Tom Sawyer – Chapter 7: Love and Mischief

It was the next morning, and Tom arrived at school feeling excited. He couldn’t stop thinking about Becky Thatcher, the pretty new girl in town. He was determined to impress her.

As soon as the teacher looked away, Tom whispered to Becky and invited her to look at his prized possession—a brass doorknob he had found. Becky smiled politely, but she didn’t seem very interested in the doorknob.

Tom then began to draw pictures for her on his slate. He drew a house, a tree, and a cow. Becky giggled. Encouraged, Tom whispered, “Want me to teach you how to draw?” She nodded, and they leaned close together over the slate.

While they worked, Tom told her about his adventures. He explained how he could charm warts away, find treasure, and even tell where ghosts walked at night. Becky was fascinated.

Then Tom whispered, “Becky, we should be engaged.” Becky looked puzzled. “What’s that?” she asked. Tom explained, “It means you’re mine forever, and we’re going to get married. You have to promise and then kiss me.” Becky laughed nervously but agreed. They kissed quickly, and Tom said proudly, “Now you’re my fiancée.”

But Tom couldn’t stop there. He started talking about his “old fiancée,” Amy Lawrence. As soon as Becky heard that, her face fell. “You were engaged before?” she cried. “I didn’t think you loved anyone else!” She turned away from him, hurt and angry.

Tom tried to explain, but Becky wouldn’t listen. She ignored him for the rest of the morning. At lunchtime, she sat with other girls and refused to even look at him.

Feeling miserable, Tom decided to get revenge—by having fun without her. He joined his friends and played noisy games, pretending he didn’t care.

Becky, watching from a distance, decided to make Tom jealous. She waited for the perfect moment and then went over to Alfred Temple, the new boy in school. She smiled sweetly at him and began to talk. Alfred was flattered, and soon he was showing off his fancy new spelling book.

When Tom saw them together, he was furious. He turned away and tried to look busy, but inside he was burning with jealousy.

Later, Becky sneaked into the empty schoolroom to make another move in her plan. She knew the teacher’s most precious possession was a big book of pictures. The rule was clear: no student was allowed to touch it. Becky opened it carefully and began turning the pages.

Then she came to a picture of a man and woman standing very close together. It was a little shocking for a young lady to see. She gasped and shut the book quickly—but not before the corner of the page tore.

Becky panicked. If the teacher found out, she would be in big trouble. She tried to smooth the page, but the rip was clear. Just then, she heard footsteps. Tom walked in.

At first, she turned away, expecting him to tease her. But when the teacher returned and began questioning the class about the damaged book, Tom suddenly stood up. “I did it,” he said. The teacher scolded him harshly and gave him a punishment.

Becky was surprised and touched. Tom had taken the blame for her. When school ended, she ran after him. “Tom,” she said softly, “I’m sorry for being mad. You’re the best.” She smiled, and Tom felt his heart swell. They were friends again.

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Glossary

• Slate – a small flat board used for writing with chalk

• Possession – something you own

• Engaged – promised to marry someone

• Fiancée – a woman engaged to be married

• Flattered – pleased because someone shows interest or admiration

• Jealous – feeling angry or upset because someone is getting attention you want

• Precious – very valuable or important

• Tore – past tense of tear; to damage by pulling apart

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Comprehension Questions

1. What did Tom first show Becky to impress her?

2. What did Tom suggest they should be?

3. Why did Becky get angry with Tom?

4. How did Becky try to make Tom jealous?

5. What rule did Becky break in the schoolroom?

6. Who took the blame for tearing the book?

7. How did Becky feel when Tom defended her?

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Answers

1. A brass doorknob

2. He suggested they should be engaged

3. She found out Tom had been engaged to Amy Lawrence before

4. She talked sweetly to Alfred Temple and looked at his spelling book

5. She opened and looked through the teacher’s special picture book

6. Tom Sawyer

7. She felt touched and forgave him.

 

✦ IELTS Topic: Linking Words for Sequence – 10 Useful Phrases

1. Firstly
   e.g., Firstly, we need to agree on the main objectives.

2. Secondly
   e.g., Secondly, the team must allocate roles clearly.

3. Next
   e.g., Next, we should prepare the necessary documents.

4. Then
   e.g., We visited the museum, then went for lunch.

5. After that
   e.g., After that, we took a bus to the city centre.

6. Following this
   e.g., Following this, the company launched a new marketing campaign.

7. Subsequently
   e.g., The new rules were introduced; subsequently, complaints decreased.

8. Meanwhile
   e.g., I was cooking dinner; meanwhile, my friend set the table.

9. Finally
   e.g., Finally, we reached the top of the mountain and enjoyed the view.

10. In the end
    e.g., In the end, we decided to cancel the trip because of the rain.

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✦ Why These Words Are Important in IELTS

• They organise ideas logically, which boosts your Coherence & Cohesion score.

• They help guide the listener or reader through your argument, story, or explanation.

• They make your speech sound structured in Speaking Part 2 and make your Writing essays flow smoothly.

Without sequence words, your ideas can sound messy and harder to follow.

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✦ IELTS Speaking Practice – Linking Words for Sequence

Part 1: Introduction & Interview

1. Tell me about your morning routine (use sequence words).

2. Describe how you travel to work/school.

3. How do you prepare for a holiday?

4. What steps do you take when cooking?

5. Can you explain a process you know well?

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Part 2: Cue Card

Describe a process you recently followed (e.g., preparing a meal, completing a project).
You should say:

• what the process was

• what steps you took

• what the outcome was
  and use at least three sequence words.

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✦ Sample Answers Using the Phrases

Part 1

1. Firstly, I wake up and make coffee. Next, I check my messages. Then, I take a shower and get ready for work. Finally, I leave the house at around 8am.

2. I take the bus to work. Firstly, I walk to the bus stop. After that, I wait for my bus. Then, I get off near the office.

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Part 2 Sample Answer
Last month, I helped organise a charity event. Firstly, we discussed the type of activities we wanted to include. Secondly, we booked the venue and contacted volunteers. Following this, we promoted the event on social media. Meanwhile, the catering team prepared the food. Finally, the event took place and it was a great success. In the end, we raised more money than expected.

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✦ Comprehension Test: Linking Words for Sequence

1. "Firstly, we need to agree on the main objectives."
Q: What is the first step?

2. "Secondly, the team must allocate roles clearly."
Q: What is the second step?

3. "Next, we should prepare the necessary documents."
Q: What happens after allocating roles?

4. "We visited the museum, then went for lunch."
Q: What did they do after the museum?

5. "After that, we took a bus to the city centre."
Q: What happened after visiting the museum?

6. "Following this, the company launched a new marketing campaign."
Q: What action was taken after the previous step?

7. "The new rules were introduced; subsequently, complaints decreased."
Q: What happened after the new rules were introduced?

8. "I was cooking dinner; meanwhile, my friend set the table."
Q: What was happening while the speaker was cooking?

9. "Finally, we reached the top of the mountain and enjoyed the view."
Q: What was the last step?

10. "In the end, we decided to cancel the trip because of the rain."
Q: What decision was made?

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✦ Answer Key

1. Agree on objectives.

2. Allocate roles.

3. Prepare documents.

4. Went for lunch.

5. Took a bus to the city centre.

6. Launched a marketing campaign.

7. Complaints decreased.

8. Friend set the table.

9. Reached the top and enjoyed the view.

10. Cancelled the trip.

 

📖 Tom Sawyer – Chapter 6 (Adapted)

Title: The Lure of the Sick Day

Monday morning arrived, and Tom did not want to go to school. He lay in bed, trying to think of a way to stay home. He considered that maybe, just maybe, he was sick enough.

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Tom’s First Attempt

Tom looked at his sore toe. He remembered hearing once that a sore toe could be dangerous. Maybe Aunt Polly would believe he was dying! He groaned loudly. Sid, still asleep, didn’t react. Tom groaned again, even louder.

Finally, Sid woke and asked what was wrong. Tom told him in a weak voice that he might not live until morning. Sid panicked and ran for Aunt Polly.

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Aunt Polly’s Response

Aunt Polly hurried in, worried—until she heard Tom’s dramatic story about his sore toe. Her concern turned into anger. “Get out of bed, Tom!” she ordered. “That toe’s fine, and so are you.”

Tom sighed, defeated. But then he had an idea—his loose tooth! He complained about the tooth until Aunt Polly decided to fix it right away.

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The String Trick

She took a piece of thread, tied one end to Tom’s tooth and the other to the bedpost. Then she suddenly pulled, and the tooth was out! Tom winced but then smiled—he was proud to show off the gap at school.

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A Lucky Meeting

On his way to school, Tom met Huckleberry Finn, the boy all mothers warned their children about. Huck was dressed in old clothes and carried a dead cat. Tom asked what it was for, and Huck explained that a dead cat could cure warts if you took it to the graveyard at midnight.

The two boys agreed to meet that night to try it out. Tom arrived at school late and was punished, but his punishment came with a surprise—he had to sit next to Becky Thatcher, Judge Thatcher’s pretty daughter.

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Tom no longer wished for a sick day. School suddenly seemed much more interesting.

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📘 Glossary

Word	Meaning
Dramatic	Overacting to show emotion
Defeated	Feeling like you have lost
Bedpost	One of the upright posts at the corner of a bed
Wince	To make a face because of sudden pain
Graveyard	Place where dead people are buried
Punished	Made to suffer for breaking a rule

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❓ Comprehension Questions

1. Why did Tom pretend to be sick?

2. What was his first fake illness?

3. How did Aunt Polly remove Tom’s tooth?

4. Who did Tom meet on the way to school?

5. Why was Tom happy about his punishment?

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✅ Answers

1. Because he didn’t want to go to school.

2. A sore toe.

3. She tied it with a string to the bedpost and pulled it out.

4. Huckleberry Finn.

5. He got to sit next to Becky Thatcher.