The months and years went by. I
had been Joe’s apprentice for four
years.
One evening, Joe and
I were sitting in the village inn. A stranger came in, a big, tall man, with
heavy eyebrows. The man had large, very clean white hands. To my surprise, I
recognized the man. I had seen him at Miss Havisham’s
many years before. He had frightened me then. He frightened me a little now.
‘I think there is a blacksmith here----name of Joe Gargery,’ the man said in his loud voice.
‘That’s me!’
Joe answered. He stood up.
‘You have an apprentice, known as Pip,’
the stranger went on. ‘Where is he? ’
‘Here!’ I cried, standing beside Joe.
‘I wish to speak to you both. I wish to speak to you privately,
not here,’ the man said. ‘Perhaps
I could go home with you.’
We walked back to the workshop in
silence. When we were in the sitting room, the man began to speak.
‘My name is Jaggers,’ he said. ‘I am a lawyer in London, where I am well-known. I have some
unusual business with young Pip here. I am speaking for someone else, you
understand. A client who doesn’t want to be named. Is that
clear?’
Joe and I nodded.
‘I have come to take your apprentice to London,’ the lawyer said to Joe. ‘You
won’t stop him from coming I hope?’
‘Stop him? Never! ’ Joe cried.
‘Listen, then. I have this message for Pip. He has ---- great
expectations!’
Joe and I looked at
each other, too surprised to speak.
‘Yes, great expectations’
Mr. Jaggers repeated. ‘Pip will one day be rich, very
rich. Pip is to change his way of life at once. He will no longer be a
blacksmith. He is to come with me to London. He is to be educated as a
gentleman. He will be a man of property.’
And so, at last, my
dream had come true. Miss Havisham----because Mr. Jaggers’ client must be Miss Havisham----had plans for me after all. I
would be rich and Estella would love me!
Mr. Jaggers was
speaking again. ‘There are two conditions,’ he said, looking at me. ‘First,
you will always be known as Pip. Secondly,’
Mr. Jaggers continued, ‘the name of your benefactor is to
be kept secret. One day, that person will speak to you, face to face. Until
then, you must not ask any questions. You must never try to find out this
person’s name. Do you understand? Speak out!’
‘Yes, I understand,’ I answered. ‘My benefactor’s name is to remain a secret.’
‘Good,’ Mr. Jaggers said. ‘Now, Pip, you will come into your property when you come of age----when
you are twenty-one. Until then, I am your guardian. I have money to pay for
your education and to allow you to live as a gentleman. You will have a private
teacher. His name is Mr. Matthew Pocket and you will stay at his house.’
I gave a cry of
surprise. Some of Miss Havisham’s relations were called Pocket. Mr.
Jaggers raised his eyebrows.
‘Do you not want to live with Mr. Pocket? Have you any objection
to this arrangement?’ he said severely.
‘No, no, none at all,’ I answered quickly.
‘Good. Then I will arrange everything,’
Mr. Jaggers went on. ‘Mr. Pocket’s son has rooms in London. I suggest you go there. Now when can
you come to London?’
I looked at Joe.
‘At once, if Joe has no objection,’
I said.
‘No objection, Pip old chap,’
Joe answered.
‘Then you will come in one week’s
time,’ Mr. Jaggers said, standing up. ‘You will need new clothes. Here is some money to pay for them.
Twenty guineas.’
He counted the money
and put it on the table.
‘Well, Joe Gargery, you are saying nothing,’ Mr. Jaggers said to Joe firmly. ‘I
have money to give to you too.’
1.The underlined word “apprentice” in paragraph 1 means ____________.
A. a very good friend and
companion
B. someone who has no money but
is very skilled at their job
C. a young person who is being
trained for a particular job
D. a person with no education
living with another family
2.The author describes Mr. Jaggers as having ‘large, very clean white hands’
in order to ____________.
A. show how Pip recalls Mr
Jaggers
B. provide a description of Mr.
Jaggers to the readers only
C. indicate that Mr. Jaggers
remains indoors a lot and doesn’t get much sun
D. show Mr Jaggers often washes
his hands to rid himself of his own bad deeds as a lawyer
3.At the end of the passage above, Mr. Jaggers
says he also has money to give Joe because ____________.
A. he believes he can also help
Joe become a gentleman
B. he is repaying money loaned to
Joe previously by the benefactor
C. the secret benefactor wants
Joe to be his personal blacksmith
D. Joe will have to hire a new
worker
4.Which of the following is not true
according to the passage?
A. Joe is happy that Pip will go
to London.
B. Mr. Jaggers does not want
other people to know he is a lawyer.
C. Pip hopes Miss Havisham will
help him become a gentleman
D.
Pip will become very rich when he comes of age.
