George Orwell, 1984
In the dismal aftermath of World War Two, in 1949, British writer and journalist George Orwell penned what is possibly the most famous dystopian novel of all time: 1984. The story takes place in an imagined future, where Britain is a totalitarian superstate called Oceania, and its people are ruled by intense government surveillance, censorship, and control.
Revolutionary in its use of language, and terrifying accurate in its depictions of society, the novel has haunted, inspired, and educated many a generation of readers. It remains highly relevant today.
Below, you’ll read the opening passages of the book. Some words have been left out. First, you’ll fill in the blanks by choosing the option you think makes the most sense. Then, in the next exercise, you’ll strengthen your vocabulary by confirming the meaning of some of the most challenging words from the excerpt and from this introduction. Enjoy!
Orwell 1984 | Fill In The Blank
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1. Question
GAZED – GRITTY – SMELT – WAS CUT OFF – POSTER (x2) – FOLLOW YOU ABOUT – VILE – AN EFFORT – SELDOM – WERE STRIKING – DEPICTED – RUGGEDLY – MADE FOR – WENT SLOWLY
- It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks (were striking). Winston Smith, his chin nuzzled into his breast in (an effort) to escape the (vile) wind, slipped quickly through the glass doors of Victory Mansions, though not quickly enough to prevent a swirl of (gritty) dust from entering along with him. The hallway (smelt) of boiled cabbage and old rag mats. At one end of it a coloured (poster), too large for indoor display, had been tacked to the wall. It (depicted) simply an enormous face, more than a metre wide: the face of a man of about forty-five, with a heavy black moustache and (ruggedly) handsome features. Winston (made for) the stairs. It was no use trying the lift. Even at the best of times it was (seldom) working, and at present the electric current (was cut off) during daylight hours. It was part of the economy drive in preparation for Hate Week. The flat was seven flights up, and Winston, who was thirty-nine and had a varicose ulcer above his right ankle, (went slowly), resting several times on the way. On each landing, opposite the lift-shaft, the (poster) with the enormous face (gazed) from the wall. It was one of those pictures which are so contrived that the eyes (follow you about) when you move. BIG BROTHER IS WATCHING YOU, the caption beneath it ran.
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Orwell 1984 | Definition Match 1
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Match the word with its synonym.
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Question 1 of 8
1. Question
VILE
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Question 2 of 8
2. Question
GRITTY
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Question 3 of 8
3. Question
DEPICTED
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Question 4 of 8
4. Question
GAZED
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Question 5 of 8
5. Question
SELDOM
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Question 6 of 8
6. Question
EFFORT
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Question 7 of 8
7. Question
MADE FOR
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Question 8 of 8
8. Question
NUZZLED
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Orwell 1984 | Definition Match 2
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Match the word with its synonym.
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Question 1 of 9
1. Question
CONTRIVED
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Question 2 of 9
2. Question
ULCER
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Question 3 of 9
3. Question
DISMAL
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Question 4 of 9
4. Question
AFTERMATH
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Question 5 of 9
5. Question
TOTALITARIAN
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Question 6 of 9
6. Question
REVOLUTIONARY
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Question 7 of 9
7. Question
TAKE PLACE
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Question 8 of 9
8. Question
HAUNTED
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Question 9 of 9
9. Question
RELEVANT
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