Context Clues
When a question says "According to paragraph 5...", where should you look first?
What is go directly to paragraph 5 and find a detail that answers the question.
What is a key detail?
What is an important piece of information that helps explain or support a larger idea.
Who is the narrator?
What is Road Dahl
What is the Great Mouse Plot?
What is Dahl and his friends decide to put a dead mouse into one of Mrs. Pratchett's jars of sweets.
What does "according to the text" tell you to do?
What is base your answer on information stated or supported by the text, not just what you remember or think.
What does implied mean?
What is suggested by the text without being directly stated.
Who is Mrs. Pratchett?
What is the unpleasant sweet-shop owner whom Dahl and his friends dislike.
Why does Dahl become frightened when he thinks Mrs. Pratchett may be seriously hurt?
What is he begins thinking that the prank could have caused much more harm than he intended.
A question asks why something happened. What are you looking for?
What is the cause or reason that explains what happened.
What does apprehensive mean?
What is nervous, worried, or uneasy about something that might happen.
Who is Mr. Coombes?
What is the Headmaster who has authority over the boys and punishes them.
Why were tuck-boxes important to the boys at St. Peter's?
What is the school food was not enough for the boys, so food sent from home helped keep them from being hungry.
What should you do before answering a question about one specific paragraph?
What is reread that paragraph and identify the words or details connected to the question.
What does famished mean in the tuck-box section?
What is extremely hungry.
What is a tuck-box?
What is a box where boarding-school students stored food and treats sent from home.
According to Thwaites, how could someone get ratitis?
What is by eating something that a rat had touched or nibbled.
What should you do when the answer is not immediately obvious?
What is go back to the text. Reread the exact paragraph(s), find evidence, and then reason from the evidence.
What does DAT stand for?
What is Dialogue, Action, and Thought.
What is ratitis?
What is an illness the boys believe you can get from eating sweets that have been touched by rats.
When analyzing the Matron, what should you pay attention to?
What is her words, actions, punishments, treatment of the boys, and how the boys react to her.