この本は中級英語読み物「百万英語読書計画」シリーズの第二集の10つで、1500基本的な英語の語彙をマスターした読者に適している。
百万英語読書計画（Million-Word Reading Project，MWRP）は英語を第二言語または外国語として学ぶ者（ESL/EFL）に対する設計した英語読書向上計画である。読者は1500基本英語の語彙（初級英語相当）を習得した読者を対象に、2年、毎日約15分間の読書で中級英語のレベルに達し、3500語以上の単語と大量のフレーズをマスターし、英語の各構文を熟練にマスターし、一般英語の原典を読むことができる。
本文書の統計情報は下表を参照してください。選択時の参考になる。
可読性の値| 83.91
総文字数| 25612
新語件数 | 913
新語率(%) | 3.56
新語重複率| 2.7
5回以上重複新語件数| 40
2回以上重複新語件数| 168
[内容概要]
The story is set in England in the 19th century. When Oliver Twist is born, his mother dies and he becomes an orphan. He spends his first nine years in a workhouse. When he is nine years old, Oliver is sent to a coffin-maker's workshop and becomes an apprentice. After he is beaten by the other apprentice, Oliver runs out at night and set out for London on foot.
When he gets into London, he meets Dodger, who takes him to an old "gentleman" named Fagin. Fagin trains children to be thieves. But Oliver doesn't realize that until he's actually out with Dodger and another boy. Oliver sees the pair steal the pocket handkerchief out of an old gentleman's pocket. When Oliver turns to run away, he is caught and taken to the police station.
The nice old man (his name is Mr. Brownlow) is sorry for Oliver when he realizes that Oliver is innocent. Oliver is very sick, so Mr. Brownlow takes him home and cares for him.
Mr. Brownlow is surprised to find that Oliver looks much like the picture of a young lady on his wall. So he becomes interested in his birth.
But he is not the only person who is interested in Oliver's birth. Another man pays Fagin a high price, so that he can make Oliver a thief. He hopes Oliver will be caught by the police and driven out of the country....
This book is rewritten from "Oliver Twist" by Charles Dickens (1812~1870), which has been made into films and plays several times.