Reading skills - DONT BEAT ME

Read the text and answer the questions:

    That morning when I got up after a bng and sleepless niglit, I was immediately called downstairs. When I went into the sitting-room with my books I found there my mother, Mr Murdstone with a cane in his hand, and his sister. My mother looked anxious. I understood they had spoken about me. I was terribly frightened. I was to answer my lesson. But I left the words of my lesson slipping off. I tried to stop them, but they seemed to have put skates on and slip away from me.

     We began badly and went on worse. I had come in, thinking that I was very well prepared, but it turned out to be quite a mistake.

     Mr Murdstone took me out and accompanied me upstairs. When we got to my room, he suddenly put my head under his arm.

     "Don't beat me!" I cried, "I have tried to learn, sir, but I can't learn while you and Miss Murdstone are near me, I can't indeed!"

     Seizing the sleeve of his coat I stopped him for a moment, begging him not to beat me. It was only for a moment that I stopped him, for he cut me heavily an instant afterwards and at the same instant I caught his hand between my teeth and bit it.

     He beat me then as if he would have beaten me to death. Above all the noise we made, I heard my mother running up the stairs and crying out. Then he was gone, and the door was locked outside, and I was lying, hot and torn, upon the floor. 

     When I became quiet, what an unnatural stillness there seemed to be in the whole house.

It had begun to grow dark and I was lying with my head upon the window-sill weeping bitterly, when the key was turned and Miss Murdstone appeared with some bread and milk. These she put down upon the table, without a word and then disappeared locking the door after her.

     I sat there for a long time, wondering whether anybody else would come. Nobody came, I undressed and went to bed and there I began to wonder what would be done to me.

(After Ch. Dickens) 

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