Holes · Garden Heights Academy
Part 7
for Holes · Part 7 · Chapters 43–49 · Book Part Two: “The Last Hole”
a novel by Louis Sachar
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: Have you ever had something you did earlier quietly protect or help you later, in a way you never planned? And how does it feel when the truth finally comes out and clears your name?
What Happens in Part 7
The boys sneak back to camp and dig where the gold tube was found, striking a heavy metal suitcase. But before they can escape, the hole fills with deadly yellow-spotted lizards — which, amazingly, do not bite, because the boys’ blood is full of the onions the lizards hate. At dawn the Warden arrives, waiting for the lizards to kill them — but Stanley’s lawyer appears with proof of his innocence. The suitcase is marked ‘Stanley Yelnats,’ so the treasure lawfully belongs to Stanley’s family, not the Warden.
What We Will Learn
| Literary Element | What It Means |
|---|---|
| Climax | The most exciting, highest-tension turning point of the story |
| Irony | A surprising reversal — the deadly lizards become the boys’ protectors |
| Resolution | The part where the story’s main problems are sorted out |
Chapter Summary
| Chapter | Key Events |
|---|---|
| Ch.43 | Back to the Hole — at night the boys sneak back and dig in the hole where Stanley found the gold tube |
| Ch.44 | The Treasure Chest — they strike a heavy metal suitcase buried deep in the ground |
| Ch.45 | Surrounded by Lizards — before they can climb out, deadly yellow-spotted lizards swarm into the hole |
| Ch.46 | The Onions Save Them — the lizards do not bite, because the boys’ blood is full of onions, which they hate |
| Ch.47 | The Warden’s Trap — at dawn the Warden, Mr. Sir, and Mr. Pendanski arrive and wait for the lizards to kill the boys |
| Ch.48 | The Lawyer Arrives — Stanley’s lawyer comes with proof that Stanley is innocent and must be released |
| Ch.49 | A Name on the Case — the suitcase says ‘Stanley Yelnats,’ so by law the treasure belongs to Stanley, not the Warden |
Copyright Notice
Independent study guide by Garden Heights Academy. Not affiliated with or endorsed by Louis Sachar or the publisher. No text from the novel is reproduced. Students should read the original book.
Part 1
Vocabulary
Study 10 key words from Chapters 43–49, then answer each question.
Knowledge Bank · Environmental Science in Racial Injustice
Environmental Science · Racial InjusticeBackground · Author Craft The hero’s name, Stanley Yelnats , is a palindrome — it reads the same backwards. His troubles supposedly began generations ago with a great-great-grandfather, Elya , who came as an immigrant from Latvia and broke a promise to old Madame Zeroni. Sachar carefully links three time periods so that, at the climax, a promise finally kept breaks the curse. Background · The Desert & Its Science The lizards leave the onion-soaked boys alone — and animal behavior really can hinge on smell and diet. Many predators refuse prey that smells or tastes wrong, and a heavy onion diet changes a body’s scent: a real-world logic beneath the story’s most surprising rescue. Researchers connect racial injustice to segregation by naming measurable changes. Comparing testimony across racial injustice sites makes the explanation testable. Researchers connect racial injustice to segregation by naming measurable changes. Comparing testimony across racial injustice sites makes the explanation testable. The key principle is testimony.
ⓘ Vocabulary words are selected to help you understand and complete this workbook. Some may not appear verbatim in the novel.
unearthv.Ch.44
To dig up something that was buried
“Their shovels finally unearthed a metal case.”
dreadn.Ch.45
Great fear of something about to happen
“A cold dread filled Stanley as the lizards appeared.”
swarmv.Ch.45
To gather and move in a huge crowd
“The lizards swarmed into the dark hole.”
motionlessadj.Ch.46
Completely still
“The boys stayed motionless so the lizards would leave them alone.”
immuneadj.Ch.46
Protected; not affected by something harmful
“Full of onions, the boys were almost immune to the lizards.”
verdictn.Ch.48
An official decision about guilt or innocence
“The verdict was clear: Stanley was innocent.”
evidencen.Ch.48
Facts that prove what is true
“The lawyer brought evidence of Stanley’s innocence.”
releasev.Ch.48
To set someone free
“The camp had no choice but to release Stanley.”
rightfuladj.Ch.49
Owned by law; proper and fair
“Stanley was the rightful owner of the suitcase.”
triumphn.Ch.49
A great victory
“It was a complete triumph over the cruel Warden.”
1To dig up something that was buried is to —Ch.44
2“Dread” is a feeling of great fear about something about to happen.Ch.45
3Because of the onions, the boys are protected from the lizards’ bite. They are almost —Ch.46
4Fill in each blank with the correct word.Ch.45–46
Word choices:swarmmotionlessimmunedread- some words will not be used
The lizards into the hole.
The boys stay perfectly .
5A “verdict” is an official decision about guilt or innocence.Ch.48
6Stanley’s lawyer brings facts that prove he is innocent. Such proof is called —Ch.48
7The suitcase lawfully belongs to Stanley. He is its —Ch.49
8To “release” a prisoner means to lock them up.Ch.48
9Fill in each blank with the correct word.Ch.48–49
Word choices:triumphreleaserightfuldread- some words will not be used
Stanley wins his .
It feels like a complete .
10To stay completely still, without moving at all, is to be —Ch.46
Part 2
Comprehension
How well do you understand Chapters 43–49?
Knowledge Bank · Field Ecology in Racial Injustice
Field Ecology · Racial InjusticeLanguage · Situational-Irony Spotlight In the tensest moment, Stanley and Zero stand in a hole swarming with the deadly yellow-spotted lizards — and the lizards do not bite. When an outcome is the opposite of everything the story has led us to fear, that is situational irony . For seven parts we have been warned that a single lizard bite means certain death; now the boys are covered in them and survive, because they have been eating the same bitter onions the lizards cannot stand. Sachar turns the greatest danger into the boys’ strange shield, and the deadly creatures become their protection while the villains keep their distance. Feel how the twist rewards a tiny detail seeded chapters earlier — the onions. Watch for situational irony at a climax: when the very thing that should destroy the hero saves them instead, an author is usually cashing in a clue they planted quietly, long before you knew it mattered. The key principle is verification.
1Where do the boys dig when they return to camp?Ch.43
2The boys dig up a heavy metal suitcase.Ch.44
3What happens just as the boys find the treasure?Ch.45
4Why do the yellow-spotted lizards NOT bite the boys?Ch.46
5Put these Part 7 events in the correct order. Write 1–4 (1 = first).Ch.43–49
- At dawn the Warden arrives, hoping the lizards will kill the boys.
- Yellow-spotted lizards swarm the hole but do not bite.
- Stanley’s lawyer arrives with proof that he is innocent.
- The boys dig up a metal suitcase in the old hole.
6The Warden waits by the hole, hoping the lizards will kill Stanley and Zero.Ch.47
7Who arrives to save Stanley?Ch.48
8Whose name is on the suitcase?Ch.49
9Because his name is on the suitcase, the treasure lawfully belongs to Stanley.Ch.49
10The onions the boys ate on the mountain end up saving their lives.Ch.46
Part 3
Literary Elements
Understanding HOW and WHY Sachar writes Chapters 43–49 the way he does.
Knowledge Bank · Literary Craft in Racial Injustice
Literary Craft · Racial InjusticeAuthor’s Craft Sacharuses the climax (the lizard-filled hole), irony (the deadly lizards become protectors), and resolution (the truth comes out and Stanley is freed). Craft Spotlight · Dramatic Irony Through Structure Because Sachar has fed us the past in fragments, we know things the characters do not — and that gap is dramatic irony . We understand why the name on the suitcase matters, why the yellow-spotted lizards spare an onion-fed body, and who Zero really is before Stanley works it out. The pleasure of characters finally catch up to what the structure has already told the reader. Background · Structure This is the climax of the book. The onions that saved the boys on the mountain now save them from the lizards; the hole the Warden forced them to dig now holds the treasure she can never have. Sachar rewards careful readers by making every earlier detail matter. Dramatic irony occurs when readers can connect facts that a character cannot yet connect. The key principle isirony.
📚 Literary Devices in This Part · definitions & examples
Climax is the most exciting, highest-tension turning point of a story. The boys trapped in a hole full of deadly lizards is that moment.Irony is a surprising reversal of what we expect. The most feared creatures in the book end up protecting the boys.Resolution is the part where the story’s main problems are sorted out. Stanley is proved innocent and freed.
The questions below are mixed — not grouped by device. Decide which device each one is about.
1The boys trapped in a hole full of deadly lizards is the story’s most intense moment. This turning point is called the —Ch.45
2It is ironic that the most feared creatures in the book end up keeping the boys safe.Ch.46
3Fill in the blanks with the correct words.Ch.48–49
Word choices:resolutionsettledrhymecase- some words will not be used
When the problems are . the story reaches its .
4The deadly lizards become the boys’ protectors instead of their killers. This surprising reversal is called —Ch.46
5The resolution is where the story’s big problems are finally settled.Ch.48–49
6Fill in the blanks with the correct words.Ch.45
Word choices:climaxtensionrhymehole- some words will not be used
The most exciting turning point is the . It is the moment of greatest .
7Stanley is proved innocent and freed, and the treasure is his. The sorting-out of the story’s problems is the —Ch.48–49
8The climax is the most exciting, highest-tension moment of a story.Ch.45
9Fill in the blanks with the correct words.Ch.46
Word choices:ironyreversalrhymeonion- some words will not be used
A surprising of what we expect. This twist is called .
10The cruel Warden losing the treasure while innocent Stanley gains it is an example of —Ch.49
Part 4
Think Deeper
Four deeper challenges — no single-word recall. Read, weigh the evidence, and reason it through.
Knowledge Bank · History & Ethics in Racial Injustice
History & Ethics · Racial InjusticeAuthor’s Craft The Warden spends years forcing children to dig — and loses the treasure to the boy she tormented. As you answer, think about how Sachar makes justice feel earned: Stanley and Zero survive through loyalty, while the adults are undone by their own greed. Justice — clearing a name: Stanley’s innocence being proven touches real questions about wrongful punishment and the evidence it takes to undo it. Folklore — poetic justice: The cruel lose the treasure and the kind are rewarded — the just ending that folk and fairy tales almost always deliver. Segregated law shaped whose testimony courts believed and whose property communities protected. Recovering an unjust past requires sources created by people official archives often ignored. This context connects segregation with testimony as ethical evidence. Segregated law shaped whose testimony courts believed and whose property communities protected. Recovering an unjust past requires sources created by people official archives often ignored. This context connects segregation with testimony as ethical evidence. The key principle is equity.
1Claim: “Stanley and Zero survive the lizards and hold onto the treasure.” — choose the two details that best prove it.Claim & Evidence
2The deadly danger, or why the boys are spared? Tap each item to send it left or right.Sort into two
◄ The deadly dangerWhy they are spared ►
3Match each cause to its result. For each cause, pick its result.Cause & Effect
The boys dig at the right spot→
The hole fills with lizards→
Stanley and Zero smell of onions→
They hold on until dawn→
4Fill both blanks to complete the reasoning.Build the Argument
The lizards do not bite Stanley and Zero because , which shows that .
Part 5
Standardized Test · Cohesion, Insert Text & Evidence
Part 7 is the toughest round: it adds Insert Text (placing a sentence where it fits best), Cohesion & Transitions (how ideas connect), and Command of Evidence (which detail supports a claim). Read the passage (the highlighted words are tested below), then choose the answer best supported by the text.
Knowledge Bank · How the SAT & TOEFL Ask
Test Skills · Part 7The heaviest exam skills appear here. Insert Text shows four points [A][B][C][D] and asks where a new sentence best fits — look for the point where it connects to the sentence before AND after. Cohesion / Transitions asks how ideas link (cause/effect, contrast, addition). Command of Evidence asks which stated detail best backs up a given claim. You will also meet Central Ideas, Inference, Vocabulary, and Factual Information.
A bite that kills most creatures barely troubles a few remarkable animals. The opossum, for example, can survive snake venom that would fell a much larger animal. Its body makes a protein that helps it resist the poison, leaving it almost immune. That protein locks onto the venom’s harmful toxins in the blood and neutralizes them before they can spread and shut the body down. Resistance of this kind is far more widespread across the animal kingdom than most people would ever guess. So how does such a valuable defense first arise?
[A] Over many generations, animals that could tolerate a little venom survived and had young. [B] Slowly, through this gradual process, whole species evolved stronger defenses. [C] The mongoose and the honey badger developed a distinct ability to shrug off bites that would kill other animals. [D] This resistance has real limits, however; no defense is ever perfect. Even a venom-resistant animal can be overwhelmed by a large or potent enough dose. Still, scientists study these tough survivors closely, because understanding how they endure venom may consequently lead to better antivenom for people.
Original passage written for Garden Heights — not a quotation from the novel.
1In the passage, the word “immune” is closest in meaning to —TOEFL · Vocabulary
2According to the passage, the opossum can survive —TOEFL · Factual Information
3In the passage, the word “tolerate” is closest in meaning to —TOEFL · Vocabulary
4According to the passage, which animals developed a strong ability to resist venom?TOEFL · Factual Information
5Look at the four points [A], [B], [C], [D] in the passage. Where would this sentence best fit? — “Those with the weakest defenses did not.”TOEFL · Insert Text
6Near the end of the passage, the word “however” signals a relationship of —SAT · Text Structure & Purpose
7The passage most strongly suggests that venom resistance developed because it —SAT · Inference
8Which detail best supports the idea that venom resistance has limits?SAT · Command of Evidence
9Which statement best expresses the central idea of the passage?SAT · Central Ideas
10According to the passage, scientists study venom-resistant animals in order to —TOEFL · Factual Information
Part 6 · Optional
Creative Writing
A bonus challenge to practice your English.
About This Section
This writing task is optional and not part of your auto-graded score. Feedback checks length, spelling, and grammar only.
Writing Task — Part 7 “The Hole Full of Lizards”
Imagine you are Stanley standing in the hole as the yellow-spotted lizards swarm in. Describe the terror of the moment and how it feels to slowly realize the lizards are not biting. Write at least 40 words.
You can start with: “I froze as the first lizard crawled onto my shoe, certain I was about to die, but then…”
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 7 Complete!
You finished Chapters 43–49 of Holes.
Here are your auto-graded results:
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points out of 100