Vocab 1
Enchanting means
very pleasant or charming.
Curiosity
wanting to learn or know something
What happened in the stories Charlotte told Wilbur?
Charlotte’s cousin caught a fish in her web and ate the fish.
Charlotte’s other cousin is a balloonist and made balloons from spider thread.
What did Dr. Dorian say about Zuckermans’ barn in response to Mrs. Arable talking about what Fern does there all day?
How enchanting! It must be real nice and quiet down there.
What did Mrs. Arable decide to do about Fern’s behavior and her being so interested in animals?
She decided to go see Dr. Dorian and ask for his advice.
Fascinating means
extremely interesting
Remarkable means
unusual, special and surprising
What did Mrs. Arable hope Fern would do instead of heading for the Zuckermans’ barn to sit and watch animals?
Mrs. Arable hoped Fern would go outside and play with other children.
What did Mrs. Arable tell Dr. Dorian about Fern’s behavior?
Fern spends entirely too much time in Zuckermans’ barn. It doesn’t seem normal.
What did Mrs. Arable say to Fern sternly that shows she didn’t believe Fern about Charlotte being the best storyteller?
You must not invent things. You know spiders don’t tell stories. Spiders can’t talk.
Fib (as a verb) means
to tell a small lie that doesn’t cause any harm.
Sagging means
hanging low and weak
What did Mrs. Arable think about Fern's behavior and her being so interested in animals?
It didn’t seem normal.
What did Mrs. Arable say to Fern sternly that shows she didn’t believe Fern about Charlotte being the best storyteller?
You must not invent things. You know spiders don’t tell stories. Spiders can’t talk.
Why does Dr. Dorian think the spider web itself (even without the words in it) is a miracle?
A young spider knows how to spin a web without any instructions from anybody. Nobody taught spiders how to spin a web.
Mercilessly means
in a way that shows no kindness
Sternly means
in a way that shows something done or said is wrong
What did Mrs. Arable say to Fern after she told her what kind of story Charlotte told?
Fern, dear, how would a fish get in a spider’s web? You know it couldn’t happen. You’re making this up.
“Dr. Dorian, do you believe animals talk?” Dr. Dorian's reply to this question was:
I never heard one say anything, but that proves nothing. Children pay better attention than grownups. If Fern says animals in Zuckerman’s barn talk, I’m quite ready to believe her. Perhaps if people talked less, animals would talk more.
What 2 things did Dr. Dorian tell Mrs. Arable to do about Fern?
Don't worry. Let Fern associate with her friends in the barn if she wants to.
Fidget means
to keep making small movements with no meaning because you’re nervous or bored
Thrashing means
moving from side to side many times in a violent or uncontrolled way
I don't understand how those words got into the web. I don't understand it, and I don't like what I can't understand. Who said that? Are they open-minded or close-minded? Why do you think so?
Mrs. Arable said it. She is close-minded because it shows she's not open to learning about something new.
I don't understand everything, and I don't intend to let it worry me. Who said that? Are they open-minded or close-minded? Why do you think so?
Dr. Dorian said it. He's open-minded because it shows he's open to learning something new.
Is it true that Dr. Dorian doesn’t believe animals talk? Support your answer with proof from Charlotte’s Web Ch.14 (p. 110) or Charlotte’s Web Ch.14 Script (p. 5).
It’s not clear if Dr. Dorian believes animals talk or not. On page 110 Dr. Dorian said he never heard an animal say anything, but that doesn’t prove anything. He also said it’s possible an animal said something to him but he didn’t hear it because he wasn’t paying attention.