Matilda - Chapters 1-8 Quiz

Questions and Answers

Who is the author of Matilda?

Roald Dahl

What did the author say most people thought of their children?

They're wonderful

What did the author think he would enjoy writing for the stinkers in his class?

end-of-term reports

Who were Michael and Matilda's parents?

Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood Signup and view all the answers

How old was Matilda when her speech was perfect and she knew as many words as most grown-ups?

one and a half Signup and view all the answers

What did Matilda's parents call her when she was one and a half?

a noisy chatterbox Signup and view all the answers

How old was Matilda when she taught herself to read?

three Signup and view all the answers

How old was Matilda when she could read well and wanted to read books?

four Signup and view all the answers

What was the first book Matilda read?

Easy Cooking Signup and view all the answers

How much older than her was Matilda's brother, Michael?

five years Signup and view all the answers

Where did Matilda's mother go every weekday afternoon?

to play bingo in a town 8 miles away called Aylesbury Signup and view all the answers

Where did Matilda walk to by herself when she was four years, three months?

to the public library Signup and view all the answers

Who was Mrs. Phelps?

The librarian Signup and view all the answers

How long did it take for Matilda to walk from her home to the library?

10 minutes Signup and view all the answers

Which book was Matilda's favorite in the children's books?

The Secret Garden Signup and view all the answers

What was the first grown-up book Matilda read?

Great Expectations Signup and view all the answers

Who is the author of Great Expectations?

Charles Dickens Signup and view all the answers

What street did Matilda walk on to get to the library?

High Street Signup and view all the answers

How many pages did the copy of Great Expectations that Matilda read have in it?

411 Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote Nicholas Nickleby?

Charles Dickens Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote Oliver Twist?

Charles Dickens Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote Jane Eyre?

Charlotte Bronte Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote Pride and Prejudice?

Jane Austen Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote Tess of the D'Urbervilles?

Thomas Hardy Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote Gone to Earth?

Mary Webb Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote Kim?

Rudyard Kipling Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote The Invisible Man?

H.G. Wells Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote The Old Man and the Sea?

Ernest Hemingway Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote The Sound and the Fury?

William Faulkner Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote The Grapes of Wrath?

John Steinbeck Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote The Good Companions?

J.B. Priestley Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote Brighton Rock?

Graham Greene Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote Animal Farm?

George Orwell Signup and view all the answers

How long did Mrs. Phelps say Matilda could borrow a book?

2 weeks Signup and view all the answers

What did Matilda like to drink in her room while she read books?

hot chocolate Signup and view all the answers

What did Matilda sometimes drink instead of hot chocolate?

Bovril or Ovaltine Signup and view all the answers

In what country did Matilda live?

England Signup and view all the answers

What did Matilda's dad do for a living?

sold second-hand cars Signup and view all the answers

What did Matilda's dad put in the gear-box of old cars?

sawdust Signup and view all the answers

What did Mike expect to do for a living when he grew up?

Join his dad in the family business of selling second-hand cars Signup and view all the answers

How far could a car get with its gearbox full of oil and sawdust before it started to rattle?

100 miles Signup and view all the answers

What did Matilda's father like to wear?

jackets with brightly-colored checks and yellow or pale green ties Signup and view all the answers

What electrical tool did Matilda's dad use to reverse the mileage on the odometers of the cars he sold?

a high-speed electric drill Signup and view all the answers

What mileage did Matilda's dad cut all cars to below before he put them out for sale?

10,000 Signup and view all the answers

What did Matilda call the money her dad earned from cheating people?

dirty money Signup and view all the answers

What was Matilda's dad's name?

Harry Signup and view all the answers

What did Matilda's mom like to watch on TV?

American soap operas Signup and view all the answers

What kind of hat did Harry Wormwood wear?

A flat-top pork-pie hat with a jay's feather stuck in the hat-band Signup and view all the answers

What did Matilda do to her dad's hat?

Squeezed a line of superglue around the inside rim of the hat Signup and view all the answers

What was the worst thing about having a hat permanently on Harry Wormwood's head?

It was impossible to lie comfortably on the pillow in bed Signup and view all the answers

Who wrote The Red Pony?

John Steinbeck Signup and view all the answers

What did Harry Wormwood do to The Red Pony?

Tore it to pieces Signup and view all the answers

What did Napoleon say was the only sensible thing to do when you are attacked?

counter-attack Signup and view all the answers

What did Fred have that Matilda borrowed?

a talking parrot Signup and view all the answers

How old was Fred?

six Signup and view all the answers

What color was Fred's parrot?

blue and yellow Signup and view all the answers

What was Fred's parrot's name?

Chopper Signup and view all the answers

What did Matilda give to Fred in exchange for borrowing his parrot?

All her week's pocket money Signup and view all the answers

Where did Matilda stick the bird cage with Fred in it?

Up her house's chimney Signup and view all the answers

What did Matilda's father grab as a weapon when she thought there were people in the house?

a golf club Signup and view all the answers

What did Matilda grab as a weapon when she pretended there were people in the house?

the knife she had been eating with Signup and view all the answers

What did Matilda say was in the Wormwood's dining room?

A ghost Signup and view all the answers

What did Harry Wormwood tell his son never to ask for when selling a car?

A big round number. Always go just below it. Signup and view all the answers

How long did it take Harry Wormwood to figure out the math problem he gave to his son?

less than ten minutes Signup and view all the answers

How much profit did Matilda tell her father he made?

four thousand, three hundred, and three pounds and fifty pence Signup and view all the answers

What could Matilda's mother not do because she was so exhausted after bingo?

cook dinner Signup and view all the answers

What color was Mrs. Wormwood's hair dyed?

platinum blonde Signup and view all the answers

How often did Mrs. Wormwood go to the hairdresser's?

twice a year Signup and view all the answers

What did Mrs. Wormwood use every month to freshen up her hair color?

Platinum Blonde Hair-Dye Extra Strong Signup and view all the answers

What color hair did Matilda's father have?

black Signup and view all the answers

What did Matilda's father think good strong hair meant?

Good strong brain underneath Signup and view all the answers

What bald author did Matilda say was 'brainy'?

Shakespeare Signup and view all the answers

What did Matilda's father rub into his hair every morning?

Oil of Violets Hair Tonic Signup and view all the answers

How much of the Oil of Violets Hair Tonic did Matilda pour down the drain?

3/4 of the bottle Signup and view all the answers

What did Mr. Wormwood always have for breakfast?

2 fried eggs on fried bread with 3 pork sausages and 3 strips of bacon and some fried tomatoes Signup and view all the answers

What face powder did Mr. Wormwood spill onto the floor?

Elizabeth Arden face powder Signup and view all the answers

What did Matilda do for the first time when she was 5 1/2?

Started school Signup and view all the answers

What was the name of Matilda's elementary school?

Crunchem Hall Primary School Signup and view all the answers

How many pupils attended Crunchem Hall Primary School?

250 Signup and view all the answers

Who was the headmistress of Crunchem Hall Primary School?

Miss Trunchbull Signup and view all the answers

Who was the teacher of the bottom class at Crunchem Hall?

Miss Jennifer Honey Signup and view all the answers

Miss Trunchbull never walked, she....what?

marched Signup and view all the answers

What did Miss Honey's students have to learn by heart by the end of the week?

Their two-times tables Signup and view all the answers

What did Miss Honey's students need to have memorized by the end of the year?

all the multiplication tables up to twelve Signup and view all the answers

What does Matilda say a calculator is?

A lump of metal Signup and view all the answers

How old was Mozart when he started composing for the piano?

5 Signup and view all the answers

Which children in Miss Honey's class could spell the word 'cat'?

Lavender, Nigel, and Matilda Signup and view all the answers

What is an epicure?

A person who is dainty with their eating Signup and view all the answers

What kind of poem did Matilda make up about Miss Honey?

a limerick Signup and view all the answers

How did Matilda know Miss Honey's first name?

She heard another teacher calling her it. Signup and view all the answers

What book did Matilda tell Miss Honey she liked from the public library?

The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe Signup and view all the answers

What did Matilda say was C.S. Lewis's and Tolkien's failing?

There are no funny bits in his book Signup and view all the answers

What does Matilda say is the difference between children and grownups?

children are not so serious and love to laugh Signup and view all the answers

Which Charles Dickens book makes Matilda laugh the most?

Mr. Pickwick Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Author and Themes

Roald Dahl is the author of Matilda.
Many parents perceive their children as wonderful, contrasting Matilda's bleak home life.

Matilda's Early Development

Matilda demonstrated remarkable intelligence, speaking perfectly at one and a half years old.
By the age of three, she taught herself to read, showcasing precociousness.
At four years old, she could read complex stories and had a preference for books like The Secret Garden.

Family Dynamics

Matilda’s parents, Mr. and Mrs. Wormwood, display neglectful behavior and prioritize their own interests.
Mr. Wormwood is involved in unscrupulous business practices, including reversing car odometers and selling second-hand cars filled with sawdust.

A typical day for Matilda involves walking to the local library, highlighting her love for reading as an escape from home.
Mrs. Phelps, the librarian, fosters Matilda's love of literature.

Television Influence

Mrs. Wormwood, Matilda’s mother, is portrayed as obsessed with American soap operas, neglecting her responsibilities at home.

School Life

Matilda begins school at Crunchem Hall Primary School, with Miss Trunchbull as the harsh headmistress.
Miss Honey, the teacher of Matilda's class, encourages imagination and learning, contrasting with the strictness of Miss Trunchbull.

Matilda’s Resourcefulness

Matilda uses her intelligence to bridge the gap between her family's ignorance and her own potential.
She often invents clever solutions to her problems, including the prank involving her father’s hat.

Literary Influence

Matilda reflects on classic literature, discussing authors like Charles Dickens and noting the absence of humor in some works by C.S. Lewis and Tolkien.

Psychological Insights

Matilda contrasts the seriousness of adults with the light-hearted nature of children, emphasizing the value of laughter and creativity in youth.

Key Literary References

Matilda reads notable works, including Great Expectations by Charles Dickens and The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe by C.S. Lewis.
She expresses disdain for adult literature devoid of humor, indicating her unique perspective on storytelling.

Personal Characteristics

Matilda enjoys drinking hot chocolate while reading, indicative of her comfort in solitude with books.
Her ability to write a limerick demonstrates her creativity and literacy at a young age.

The narrative critiques parental neglect and societal expectations, showing how Matilda's gifts are overlooked by her family.
Through Matilda's character, Dahl advocates for intelligence and independence as means of overcoming adversity.

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Description

Test your knowledge of the first eight chapters of Roald Dahl's 'Matilda' with this engaging quiz. Explore key characters and themes while answering questions about the plot and significant details. Perfect for students and fans of the book looking to deepen their understanding!