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20 questions
The author builds suspense by--
not revealing what the crime will be
having the narrator watch the sleeping victim for seven nights in a row.
having the narrator explain how clever he is
describing what is done with the victim's body
It is difficult to believe the narrator when he says that he
opened the creaky lantern carefully
heard the old man groan in the dark
treated the old man well before killing him
moved slowly to keep from waking the old man
How is the narrator's sense of hearing important to the story?
He hears the police coming
The sound of the heartbeat pushes the narrator to kill and confess
The sound of the heartbeat allows him to plan carefully, very carefully.
He believes the heartbeat calms him.
Which detail should be included in a summary of the story?
The narrator murders the old man.
The old man was sleeping when the narrator crept in to his room.
The officers chatted about familiar things.
The narrator is kind to the man
Why is it important that the officers stay so long in the house?
to show the reader how friendly they are.
to allow the reader to characterize them as lazy.
to provide enough time for the old man's body to decompose.
to provide enough time for the narrator to become upset and confess.
What event causes the narrator to confess at the end of the story?
The constant sound of watch ticking waiting for the police to leave
The sound of his heartbeat that he believes is the dead man's
The policemen laugh and mock the narrator in his home
The neighbors heard a shriek late at night
What is the central message of "The Tell-Tale Heart"?
From love comes sacrifice
Guilt can drive you mad.
With murder comes joy.
Do not trust your elders.
By telling this story from the murderer's point of view, the author helps the reader
recognize the narrator's insanity
understand the old man's thoughts
compare both of the character's thoughts
understand why the police have come
The author describes the sound that narrator hears beneath the floorboards as a heartbeat. This is a symbol of what human emotion?
Happiness
Anger
Despair
Guilt
Which definition of acute is best used in the sentence?
His nervousness increased his acute sense of hearing.
1: demanding urgent attention
2: characterized by sharpness
3: experienced intensely
4: lasting a short time
1
2
3
4
What is the best meaning of vehemently?
“I talked more quickly – more vehemently; but the noise steadily increased.
Passionately
Blankly
Carefully
Softly
The author most likely used the following expression to--- ?
“One of his eyes resembled that of a vulture –.”
Convey the importance of the heartbeat sound.
To compare the eye to something associated with death – the vulture.
Personifies the eye so that it becomes a human character.
Exaggerates the ugliness of the eye to influence the reader.
What appears to be the narrator's claim throughout the selection?
That he did not kill the old man
That he should not be sent to jail
That he is not mad
That the old man had o die
Which sentence best reveals the narrator's confidence?
"I smiled - for what had I to fear?"
"...I now grew very pale."
"...but the noise steadily increased."
"Why would they not be gone?"
This sentence is most likely used to reveal that the narrator---?
"And this I did for seven long nights--every night just at midnight--but I found the eye always closed; and so it was impossible to do the work..."
is unable to sleep at night.
is obsessed with the eye.
is eager to kill the old man.
is a rational man.
What character trait does the narrator convey through this sentence?
"I kept quite still and said nothing. For a whole hour I did not move a muscle..."
intelligence
insanity
patience
cruelty
In the climax, how do the narrator's feelings contrast with the old man's?
The narrator is afraid of the old man, and the old man is cruel.
The narrator loves the old man who is angry at the narrator.
The narrator is full of rage, and the old man is full of fear.
The narrator is worried, and the old man is calm.
Through the narrator's experience, the author explores the idea of ---
those close to you can hurt you
something small can create a major conflict
a beating heart lasts forever
all sins should be confessed
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