16 A dream of death

Unit 16 A dream of death

Pre-reading activity

1. Can you remember a bad dream you have had? 3. What are you most frightened of?

2. If you have a bad dream, do you worry that it will happen?

In 1779, Lord Thomas Lyttleton had a very bad dream. He dreamed that he would die at midnight in three days' time. He was very frightened by the dream, and in the morning he told his servants and all his friends about it. Then he tried to forget it, but could not. His friends tried to help him by talking about other things, but he could talk only about death. He was sure his dream would come true.

In the evening three days after his dream, Lord Lyttleton invited some friends over to dinner. He wanted to spend a happy evening with them and forget about his dream. Time passed and it was soon nearly midnight. He said goodbye to his friends and went to his bedroom to wait for death. He lay on his bed and watched the clock. Soon it reached midnight and the clock struck 12. Nothing happened. Lord Lyttleton was so delighted that he shouted out, ‘I'm alive! I'm alive! I'm not going to die!'

A friend who was staying with him heard the shout. He thought something was wrong. He woke up one of the servants and told him that he had heard Lord Lyttleton cry out. Together they went to Lord Lyttleton's bedroom. They found him lying on his bed, choking and trying to breathe. There was nothing they could do to help him and he soon died.

Lord Lyttleton's friend said to the servant, ‘The dream was almost right. Lord Lyttleton is dead, but the time was wrong. It's now half past midnight.'

‘No, it isn't,' the servant said. ‘I knew Lord Lyttleton was worried so I changed all the clocks in the house. I moved them all forward half an hour. The dream was completely true. Lord Lyttleton died exactly at midnight.'

New words

midnight A new day begins one second after midnight.

servant He is so rich he has a servant to cook for him.

death Although we all have to die, some people are afraid of death.

invite I invited 20 friends to come to my house.

choke Eat slowly or you may choke.

completely I'm completely surprised - I never expected him to die.

exactly There are exactly 2,345 flowers in my garden.

Vocabulary

1. Join the matching words and phrases.

a. dream

b. passed

c. invite

d. reached

( ) ask ( ) thoughts while we are asleep ( ) got to ( ) went by

a. My friend was by a passing car.

b. Where do you when you go away on holiday?

c. After running five kilometers, he was quickly,

d. What are you so about?

3. Choose and write the correct word. a. I have been worrying all day about a I had. death / dream b. What's the matter? Why did you out? choke / shout c. I am by your good news. worried / delighted d. I want you to be quiet while I listen to the music. exactly / completely Main idea Circle the correct answer. ( ) The story is about . 1. lords and their servants 2. Dreams

3. Lord Lyttleton's dream

4. Death

5. a bad time to die

Looking for detail Circle the correct answer. ( ) 1. Lord Lyttleton had a bad dream .

a. at midnight

b. on the night he died

c. three days before he died

d. on the evening before he died

e. after the servant changed the clocks ( ) 2. Lord Lyttleton tried to forget about his dream by . a. having another dream

b. going to bed early

c. changing the clocks in his house

d. watching the clock

e. spending time with his friends

( ) 3. When Lord Lyttleton shouted out, he thought that he was . e. having a good dream a. going to die b. going to live c. choking to death d. having a bad dream ( ) 4. The dream came true because Lord Lyttleton died . a. exactly at midnight

b. half an hour after midnight

c. half an hour before midnight

d. the day after his dream

e. during a dream

Picture comprehension

Make a √ under the picture that is true about the story.

1 2 3 4 5

Summary Write each letter against the correct word in the box.

One night Lord Lyttleton that in three days' time, at midnight, he would die. He was very frightened by this dream and tried to forget about it by spending time with his friends. But on the third night he went to bed and waited for his dream to come . When the clock struck and he was not dead, he shouted with . A friend heard him and came into his room with a . Lord Lyttleton was and couldn't breathe. Soon he was dead. The clock now showed 12:30. The servant told the friend that the real time was midnight. He had put the clock forward by half an hour.