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Question #5

What does "dreadful" mean in this quote?

"'What are the Kalidahs?' asked the girl.
'They are monstrous beasts with bodies like bears and heads like tigers,' replied the Lion, 'and with claws so long and sharp that they could tear me in two as easily as I could kill Toto. I'm terribly afraid of the Kalidahs.'
'I'm not surprised that you are,' returned Dorothy. 'They must be dreadful beasts.' "





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The Cyclone, page 0

Table of Contents

Dorothy lived in the midst of the great Kansas prairies, with Uncle Henry, who was a farmer, and Aunt Em, who was the farmer's wife. Their house was small, for the lumber to build it had to be carried by wagon many miles. There were four walls, a floor and a roof, which made one room; and this room contained a rusty looking cookstove, a cupboard for the dishes, a table, three or four chairs, and the beds. Uncle Henry and Aunt Em had a big bed in one corner, and Dorothy a little bed in another corner. There was no garret at all, and no cellar––except a small hole dug in the ground, called a cyclone cellar, where the family could go in case one of those great whirlwinds arose, mighty enough to crush any building in its path. It was reached by a trap door in the middle of the floor, from which a ladder led down into the small, dark hole.

When Dorothy stood in the doorway and looked around, she could see nothing but the great gray prairie on every side. Not a tree nor a house broke the broad sweep of flat country that reached to the edge of the sky in all directions. The sun had baked the plowed land into a gray mass, with little cracks running through it. Even the grass was not green, for the sun had burned the tops of the long blades until they were the same gray color to be seen everywhere. Once the house had been painted, but the sun blistered the paint and the rains washed it away, and now the house was as dull and gray as everything else.

When Aunt Em came there to live she was a young, pretty wife. The sun and wind had changed her, too. They had taken the sparkle from her eyes and left them a sober gray; they had taken the red from her cheeks and lips, and they were gray also. She was thin and gaunt, and never smiled now. When Dorothy, who was an orphan, first came to her, Aunt Em had been so startled by the child's laughter that she would scream and press her hand upon her heart whenever Dorothy's merry voice reached her ears; and she still looked at the little girl with wonder that she could find anything to laugh at.

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The Cyclone

Text of Book

The Cyclone, page 0

The Cyclone, page 1

The Cyclone, page 2

The Cyclone, page 3

The Cyclone, page 4

Questions

1) Why is this chapter called "The Cyclone"?

2) Who does Dorothy live with?

3) What color is associated with the landscape where Dorothy lives?

4) What saved Dorothy from growing as gray as her surroundings?

5) What does "ripple" mean in the quote below?

"From the far north they heard a low wail of the wind, and Uncle Henry and Dorothy could see where the long grass bowed in waves before the coming storm. There now came a sharp whistling in the air from the south, and as they turned their eyes that way they saw ripples in the grass coming from that direction also."

6) Which phrase can help determine the meaning of "ripple" in the quote?

"From the far north they heard a low wail of the wind, and Uncle Henry and Dorothy could see where the long grass bowed in waves before the coming storm. There now came a sharp whistling in the air from the south, and as they turned their eyes that way they saw ripples in the grass coming from that direction also."

7) Why does Aunt Em tell Dorothy to run for the cellar?

8) What does "center" mean in this quote?

"The north and south winds met where the house stood, and made it the exact center of the cyclone."

9) After some time passes, how does Dorothy feel when she is whirled around by the cyclone?

10) What does "swaying" mean in this context?

"In spite of the swaying of the house and the wailing of the wind, Dorothy soon closed her eyes and fell fast asleep."

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Question #5

What phrase helped you determine the meaning of "dwelling" in the quote?

"The houses of the Munchkins were odd–looking dwellings, for each was round, with a big dome for a roof. All were painted blue, for in this country of the East blue was the favorite color."





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Question #4

What phrase helped you determine the meaning of "release" mean in the quote?

"The Tin Woodman gave a sigh of satisfaction and lowered his axe, which he leaned against the tree. 'This is a great comfort,' he said. 'I have been holding that axe in the air ever since I rusted, and I'm glad to be able to put it down at last. Now, if you will oil the joints of my legs, I shall be all right once more.'"





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Question #5

What does "comrade" mean in this quote?

"So once more the little company set off upon the journey, the Lion walking with stately strides at Dorothy's side. Toto did not approve of this new comrade at first, for he could not forget how nearly he had been crushed between the Lion's great jaws. But after a time he became more at ease, and presently Toto and the Cowardly Lion had grown to be good friends."





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Question #6

Which phrase helped you determine the meaning of "dreadful" in the quote?

"'What are the Kalidahs?' asked the girl.
'They are monstrous beasts with bodies like bears and heads like tigers,' replied the Lion, 'and with claws so long and sharp that they could tear me in two as easily as I could kill Toto. I'm terribly afraid of the Kalidahs.'
'I'm not surprised that you are,' returned Dorothy. 'They must be dreadful beasts.' "