelter in a run-down, damp building with very little
light - so it is dark too. It is run by a scruffy old man called Fagin. Oliver doesn't have to pay
anything to stay there but in order to earn his keep, he has to work as a pickpocket
carefully and secretly stealing money and valuable possessions from people's pockets. He
knows it's wrong but what else can he do?

When he sees the other children pickpocketing Oliver isn't happy and runs away but the
police catch him, thinking he is the thief. Luckily, a kind gentleman called Mr Brownlow sees
what is going on and is able to shed light on what happened to the police. He then agrees to
look after poor Oliver.

All seems well - Oliver has his own big spacious room, with windows and it's painted in a
light blue colour. For the first time, he even has his own big comfy bed and it's not long
before he's out like a light.

Next day, when Oliver runs an errand for Mr Brownlow, he is caught by Fagin, and a man
called Bill Sikes. They make him break into a house. This he does but as he enters the house
he is shot by one of the servants. The others flee but, in the light of how young and
innocent he seems, the family take pity on him and decide to let him stay where he is and
nurse him back to health.

Fagin, Sikes and another man called Monks, are still keen to find and steal back Oliver.
However, Sikes's girlfriend Nancy wants to help him, so she goes to the family. Nancy
brings to light the fact that Monks is Oliver's half-brother and wants to kill Oliver in order

X Uses of Y British Broadcasting Corporation 2016

bbclearningenglish.com Page 1 of 2
to keep the whole inheritance. After this, Sikes is suspicious about what Nancy's up to and
murders her. The evil Sikes then goes on the run but is chased and accidently hangs himself.

However, the family does track down Monks who is persuaded to tell them everything
about the real story behind Oliver's birth. Monks is forced to sign over Oliver's share of his
inheritance to Oliver. After that Fagin is found and executed for his crimes.

Happily for Oliver, he goes to live peacefully in a cottage in the countryside with the family
and Mr Brownlow far away from the crime and the danger that he had once faced.

Well, that's the end of my story. I hope you enjoyed it and I hope to see you again soon.

Definitions

light (B1)
start to make something burn

light (B1)
brightness

shed light on (C2)

give new information to help explain a situation

light (A1)
pale in colour

out like a light (C1)

in a deep sleep

in the light of (C1)

because of certain facts

brings to light (C2)

reveals something previously unknown

KEY
A1 = Beginner
A2 = Elementary
B1 = Lower Intermediate
B2 = Higher Intermediate
C1 = Towards Advanced
C2 = Advanced

X Uses of Y British Broadcasting Corporation 2016

bbclearningenglish.com Page 2 of 2