Through the Looking-Glass — Comprehension Quiz

Multiple Choice

1. Which kitten was to blame for the tangled mess of worsted?
A) The white kitten
B) The black kitten
C) Snowdrop
D) Dinah

2. Who was washing the white kitten's face when the story begins?
A) Alice
B) The Red Queen
C) Dinah, the old cat
D) The black kitten

3. What was Alice doing with the ball of worsted when the kitten made a mess of it?
A) Throwing it across the room
B) Trying to wind it up
C) Giving it to the kitten to play with
D) Hiding it from Dinah

4. What did Alice say she was watching from the window earlier that day?
A) Snow falling on the trees
B) Boys getting sticks for a bonfire
C) The kitten chasing its tail
D) Her sister reading a book

5. Which chess piece did Alice pretend the kitten was?
A) The White King
B) The Red Queen
C) The White Queen
D) The Red Knight

6. According to Alice, what is different about the books in Looking-Glass House?
A) They have no pictures
B) The words go the wrong way
C) They are much bigger
D) They are written in a foreign language

7. How did Alice get into Looking-Glass House?
A) She walked through an open door
B) She climbed up on the chimney-piece and passed through the melting glass
C) She was pulled through by the kitten
D) She fell asleep and dreamed she was there

8. What did Alice find when she first looked in the Looking-Glass room?
A) A cold, empty fireplace
B) A real fire blazing in the fireplace
C) A chessboard set up and waiting
D) Her sister sitting in a chair

Short Answer

9. List the three "faults" Alice accused Kitty of committing.

10. What was Alice's favorite phrase to say when she imagined make-believe games, and can you give an example of one of her "let's pretend" ideas?

11. Why did Alice think the glass could be gotten through, and what did it look like as she went through it?

---

Answer Key

1. B) The black kitten
2. C) Dinah, the old cat
3. B) Trying to wind it up
4. B) Boys getting sticks for a bonfire
5. B) The Red Queen
6. B) The words go the wrong way
7. B) She climbed up on the chimney-piece and passed through the melting glass
8. B) A real fire blazing in the fireplace

1. The three faults were: (1) Kitty squeaked twice while Dinah washed her face, (2) Kitty pulled Snowdrop away by the tail from her saucer of milk, and (3) Kitty unwound all the worsted while Alice wasn't looking.

1. Alice's favorite phrase was "Let's pretend." Examples include pretending she and her sister were kings and queens, pretending to be a hungry hyena with her nurse as a bone, or pretending Kitty was the Red Queen.

1. Alice imagined the glass had gone "all soft like gauze" so she could pass through it. As she said this, the glass really did begin to melt away, turning into a bright, silvery mist, and she was able to step through it into the Looking-Glass room.