QUESTIONS (LOTS)

Write T for true and F for the statements.

1. Jack runs after Juno into the woods.
2. A manioc root can be used to make flour.
3. Ernest finds a cave of rock salt on the island.
4. A tiger prowls in the pen during the rain at night.
5. A large lobster tries to attack Jenny on the island.

Matching questions

A. wont do anything he demands he can do it himself

B. 3 years
C. mixed poision with milk, hung with coconuts too high for animals
to reach
D. by chasing on horseback or stratagem-run around them till they
are tired
E. jackals

Why does father refuse to make goggles for Jack? (2 reasons)

How long had Jenny been stranded on the island?
How did the natives in Africa capture ostriches?
What attacked the dogs during the night?
How did the boys try to rid of the monkeys?

Matching questions

Characters and characteristics

William The father. He is the narrator of the story and leads the family. He
knows a great deal of information on everything from roots to hunting,
demonstrating bravery and self-reliance.

Elizabeth The mother. She is intelligent and resourceful, arming herself

even before leaving the ship with a "magic bag" filled with supplies,
including sewing materials and seeds for food crops. She is also a
remarkably versatilecook, taking on anything fromPorcupineSoup to Roast
Penguin.

Fritz The oldest of the four boys, he is 15. Fritz is intelligent but impetuous.
Fritz is the strongest and accompanies his father on many quests.

Ernest The second oldest of the boys, he is 13. Ernest is the most
intelligent, but a less physically active boy, often described by his father as
"indolent". Like Fritz however, he comes to be an excellent shot.

Jack The third oldest of the boys, 11 years old. He is thoughtless, bold,
vivacious, and the quickest of the group.

Franz(sometimes translated asFrancis) The youngest of the boys, he is

8 years old when the story opens. He usually stays home with his mother.

Emily Montrose(calledJennyin the original German text) An English

girl found on Smoking Rock near the end of the novel. She is shy, but soon
is adopted into the family.

Nip(also calledKnipsorNipsin some editions) An orphanmonkey

adopted by the family after their dogs have killed its mother. The family
use him as a test subject for unfamiliar foods.

Fangs Ajackalthat was tamed by the family.

HOTS

Based on the story, describe Mr. Robinsons characteristics

in six words.

mmr

 Does the oldest son in the Swiss family

Robinson get along with his siblings
Which character in the story that changed the
most?
List four advantages of living on the island?
How did the father apply creativity in getting
the oysters open?

Chapter 1

Questions:
1. The first sentence of the first chapter begins, For many days we had been
tempest-tossed. How many days?
2. What were the names of the four sons in the family?
3. What was the one thing that brought comfort to the family during the storm?
4. When the storm was over and each family member went to get what might be
most useful for them to escape with, where did each family member head? Do you
think this says something of what their characters might develop into later in the
story?
5. What was the first thing the family did after reaching shore?
6. What scared Jack so badly in the tidal pool?
7. What convinced father that they were near the equator?

Chapter 2

1. What did the family have for breakfast the first day on the island?
2. What did father insist on searching for any sailors that may have been washed ashore when those
same sailors had abandoned them in the storm?
3. How did father use the monkeys to get coconuts?
4. What unusual bird did the family have for their dinner?
5. The second breakfast was much less sumptuous than the previous dinner. Ernest brought
something back from the shore. What was it?
6. What did father and Fritz chose to bring back from the ship?
7. How did father and Fritz get the animals from the ship to the shore?

Chapter 3

1. Explain how Jack made the dogs their collars.

2. Why did mother allow the boys to carry guns on their expedition? [Note: some answers may vary based
on personal opinion, but the one in the book is that father taught all of the boys at a very young age how to
handle firearms.]
3. Describe the wood that mother and the boys investigated. What was peculiar about these woods?
4. Why werent the dogs hungry and begging for food as they had been?
5. What happened to the shark that was shot in chapter two?
6. How did the father and his sons determine if they had enough wood to build their bridge?
7. Why do you think father gave the boys a reminder of safety precautions?
[Answer: one possible answer is the clich familiarity breeds contempt which means the boys were
becoming comfortable in their new surroundings and that father wanted to remind them that they must still
remember to be cautious at all times.]
8. What is a nomad and why did Ernest say that his family reminded him of one?
9. What uses were the porcupine and ocelot put to use?
10. How did father tame the flamingo?

Chapter 4

1. Explain how Jack made the dogs their collars.

2. Why did mother allow the boys to carry guns on their expedition? [Note: some answers may vary based on
personal opinion, but the one in the book is that father taught all of the boys at a very young age how to
handle firearms.]
3. Describe the wood that mother and the boys investigated. What was peculiar about these woods?
4. Why werent the dogs hungry and begging for food as they had been?
5. What happened to the shark that was shot in chapter two?
6. How did the father and his sons determine if they had enough wood to build their bridge?
7. Why do you think father gave the boys a reminder of safety precautions?
[Answer: one possible answer is the clich familiarity breeds contempt which means the boys were
becoming comfortable in their new surroundings and that father wanted to remind them that they must still
remember to be cautious at all times.]
8. What is a nomad and why did Ernest say that his family reminded him of one?
9. What uses were the porcupine and ocelot put to use?
10. How did father tame the flamingo?