CLASS – V ENGLISH NOTES SEPTEMBER
6. Down the Rabbit Hole
I. ERC:
1. “Oh dear! Oh dear! I shall be late!”
a) Who was late?
The white rabbit was late.
b) What was peculiar about the speaker?
The speaker was a white rabbit who was talking to himself.
c) Who heard the speaker say these words?
Alice heard the speaker say these words.
d) What happened next?
Next, the rabbit took a watch out of its waistcoat-pocket, looked at it, and
then hurried on.
2. “I must be getting somewhere near the centre of the earth. Let me see: that
would be four thousand miles down, I think...”
a) Who is the speaker?
Alice is the speaker.
b) Why did the speaker think she/he is reaching the centre of the earth?
Alice thought that she was reaching the centre of the earth because she had
been falling down a well for quite some time now.
c) Do you think the speaker has learnt geography in school?
No, I don’t think that Alice has learnt Geography at school because she has no
clue about the terms ‘longitude’ or ‘latitude’ but wants to just throw such
grand words to show off her half-baked knowledge.
d) What kind of a person is the speaker?
Alice is a cheerful, talkative and adventurous girl.
3. “And in a moment she was now only ten inches high. Just the right size for
going through the little door into that lovely garden.”
a) Who became ten inches high and how?
Alice became ten inches high. She found a bottle on the table with a paper
label that said, ‘DRINK ME’. Alice tasted it, and finding it very nice, she
finished it off. And in a moment she was only ten inches high.
b) What was the advantage of becoming so short?
She could pass through the little door into the lovely garden.
c) What was the disadvantage of becoming short?
The disadvantage of being only ten inches high was that she could now not
reach the little golden key. This made her cry.
d) Write a word to replace the phrase 'in a moment’.
Instantly
II. Short Answers:
1. For what reason was Alice getting bored? What did she do about it?
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. She saw a white rabbit and
decided to follow it.
2. Which strange sight caught Alice's attention?
Alice saw a white rabbit that was talking to itself. It took a watch out of its
waistcoat-pocket, and looked at it, and then hurried on.
3. What did Alice notice on the walls during her fall?
Alice noticed that the sides of the well were filled with cupboards and book-
shelves; here and there she saw maps and pictures hung upon pegs.
4. Where did Alice see the rabbit for the second time? Where did it lead
her to?
Alice saw the white rabbit hurrying down a long passage. It led her to a long, low
hall, which was lit up by a row of lamps hanging from the roof.
5. What did Alice drink? What effect did it have on her?
Alice found a bottle on the table with a paper label that said, ‘DRINK ME’. Alice
tasted it, and finding it very nice, she finished it off. And in a moment she was
only ten inches high.
III. Long Answers:
1. For what reason did Alice follow the rabbit? Was it a good idea? Provide two
reasons to support your answer.
Alice followed the rabbit because she was bored. The fact that the rabbit was
talking to itself and it took a watch out of its waistcoat-pocket made Alice
curious. I don’t think it was a good idea because: a) She could have harmed or
hurt herself. b) Her absence would have worried her parents and loved ones.
2. Can Alice be called a thoughtful girl? Why/Why not?
Answers may vary. Accept all relevant answers.
3. Did you like the story? Which was your favourite part of the story? Provide
reasons to support your answer.
Answers may vary. Accept all relevant answers.
4. Is this a true story? Why/Why not?
Answers may vary. Accept all relevant answers.
