Individual Reading

Lewis Carroll Alice in Wonderland

Task 1. Study Lewis Carroll’s biography

Lewis Carroll was born in 1832 and died in 1898. He is famous as an author of two of the best-known and best-loved children’s books ever written: Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. He is also remembered for his neologisms and nonsense rhymes.

Lewis Carroll is the pseudonym of Charles Lutwidge Dodgson. He invented this pseudonym by translating his two first names back into English from Latin and reversing their order.

Lewis Carroll showed his talent for writing at an early age. He received good education and became mathematical lecturer at Oxford where he worked until his retirement. He was ordained as a clergyman in 1861, and did not have a family of his own. He was a shy man, handicapped by a stammer. His self-consciousness was lessened only in the presence of children. Alice Liddell, one of the daughters of the Dean of Christ Church, was the greatest among his “child friends”. He dedicated both of his novels to Alice.

Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland was an instant success when it was first published and together with Through the Looking Glass, has remained popular with children and adults alike ever since.

Task 2. Look up the following words & expressions from chapters 1 – 12

Chapter 1

1. to peep, 2. remarkable, 3. to occur to smb, 4. to wonder at smth, 5. to flash across smb’s mind, 6. to burn with curiosity, 7. hedge, 8. to dip, 9. a well, 10. peg, 11. to tumble downstairs, 12. latitude, 13. longitude, 14. to curtsey, 15. to long to do smth, 16. to wander, 17. poison, 18. to venture to do smth, 19. custard, 20. to shrink, 21. to fancy, 22. to scold smb severely, 23. to box smb’s ears, 24. to cheat, 25. to pretend, 26. currants, 27. to creep, 28. anxious, anxiously

Chapter 2

29. to be out of sight, 30. odd, 31. nonsense, 32. fan, 33. to mutter, 34. to feel desperate, 35. timid, 36. queer, 37. multiplication table, 38. to grin, 39. claws, 40. jaws, 41. to measure, 42. to guess, 43. a narrow escape, 44. to frighten smb, 45. to drown, to be drowned, 46. walrus, 47. hippopotamus, 48. to leap, 49. passion, passionate, 50. to soothe, soothing, 51. to take a fancy to smb, 52. to purr, 53. to be bristled all over, 54. to offend smb, to be offended, 55. dodo

Chapter 3

56. sulky, 57. to shiver, 58. to frown, 59. to proceed, 60. to titter, 61. to be inclined to do smth, 62. thimble, 63. to bow, 64. to choke, 65. tale, 66. tail, 67. trial, 68. judge, 69. jury, 70. cunning, 71. to condemn smb, to condemn smb to death, 72. knot, 73. to insult smb, 74. to lose one’s temper, 75. to hold one’s tongue, 76. snappishly, 77. eagerly, 78. on various pretexts

Chapter 4

79. to trot, 80. ferret, 81. whiskers, 82. to shrink, 83. guinea-pig, 84. to coax, 85. yelp, 86. to dodge, 87. to tumble head over heels, 88. to be trampled , 89. buttercup, 90. on tiptoe, 91. caterpillar, 92. to smoke a hookah

Chapter 5

93. languid, 94. sternly, 95. to turn into a chrysalis, 96. to turn into a butterfly, 97. queer, 98. contempt, 99. contemptuously, 100. to be irritated, 101. to draw oneself up, 102. gravely, 103. to keep one’s temper, 104. timidly, 105. to contradict, 106. to lose one’s temper, 107. to be content, 108. to plead, 109. morsel, 110. to subdue, 111. sob, 112. serpent, 113. to hatch eggs, 114. sulky, 115. to crouch, 116. to frighten smb out of their wits, 117. to venture

Chapter 6

118. footman, 119. livery, 120. to rap at the door with the knuckles, 121. solemn, 122. to bow, 123. to get entangled, 124. to peep, 125. to howl, 126. to sneeze, 127. civil, uncivil, 128. to skim, 129. to graze the nose, 130. to argue, 131. to drive smb crazy, 132. to whistle, 133. cauldron, 134. hearth, 135. violence, 136. terror, 137. precious, 138. to growl, 139. to abide figures, 140. to toss, 141. to fling smth, 142. frying-pan, 143. to snort, 144. a turn-up nose, 145. snout, 146. absurd, 147. to feel relieved, 148. to deny, 149. to prove, 150. to wag the tail, 151. to purr, 152. to vanish, 153. to rave mad.

Chapter 7

154. indignant, indignantly, 155. to encourage smb, 156. your hair wants cutting, 157. curiosity, 158. severe, severity, 159. to ask riddles, 160. to guess riddles, 161. to grumble, 162. to give up, 163. contempt, contemptuously, 164. to beat time (in music), 165. to pinch, 166. to venture, 167. hoarse, 168. feeble, 169. treacle, 170. extraordinary, 171. to offend smb, 172. doze.

Chapter 8

173. to splash, 174. to lay the blame on smb, 175. club (in a game), 176. a pack pf cards, 177. fury, 178. to glare at smb, 179. giddy, 180. flowerpot, 181. to box smb’s ears,

182. to tumble up, 183. hedgehog, 184. ridge, 185. furrow, 186. mallet, 187. arch, 188. to burst out laughing, 189. to provoke, 190. escape, 191. to complain, 192. impertinent, 193. executioner.

Chapter 9

194. savage, 195. hot-tempered, 196. vinegar, 197. camomile, 198. stingy, 199. to squeeze, 200. to bear smth, 201. to take advantage of, 202. custody, 203. hollow, 204. turtle, tortoise, 205. to be ashamed of , 206. to hold one’s tongue, 207. simpleton

Chapter 10

208. flapper, 209. lobster, 210. to tread on smb’s toes, 211. to look askance, 212. shrimp, 213. to persist, 214. to account for smth

Chapter 11

215. refreshment(s), 216. a court of justice, 217. wig, 218. to be indignant, 219. verdict, 220. witness, 221. to fidget, 222. evidence, 223. dunce, 224. guinea-pig

Chapter 12

225. flurry, in the flurry of the moment, 226.dismay, 227. mischief, 228. to clap hands, 229. guilt, 230. to rub one’s hands, 231. pun

Task 3. Comment on famous Quotations from the novel

Chapter 1

1. I wonder what Latitude or Longitude I’ve got to?

2. Do cats eat bats?

3. Oh my ears and whiskers, how late it’s getting!

4. I wish I could shut up like a telescope!

5. I’ll look first and see whether it’s marked “poison” or not.

6. If you drink much from a bottle marked “poison”, it is almost certain to disagree with you, sooner or later.

7. A mixed flavour of cherry-tart, custard, pineapple, roast turkey, toffee and hot buttered toast

8. It seemed dull and stupid for life to go on in the common way/