CONTENTS

LIFE AND WORKS OF LEWIS CARROLL ..........................................................................................................................4

GETTING INTO THE STORY .............................................................................................................................................6

PRESENTATION OF THE CHARACTERS ...........................................................................................................................7

CHAPTER 1 . DOWN THE RABBIT-HOLE .................................................................................................................................8

POST-READING ACTIVITIES ................................................................................................................... 14

CHAPTER 2 . THE POOL OF TEARS ..................................................................................................................................... 16

POST-READING ACTIVITIES ................................................................................................................... 22

CHAPTER 3 . INTERESTING ENCOUNTERS .......................................................................................................................... 24

POST-READING ACTIVITIES ................................................................................................................... 33

DIVING INTO Literary Nonsense ........................................................................................................................ 35

CHAPTER 4. PIG AND PEPPER .......................................................................................................................................... 36

POST-READING ACTIVITIES ................................................................................................................... 42

CHAPTER 5 . A MAD TEA PARTY ........................................................................................................................................ 44

POST-READING ACTIVITIES ................................................................................................................... 48

CHAPTER 6. CROQUET WITH THE QUEEN .......................................................................................................................... 50

POST-READING ACTIVITIES ................................................................................................................... 56

CHAPTER 7 . ALICE’S EVIDENCE ......................................................................................................................................... 58

POST-READING ACTIVITIES ................................................................................................................... 62

FINAL ACTIVITIES ........................................................................................................................................................ 63

TRINITY – style activities 15, 43

CAMBRIDGE KET – style activities 5, 14, 42, 49, 56, 57

The CD symbols mark the beginning and end of each track.

KET

t

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The real name of the author who wrote Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was

Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. He pub-lished this book under the pseudonym Lewis Carroll because he wanted to remain anonymous. He wrote under a different name so that he couldn’t be criticised for his work. He invented this fake name by translating his real name into Latin. So, Charles Lutwidge

became Carolus Ludovicus, which he made sound English by changing the

Latin names to Lewis Carroll. Charles Dodgson was born on January 27th,

1832 in the county of Cheshire, England. His family moved to the county of Yorkshire when he

was 11 years old. When Dodgson was a young child, he did not attend a regular

school like most boys his age. He and his brothers were home-schooled. Finally, at the age of 14, Dodgson went to Rugby School in Warwickshire. His favourite subject was Maths, and he was very good at it, just like his father. After Rugby School, Charles went on to study at Oxford University where he had a very successful academic career. Once Charles fi nished school, he decided to follow in his father’s footsteps and enter the Church. He became an Anglican deacon at Christ Church in Oxford. However, Charles had diffi culty accepting his Christianity. He was an imaginative and free person and he

found that his religion sometimes restricted his creativity. In 1855, Charles began publishing his own maga-pseudonym: fake name

LIFE AND WORKS OF LEWIS CARROLL

5

zine. The title of the magazine was Mischmasch. This magazine was a collection of short stories and illustrations.Then, in 1856, he had the opportunity to publish some of his work in The Train: A First-Class Magazine. This was when Charles fi rst began using his pseudonym Lewis Carroll. After his work was published in the magazine, he began writing the fi rst chapters of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. It took him three years to complete the book to his satisfaction and in 1865, it was published. The book quickly became a favourite of Victorian society, and is still a favourite amongst young and old generations today all over the world.In 1871, Dodgson decided to write a second book about his character Alice. He entitled this book Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There. It was about what life would be like to live in a mirror. This book was just as successful as the fi rst one. Dodgson’s two books about Alice fall under the genre of literary nonsense. Even Queen Victoria was a fan of his work, demonstrating that many people were open to a little non-sense in their lives. On January 14th, 1898, Dodgson died at the age of 65 after suffering from pneumonia.

Comprehension

Multiple ChoiceKET Circle the correct answer A, B, or C for each of the following questions.

1) Why did Charles Dodgson create a false

name for himself?

a) To avoid criticism.

b) Because he loved Latin.

c) To attract criticism.

2) What was his favourite subject in school?

a) English.

b) Religion.

c) Maths.

3) Why did he have problems with

Christianity?

a) Because he was a liberal thinker.

b) Because he didn’t believe in it.

c) Because he wanted to write.

4) In what work did Dodgson fi rst starting

using his pseudonym?

a) Mischmasch.

b) The Train: A First-Class Magazine.

c) Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland.

5) What was Through the Looking Glass and

What Alice Found There about?

a) Life in Victorian Society.

b) Literary nonsense.

c) Life in a mirror.

LIFE AND WORKS OF LEWIS CARROLL

literary nonsense: see more on page 35

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GETTING INTO THE STORY

1) Have you ever seen any fi lms about

Alice in Wonderland? Who were the

actors?

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2) Write a short story about a strange ad-

venture or experience you had in your

life, using 50-70 words. Make sure to

include in your story:

• Who you were with

• Where you were

• What you happened

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PRESENTATION OF THE CHARACTERS

ALICEA young girl who falls into a Wonderland.

THE WHITE RABBITThe one who leads Alice down the hole.

THE KING AND QUEEN OF HEARTS The rulers of the Wonderland.

THE KNAVE OF HEARTS Accused of stealing the tarts.

THE CHESHIRE CAT An always smiling cat who appears and disappears.

THE DUCHESS The Queen’s cousin.

THE COOK She always has a pot full of pepper.

THE CATERPILLAR A creature in Wonderland who helps Alice.

THE MAD HATTER A hatter in Wonderland.

THE MARCH HARE AND DORMOUSE They have tea together with Mad Hatter.