Holes

"Stanley Yelnats is under a curse. A curse that began with his no-good-dirty-rotten-pig-stealing-great-great-grandfather and has since followed generations of Yelnatses. Now Stanley has been unjustly sent to a boys’ detention center, Camp Green Lake, where the boys build character by spending all day, every day digging holes exactly five feet wide and five feet deep. There is no lake at Camp Green Lake. But there are an awful lot of holes." In this project, we are going to read and reflect on the book Holes by Louis Sachar.

 

Reading – Holes

 

During the following weeks we are going to read the book Holes by Louis Sachar.

 

If you want to listen to the book, you can find it here:

 

http://esl-bits.net/ESL.English.Learning.Audiobooks/Hoyo/preview.html

 

 

 

After 5 chapters you will answer questions and discuss them in smaller groups. You write all your answers and thoughts about the book in this document. When there is a question with alternatives, highlight the correct one.

 

This is the time plan:

 

 

 

Week 47	Week 48	Week 49	Week 50	Week 2	Week 3	Week 4	Week 5
Intro Chapter 1-5	Chapter 6-10	Chapter 11-24	Chapter 25-37	Chapter 38-50	Watch the movie	Watch the movie	Final writing

 

 

 

 

Book Reading: Questions

 

 

 

You will be given time in class to read the book once a week. During the second lesson, you will answer questions and talk about the book in small groups.

 

 

 

There are questions on two levels - questions 1-5 are easier and questions 6-10 are harder. Try to discuss all questions to practice speaking. You must answer at least five questions for every part in this document, with at least one from each level. If you are aiming for a higher grade, you should hand in more answers, and of course always at the harder level. You should also try to write longer and more detailed answers.

 

 

 

 

 

Questions: chapters 1-5

 

 

 

1. Charlie was convicted of a crime that he didn't commit. When you’re convicted, it means you are...

 

a. ...found guilty.

 

b. ...in trouble.

 

c. ...set free.

 

d. ...in court.

 

 

 

2. Stanley Yelnats was given the choice to…

 

a) ...work at the community center for the entire summer or go to Camp Green Lake.

 

b) ...complete 60 hours of community service or go to jail.

 

c) ...go to jail or go to Camp Green Lake.

 

d) ...complete 60 hours of community service or go to Camp Green Lake.

 

3. What was special about Stanley's name?

 

a) It was the first time anyone in his family had ever been named Stanley.

 

b) It was spelled the same frontward and backward.

 

c) It was given to him by Kate Barlow.

 

 

 

4. All the campers had…

 

a) …extra food and water.

 

b) …cool clothes.

 

c) …nicknames.

 

 

 

5. Why doesn't Camp Green Lake have fences?

 

 

 

6. Based on its name, what would you imagine a place called Camp Green Lake to be like? What is it really like?

 

 

 

7. Stanley Yelnats: Who is he? What kind of person does he seem like?

 

 

 

8. How do we know that Stanley was very unhappy at home?

 

 

 

9. Do you think it’s true that digging holes can turn a bad person into a good one? What are some other unpleasant things you’ve heard about that are supposed to “build character”?

 

 

 

10. What kind of story do you think this will be? Why do you think so?

 

 

 

Questions: chapters 6-10

 

 

 

11. Clyde "Sweet Feet" Livingston was a famous…

 

a) …baseball player.

 

b) …golfer.

 

c) …basketball player.

 

d) …soccer player.

 

 

 

12. Stanley's great-great-grandfather wanted…

 

a) …to buy a small pig farm.

 

b) …to marry Myra.

 

c) …to become a pig farmer.

 

d) …to become a famous inventor.

 

 

 

13. When Elya was sailing across the Atlantic he remembered…

 

a) …his father's words about marriage.

 

b) …the words to the song Madame Zeroni had taught him.

 

c) …that he left his watch with Myra.

 

d) …his promise to carry Madame Zeroni up the mountain.

 

 

 

14. In his hole, Stanley found…

 

a) …a silver coin.

 

b) …a fossil of a fish.

 

c) …a bead.

 

d) …an arrowhead.

 

 

 

15. Explain how Stanley unknowingly got Clyde Livingston's sneakers, and why he got in trouble for it.

 

 

 

16. Why don’t the boys believe Stanley when he tells them he stole the sneakers?

 

 

 

17. The nicknames: What could be the reason for the boys to use nicknames instead of real names? Why do you think the other boys call Stanley “The Caveman”?

 

 

 

18. Briefly explain the curse of the one-legged gypsy.

 

 

 

19. What does Stanley learn from digging his first hole? Why do you think he feels proud when he is finished?

 

 

 

20. Why do the boys always line up for water in the same order? What’s the significance to this order?

 

 

 

Questions: chapters 11-24

 

 

 

21. Describe the second object that Stanley found.

 

 

 

22. The Warden hurt Mr. Sir by…

 

a) …slapping him.

 

b) …pushing him into a hole.

 

c) …hitting him with a shovel.

 

d) …scratching him with her nails.

 

 

 

 

 

23. While Stanley went to talk to the Warden about the stolen sunflower seeds, his hole was dug by…

 

a) …Squid.

 

b) …Magnet.

 

c) …X-Ray.

 

d) …Zero.

 

 

 

24. Stanley began teaching Zero…

 

a) …how to read.

 

b) …how to sing.

 

c) …how to multiply.

 

d) …how to dance.

 

 

 

25. Describe Green Lake as it was one hundred years ago.

 

 

 

26. What does X-Ray ask Stanley to do? Why does Stanley agree to this? What would you have done if you were Stanley? What does Stanley gain when he agrees to help X-Ray? What does he lose?

 

 

 

27. Were you surprised to discover that the Warden is a woman? What kind of person do you think the Warden is? How does the Warden’s mood swings affect the boys?

 

 

 

28. What difference does it make when Stanley realizes that they are looking for something and not digging holes to become better people?

 

 

 

29. Why do you think Stanley takes the blame for stealing Mr. Sir’s sunflower seeds?

 

 

 

30. Why do you think Zero finishes Stanley’s hole for him?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Questions: chapters 25-37

 

 

 

31. Mary Lou, the donkey, ate nothing but…

 

a) …clover.

 

b) …onions.

 

c) …oats.

 

d) …barley.

 

 

 

32. When someone got sick they went to see Doc Hawthorn and Sam.

 

Sam gave them…

 

a) …onions.

 

b) …magic potions.

 

c) …apple cider.

 

d) …herbal remedies.

 

 

 

33. Sam fixed the leaky roof of the schoolhouse in exchange for…

 

a) …reading lessons.

 

b) …money.

 

c) …spiced peaches.

 

d) …books.

 

 

 

34. Why wasn’t Sam allowed to attend classes?

 

 

 

35. Describe what happened to Sam.

 

 

 

36. What are the boys at Camp Green Lake really looking for?

 

 

 

37. Why don’t the other boys approve of Stanley and Zero’s arrangement?

 

 

 

38. Thinking about Zero, “what worried [Stanley] the most . . . was the fear that it wasn’t too late.” What does this mean?

 

 

 

39. How would you describe Stanley and Zero’s relationship at this point in the story?

 

 

 

40. What does Stanley learn about himself as they climb the mountain? What does he learn about Zero? Why do you think Stanley suddenly calls Zero Hector?

 

 

 

Questions: chapters 38-50

 

 

 

41. How do Stanley and Zero survive?

 

 

 

42. Why do you think Zero chooses this moment to confess about the stolen shoes?

 

 

 

43. Why is Stanley surprised to find the sack of jars and the shovel so far down the mountain?

 

 

 

44. What did Stanley uncover in the hole?

 

 

 

45. How do you think Stanley and Zero feel when the Warden confronts them?

 

 

 

46. Compare Stanley and Zero’s climb with the climb Elya should have done with Madame Zeroni. In what way are these stories the same?

 

 

 

47. When he hears Zero’s stories, how does Stanley feel about his own family?

 

 

 

48. The Warden’s name is Walker; who else in the story has the same last name? Why might this be important?

 

 

 

49. Chapter 49 ends with these words: “. . . and for the first time in over a hundred years, a drop of rain fell into the empty lake.” How is this important?

 

 

 

50. How has Stanley changed in the course of the story? Do you think Stanley had a “hole” in his life before attending Camp Green Lake? Does he have one now?