First Day
Who's first day was it?
What is the name of Dahl's memoir?
Boy
Who was the Matron?
A teacher at the new school.
What was the name of the sweet shop owner and victim of The Great Mouse Plot?
Mrs. Pratchett
What instrument did Mr. Coombes use to punish Roald Dahl and the other four boys for their prank?
A thin cane
According to paragraph 5, it was important for parents to send their children food from home because
The boys were not well fed at school.
What does the word seedy mean?
Dirty
What cruel and horrifying thing did the Matron do to the boy named Tweedie, who habitually snored?
She put a piece of green soap in his mouth
What object did Roald and his friends find and use as the instrument of their revenge?
A dead mouse
After witnessing the severe physical punishment inflicted by Mr. Coombes, what did Roald Dahl's mother do?
She immediately went to confront Mr. Coombes and ultimately removed Roald from the school.
How does Dahl’s attitude toward the boarding school change from the beginning of the passage to the end?
As he gets closer to school and further from home, he grows more afraid of being alone.
A tuck-box is a small pinewood trunk which is very strongly made.
At which of Roald Dahl's schools did the Matron have authority over the boys' dormitory?
St. Peter's School
Into which specific glass jar of sweets did young Roald Dahl drop the object?
The Gobstoppers
When Roald Dahl's mother confronted Mr. Coombes about the severe caning marks, he told her that if she didn't like his methods, she could do what?
Take her son away (from the school)
What idea is developed in paragraphs 5–7?
Tuck-boxes are extremely important to boys at boarding school.
What does apprehensive mean?
nervous or uneasy
To secretly detect the Matron's approach along the corridor at night, what substance did the boys sprinkle on the floor outside the dormitory door?
Castor sugar
What was the name of the Headmaster at Llandaff Cathedral School who administered the punishment for the plot?
Mr. Coombes
How many strokes of the cane did each of the five boys receive from Mr. Coombes for the Great Mouse Plot?
Four strokes
What is the central idea of the passage?
New adventures can be both exciting and scary.
What does the word parcel mean?
package
What item were the boys instructed to wear when they were sent down to the Headmaster by the Matron? (paragraph 2)
Their pyjamas and dressing-gown
What specific action of Mrs. Pratchett in the shop, besides her mean-spirited scolding, caused the boys to hate her so intensely and plot revenge?
She served their sweets using her own dirty, grubby hands.
After the first strike, Roald Dahl describes the initial sensation on his body. He states it felt as though someone had laid what against his flesh and was pressing down hard?
A red-hot iron