Three Men in a Boat

Which quote represents the central idea of the selection?

• “I remember going to the British Museum one day to read up the treatment for some slight ailment of which I had a touch – hay fever, I fancy it was.”
• “I sat for awhile, frozen with horror; and then, in the listlessness of despair, I again turned over the pages.”
• I was a hospital in myself. All they need do would be to walk round me, and, after that, take their diploma.”
• ‘Why I have not got housemaid’s knee, I cannot tell you; but the fact remains that I have not got it. Everything else, however, I HAVE got.’ “

In the first sentence of the selection, what does the use of the word virulently imply about the narrator?  

• The narrator is brilliant.
• The narrator is a physician. 
• The narrator expects the worst.
• The narrator expects compensation.

Based on the first paragraph, what can the reader infer about the narrator?

• The narrator has discovered his illness.
• The narrator has overcome many diseases.
• The narrator is sick and has not found a cure.
• The narrator is obsessed with his health.

What is the meaning of the word indolently in paragraph 2?

• in a frightened way
• in a hurried manner
• without much effort
• with great enthusiasm

How does paragraph 3 impact the selection?

• It develops the plot with details.
• It adds humor through exaggeration.
• It foreshadows the doctor’sprescription.
• It explains why the narrator needs medication.

According to the selection, what type of relationship does the narrator have with the doctor?

• The men do not know each other at all.
• The men are well acquainted with each other.
• The doctor has diagnosed the narrator’s ailments.
• The narrator is familiar with the doctor’s patients.

According to the selection, what type of relationship does the narrator have with the doctor?

• . The men do not know each other at all. 
• The men are well acquainted with each other. 
• The doctor has diagnosed the narrator’s ailments.
• The narrator is familiar with the doctor’s patients.

What does the prescription imply?

• The narrator needs a good “last meal.”         
• The doctor does not understand the illness. 
• The narrator needs more medicine than usual.
• The doctor does not believe the narrator is ill.

Why does the doctor include “And don’t stuff up your head with things you don’t understand” in the prescription for the narrator?

• The narrator lacks the intelligence necessary to become a physician.
• The narrator should avoid reading medical journals about diseases. 
• The narrator should try to diagnose illnesses in others around him. 
• The narrator must stay away from things to which he is allergic