Down the Rabbit-hole
- from Alice's Adventure in Wonderland
by Lewis Carroll (Roots)
Start Here
Can you help Alice find her way out of this maze?
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Comprehension
Read and answer
1. Arrange the following sentences in the correct order.
a. A rabbit ran past Alice. [2]
b. Alice started to take things out of the cupboards. [4]
c. Alice was in a long, dark room with doors all around. [5]
d. Alice was sitting under the trees with her sister. [1]
e. The Rabbit ran down a rabbit-hole. [3]
2. Read the following sentences. Write if they are Ture (T) or False (F).
a. Alice liked reading books without pictures. [F]
b. Alice thought it was a little strange that a rabbit was speaking. [T]
c. Alice was not very good at her school lessons. [F]
d. Alice was nearly asleep when she was falling. [T]
e. The Rabbit took out a little gold key from his pocket. [F]
Reference to context
3. "Her sister was reading, but Alice had noting to do."
a. Where was Alice and her sister?
= Alice and her sister were sitting under the trees.
b. Why was Alice not interested in her sister's book?
= Alice was not interested in her sister's book because it had no pictures or conversations in it.
c. How was Alice feeling before she spotted the rabbit?
= Alice was feeling very bored before she spotted the rabbit.
4. "At once Alice jumped to her feet."
a. What made Alice jump to her feet?
= The Rabbit took a watch out of its pocket, looked at it, and hurried on. This made Alice jump to her feet.
b. Why was she surprised by what she saw?
= She was surprised by what she saw because she had never before seen a rabbit with either a pocket, or a watch to take out of it.
c. What did she do after jumping to her feet?
= After jumping to her feet, Alice ran quickly across the field after the Rabbit. She did not stop to think, and when the Rabbit ran down a large rabbit-hole, Alice followed it immediately.
5. "It was a very strange hole."
a. Why was this hole strange?
= This hole was strange because Alice was falling very slowly, and she had time to think and to look around her. She could see nothing below her because it was so dark.
b. What did Alice do while falling down the hole?
= While falling down the hole, Alice took things out of cupboards, look at them, and then put them back in a cupboard lower down.
c. Do you think Alice was afraid while falling? Give reason for your answer.
= No, I don' think Alice was afraid while falling. She was thinking that where might she fall. If she falls downstairs at home, she wouldn't cry of say anything about it. Then she thinks that she might be near the centre of the earth and it's about four thousand miles down. If she was afraid of falling, she could never think like this.
Reflect and answer
6. Alice was not surprised when she heard the rabbit talking. What do you think this tells us about Alice?
= Alice was not surprised when she heard the rabbit talking. I think this tells us that Alice was very fond of animals. May be she used to spend time with this type of animals which are tamed in home. She might spent time talking to them and they responded her in various sounds and signs.
7. How far do you think Alice fell? Give reasons for your answer.
= I think Alice fell till she reached to some strange land. She was in a long, dark room with locked doors all round the walls. She found a little glass table with three legs and a very small gold key on it. She found a forty centimetres high door and opened it with that golden key. She had to lay on the floor to look through the little door. She could see a beautiful garden with green trees and bright flowers.
8. Who do you think the door that Alice unlocked was meant for? Give reasons.
= I think the door that Alice unlocked was meant for the smaller creatures like that of the Rabbit. Alice had to lay on the floor to look through the little door. She could see a beautiful garden with green trees and bright flowers. That means the garden and trees inside the door were small like that of the door and the rabbit. So it is clear that that was the land or world of the small creatures like that of the rabbit.
About the Author
Lewis Carroll (1832-1898) was the pen name of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. He was born in Daresbury, United Kingdom. Lewis Carroll was an author, inventor, mathematician, poet and photographer. In fact, he invented the 'nyctograph', a system that helps people write in the dark. This was during the time when electricity was not easily available in households. Today, he is famous for his children's books, Alice's Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking-Glass.