Garden Heights Academy · Independent Novel Study

Part 2

for The BFG · Part 2 · Chapters 6–8

a novel by Roald Dahl

60 min6 Parts

This workbook is built on a solid pedagogical foundation, effectively integrating content and language learning based on the CLIL framework (Content and Language Integrated Learning), elevated by our unique 5th C — Connection — and an integrated Standardized Test section that weaves every SAT & TOEFL question type right into the novel, so learners build real test skills easily, naturally, and with fun.

💭 Before You Read · Just for Fun

No right or wrong answers — just think or chat about it: If you could hear ANY sound in the world — however far or faint — what would you listen for? Would you eat something disgusting every day rather than do something wrong? And can someone be a hero while being the smallest and weakest in the room?

What Happens in Part 2

Sophie learns the full horror of Giant Country: nine enormous, child-eating giants go out every night, and the BFG — their tiny, gentle runt — is powerless to stop them alone. The BFG then astonishes Sophie with his marvelous ears, which can hear everything from marching ants to the music of the distant stars, hinting at gifts that will matter later. Finally, Sophie witnesses the proof of the BFG’s goodness: he survives on disgusting snozzcumbers rather than eat a single human being, showing that real kindness is a daily choice with a real cost.

What We Will Study

Focus	What It Means
Naming & Contrast	How Dahl uses descriptive names and opposites to build character instantly
Imagery & Hyperbole	How vivid language and deliberate exaggeration create wonder and horror
Character Values	What a character’s choices — especially hard ones — reveal about who they truly are

Copyright Notice

This is an independent study guide created by Garden Heights Academy to support reading comprehension and literary analysis. It contains original analysis questions and does not reproduce any text from the novel. The BFG is a work by Roald Dahl. This guide is not affiliated with, authorized by, or endorsed by Roald Dahl, the Roald Dahl Story Company, or any associated rights holders. Students should read the original book, available from libraries and booksellers.

Part 1

Vocabulary

Study the key words from Chapters 6–8, then answer each question.

🧠Knowledge Bank · The Marvelous Science of Ears

Science · Sound & HearingThe BFG’s enormous ears are a joke and a wonder, but real hearing works in ways nearly as amazing. Sound travels as invisible waves, tiny ripples pressing outward through the air. The curved outer ear acts like a funnel, catching those ripples and steering them down toward the eardrum, which trembles like a drum skin. Because a bigger funnel gathers more sound, the BFG’s dish-sized ears could, in theory, catch whispers far too faint for us — he claims to hear the tread of a ladybird and the secret talk of growing plants. Many animals already use this trick: a fox swivels its ears to pinpoint a mouse hidden beneath the snow. So Dahl’s fantasy grows from a real principle, that the size and shape of an ear decide how much of the world’s quiet chatter a creature can gather and finally hear.

ⓘ The vocabulary words in this list are selected to help you understand and complete this workbook. Some may not appear verbatim in the original novel.

runtn.Ch.6

The smallest or weakest member of a group

“The BFG was the runt of the giants — far smaller than all the others.”

furyn.Ch.6

Very strong, intense anger

“Sophie felt a surge of fury when she heard that children were being eaten every night.”

interferev.Ch.6

To get involved in a situation in order to change or stop it

“The BFG dared not interfere when the other giants went hunting.”

marvelousadj.Ch.7

Causing great wonder and astonishment; extraordinary

“The BFG’s marvelous ears could pick up sounds from the other side of the world.”

swivelv.Ch.7

To turn or rotate smoothly around a central point

“His great ears swivelled constantly, turning this way and that to catch every sound.”

distinguishv.Ch.7

To notice or recognize a difference between two or more things

“The BFG could distinguish between the sound of an ant and the sound of a beetle.”

principlen.Ch.8

A rule or belief that guides a person’s behavior; a moral standard

“The BFG refused to eat children on principle — it was something he would never do.”

survivev.Ch.8

To stay alive, especially under difficult conditions

“The BFG had to survive on snozzcumbers because he refused to eat people.”

miseryn.Ch.8

A state of great unhappiness or discomfort

“The BFG preferred to live in misery, eating horrible food, rather than harm a human being.”

revoltingadj.Ch.8

Causing a strong feeling of disgust; deeply unpleasant

“The snozzcumber was the most revolting thing Sophie had ever tasted.”

1Sophie felt very strong, intense anger when she heard about the child-eating giants. Which word describes this feeling?Ch.6

2True or False: The BFG is the largest and most powerful of all the giants in Giant Country.Ch.6

3Fill in each blank with the correct word.Ch.7

Word choices:swivelmarvelousdistinguishastonishedvibrationsensitive- some words will not be used

The BFG’s ears would constantly, turning this way and that to catch every sound.

His hearing was so powerful that he could between the sound of an ant walking and a beetle running.

4True or False: “Revolting” and “marvelous” have very similar meanings.Ch.8

5The BFG refused to eat people because of a strong moral belief. Which word describes a rule or belief that guides a person’s behavior?Ch.8

6Fill in the blanks to complete the sentence.Ch.8

Word choices:survivemiseryrevoltingwartyprinciplefury- some words will not be used

The BFG chose to on disgusting food, living in , rather than ever harm a human being.

7The BFG said he could not get involved to stop the other giants. Which word means to get involved in a situation in order to change or stop it?Ch.6

8True or False: “Marvelous” means something that causes great wonder and astonishment.Ch.7

9Sophie felt amazed and filled with wonder by what the BFG told her about his ears. Which word from Ch.7 describes this feeling?Ch.7

10Fill in the blank with the correct word.Ch.6

Word choices:runtfurymarvelousprinciplemiseryswivel- one word will be used

The BFG was the of the giants — far smaller and weaker than all the rest.

Part 2

Comprehension

How well do you understand Chapters 6–8?

🧠Knowledge Bank · Learning Who a Character Is

Reading Skill · CharacterizationCharacterization is the way an author reveals what a person is truly like. Writers have two main tools: they can tell us directly, saying the giant is kind, or, far more often, show us through what a character does, says, and chooses. In Part 2 Dahl shows us plenty. The BFG refuses to eat people and lives instead on a foul vegetable called the snozzcumber, choking it down rather than harm a single child. That one choice tells us more about his goodness than any label could, because actions cost something and words do not. Meanwhile the other giants boast about gobbling humans, and their cruelty spills out in their glee. As you read, collect a character’s decisions like clues, then ask what each one reveals. The picture you build from many small actions will always be truer and richer than a single one-word description.

1How many giants are there altogether in Giant Country, including the BFG?Ch.6

2True or False: The BFG explains that the other giants go out every night to eat human beings.Ch.6

3What is special about the BFG’s ears that makes them different from human ears?Ch.7

4True or False: The BFG says he can hear the music that the stars make as they move across the sky.Ch.7

5Write the numbers 1–5 in the boxes to show the correct order across Part 2. Number 1 = what happens first.Ch.6–8

Sophie notices the BFG’s enormous ears never stop moving and learns he can hear plants and stars.
Sophie feels fury and helplessness, demanding to know why the BFG does nothing to stop the other giants.
The BFG tells Sophie she is safe in his cave but that he cannot let her go home.
Sophie tries a snozzcumber and discovers it tastes revolting — yet the BFG eats it every day rather than harm a human.
The BFG names all nine giants and explains they eat human beings every night.

6Why does the BFG eat snozzcumbers instead of the same food as the other giants?Ch.8

7True or False: Sophie enjoys the taste of the snozzcumber when she tries it.Ch.8

8Fill in the blanks to complete the sentence.Ch.6–8

Word choices:runtninesnozzcumbersstarsinterfereants- some words will not be used

The BFG is the of the giants, and he eats because he will never harm a human being.

9Why hasn’t the BFG tried to stop the other giants from eating people?Ch.6

10True or False: The BFG’s extraordinary hearing is just a funny detail and has no importance to the rest of the story.Ch.7

Part 3

Literary Elements

Understanding HOW and WHY Dahl creates certain feelings across Chapters 6–8.

🧠Knowledge Bank · Dahl’s Craft in Part 2

Language · Metaphor SpotlightA metaphor says one thing is another to make a picture flash in the mind. Unlike a simile, it drops the words like or as and states the comparison boldly, so it lands with extra force. When the BFG describes gathering the sounds of the world, or when the brutish giants are painted as a stampede, Dahl leans on this device to make the unseen suddenly visible. A metaphor works because it borrows what you already know — the thundering rush of a stampede — and lends that feeling to something new. The reason writers reach for metaphor is speed: a single strong image can carry an idea faster than a paragraph of explanation. As you read, underline any place where one thing is called something it literally is not. Each metaphor is a tiny window Dahl cuts so you can see an idea , in one glance.

📚 Literary Devices in This Part · definitions & examples

Characterization is how a writer reveals what a character is like. Dahl characterizes the nine man-eating giants through their names alone — Fleshlumpeater, Bonecruncher, Childchewer — so we fear them before they do anything.

Contrast means placing two very different things side by side to highlight their differences. Dahl shows the kind, vegetarian BFG right next to the nine cruel, human-eating giants so the BFG’s goodness stands out even more.

Personification gives human qualities to things that are not human. When the BFG says he can hear plants “whispering” or a flower “screaming” when it is picked, Dahl makes the plants seem alive and human-like.

The questions below are mixed — not grouped by device. Decide which device each one is about.

1What can you tell about the giant called the “Bonecruncher” just from its name?Ch.6

2True or False: Contrast means placing two very different things side by side so their differences stand out.Ch.6

3Fill in the blanks with the correct literary terms.Ch.7

Word choices:personificationwhisperingatmospherecontrastrhyme- some words will not be used

Giving human actions to non-human things is called . The BFG’s marvelous ears let him hear the plants to one another.

4Why does Dahl describe the nine cruel giants right after we have spent time with the kind BFG?Ch.6

5True or False: Personification means giving human qualities — like whispering or screaming — to things that are not human.Ch.7

6Fill in the blanks with the correct words.Ch.6

Word choices:characterizationFleshlumpeateratmosphererhyme- some words will not be used

Revealing what a character is like — here, through their names — is called . The biggest and most fearsome giant, who leads the others, is named the .

7The BFG says he can hear plants “whispering” to each other. Saying that plants whisper is an example of —Ch.7

8True or False: Dahl chose names like “Fleshlumpeater” and “Childchewer” to make the giants sound gentle and harmless.Ch.6

9Fill in the blanks with the correct words.Ch.6–8

Word choices:contrastsnozzcumberrhymesimile- some words will not be used

Showing the gentle BFG beside the cruel giants is an example of . Unlike them, the BFG refuses to eat people and survives on the foul instead.

10Dahl names the giants Fleshlumpeater, Bonecruncher, Childchewer — and the hero simply “Big Friendly Giant.” What are the NAMES doing?Ch.6–7

Part 4

Think Deeper

Four deeper challenges — no single-word recall. Read, weigh the evidence, and reason it through.

🧠Knowledge Bank · The Only Gentle Giant

Social-Emotional · Being DifferentAmong a tribe of man-eating brutes, the BFG stands utterly alone in his goodness. The other giants mock him, shove him, and call him a runt for refusing to hunt humans. His kindness, which ought to be a virtue, makes him an outcast in his land. Dahl uses this to explore a hard truth: doing the right thing can be lonely, when everyone around you is busy doing wrong. Yet the BFG does not change himself to fit in, and that steady refusal is its quiet courage. Being different is painful, but it can be the thing that saves others — because he alone will not harm children, he alone can become Sophie’s friend and, later, their rescuer. As you read, notice how the story honors the character who stands apart. Sometimes the one who does not belong is the one others most come to need.

1Claim: “The BFG is different from the other giants because he refuses to eat people.” — choose the two details that best prove it.Claim & Evidence

2The BFG, or the other giants? Tap each item to send it left or right.Sort into two

◄ The BFGThe other giants ►

3Match each cause to its result. For each cause, pick its result.Cause & Effect

The BFG will not eat people→

The other giants have no such rule→

Sophie tries the snozzcumber→

The BFG is small and kind→

4Fill both blanks to complete the reasoning.Build the Argument

The BFG eats the horrible snozzcumber because , which shows that .

Part 5

Standardized Test · Main Idea & Detail

Part 2 sharpens two core exam skills — Main Idea and Factual Detail — with Vocabulary in Context practice, in the styles the SAT and TOEFL use. Read the passage (the highlighted words are tested below), then choose the answer best supported by the text.

🎓Knowledge Bank · Main Idea vs. Detail

Test Skills · Part 2A main idea is the umbrella; details are everything standing under it. After every few sentences, pause and say its point in about five words (“farm work was slow”… “tractors changed everything”…). Detail questions then become easy: you already know which paragraph holds the answer. Watch out for choices that are true in real life but not stated in the passage — exams love that trap.

The animal kingdom is full of ears that put ours to shame. A bat flying in total darkness will emit rapid clicks and listen for the echoes bouncing back — a skill called echolocation — building a sound-map so exact it can catch a moth in mid-air. Some moths fight back with ears of their own, tuned to hear the bat’s clicks coming and dive away just in time. In the dark, hearing is seeing. Size helps, but design matters more.

An elephant’s great ears catch deep rumbles too low for humans to hear; herds communicate across many kilometers through these ground-shaking vibrations. A fox can hear a mouse moving under half a meter of snow, and a cat rotates each ear separately, sweeping the room for the faint scratch of something small. Each design solves one problem: how to locate what matters — food, family, danger — before it is ever seen. Scientists measure hearing by range: the highest and lowest sounds an animal can catch. A dog hears higher than us, an elephant lower, and a bat lives in a whole kingdom of sound we will never enter. The world is far noisier and more talkative than human ears will ever know.

Original passage written for Garden Heights — not a quotation from the novel.

1As used in the passage, the word “emit” most nearly means —SAT · Words in Context

2In the passage, the word “faint” is closest in meaning to —TOEFL · Vocabulary

3According to the passage, what is echolocation?TOEFL · Factual Information

4According to the passage, how do elephant herds communicate across many kilometers?TOEFL · Factual Information

5As used in the passage, the word “locate” most nearly means —SAT · Words in Context

6According to the passage, what can a fox hear?TOEFL · Factual Information

7Which statement best expresses the central idea of the passage?SAT · Central Ideas

8According to the passage, which animal hears the lowest sounds?TOEFL · Factual Information

9The passage most strongly suggests that a creature claiming to hear ants marching and stars singing would be —TOEFL · Inference

10Prose Summary (TOEFL). Many animals hear a world of sound that human ears can never reach. This TOEFL task lists six sentences; choose the THREE that best capture the passage’s main ideas. The other three do not belong — they state minor details or ideas the passage does not present.TOEFL · Prose Summary

Part 6 · Optional

Creative Writing

A bonus challenge to practice your English. Take your time and have fun with it.

About This Section

This writing task is optional and is not part of your auto-graded score. The feedback below checks only the basics — length, spelling, and grammar — not whether your ideas are right or wrong. It is meant for classroom discussion and creative practice, so feel free to use your imagination!

Writing Task — Part 2 “The Giants / The Marvelous Ears / Snozzcumbers”

Imagine you are Sophie, hidden in the BFG’s pocket as the nine giants finish their meal and prepare to leave for another night of hunting. Describe what you see, hear, and feel as each terrible giant stands and lumbers away into the darkness. Use vivid sensory language and show Sophie’s emotions. Write at least 40 words.

You can start with: “From inside the BFG’s pocket, I could feel the ground shudder as the first giant rose to its feet...”

0 / 40 words minimum

🗣 Teach It · Just for Fun (optional)

No right or wrong — close the screen and tell someone nearby what happened in this part. Can’t find anyone? Tell yourself out loud. The moment you teach it, you truly understand it.

Part 2 Complete!

You finished “The Giants · The Marvelous Ears · Snozzcumbers”

Here are your auto-graded results:

-

points out of 100

Your Writing

Your optional writing was checked automatically for length, spelling, grammar, and key parts of the scene. Scroll back to Part 5 anytime to read your feedback and improve your work.

Independent study guide by Garden Heights Academy. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Roald Dahl or the Roald Dahl Story Company. Contains original analysis only; no text from the novel is reproduced. Reference text: This workbook follows Roald Dahl’s classic text (the standard Puffin edition sold worldwide). Revised 2023 UK editions change some wording and may not match the vocabulary studied here.

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