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Garden Heights Academy
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Garden Heights Academy · Independent Novel Study
Part 3
for The BFG · Part 3 · Chapters 9–11
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: What food do you find truly revolting — and has anyone ever told you it tastes wonderful? Has laughing ever helped you stop being scared? And which is stronger protection: being strong, or being clever about what your enemy hates?
What Happens in Part 3
When the monstrous Bloodbottler barges into the BFG’s cave and demands to know if he is hiding a human, Sophie must squeeze herself into a disgusting snozzcumber — and the Bloodbottler’s hatred of the vegetable saves her life. Then the mood shifts completely as the BFG introduces Sophie to frobscottle, a magical fizzy drink whose bubbles travel downward, producing the explosive and hilarious whizzpopper. Finally, the BFG wraps Sophie carefully and carries her to the mysterious Dream Country — a silent, twilight world where glowing dreams drift through the air like delicate soap bubbles, waiting to be caught.
What We Will Study
Focus
What It Means
Dramatic Tension
How Dahl builds and then releases suspense during the Bloodbottler scene
Humor & Contrast
How laughter in Ch.10 is made more powerful by the fear of Ch.9
Setting & Wonder
How Dahl creates Dream Country as a magical, believable world
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 9–11, then answer each question.
🧠Knowledge Bank · Where New Words Come From
Language · How Words Are BornSnozzcumber, frobscottle, whizzpopper — Dahl mints new words the way real languages do, only faster. Every language grows, adding fresh words as people need them, and one favorite method is the portmanteau, a word packed from two others, like brunch from breakfast and lunch. Dahl uses the same trick: whizzpopper blends the whizz of speed with the pop of a bang. New words arrive by borrowing from other tongues, by copying sounds, or by a clever coinage that catches on and spreads. This matters because language is not fixed like a statue — it is alive, shaped and reshaped by the people who speak it. A word survives only if enough speakers find it useful or delightful. Dahl’s inventions are so vivid that a few have leapt straight off the page into real dictionaries, proving that even a made-up word can earn a lasting home.
ⓘ 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.
concealedv.Ch.9
Hidden carefully so as not to be seen or found
“Sophie was perfectly concealed inside the snozzcumber, not daring to breathe.”
tremblingv.Ch.9
Shaking or quivering because of fear, cold, or excitement
“Sophie was trembling so hard she was afraid the snozzcumber would rattle.”
suspicionn.Ch.9
A feeling that something wrong or hidden might be happening
“The Bloodbottler stared around the cave, full of suspicion, sure that something was wrong.”
frobscottlen.Ch.10
The BFG’s favorite fizzy drink — its bubbles travel downward (Gobblefunk)
“The BFG poured Sophie a glass of frobscottle, which fizzed and sparkled in the most peculiar way.”
whizzpoppern.Ch.10
The explosion of air that results from drinking frobscottle (Gobblefunk)
“The frobscottle produced a tremendous whizzpopper that echoed around the cave.”
frothyadj.Ch.10
Covered with or made of froth; full of tiny bubbles
“The frobscottle was a beautiful green color and wonderfully frothy, with bubbles going the wrong way.”
horizontaladj.Ch.10
Flat and level; parallel to the ground rather than going up or down
“In normal drinks, bubbles rise up; in frobscottle they travel in the opposite, horizontal direction.”
luminousadj.Ch.11
Giving off a soft, steady glow of light
“Each dream was luminous, glowing with a faint inner light as it drifted through the night air.”
translucentadj.Ch.11
Allowing light to pass through but not completely see-through; like frosted glass
“The dreams were translucent — Sophie could see light moving inside them, but not exactly what they contained.”
waftv.Ch.11
To move gently and smoothly through the air, like a feather or a scent
“The dreams would waft slowly past, glowing softly in the darkness of Dream Country.”
1Sophie hid inside the snozzcumber so the Bloodbottler would not find her. Which word means hidden carefully from view?Ch.9
2True or False: “Trembling” means feeling completely calm and relaxed.Ch.9
3Fill in each blank with the correct word.Ch.10
Word choices:frobscottlewhizzpopperfrothybubbleshorizontaldownward- some words will not be used
The BFG’s special drink is called .
Drinking it causes a tremendous explosion called a .
4True or False: “Luminous” means giving off a soft glow of light.Ch.11
5The Bloodbottler looked around the cave feeling sure that something was hidden from him. Which word describes this feeling?Ch.9
6Fill in the blanks to complete the sentence about Dream Country.Ch.11
Word choices:luminoustranslucentwaftfrothyconcealedtrembling- some words will not be used
The dreams were , glowing softly, and they would gently through the air.
7Sophie could see light moving inside the dreams but could not see exactly what was in them. Which word describes something like this — allowing light through but not fully see-through?Ch.11
8True or False: “Horizontal” means standing completely upright, like a flagpole.Ch.10
9The frobscottle was covered in tiny bubbles going the wrong way. Which word describes something covered with foam or bubbles?Ch.10
10Fill in the blank with the correct word.Ch.9
Word choices:concealedtremblingsuspicionluminousfrothywaft- one word will be used
Sophie was perfectly inside the snozzcumber and the Bloodbottler left without finding her.
Part 2
Comprehension
How well do you understand Chapters 9–11?
🧠Knowledge Bank · One Thing Leads to Another
Reading Skill · Cause & EffectA story moves forward on cause and effect: one event makes another happen, like dominoes tipping in a line. A cause is the reason; an effect is the result. Part 3 is full of these links. Because the Bloodbottler comes searching, Sophie must hide inside a slimy snozzcumber; because the BFG bites the vegetable, he very nearly swallows her by accident. Later, because frobscottle’s bubbles sink downward instead of rising, drinking it makes whizzpoppers rather than burps. Tracking these chains helps you understand not just what happens but why, which is the true heart of comprehension. A useful trick is to pause after each event and ask, what did this cause, and what caused this? When you can answer both, the plot stops feeling like random surprises and starts to feel like a machine of connected gears, each turn setting the next in motion.
1Why does the Bloodbottler come to the BFG’s cave in Chapter 9?Ch.9
2True or False: The Bloodbottler bites the snozzcumber and enjoys the taste so much that he takes it away with him.Ch.9
3Where exactly does Sophie hide when the Bloodbottler arrives?Ch.9
4True or False: In frobscottle, the bubbles travel downward instead of upward like in ordinary drinks.Ch.10
5Write the numbers 1–5 to show the correct order across Part 3. Number 1 = what happens first.Ch.9–11
Sophie squeezes inside a snozzcumber while the Bloodbottler searches the cave.
The Bloodbottler bites the snozzcumber, hates the taste, and leaves without finding Sophie.
The BFG introduces Sophie to frobscottle and she has her first whizzpopper.
The BFG carries Sophie to Dream Country where they watch glowing dreams floating through the air.
The Bloodbottler storms into the BFG’s cave and demands to know if he is hiding a human.
6What makes frobscottle different from any ordinary fizzy drink?Ch.10
7True or False: The BFG goes to Dream Country to catch dreams so he can give them to sleeping children.Ch.11
8Fill in the blanks to complete the sentence.Ch.9–11
Word choices:snozzcumberBloodbottlerDream Countryfrobscottlewhizzpoppercave- some words will not be used
Sophie was hidden inside a when the searched the cave.
9What do the dreams in Dream Country look like?Ch.11
10True or False: Visiting Dream Country in Ch.11 helps explain what the BFG was doing in Chapter 1, when Sophie first saw him outside her orphanage window.Ch.11
Part 3
Literary Elements
Understanding HOW and WHY Dahl creates certain feelings across Chapters 9–11.
🧠Knowledge Bank · Dahl’s Craft in Part 3
Language · Portmanteau SpotlightA portmanteau is a word made by fusing two words into one, keeping a piece of each meaning. The name itself comes from an old kind of suitcase that opens into two halves, a perfect picture for a word with two ideas folded inside. Dahl adores this device. Take frobscottle, or the fizzy joy of a whizzpopper: each mashes sounds together so the reader half-guesses the meaning before it is explained. This is why his invented language feels playful rather than confusing — the parts quietly hint at the . The device works because our minds love to unpack a puzzle, and a good portmanteau rewards that little effort with a laugh. As you read, try splitting Dahl’s words back into their pieces and see how much meaning was hidden in the seam. You will find that each one is a joke and a definition cleverly combined.
📚 Literary Devices in This Part · definitions & examples
Dramatic tension is the anxious feeling created when the reader fears a character is in danger. In Ch.9 the Bloodbottler bursts into the cave hunting for the “human bean,” and Sophie must hide inside a revolting snozzcumber that he then bites into.Humor is writing meant to make the reader laugh. In Ch.10 the BFG shares frobscottle, a fizzy drink whose bubbles sink downwards instead of rising — so it comes out as noisy whizzpoppers. The silliness lands all the harder right after the frightening Bloodbottler scene.Imagery is descriptive language that appeals to the senses and helps you picture a scene. In Ch.11 Dahl describes the dreams of Dream Country as “luminous,” “translucent,” and “wafting,” so we can almost see them glowing in the air.
The questions below are mixed — not grouped by device. Decide which device each one is about.
1What is the main source of dramatic tension in Chapter 9?Ch.9
2True or False: The whizzpopper scene feels even funnier because it comes right after the very frightening Bloodbottler scene.Ch.9–10
3Fill in the blanks with the correct words.Ch.11
Word choices:imageryluminoushumorcontrastrhyme- some words will not be used
Vivid description that appeals to the senses is called . Dahl calls the floating dreams , meaning they glow with their own soft light.
4What makes the frobscottle and whizzpopper scene so funny?Ch.10
5True or False: Imagery is descriptive language that appeals to the senses and helps the reader picture a scene.Ch.11
6Fill in the blanks with the correct words.Ch.9
Word choices:tensionsnozzcumberrhymehumor- some words will not be used
The anxious feeling that the Bloodbottler might find Sophie is called dramatic . To stay hidden, Sophie squeezes inside a disgusting .
7Dahl describes dreams as “luminous,” “translucent,” and “wafting.” What literary term describes this kind of vivid, sense-rich description?Ch.11
8True or False: Dramatic tension is the anxious feeling a writer creates when the reader fears a character may be in danger.Ch.9
9Fill in the blanks with the correct words.Ch.10
Word choices:humorfrobscottletensionimagery- some words will not be used
Writing designed to make us laugh is called . The BFG’s fizzy green drink, whose bubbles go down instead of up, is called .
10Part 3 runs terror (the Bloodbottler), comedy (the whizzpopper) and wonder (Dream Country) back-to-back. What does this emotional rollercoaster accomplish?Ch.9–11
Part 4
Think Deeper
Four deeper challenges — no single-word recall. Read, weigh the evidence, and reason it through.
🧠Knowledge Bank · Quick Wits Against Great Size
Social-Emotional · Courage & WitWhen the monstrous Bloodbottler bursts into the cave, Sophie has no strength to fight — she is smaller than his thumb. What saves her is not muscle but cleverness: she goes , hides herself away, and trusts the BFG’s quick thinking. Dahl returns again and again to this idea, that wit can defeat what force never could. The cruel giants are enormous and stupid; Sophie and the BFG are tiny and smart, and the story is quietly certain about which pair we should admire. This matters because young readers often feel small against a bigger, meaner world. The BFG books whisper a comforting truth: being powerless in size does not mean being powerless in mind. Courage here is not roaring back at a bully but staying calm enough to think a way out. The greatest weapon against brute strength, Dahl suggests, is a cool and clever brain.
1Claim: “Sophie survives the Bloodbottler through quick hiding, not luck alone.” — choose the two details that best prove it.Claim & Evidence
2The danger from the Bloodbottler, or the comedy of frobscottle? Tap each item to send it left or right.Sort into two
◄ Danger from the BloodbottlerComedy of frobscottle ►
3Match each cause to its result. For each cause, pick its result.Cause & Effect
The Bloodbottler suspects a human→
Sophie must vanish fast→
The Bloodbottler bites the snozzcumber→
The BFG shares frobscottle→
4Fill both blanks to complete the reasoning.Build the Argument
Sophie escapes the Bloodbottler because , which shows that .
Part 5
Standardized Test · Factual Detail & the EXCEPT Question
Part 3 adds a trickier exam family — the Negative Factual (EXCEPT / NOT) question — on top of Factual Detail, Inference and Vocabulary in Context, 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 · Beating the EXCEPT Question
Test Skills · Part 3In an EXCEPT / NOT question, three answers are true and stated in the passage — your job is to find the one that is not there. Turn it into a checklist: read each choice, find it in the passage, and tick it off. The choice you cannot find is the answer. Danger: an option can sound sensible and still be the right answer because the passage never says it. Slow down — these questions punish speed-reading.
Why do children pull faces at bitter vegetables? The answer is written on the tongue. Every human mouth carries thousands of taste buds, and they are not there for pleasure — they are guards. Sweetness signals energy-rich food, so we are born loving it. Bitterness is different: in nature many poisons taste bitter, so the tongue treats bitter as a warning and the body’s first instinct is to reject it. Disgust, scientists say, is not rudeness — it is protection.
Children’s tongues are especially sensitive. A child has more active taste buds than an adult, and treats unknown bitter tastes as guilty until proven innocent — a sensible rule from our wild, foraging past. As we grow, taste buds fade in number and we learn which bitter things — coffee, dark chocolate, certain vegetables — are actually harmless. A few people are born supertasters, with far more taste buds than average; for them mildly bitter food is overwhelming, and even ordinary vegetables can taste like punishment. So before laughing at a fussy eater, remember the science: the same dish genuinely does not taste the same in every mouth — and both mouths are telling their owners the truth.
Original passage written for Garden Heights — not a quotation from the novel.
1As used in the passage, the word “reject” most nearly means —SAT · Words in Context
2In the passage, the word “sensitive” is closest in meaning to —TOEFL · Vocabulary
3According to the passage, why are we born loving sweetness?TOEFL · Factual Information
4All of the following are mentioned in the passage EXCEPT —TOEFL · Negative Factual
5As used in the passage, the word “harmless” most nearly means —SAT · Words in Context
6According to the passage, what happens to taste buds as we grow up?TOEFL · Factual Information
7The passage most strongly suggests that a creature spitting out food in disgust is —TOEFL · Inference
8Which of the following is NOT stated in the passage?TOEFL · Negative Factual
9Why does the author end with “both mouths are telling their owners the truth”?SAT · Text Structure & Purpose
10Based on the whole passage, why might a disgusting-tasting vegetable make a surprisingly good hiding place from a hungry giant?SAT · Inference
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 3 “The Bloodbottler / Frobscottle / Dream Country”
Imagine you are Sophie, hiding inside the cold, dark, smelly snozzcumber while the Bloodbottler searches the cave outside. Describe what you can hear, smell, and feel as you try not to make a single sound. What are you thinking? What do you fear? Write at least 40 words.
You can start with: “Inside the snozzcumber it was cold and dark and smelled horribly of…”
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 3 Complete!
You finished “The Bloodbottler · Frobscottle and Whizzpoppers · Journey to Dream Country”
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.
