The room in the workhouse where the boys were fed was a large stone hall, and at one end the master and two women served the food. This 1 a bowl of thin soup three times a day, with a piece of bread on Sundays. The boys ate 2 and were always hungry. The bowls never needed 3. The boys polished them with their spoons until they 4 After three months of this slow starvation, one of the boys told the others that so hungry was he 5 one night he might eat the 6 sleeping next to him. He had a wild 7 eye, and the other boys 8 him. After a long 9 they decided that one of them should ask for more food after supper that evening, and Oliver was 10.

    The evening arrived; the soup was served, and the bowls were 11 again in a few seconds. Oliver went up to the master, with his bowl in his hand. He felt very 12but also 13with hunger.

    “Please, sir, I want some more.”

    The master was a fat, healthy man, but he turned very pale. He looked at the little boy in front of him with 14 Nobody else spoke.

    “What?” he asked at last, in a 15 voice.

    “Please, sir,” replied Oliver, “I want some more.”

    The master 16 him with the serving spoon, then seized Oliver's arms and 17 for the beadle（执事）. The beadle came quickly, heard the terrible news, and immediately ran to tell the board.

    “He asked for me?” Mr Limbkins, the fattest board member, asked in 18. “Is this really true?”

    19 Oliver was led away to be locked up, and a(n)20 of five pounds was offered to anybody who would take him away and use him for work.