The second visitor to Scrooge's office is a gentleman collecting money for the poor, as it is Christmas and everyone should have a merry Christmas. Scrooge refuses to help because he believes the poor should be left to die in prisons or workhouses. He also does not believe in or celebrate Christmas. Food stores have more stock than usual because people save a little money to have a better meal on special occasions like Christmas. In the streets, people are singing Christmas carols, which are traditional songs about Jesus' birth that are sung during the holiday season.

1. A Christmas Carol
Chapter 2 : Visitors for Scrooge
(part 2)

2. Vocabulary chapter 2
p.11 to p.12
p.11 p.12
none (l.1)
anyone (l.3)
else (l.3)
would (l.5)
rather (l.6)
bright (l.13)
turkeys (l.16)
geese (l.16)
*torn (l.21)
at last (l.25)
*blew (l.26)
wages (l.33)
once (l.1)
way (l.5)
slide (l.7)
steep (l.7)
hill (l.7)
inn (l.9)
* verbes irréguliers

3. Who is the second visitor to
Scrooge's office ?
A gentleman, collecting money for
the poor, visits Scrooge's office.
He wants money to help the poor
because it is Christmas and
everybody should have a merry
Christmas (even poor people).

4. Why won't Scrooge help the visitor ?
First, Scrooge believes poor people should be
put in prisons and workhouses. Or that they
should be left to die because there are too
many people in the world.
Then, Scrooge doesn't believe in Christmas. He
doesn't have a merry Christmas = he doesn't
celebrate Christmas.

5. Why is there lots of food in the
shops ?
● In the 19th century, there were no fridge, ice
was rare and expensive. It was difficult to
preserve food.
● Usually shopkeepers only had in stock a certain
amount of food & goods that they were sure
they would sell quickly.
preserves 

6. Why is there lots of food in the
shops ?
Most people were workers and were not well-off
( = rich) and they mostly ate bread, milk and
potatoes. Meat was too expensive for them =
they couldn't afford*1
meat daily.
But on special occasions, people would save*2
a little money to prepare a better meal.
Christmas was such an occasion, so more food
has to be prepared and stocked by the
shopkeepers.
*1
= s'offrir, se payer
*2
= épargner, mettre de côté

7. What are people singing in the
streets ?
People are singing Christmas carols : these are
traditional songs that talk about Jesus'birth. They
are sung during the Christmas season.
Carol singing, or Caroling, is singing carols in the
streets or public places. Or people go from house
to house singing carols and collecting money for
charity. It is one of the oldest tradition in Great
Britain, going back to the Middle Ages.

8. The traditional period to sing carols is from 21 December
to the morning of Christmas Day.
Famous Carols :
«We wish you a merry Christmas » (16th
c.)
«Twelve days of Christmas » (1780)
«Deck the Halls » (1784)
«Silent night » (1818)
«O come all ye Faithful » (1843)

9. night
years
city
homes
prisons
time
poor

10. Now, let's read chapter 3 !