Passage 1 A Christmas Carol is a story about change. Ebenezer Scrooge is a selfish and hard-hearted old man. One Christmas Eve the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley appears to him. Marley was almost as selfish as Scrooge, and now his spirit is being punished. He tells Scrooge that he must change his ways, and explains that three more ghosts will visit him. These three spirits show Scrooge his past, his present and a possible future. Scrooge wakes after the visit of the last of the spirits, to find it is Christmas Day, and that he is able to change things for the better. He immediately sets out to help the Cratchit family, and others, while beginning to put right the wrongs of the past and the present. Tiny Tim does not die, and Scrooge becomes as kind as he once was selfish. Passage 2 The life style of a child during the Victorian era was decided on the basis of the house he was born in. If a child was born to wealthy parents, things like luxuries, excellent food and best education are a few things that were guaranteed. However, if a child was born in a less fortunate home, things were difficult for the child. Victorian children were at risk of dying from a lot of diseases that we’ve eliminated or can control in the 21st century, like smallpox, measles, whooping cough, diphtheria, and dysentery (to name just a few). Death was a common visitor to Victorian households; and the younger one was, the more vulnerable he or she would be. 1. Based on both passages, which best explains why Charles Dickens wrote A Christmas Carol?

Passage 1 A Christmas Carol is a story about change. Ebenezer Scrooge is a selfish and hard-hearted old man. One Christmas Eve the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley appears to him. Marley was almost as selfish as Scrooge, and now his spirit is being punished. He tells Scrooge that he must change his ways, and explains that three more ghosts will visit him. These three spirits show Scrooge his past, his present and a possible future. Scrooge wakes after the visit of the last of the spirits, to find it is Christmas Day, and that he is able to change things for the better. He immediately sets out to help the Cratchit family, and others, while beginning to put right the wrongs of the past and the present. Tiny Tim does not die, and Scrooge becomes as kind as he once was selfish. Passage 2 The life style of a child during the Victorian era was decided on the basis of the house he was born in. If a child was born to wealthy parents, things like luxuries, excellent food and best education are a few things that were guaranteed. However, if a child was born in a less fortunate home, things were difficult for the child. Victorian children were at risk of dying from a lot of diseases that we’ve eliminated or can control in the 21st century, like smallpox, measles, whooping cough, diphtheria, and dysentery (to name just a few). Death was a common visitor to Victorian households; and the younger one was, the more vulnerable he or she would be. 2. Which best describes the Victorian setting of A Christmas Carol?

Passage 1 A Christmas Carol is a story about change. Ebenezer Scrooge is a selfish and hard-hearted old man. One Christmas Eve the ghost of his former business partner, Jacob Marley appears to him. Marley was almost as selfish as Scrooge, and now his spirit is being punished. He tells Scrooge that he must change his ways, and explains that three more ghosts will visit him. These three spirits show Scrooge his past, his present and a possible future. Scrooge wakes after the visit of the last of the spirits, to find it is Christmas Day, and that he is able to change things for the better. He immediately sets out to help the Cratchit family, and others, while beginning to put right the wrongs of the past and the present. Tiny Tim does not die, and Scrooge becomes as kind as he once was selfish. Passage 2 The life style of a child during the Victorian era was decided on the basis of the house he was born in. If a child was born to wealthy parents, things like luxuries, excellent food and best education are a few things that were guaranteed. However, if a child was born in a less fortunate home, things were difficult for the child. Victorian children were at risk of dying from a lot of diseases that we’ve eliminated or can control in the 21st century, like smallpox, measles, whooping cough, diphtheria, and dysentery (to name just a few). Death was a common visitor to Victorian households; and the younger one was, the more vulnerable he or she would be. 3. Using the information from both passages, how can readers tell that Charles Dickens was concerned about the health of children?