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DIFFICULTY:

5th November 1854

Dear Diary

I am afraid that I write to you with terrible fear in my heart. Last night, I arrived, with

my 38 magnificent and committed nurses, in Turkey. It had taken us a full thirteen

days to reach Scutari, first travelling by ship to Boulogne, and then across land to

Marseille, where we finally boarded the mail steamer train. Though the journey was

long and exhausting, my nurses never let their spirit drop, and we arrived eager and

ready to set to work.

I had read the reports in the Times newspaper about the hospitals, but nothing could

prepare me for the horror that we were confronted with when we arrived.

Hundreds of soldiers have been injured in the fighting, but the real terror lies in the

hospital wards. Conditions are very bad here. There is little medicine, and even less

food. The hospital beds are full, and the wounded men are sleeping in overcrowded,

dirty corridors without any blankets. I can see that diseases such as typhus, cholera

and dysentery are rife.

Nevertheless, I know that we will be able to help in some way, so long as the

stubborn army doctors don’t try and prevent us. I know they resent us being here,

and they are reluctant to let us help – perhaps it is because we are women! But I

have every faith that they will soon realise they need us, and when they do, we will

be ready to provide the best care we can give to our fallen heroes.

When the war first broke out last year, the government assured us all that it would

not even last until Christmas. Hundreds have been injured, and yet I am not

convinced that, even now, the end is in sight. We can only hope, pray, and work

hard.

Yours in despair,

Florence

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Questions1. What terrible event is this text describing?

2. Where was Florence when she wrote this diary entry?

4. How did Florence know what it would be like at the hospital?

5. Read the second paragraph. Describe the conditions in the hospital.

1.

2.

3. Read the first paragraph. Find two words that Florence uses to describe the nurses.

How do you think Florence felt about the nurses?

6. Read the third paragraph. How did Florence feel about the army doctors? Why?

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Questions7. What word would you use to describe Florence’s personality? Justify your answer.

1.

2.

3.

3. Read the first paragraph. Find two words that Florence uses to describe the nurses.

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1. What terrible event is this text describing?

2. Where was Florence when she wrote this diary entry?

4. How did Florence know what it would be like at the hospital?

1.

2.

3. Read the first paragraph. Find two words that Florence uses to describe the nurses.

How do you think Florence felt about the nurses?

The Crimean War/terrible hospital conditions

Turkey

Florence was proud of her nurses - she knew they would do a good job.

Florence admired her nurses for the hard work they did.

She had read about it in the Times.

Conditions were very bad. There was little medicine and food. The hospital beds

were full. Wounded men slept without blankets in overcrowded, dirty corridors.

There were diseases like typhus, cholera and dysentery.

Florence was frustrated with the army doctors, because they didn’t want the nurses

to help them, even though they couldn’t manage with treating all the soldiers

themselves.

magnificent

committed

5. Read the second paragraph. Describe the conditions in the hospital.

6. Read the third paragraph. How did Florence feel about the army doctors? Why?

Answers

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7. What word would you use to describe Florence’s personality? Justify your answer.

Accept: written in first person/date/description of feelings/personal

opinions/describes an event/or valid alternative features of a diary.

Accept any reasonable answer.

1.

2.

3.

8. This text is a diary entry. Write down 3 features of the text that are typical of a diary

entry.

Answers