25 BED IN SUMMER

In winter I get up at night,

And dress by yellow candle light;

In summer, quite the other way,

I have to go to bed by day.

I have to go to bed, and see

The birds still hopping on the tree,

Or hear the grown-up people's feet

Still going past me in the street.

And does it not seem hard to you,

When all the sky is clear and blue,

And I should like so much to play,

To have to go to bed by day?

(Robert Louis Stevenson)

Word list

candle: a tall piece of wax that is burned to give light

grown-up: adult

You Practice

A) Answer the following questions.

1) In the poem, what are the differences between winter and summer?

2) Why is it hard to go to bed in the summer?

3) Why is it hard to get up in the winter?

4) Which do you like better, summer or winter? Why?

5) What are some other good and bad things about summer and winter?

B) Opposites—What are the opposites of these words?

1) up - d _ _ _

2) night - d _ _

3) light - d _ _ _

4) day - n _ _ _ _

5) on - o _ _

6) go - s _ _ _

7) hard - s _ _ _

8) in - o _ _

9) play - w _ _ _

10) clear - c _ _ _ _ _