HOLES ELA

​Answering ELA Questions

By Amira Shahira

​1. Reading Comprehension Questions Based on passages from the novel.


Multiple Choice – Identify plot events, character actions, or meanings of words in context.
Short Answer – Explain motivations, causes/effects, or key details.

Example: Why was Stanley sent to Camp Green Lake? What is ironic about the name “Camp Green Lake”?

​2. Literary Elements

Focus on analyzing themes, symbols, and devices.

-Multiple Choice or Short Answer
-Identifying foreshadowing, flashbacks, or irony.
-Recognizing how different storylines (Stanley’s, Kissin’ Kate Barlow’s, Zero’s) connect.

Example:
How does the use of flashbacks help the reader understand the present-day story?
What is the significance of onions in the novel?

Multiple Choice

What do the yellow-spotted lizards symbolize?

• A) Good luck and fortune
  

• B) The dangers and cruelty of Camp Green Lake
  

• C) Healing and friendship
  

Multiple Choice

Why does Louis Sachar include flashbacks in the novel?

• A) To make the story longer
  

• B) To confuse the reader
  

• C) To connect the history of the Yelnats family and Kate Barlow to the present events
  

• D) To describe what happens after the story ends

​Foreshadowing is a clue or hint in a story that shows something important will happen later. It’s like the author is leaving little “bread crumbs” for the reader to find.

Easy Examples:
If dark storm clouds appear in a story, it might foreshadow (hint) that something bad or scary is coming.
If a character says, “I have a bad feeling about this,” it could foreshadow danger.

In Holes: Early in the story, we learn about Kissin’ Kate Barlow and the stolen treasure. This foreshadows Stanley and Zero finding the suitcase later.

Think of foreshadowing like a movie trailer inside the story—you get a sneak peek of what’s coming, but you don’t know exactly how it will happen yet.

Multiple Choice

Which moment in the book is an example of foreshadowing?

• A) Stanley’s great-grandfather says he was robbed by Kissin’ Kate Barlow
  

• B) Stanley eats onions on the mountain
  

• C) The boys play with the Warden’s nail polish
  

• D) Zero runs away into the desert

3. Character Analysis

Students may have to compare or evaluate characters.

• Short Answer – One or two paragraphs.

• Extended Response/Essay – A longer piece of writing.

Example:

• Compare Stanley and Zero’s friendship to the other boys’ relationships.

• How does Stanley change from the beginning to the end of the novel?

Open Ended

Simply analyze Stanley according to the S.T.E.A.L format

​4. Theme and Author’s Purpose

Exploring messages about justice, friendship, fate, or history. Multiple Choice (theme identification).

Essay Question (supporting with evidence).


Example Essay Prompt: Louis Sachar weaves together themes of destiny and justice in Holes. Explain how these themes are developed, using at least two characters or storylines as evidence.

Open Ended

What is one theme of the book?

​5. Vocabulary & Figurative Language

Match vocabulary to definitions (taken from the book).
Identify figurative language like similes, metaphors, or irony.

Example: What does the word “predatory” mean as used in the description of the yellow-spotted lizards?

Multiple Choice

What does the word predatory mean in this sentence from Holes?
“The yellow-spotted lizard has a strong, predatory instinct.”

• A) Scared
  

• B) Friendly
  

• C) Hunting
  

Multiple Choice

The word defective means “not working properly.”
Which sentence uses it correctly?

• A) The defective shovel was broken and couldn’t dig.
  

• B) The defective sun was shining brightly.
  

• C) The defective boy ran faster than everyone.

Open Ended

In the book, the boys have to dig a desolate lakebed.
What does desolate mean, and how does it describe Camp Green Lake?

​6. Writing Task (Extended Response)
Often the final part.

Students write a structured essay using textual evidence.

Examples:
Write about how the three different timelines (Stanley, Kate Barlow, Elya Yelnats) connect to form the main story.
Discuss how Sachar uses irony to shape the novel’s meaning.

Multiple Choice

Choose an example of an irony

• A) Camp Green Lake is a dry, desert-like place.

• B) Stanley carries Zero up the mountain.
  

• C) Mr. Sir eats sunflower seeds.
  

• D) Zero is good at math.

Irony

Irony is when the opposite of what you expect happens, or when words mean something different from what they seem. Writers use irony to create humor, surprise, or to make readers think more deeply.

There are three main types:

1. Situational irony – When what happens is the opposite of what you expect.
   Example from Holes: “Camp Green Lake” has no lake and is not green at all.

2. Verbal irony – When someone says the opposite of what they really mean.
   Example (not from Holes): If it’s raining hard and someone says, “What a beautiful day!”

3. Dramatic irony – When the reader knows something the characters don’t.
   Example from Holes: The reader knows the Warden is searching for treasure, but the boys think they’re digging just to “build character.”

Open Ended

Explain why it is ironic that Stanley is sent to Camp Green Lake.