IMPORTANT: Comprehension questions will be in chronological order as you read through the story. Page numbers are approximate, and will vary with different editions of the book.
Section 1: Chapters 1-2
Vocabulary
- aroma: a distinctive, typically pleasant smell
- baffle: totally bewilder or perplex
- commentator: a person who comments on events or on a text
- invigorating: making one feel strong, healthy, and full of energy
- notorious: famous or well, known, typically for some bad quality or deed
- route: a way or course take in getting from a starting point to a destination
- slogan: a short and striking or memorable phrase used in advertising
Vocabulary Usage in the Book
- He decided to name the skunk Aroma. (Ch. 1, pg, 11)
- “The police are baffled,” the new commentator said. (Ch. 1, pg. 16)
- The air was filled with that distinctive invigorating smell that keep you on your toes, but mostly, the air was fill with Aroma. (Ch. 1, pg. 20)
- Then finally he saved the pretty girl from a horrible death and caught the villain who turned out be a very notorious criminal. (Ch. 2, pg. 37)
- They jumped into a car and were out of sight down route 56A before the sheriff shouted, “Wait ‘till I send out an alarm, men, then we’ll chase them.” (Ch. 1, pg. 16)
- Aroma opened one eye and didn’t look interested, even when the radio worked perfectly and an announcer voice said, “N.W.Blot of Centerburg won the grand prize of two thousand dollars for writing the best slogan about Preg’s After Shaving Lotion.” (Ch. 1, pg. 12)
Comprehension Questions
- Homer’s mother takes care of the cabins, cooks fried chicken and hamburgers in the lunch room of the tourist camp the family owns. (Ch. 1, pg. 10)
- Homer’s father takes care of the filling station that is attached to the tourist cabin the family owns. (Ch. 1, pg. 10)
- When Homer is not going to school, or doing odd jobs, his hobby is to build radios. (Ch. 1, pg. 10)
- Homer puts some milk into a saucer for Tabby and the skunk helps itself to the milk and he had read that skunks make good pets if treated kindly, so he decides to keep it as a pet. (Ch. 1, pg. 11)
- As Homer walks through the woods he smells bacon cooking and hears voices, when he reaches the smells and sounds he finds the robbers. (Ch. 1, pg. 17)
- Homer doesn’t tell his mother about the robbers because he doesn’t want to frighten her. (Ch. 1, pg. 22)
- The robbers all sleep in the same bed because each is afraid one will leave with all the money and by sleeping in the same bed the robbers will know when someone gets out of bed. (Ch. 1, pg. 24)
- Homer prevents the robbers from getting away by placing Aroma on the case and telling the robbers if she becomes frightened then she will spray. He then throws their clothes and guns out of the window and tells them the sheriff is on his way. (Ch. 1, pg. 26 – 27)
- In every Super-Duper story, Super-Duper always hits things, breaks things, and the villain always tries to kill him with a bomb, a gun, a cannon or electric ray, and then he aways gets the pretty girl and the catches the villain. (Ch. 2, pg. 35)
- The last page of the comic always has Super-Duper saving the pretty girl and catching the villain to show that crime doesn’t pay. (Ch 2. pg. 38)
- Freddy’s mother allows him to take the horse and wagon to go into town to pick up a package for her giving the boys a ride to see the movie. (Ch. 2, pg. 38)
- The Super-Duper is tangled in the barbed wire and the boys are surprised that he says, “ouch,” when trying to untangle himself. (Ch. 2, pg. 45)
- The Super-Duper crashes his car when he drove around the curve there was a skunk in the middle of the road and he didn’t want to hit it and smell up his car. (Ch. 2, pg. 46)
Section 2: Chapter 3
Vocabulary
- calamity: an event causing great and often sudden damage or distress; a disaster
- eager: wanting to o or have something very much
- fritter: waste time, money, or energy on trifling matters
- hustle: force (someone) to move hurriedly or unceremoniously in a specified direction
- ingredient: any of the foods or substances that are combined to make a particular dish
- opinion: a view or judgment formed about something, not necessarily based on fact or knowledge
- tinker: a person who makes minor mechanical repairs, especially on a variety of appliances and apparatuses
Vocabulary Usage in the Book
- By the time Uncle Ulysses and the sheriff arrived and pushed through the crowd, the lunch room was a calamity of doughnuts. (Ch. 3, pg. 62)
- “But wait till you taste them!” said the lady with an eager look and a smile. (Ch. 3, pg. 56)
- She was of the opinion that Uncle Ulysses just frittered away his spare time over at the barbershop with the sheriff and the boys. (Ch. 3, pg. 50)
- The window was full of doughnuts by now so Homer and Mr. Gabby had to hustle around and start stacking them on plates and trays and lining them up on the counter. (Ch. 3, pg. 39)
- “There!” said the lady when all of the ingredients were mixed. (Ch. 3, pg. 56)
- She was of the opinion that Uncle Ulysses just frittered away his spare time over at the barbershop with the sheriff and the boys. (Ch. 3, pg. 50)
- “Yep,” agreed Homer, and he picked up a cloth and started polishing the metal trimmings while Uncle Ulysses tinkered with the inside workings. (Ch. 3, pg. 51)
Comprehension Questions
- The lady’s club is having a meeting to discuss the box social and sewing for the Red Cross. (Ch. 3, pg. 50)
- Uncle Ulysses has a weakness for the newest labor saving devices. (Ch. 3, pg. 50)
- Before leaving to talk to the sheriff, Uncle Ulysses asks Homer to figure out where two piece from the doughnut machine belong and to make up a new batch of dough and put it in the machine. (Ch. 3, pg. 51)
- Uncle Ulysses says he needs to talk to the sheriff about something, nothing specific. (Ch. 3, pg. 51)
- Mr. Gabby tells Homer that he is a traveling man in outdoor advertising, he is a sandwich man. (Ch. 3, pg. 53)
- As Homer is pouring the doughnut batter into the machine he says, “It looks like an awful lot of batter.” (Ch. 3, pg. 56)
- When Homer tries to turn off the machine it doesn’t stop and continues to make doughnuts. (Ch. 3, pgs. 57 – 58)
- Mr. Gabby’s idea to get rid of the doughnuts is to advertise, create a market, to hire an advertising man. (Ch. 3, pg. 62)
- The lady with the chauffeur comes back to the shop because she left her diamond bracelet on the counter. (Ch. 3, pg. 64)
- To get rid of all the doughnuts and find the bracelet Homer suggests selling the doughnuts with a reward for finding the bracelet inside the doughnut. (Ch. 3, pg. 66)
- When they realize the bracelet is probably inside a doughnut, Uncle Ulysses is worried about what Aggie will say about the mess that is made when breaking apart the doughnuts. (Ch. 3, pg. 66)
Section 3: Chapters 4-5
Vocabulary
- amnesia: a partial or total loss of memory
- anxious: experiencing worry, unease, or nervousness, typically about an imminent event
- exhibit: publicly display (a work of art or item of interest) in an art gallery or museum or at a trade fair
- intention: an aim or plan
- saunter: walk in a slow, relaxed manner, without hurry or effort
- speculate: form a theory or conjecture about a subject without firm evidence
- spurn: reject with disdain or contempt
Vocabulary Usage in the Book
- “…For all we know he might be a fugitive, or a lunatic, or maybe one of these amnesia cases.” (Ch. 5, pg, 103)
- “But Judge,” interrupted Uncle Telly anxiously . (Ch. 4, pg. 81)
- “…I’m gonna exhibit my chickens again this year, my white leghorns took a blue ribbon last fall.” (Ch. 4, pg. 72)
- He couldn’t get near enough to the stranger to ask him his intentions , and if he did ask the stranger would be too shy to give him an answer. (Ch. 5, pg. 102)
- Finally, Uncle Ulysses curiosity got the best of him, and he sauntered down to the stranger and asked, “Are you enjoying your lunch?” (Ch. 5, pg. 99)
- There is nothing for people to gossip about, or speculate on, or argue about. (Ch. 5, pg. 94)
- “…Do not spurn the offer…” (Ch. 4, pg. 77)
Comprehension Questions
- Homer asks the sheriff if he has a match. (Ch. 4, pg. 72)
- The smell of burning leaves reminds Homer of football and school. (Ch. 4, pg. 72)
- The main difference between Uncle Telemachus’ ball of string and the sheriff’s is that Uncle Telemachus’ is wound tight, and the sheriff’s is wound loose. (Ch. 4, pg. 76)
- The sheriff challenges Uncle Telly to unravel his ball of string at the racecourse to prove once and for all that his ball has more string. (Ch. 4, pg. 77)
- What is not mentioned in the rules for the contest that were printed in the paper was the agreement between Uncle Telly and the sheriff that whoever won the contest would have thehand of Miss, Terwilliger in marriage. (Ch. 4, pg. 79)
- Miss. Terwilliger wins the contest by using the yarn from her dress to go further around the track the either Uncle Telly or the sheriff. (Ch. 4, pg. 88)
- When a strange car pulls up everyone stops what they are doing and stares at the driver’s long beard. (Ch. 5, pg. 98)
- The sheriff asks Homer to win the confidence of the man with the beard as he seems to like children and then find out all he can about him. (Ch. 5, pg. 102)
- The sheriff can tell what kind of a person someone is by the shape of their ears. (Ch. 5, pg. 103)
- Mr. Murphy has spent all his time perfecting and making mouse traps. (Ch. 5, pg. 107)
- Mr. Murphy’s jelly beans had been disappearing because the mice were eating them. (Ch. 5, pg. 110 & 112)
- After catching all of the mice and earning thirty dollars, he has to give the money back to pay for a new license plate. (Ch. 5, pg. 121)
Section 4: Chapter 6
Vocabulary
- arbitrate:(of an independent person or body) reach an authoritative judgment or settlement
- imperative: of vital importance; crucial
- joist: a length of timber or steel supporting part of the structure of a building, typically arranged in parallel series to support a floor or ceiling
- quell: put an end to (a rebellion or other disorder), typically by the use of force
- rafter: one of several internal beams extending from the eaves to the peak of a roof constituting its framework
- receptive: willing to consider or accept new suggestions and ideas
- suburb: an outlying district of a city, especially a residential one
Vocabulary Usage in the Book
- “Couldn’t you arbitrate or something?” suggested Homer. (Ch. 6, pg. 138)
- “…Because isn’t it imperative that I hafta go fishing…” (Ch. 6, pg. 126)
- Homer agreed, and while he counted out two dozen doughnuts, he thought of the fun there would be, walking rafters and joists in the new houses. (Ch. 6, pg. 128)
- In time the Indian uprising was quelled, and once more peace and prosperity came to Edible Fungus. (Ch. 6, pg. 143)
- Homer agreed, and while he counted out two dozen doughnuts, he thought of the fun there would be, walking rafters and joists in the new houses. (Ch. 6, pg. 128)
- Miss Enders was receptive to Uncle Ulysses up and comingness, and what’s more, she had money to be receptive and up coming with. (Ch. 6,p g. 130)
- Almost before she knew it, Miss Enders had made arrangements for one hundred houses – a whole suburb! – to be built on the estate around the Enders homestead. (Ch. 6, pg. 133)
Comprehension Questions
- Homer can’t go fishing with Freddy as he has to help Uncle Ulysses in the lunch shop. (Ch. 6, pg. 126)
- The two things that Uncle Ulysses appreciates about Naomi Enders are her receptive mind to new ideas and her appreciation of good food. (Ch. 6, pg. 127)
- Miss Enders wants to show her appreciation for the people of Centerberg by building new homes on her family property as there is a housing shortage. (Ch. 6, pg. 128)
- Autos, ships, airplanes, refrigerators and doughnuts have one thing in common and that is that they can all be massed produced. (Ch. 6, pg. 129)
- Miss Enders responds to Uncle Ulysses ideas differently from others in the past as she is receptive to his ideas and has the money to put his ideas into practice. (Ch. 6, pg. 130)
- The only three things on the Enders’ land before the new houses were built were grass, trees and squirrels. (Ch. 6, pg. 134)
- To move into one of the new houses all a person had to do was sign a paper and hang your hat on a hanger in the hall. (Ch. 6, pg. 136)
- The new street signs cannot be attached to the corner street lamps as the Steet Sign Putter Uppers Union rules say the signs must go on a post erected by union member, into a hole dug by a union member. (Ch. 6, pg. 137)
- Without any street signs the people have to count how many houses away from the Ender’s homestead they are. (Ch. 6, pg. 140)
- Once the houses are completed the only thing Miss Enders is unhappy about is that her house stands out because it is different from all the other houses. (Ch. 6, pg. 141)
- Ezekiel Enders and his brave little band were saved from starvation when he found forty-two pounds of edible fungus. (Ch. 6, pg. 143)