alice 4

Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

An excerpt from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll

Excerpt taken from Chapter 1 - Down the Rabbit-Hole

Alice was beginning to get very tired of sitting by her sister on the bank, and
of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister
was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, 'and what is
the use of a book,' thought Alice 'without pictures or conversation?'

So she was considering in her own mind (as well as she could,
for the hot day made her feel very sleepy and stupid),
whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would
be worth the trouble of getting up and picking the
daisies, when suddenly a White Rabbit with pink eyes
ran close by her.

There was nothing so very remarkable in
that; nor did Alice think it so very much
out of the way to hear the Rabbit say
to itself, 'Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!'
(when she thought it over afterwards, it occurred to her that

she ought to have wondered at this, but at the time it all seemed
quite natural); but when the Rabbit actually took a watch out
of its waistcoat-pocket, and looked at it, and then hurried on,
Alice started to her feet, for it flashed across her mind that she

had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket,
or a watch to take out of it, and burning with curiosity, she
ran across the field after it, and fortunately was just
in time to see it pop down a large rabbit-hole under
the hedge.

In another moment down went Alice after it, never
once considering how in the world she was to get
out again.

The rabbit-hole went straight on like a tunnel for some way, and then
dipped suddenly down, so suddenly that Alice had not a moment to
think about stopping herself before she found herself falling down a
very deep well.

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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Either the well was very deep, or she fell very slowly, for she had plenty of
time as she went down to look about her and to wonder what was going
to happen next. First, she tried to look down and make out what she was
coming to, but it was too dark to see anything; then she looked at the sides
of the well, and noticed that they were filled with cupboards and book-
shelves; here and there she saw maps and pictures hung upon pegs. She took
down a jar from one of the shelves as she passed; it was labelled 'ORANGE
MARMALADE', but to her great disappointment it was empty: she did not like
to drop the jar for fear of killing somebody, so managed to put it into one of
the cupboards as she fell past it.

'Well!' thought Alice to herself, 'after such a fall as this, I shall think nothing
of tumbling down stairs! How brave they'll all think me at home! Why, I

wouldn't say anything about it, even if I fell off the top of the
house!' (Which was very likely true.)

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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Questions

An excerpt from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Excerpt taken from Chapter 1 - Down the Rabbit-Hole
Audience, Purpose and Mood

1. What is the purpose of this text?

2. Who is the intended audience?

3. What is the tone or mood of this text? How does this text make you feel? Give an example
from the text to support your answer.

Vocabulary and Language
4. In the first paragraph of this text, Alice is described as having ‘peeped’ into her sister’s
book. What other synonyms could be used in place of the word ‘peeped’? List as many
possibilities as you can in the space below.

5. Used in the third paragraph, what does the word ‘remarkable’ mean? Why do you think
the author chose this word?

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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

6. In the third paragraph of the excerpt, what do you think the author means by using the
phrase ‘it flashed across her mind’?

7. This story was originally published in 1865 and is therefore set in a very different time
period to now. What language and vocabulary examples from the text can you identify to
suggest that this story was written in a past period of time?

Inferencing and Predicting
8. What can you infer about Alice’s character? How old do you think she might be?

How would you describe her personality? Provide evidence from the text to support
your answer.

9. Where do you think the white rabbit is going? What might his intentions be?

10. The author mentions Alice’s disappointment at finding the jar of orange marmalade to be
empty. Why do you think she would have been disappointed by this?

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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

11. Why do you think the author chose to give Alice the phrase “How brave they'll all think me
at home” to speak while falling down the hole? What does she mean by this?

12. Based on this short excerpt, what details can you work out about the setting, characters
and context for this story?

13. Based on this short excerpt, what predictions can you make for the rest of the story?

Personal Response
14. Share your opinion on this text excerpt.

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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

Answers

An excerpt from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll
Excerpt taken from Chapter 1 - Down the Rabbit-Hole

The answers provided are just suggestions to be used as a guide. Students’ answers may
vary slightly.

Audience, Purpose and Mood

1. What is the purpose of this text?

The purpose of this text is to entertain and tell a story. The purpose of this specific
excerpt from the text is to introduce Alice and to set the scene for the coming story.

2. Who is the intended audience?

The intended audience of this text is children but it can certainly be enjoyed by
adults as well.

3. What is the tone or mood of this text? How does this text make you feel? Give an example
from the text to support your answer.

Students own responses, answers will vary.

A possible response could include:

This text has a whimsical and playful tone, hinting at adventure and silliness to come
in the neverending fall through a hole containing many strange and wonderful things.

Vocabulary and Language

4. In the first paragraph of this text, Alice is described as having ‘peeped’ into her sister’s
book. What other synonyms could be used in place of the word ‘peeped’? List as many
possibilities as you can in the space below.

Looked, spied, peeked, glanced, glimpsed, viewed, inspected, observed.

5. Used in the third paragraph, what does the word ‘remarkable’ mean? Why do you think
the author chose this word?

Remarkable means extraordinary, amazing and demanding of attention. The author
may have chosen to use this word to highlight that while a rabbit dashing past should
be just an ordinary event the other circumstances surrounding this event, and that
will follow, are actually anything but ordinary!

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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

6. In the third paragraph of the excerpt, what do you think the author means by using the
phrase ‘it flashed across her mind’?

The author has used this phrase to show that Alice has come to a sudden realisation
or that she has been struck with an idea or thought quite quickly, having put together
pieces of knowledge and come to a startling conclusion.

7. This story was originally published in 1865 and is therefore set in a very different time
period to now. What language and vocabulary examples from the text can you identify to
suggest that this story was written in a past period of time?

Phrases such as ‘I shall be late’ and ‘pictures hung upon pegs’ as well as vocabulary
words like ‘waistcoat’ all hint at the fact that this story is not set in our
modern world.

Inferencing and Predicting

8. What can you infer about Alice’s character? How old do you think she might be?
How would you describe her personality? Provide evidence from the text to support
your answer.

Based on Alice’s behaviour and dialogue we can infer that she is probably quite young,
perhaps about seven years old. She shows her age in exclaiming her disappointment of
a book with no pictures or conversation and also in her desire to make a daisy chain.
Additionally, she seems to be a very curious character and also impulsive as she takes
off after the white rabbit without a second thought.

9. Where do you think the white rabbit is going? What might his intentions be?

Students own responses, answers will vary.

10. The author mentions Alice’s disappointment at finding the jar of orange marmalade to be
empty. Why do you think she would have been disappointed by this?

Students own responses, answers will vary.

A possible response could include:

Perhaps she has been falling down this rabbit-hole for such a long time that she has
become very hungry and so is disappointed to find that what she had hoped would be
food was only an empty jar.

11. Why do you think the author chose to give Alice the phrase “How brave they'll all think me
at home” to speak while falling down the hole? What does she mean by this?

The author is intending to portray to the reader that this fall through the rabbit-
hole is very long and frightful, and is attempting to make it seem a dramatic event

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Alice's Adventures in Wonderland

by having Alice claim that if her family (who we assume are ‘at home’), knew
of her experience that she would be considered brave indeed for having endured
such an event.
12. Based on this short excerpt, what details can you work out about the setting, characters
and context for this story?
So far it would seem that this story is taking place in a magical setting with animals
displaying human qualities and representations of space, time and geography being
warped. Also, Alice is portrayed as a curious and impulsive child.
13. Based on this short excerpt, what predictions can you make for the rest of the story?

Students own responses, answers will vary.
Personal Response

14. Share your opinion on this text excerpt.

Students own responses, answers will vary.

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