"The Beginning"

Passage from "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland"

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 conversations?"

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 to 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 too 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 waist-coat 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 waist-coat 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...

Reading Comprehension Questions

1) Which of the following best describes Alice’s mood at the start of the above passage?

a. excited

b. sad

c. bored

d. angry

2) In the above passage, what is Alice’s reaction when she first sees the White Rabbit?

a. she thinks it is the strangest thing she’s ever seen

b. she doesn’t think it is anything out of the ordinary

c. she is very frightened by the rabbit

d. she quickly knows the rabbit will be a good friend

3) In the above passage, what is the White Rabbit is trying to do?

a. find a hiding place

b. look for Alice

c. start a fight

d. get somewhere fast

4) Based on the above scene, which kind of book would include the above passage?

a. a fantasy or fairy tale

b. a detective novel or crime mystery

c. a history book or biography

d. a love story or romantic novel

5) Which of the following gives the Point of View of the above passage?

a. 1^st person

b. 2^nd person

c. 3^rd person limited

d. 3^rd person omniscient

6) Which of the following happens at the end of the passage?

a. Alice catches the White Rabbit

b. Alice follows the White Rabbit down the hole

c. Alice tells her sister about the White Rabbit

d. Alice loses sight of the White Rabbit

Answer Key

1) Which of the following best describes Alice’s mood at the start of the above passage?

a. excited

b. sad

c. bored

d. angry

2) In the above passage, what is Alice’s reaction when she first sees the White Rabbit?

a. she thinks it is the strangest thing she’s ever seen

b. she doesn’t think it is anything out of the ordinary

c. she is very frightened by the rabbit

d. she quickly knows the rabbit will be a good friend

3) In the above passage, what is the White Rabbit is trying to do?

a. find a hiding place

b. look for Alice

c. start a fight

d. get somewhere fast

4) Based on the above scene, which kind of book would include the above passage?

a. a fantasy or fairy tale

b. a detective novel or crime mystery

c. a history book or biography

d. a love story or romantic novel

5) Which of the following gives the Point of View of the above passage?

a. 1^st person

b. 2^nd person

c. 3^rd person limited

d. 3^rd person omniscient

6) Which of the following happens at the end of the passage?

a. Alice catches the White Rabbit

b. Alice follows the White Rabbit down the hole

c. Alice tells her sister about the White Rabbit

d. Alice loses sight of the White Rabbit