Plot Elements
What stage of the plot is happening when the boys find a dead mouse under the classroom floorboard?
Inciting Incident
Why did Dahl choose the Gobstopper jar instead of another candy jar for the prank?
because it was kept out on the counter where he could reach it without Mrs. Pratchett being behind it
Identify the figurative language used in the phrase: "a face like a ham"
simile
What British English word refers to the principal or administrator of a school?
Headmaster
Why did the five boys dislike Mrs. Pratchett so much in the first place?
because she had dirty hands, bad manners, and constantly screamed at them to leave her shop
This major event marks the Climax of the story, when the perpetrator is finally confronted in front of the whole school.
Mrs. Pratchett inspecting the lined-up boys and pointing out the five culprits
When the boys saw the shop door marked "CLOSED," why did Dahl's heart stop beating?
Thwaites convinced him Mrs. Pratchett had a heart attack and died, making him feel like a murderer
Identify the sensory sound word (onomatopoeia) Dahl uses to describe the stroke of the cane.
"crack" or "swish"
What item were the boys hiding under the floorboard that is a horse-chestnut seed used in a children's game?
conkers
Why did Dahl agree to be the one to physically put the mouse in the jar?
because the plot was his idea, and his friends cheered him on as the leader.
During the Rising Action, Dahl sneaks the dead mouse into this specific candy jar.
Gobstopper jar
What can we infer about Mrs. Pratchett's personality based on her behavior in Mr. Coombes's study?
she is cruel, vengeful, and enjoys watching children get punished
In the sentence "We were tremendously jazzed up," what part of speech is the word tremendously?
adverb (modifying the adjective "jazzed up")
Mrs. Pratchett calls Thwaites a "scummy little bounder." What does bounder mean?
a dishonorable, dishonest, or ill-mannered person
Why did Thwaites order a Sherbet Sucker and a Bootlace?
distract Mrs. Pratchett so her back was turned while Dahl opened the Gobstopper jar
This event forms the Falling Action after the playground inspection.
the boys getting caned by Mr. Coombes in his study
Why does Dahl describe Mr. Coombes as a "giant of a man with a face like a ham"?
because to an eight-year-old child in trouble, authority figures appear intimidating and larger than life
Identify the error in Mrs. Pratchett’s dialect when she says: "I never 'ave no trouble with girls".
double negative
When the boys said they were "jazzed up," what American phrase means the same thing?
excited, energized, or hyped up
Why did Dahl feel like a hero right after putting the mouse in the jar?
because his peers praised him, making him feel popular and brave
In the Resolution, Dahl’s mother decides to take this action after seeing his severe bruises. What is it?
removing him from Llandaff Cathedral School at the end of the year to send him to an English boarding school
Why did Dahl's mother wait until the end of the school year to move him, even though she was furious?
he needed time to find an English boarding school and wasn't ready to move the entire family to England yet
In the quote "Truth is more important than modesty," what type of noun is truth?
abstract noun
What is a "Black Maria" as mentioned by Thwaites when he expects the police to arrive?
police van
What motivated Dahl's mother to march to the school and confront Mr. Coombes?
Outrage over the severe physical bruising on her eight-year-old son from being caned.