A Novel

The curriculum does not specifically demand that we read a novel in English, and for some pupils it may be wiser to spend time reading shorter, simpler texts.

However, for those pupils who are able to, reading a novel in English will, of course, be extremely valuable.

Here are some suggestions:

  • The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-time Indian
  • Animal Farm
  • Of Mice and Men
  • Private Peaceful
  • Lord of the Flies
  • Fahrenheit 451

A hundred more can be found here.

Of Mice and Men

1. Why did George and Lennie leave the ranch in Weed?

2. How does Lennie make George angry when they are camping out?

3. According to George, why are he and Lennie different from other migrant laborers?

4. Which of the following does not foreshadow later events in the novel?

5. Which of the following does not describe Lennie?

6. Why does Curley dislike Lennie?

7. Which of these animals is not killed in the course of the story?

8. Which of the following is the best explanation for the behavior of Curley’s wife around Lennie?

9. Why does George shoot Lennie?

Animal Farm

George Orwell

Online text of the novel

Chapters One and Two

  1. What did old Major want to tell the other animals on Manor Farm?
  2. What rules did he give the animals?
  3. Why did the meeting come to a sudden end?
  4. Which were the cleverest animals, and how did they start to work for a revolution?
  5. When and why did a revolution take place?
  6. What change did the animals make?
  7. What were the seven commandments that the animals decided to follow?

Chapters Three and Four

  1. Why was the harvest such a success?
  2. Why did everyone admire Boxer?
  3. What did the animals do on Sundays?
  4. What did Snowball try to do?
  5. What was the essential principle of animalism according to Snowball?
  6. What did Napoleon do when two bitches had puppies?
  7. How did the pigs explain why they took all the milk and apples?
  8. How did the neighbouring farmers feel about Jones?
  9. Why did they still decide to help him get his farm back?
  10. How did the attack go?
  11. How did Snowball fight?
  12. Why was Boxer sad after the battle?

Chapters Five and Six

  1. What kind of work do the pigs do now?
  2. How is the relationship between Snowball and Napoleon?
  3. What did Snowball want to build, and why?
  4. How did Napoleon get rid of Snowball?
  5. What change did Napoleon make?
  6. How did Squealer explain that the windmill was to be built after all?
  7. How did building the windmill affect the animals’ lives?
  8. The pigs continued to break the original rules of Animal Farm. How?
  9. What happened to the windmill, and who did Napoleon blame?

Chapters Seven and Eight

  1. How was life on Animal Farm this winter?
  2. Which animals showed opposition to Napoleon, and why?
  3. Napoleon obviously decided to kill off all opposition to his leadership. What did he do?
  4. How and why did Napoleon change the sixth commandment?
  5. What battle was fought, and how did it end?
  6. What happened to Boxer in this battle?
  7. Napoleon continued to change the rules to suit himself. What happened to the fifth commandment, and why?

Chapters Nine and Ten

  1. What new special privileges were the pigs given?
  2. What happened to Boxer, and how was he treated according to Squealer?
  3. What did some of the animals believe had happened to Boxer?
  4. Where do you suppose the pigs got the money to buy whisky?
  5. The pigs literally took another step towards becoming like Jones. How?
  6. What had the sheep been taught to say now?
  7. Instead of seven commandments, there was now only one on the wall. What did it say?
  8. How else did Napoleon betray the revolution?
  9. How do we realise that the pigs had become almost human by now?
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