Matilda – Chapter 2 and 3 Quiz

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Matilda – Chapter 2 and 3 Quiz

15.  What are the two dishonest things which Mr Wormwood does in order to sell his cars for more money than they are worth?

a.    He mixes sawdust with the oil in the gear-box so that the car stops making rattling noises and seems to run smoothly.

b.    He knocks off miles from the speedometer by using a high-speed electric drill to make it spin backwards.

16.  In your own words, explain the meaning of the word “crookery” (top of page 18).

a.    Crookery is like criminality (‘crook’ is colloquial way of saying ‘criminal’).  It refers to the dishonest behaviour and dealings of such people.

17.  In what way does Mr Wormwood treat Matilda and her brother Michael differently?

a.    Mr Wormwood quite mistakenly looks on Michael as being superior to Matilda simply because he is a boy, and so considers him an intellectual equal – whereas he treats Matilda as being inferior.  The irony of course is that Mr Wormwood and his son ARE indeed intellectual equals – they are just as unintelligent as each other.

18.  What does the phrase “Two red spots appear on the father’s cheeks” (p.19) tell us about what Mr Wormwood is feeling?

a.    This phrase tells us that Mr Wormwood is feeling embarrassed about his immoral behaviour.

19.  Where does the Wormwood family usually eat their dinner, and why does Matilda hate it?

a.    The Wormwood family usually eat their dinner in front of the television.  Matilda hates this because she learns nothing from watching TV and would much prefer to be sat in the dining-room reading a good book.  Additionally, family meals in front of the TV provide yet more opportunities for Matilda to being at the receiving end of her father’s ranting.

20.  Briefly describe Mrs Wormwood, in your own words, using just three adjectives.

a.    Mrs Wormwood could be described as being: distracted, self-possessed, big/rotund/ plump, rude, uncaring etc.

21.  How does Matilda try to deal with the mean* way she is being treated, so as not to “go crazy”?

a.    She decides that she will teach her parents a lesson.  Every time they are mean to her, she will get her own back by playing a practical joke on them.

22.  Name two emotions that Matilda experiences on pages 22 and 23.

a.    Possibilities: anger, hatred, dissatisfaction, resentment, determination.

23.  What is the first trick* Matilda plays on Mr Wormwood?

a.    She applies superglue to the inside rim of her father’s hat so that when he puts it on it gets stuck to his head.

24.  What does Mrs Wormwood think is the explanation for her husband’s hat problem?

a.    She thinks that he has been careless with the superglue and has himself managed to spill some inside his hat, without realising it.

25.  What story about superglue does Matilda later mention in order to frighten her father more?

a.    Matilda tells a story about a boy who got some superglue on his finger and then, because he picked his nose, got his finger struck up his nose for a whole week.

26.  On page 29, what does Mrs Wormwood think about her husband?

a.    She feels dissatisfied with her buffoonish husband, who is hardly an ideal partner.

27.  What is the worst thing for Mr Wormwood about his predicament*?

a.    The worst thing about his predicament is having to go to bed with his hat on, since there is no comfortable way for him to lie on the pillow.

28.  What does everyone keep telling Matilda to do, repeatedly, throughout Chapters 2 and 3?

a.    They are all very rude to her and keep telling her to be quiet or “shut up”.

Vocabulary:

-          *Mean = not nice, nasty, horrible

-          *Trick = a practical joke meant to deceive someone, or make a fool out of them

-          *Predicament = a difficult situation

Matilda - Chapter 1 Quiz

Matilda - Chapter 1 Quiz

1.      What does the narrator complain about at the beginning of the chapter? (Page 1)

a.    The narrator complains NOT about the blindness of parents to what their children are really like, but rather that they should talk to us about their children’s supposed greatness.

2.      Find all the negative words and phrases which he uses to describe children? (Pages 1-3)

a.    “disgusting little blister”, “revolting offspring”, “total wash-out”, “grub”, “poisonous little girl”, “stinkers”.

3.      Using a dictionary and your intuition, explain the meaning of the following slang words and expressions which appear on page 2: ‘twaddle’, ‘to get one’s own back’, ‘scorchers’ and ‘sure as heck’.

a.    Twaddle = “senseless, silly or trifling talk or writing” (OED).  In this context, the parents are talking nonsense.

b.    To get one’s own back = to take revenge on somebody for something

c.    Scorchers = powerful statements (in this case, meant to undermine the parents’ perfect vision of their children).

d.    Sure as heck = most certainly

4.      What is the meaning of “to delve deeper” (at the top of page 3).

a.    “To delve deeper” means “to go more deeply (into a subject)”, that is, to advance from a discussion of the basics and go into the complexities of a given subject (i.e. ‘profundizar’).

5.      What kind of opinion do Matilda’s parents have of her?

a.    Matilda’s parents think that Matilda is a nuisance (p.4), is too noisy (p.5) and is spoiled (p.6).

6.      How are Mr and Mrs Wormwood described?

a.    They are described as being “gormless” (i.e. lacking in good judgement, clueless) and “wrapped up in their own silly little lives” (this means that they are self-possessed and care only about themselves) (–p.4).  They are seen to pay very little attention to their very special daughter.

7.      What kind of girl is Matilda? Describe her personality.

a.    She is a bright young girl, “sensitive and brilliant” (p.4), who is independent from an incredibly early age, both in practical and intellectual terms.

8.      How does Matilda teach herself to read, and by what age?

a.    Matilda teaches herself to read, by the time she is 3 years old, by studying all the material she can lay her hands on around the house (e.g. newspapers, magazines and a cookery book).

9.      What is Mrs Wormwood’s favourite pastime?

a.    Mrs Wormwood’s favourite pastime is playing bingo, which she does in a neighbouring town.

10.  Describe Mrs Phelps’s reaction upon meeting Matilda.

a.    Upon meeting Matilda, who arrives at the library on her own, Mrs Phelps is quite shocked, since it is unusual for such a young child to be unaccompanied by a parent.  Her surprise and wonderment continues to grow as she discovers what a talented and intelligent young girl Matilda is.

11.  Why is Mrs Phelps sad when she has to tell Matilda that “it´s ten to five”.

a.    Mrs Phelps is sad when she has to tell Matilda that “it´s ten to five” because that is the time that the library closes and she knows Matilda will be disappointed to have to leave the stimulation of the library and return to the monotony of her home life.

12.  Contrast Mrs Phelps with Matilda’s parents. What are the main differences between the characters?

a.    Mrs Phelps is polite, whereas Matilda’s parents are rude. 

                                       i.      We can tell this from the way in which Mrs Phelps speaks, using the polite form of address, as in “Would you like…?”, whereas Matilda’s parents are always using rude language (‘flaming book’, ‘for heaven’s sake’).

b.    Mrs Phelps takes an interest in Matilda’s development (i.e. she is a caring individual), unlike her parents, who don’t care (i.e. they are uncaring).

                                       i.      We can tell because Mrs Phelps offers to help Matilda finds the books she’d like to borrow, whereas Matilda’s parents don’t listen to Matilda’s requests for books with any patience.

c.    Mrs Phelps is self-contained, whereas Matilda’s parents are brash.

                                       i.      We can tell because on page 9 we find the sentence “Mrs Phelps was more stunned than ever, but she had the sense not to show it”, whereas Matilda’s parents are always saying the first thing that comes to their head.

13.  What does Matilda go on to do once she discovers that she can borrow books from the library?

a.    She visits the library less, only to return old books and check out new ones.  She turns her bedroom into a private sanctuary of books, where she spends most afternoons reading, with a mug of hot chocolate which she has prepared sitting beside her, for comfort.

14.  What countries does she visit in her imagination?

a.    She visits Africa and India and, indeed, travels all the way around the world in her imagination.  The books provide her with a window onto other worlds that exist outside her sleepy English village.

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