BANGLADESH INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, (ES), RIYADH

Notes & Worksheet on English Literature

HATCHET
ANSWER KEY

Short questions and answers.

1. Who is Terry?
Ans: Terry is Brain’s good friend back in New York. He also appeared in one of Brian’s dream,
giving him hints as to how to start a fire.

2. What is the story Hatchet about?

Ans: Hatchet is the story of a boy named Brian. He learns to survive in this wilderness facing many
dangers including hunger and animal attack.

3. Why does the author call Brian’s fire a friend and a guard?
Ans: Brian now has fire which is warm and feels alive like a person or a friend. The fire is like a
guard because it provides light and will keep away animals such as the porcupine.

Long questions and answers.

Q1. How did Brian experience in the woods?

Ans: The woods were dark and Brian felt that wild animals were going to attack him. He experienced
some rotten smell which terrified him. He felt very frightened that his heart hammered into his throat
as if something were around his leg. So he kicked it as hard as he could. Then his leg got hurt by a
porcupine which burst with pain, as if a hundred needles pierced it. As there was no food in the
forest, he ate handful of rotten raspberries from his pocket. He dreamt about his father and his friend.
He was scared in the woods and tried to make fire to survive.

Q2. What materials did Brian use to ignite fire?

Ans: Brian was working hard as he kept trying different materials without giving up. He used grass,
twigs, hatchet, and 20 dollar bill and scrambled them into pieces to make fire. But sparks died
immediately. Also, he ripped things into tiny pieces, not big ones. Even though it took him more than
2 hours to prepare the bark, he kept doing it. Then he thought of his schooldays and remembered the
procedure to make fire. The bark was fuel and there had to be oxygen in the air. He leaned and blew
on it and finally the red ball bursts into flame.

Fill in the blanks with the appropriate words from the text.

1. Brian touched each quill carefully.

2. Brian’s nostrils widened and he opened his eyes wider.

3. The slithering moved again.

4. Some of the quills were driven in deeper than others.

5. The self-pity had accomplished nothing.

6. His lips moved but there was no sound.

7. Brian’s father faded into a fog place Brian could not see.

8. He saw a grocery sack on the table.

9. Terry shook his head and pointed again to the fire.

10. His eyes opened and there was light in the cave.
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Determine the statements as True or False:

1. Brian got up and poured some petrol into the cooker. False

2. The porcupine quills were soft and not very sharp on the ends. False

3. At first he thought that it was a growl. True

4. A porcupine had stumbled into his shelter. True

5. Sparks flew so heavily that several of them skittered and jumped on the sand. True

6. He scrambled out but didn’t stand in the morning sun. False

7. The hatchet was the key to it all. True

8. It was very easy for Brian to achieve his goal. False

9. The sparks poured like a golden waterfall. True

10. The pilot of Brian’s plane died of blood pressure. False

Match the columns below:

S.N Column A Column B

Brian’s nostrils widened and 6 as if he were scratching something.
1
The hatchet missed and 7 more than once.
2
His fingers gingerly 8 but was sitting in the park.
3
When he had gone to sleep 9 and chips and mustard.
4
He put his head down 10 his mouth with his tongue.
5
He waved his hands at Brian 5 on his arms across his knees.
6
Brian asked questions 4 he had satisfaction.
7
He was not gesturing to Brian 3 touched a group of needles.
8
Brian thought it must contain hot fogs 2 sailed into the wall.
9
He crushed the berries against the roof of 1 he opened his eyes wider.
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Learn the meanings of the words and make sentences with them.

growl – v. to say sth in a low angry voice

“Who are you?” he gro0wled at the stranger.

ignite – v. to start to burn; to make sth start to burn

Gas ignites very easily.

painstaking – adj. needing a lot of care, effort and attention to detail

The event had been planned with painstaking attention to detail.

slither - v. to move somewhere in a smooth, controlled way, often close to the ground
The snake slithered away as we approached.
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register - v. to record your/sb's/sth's name on an official list
The ship was registered in Panama.

smolder - v. to burn slowly without a flame

The bonfire was still smoldering the next day.

stiffen – v. to make yourself or part of your body firm, straight and still
I stiffened my back and faced him.

skitter – v. to run or move very quickly and lightly

The rabbit skittered away I wanted to catch it.

scrap – v. to cancel or get rid of sth that is no longer practical or useful

They had been forced to scrap plans for a new school building.

grab - v. to take or hold sb/sth with your hand suddenly, firmly or roughly
She grabbed the child’s hand and ran.

initial – adj. happening at the beginning; first

My initial reaction was to decline the offer.

imbed – v. to fix sth firmly into a substance or solid object

The bullet imbedded itself in the wall.

exasperate - v. to annoy or irritate sb very much

Her moods exasperated him.

squat – v. to sit on your heels with your knees bent up close to your body
Children were squatting on the floor.

Circle the correct answer.

1. If Brian kept the fire small it would be

a. dangerous b. perfect c. useful
2. When the small wood was going well, he went out and found
a. smaller wood b. larger wood c. medium wood
3. Brian ran from the shelter to the pines and started ____________ the low, dead, small limbs.
a. breaking off b. collecting c. displaying
4. The red ball that burst into flames was ___________
a. thick and oily b. light and dry c. hard and greasy
5. Working as fast as he could he carefully placed the dried grass and wood pieces __________
a. on the bottom of the bark b. in the middle of the bark c. on top of the bark

Answer each question in a phrase.

1. How many sparks had fallen in a tight mass of bark hair?

five or six sparks

2. What did Brian do using his fingernails at first?

ripping the bark

3. For what did he stop twice?

for a handful of berries

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4. What was the condition of the material for the sparks?
to be finer

5. What happened when the bark was peeling from the trunks?
in tiny tendrils, almost fluffs

6. When Brian hit the stone wall, what happened?

a golden shower of sparks in the dark

7. How was the wall when Brian studied it?

some form of chalky granite, or a sandstone

8. What had there to be for the sparks to ignite?

some kind of tinder or kindling

9. What was worse than the grass?

small twigs

10. How did Brian move out of the shelter after putting the hatchet back in his belt?
limping on his sore legs

(Knowledge exists potentially in the human soul; by learning, the potential becomes actual.)
Mohammed Ghazali
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