Read this extract and then answer the questions.

The novel traces the life of a horse called Black Beauty through a variety of adventures and
mishaps. In this extract he is taking his master and mistress on a 46-mile journey to visit some
friends. They have stopped overnight and the horses are in the stable of a large hotel.

Later on in the evening a traveler's horse was brought in by the second hostler, and while he was 1
cleaning him a young man with a pipe in his mouth lounged into the stable to gossip.

"I say, Towler," said the hostler, "just run up the ladder into the loft and put some hay down into
this horse's rack, will you? only lay down your pipe."

"All right," said the other, and went up through the trapdoor; and I heard him step across the floor 5
overhead and put down the hay. James came in to look at us the last thing, and then the door was
locked.

I cannot say how long I had slept, nor what time in the night it was, but I
woke up very uncomfortable, though I hardly knew why. I got up; the air
seemed all thick and choking. I heard Ginger coughing and one of the other
horses seemed very restless; it was quite dark, and I could see nothing, but the 10
stable seemed full of smoke, and I hardly knew how to breathe.

The trapdoor had been left open, and I thought that was the place it came
through. I listened, and heard a soft rushing sort of noise and a low crackling
and snapping. I did not know what it was, but there was something in the
sound so strange that it made me tremble all over. The other horses were all 15
awake; some were pulling at their halters, others stamping.

At last I heard steps outside, and the hostler who had put up the traveler's horse burst into the 20
stable with a lantern, and began to untie the horses, and try to lead them out; but he seemed in such
a hurry and so frightened himself that he frightened me still more. The first horse would not go with
him; he tried the second and third, and they too would not stir. He came to me next and tried to drag
me out of the stall by force; of course that was no use. He tried us all by turns and then left the
stable.

No doubt we were very foolish, but danger seemed to be all round, and there was nobody we
knew to trust in, and all was strange and uncertain. The fresh air that had come in through the open
door made it easier to breathe, but the rushing sound overhead grew louder, and as I looked upward
through the bars of my empty rack I saw a red light flickering on the wall. Then I heard a cry of "Fire!" 25

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outside, and the old hostler quietly and quickly came in; he got one horse out, and went to another,
but the flames were playing round the trapdoor, and the roaring overhead was dreadful.

The next thing I heard was James' voice, quiet and cheery, as it always was.

"Come, my beauties, it is time for us to be off, so wake up and come along." I stood nearest the
door, so he came to me first, patting me as he came in. 30

"Come, Beauty, on with your bridle, my boy, we'll soon be out of this smother." It was on in no
time; then he took the scarf off his neck, and tied it lightly over my eyes, and patting and coaxing he
led me out of the stable. Safe in the yard, he slipped the scarf off my eyes, and shouted, "Here
somebody! take this horse while I go back for the other."

A tall, broad man stepped forward and took me, and James darted back into the stable. I set up a 35
shrill whinny as I saw him go. Ginger told me afterward that whinny was the best thing I could have
done for her, for had she not heard me outside she would never have had courage to come out.

There was much confusion in the yard; the horses being got out of other stables, and the carriages
and gigs being pulled out of houses and sheds, lest the flames should spread further. On the other
side the yard windows were thrown up, and people were shouting all sorts of things; but I kept my 40
eye fixed on the stable door, where the smoke poured out thicker than ever, and I could see flashes
of red light; presently I heard above all the stir and din a loud, clear voice, which I knew was master's.

"James Howard! James Howard! Are you there?" There was no answer, but I heard a crash of
something falling in the stable, and the next moment I gave a loud, joyful neigh, for I saw James
coming through the smoke leading Ginger with him; she was coughing violently, and he was not able 45
to speak.

"My brave lad!" said master, laying his hand on his shoulder, "are you hurt?"

James shook his head, for he could not yet speak.

"Ay," said the big man who held me; "he is a brave lad, and no mistake."

"And now," said master, "when you have got your breath, James, we'll get out of this place as
quickly as we can," and we were moving toward the entry, when from the market-place there came a 50
sound of galloping feet and loud rumbling wheels.

“'Tis the fire-engine! the fire-engine!" shouted two or three voices, "stand back, make way!" and
clattering and thundering over the stones two horses dashed into the yard with a heavy engine

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behind them. The firemen leaped to the ground; there was no need to ask where the fire was—it was
rolling up in a great blaze from the roof. 55

We got out as fast as we could into the broad quiet market-place; the stars were shining, and
except the noise behind us, all was still. Master led the way to a large hotel on the other side, and as
soon as the hostler came, he said, "James, I must now hasten to your mistress; I trust the horses
entirely to you, order whatever you think is needed," and with that he was gone. The master did not
run, but I never saw mortal man walk so fast as he did that night. 60

There was a dreadful sound before we got into our stalls—the shrieks of those poor horses that
were left burning to death in the stable.

Anna Sewell

Answer the following questions.

1. What two instructions did the ostler giver Towler at the beginning of the extract? (1)

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2. Make a list of things that seemed unusual to Black Beauty when he woke in the night. (4)

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3. What did James do to Black Beauty so he could take him out of the stable? (1)

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4. What helped Ginger to have courage to come out of the stable? (1)

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5.‘The next thing I heard was James' voice, quiet and cheery, as it always was.’ (1)

What effect does the writer create by using this single-sentence paragraph? (line 28)

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6. What ‘dreadful sound’ did Ginger and Black Beauty hear when they reached the market place?
(1)

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7. What do you think caused the fire? (1)

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8. What evidence is there in the passage to show that the Master cares about the people who work
for him, his wife and his horses? (3)

The people:-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

His wife: --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

His horses: -----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

9. Explain in your own words how the atmosphere has changed through the text. Support your
answer with examples from the text. (4)

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10. Give the meanings of the following words from the context: (3)

- lounged:--------------------------------------------------------------------
- smother:--------------------------------------------------------------------
- leaped: ----------------------------------------------------------------------

11. Find evidence from the text that Black Beauty cared for James. (1)

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B. Fill in the table below with details from the text.

Feature Description Quotation / Explanation

Time of day

(Was it morning, dusk,

dawn, night? How did
the time affect
atmosphere?)

Setting

(What is the setting and

atmosphere?)

(Did it change?)

Type of characters

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(Who are they and what
kind of characters are
they?
courageous/nostalgic/e
motional/ menacing/
analytical/ adventurous
etc…)

Speed of action

(Are the actions quick,

smooth, slow paced and
why?)

Sentence length

(Are sentences long with

pauses, descriptive,
short to show suspense
and create tension etc..)

Use of repetition

(What are the repeated

words ,phrases, actions
and events? Why?)

Sense of sound

(What sound was heard?

What effect did it
create? )

Sense of sight

(What did the characters

see? Were there any
colours displayed in the

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text and what effect did
they create?)

Imagery

(Find any figures of

speech and mention the
effect they create.
Similes, metaphors,
personification, etc…)

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