Three Skeleton Key Test Prep

Why does the narrator take the job at Three Skeleton Key?

• He wants to protect the lighthouse.

• He wants to set aside some money before he gets married.

• He wants to watch the ships sail by at night.

Why is it unusual for the lighthouse keepers to see a ship in their waters?

• The island is off-limits to sailors.

• Sailors are afraid of the Flying Dutchman.

• The waters are treacherous.

How does the narrator convince us that the sea rats in this story are of the worst possible sort?

• He says that the rats are able to scratch and tear through wood, metal, and glass.

• He says that Dutch sea rats eat dogs, cats, men, sharks, and one another.

• He tells the story of the two terrier dogs on a Dutch ship that were eaten by sea rats.

Why do the officers and crew of the first patrol boat look at the lighthouse with a horrified expression?

• The light is completely covered by a seething mass of rats.

• Sharks are circling the island.

• Sharks are hungrily devouring the rats.

All of the following strategies are used to rescue the three men from the island except-

• the lighthouse keepers set fire to the island

• the crew tempts the rats onto a barge filled with meat

• the crew drench the barge with gasoline and then set it on fire

In a story filled with suspense, the reader feels-

• overwhelming joy

• sadness about the fate of the characters

• anxious curiosity

Which of the following details found early in the story helps you to predict that “Three Skeleton Key” will be a frightening tale? (Foreshadowing)

• The history of the rock

• The work that had to be done at the lighthouse

• The revolving beam of light

Which of the following is an example of foreshadowing?

• The narrator sees the Dutch ship heading for the island.

• Some of the rats fall into the ocean and are eaten by the sharks.

• A man dreams of the three convicts' skeletons.

Which of the following details is not intended to create suspense?

• The waters around the key swarm with hungry sharks.

• The framework of one window is eaten away and sags inward.

• Through their glasses, the men see a barge.

Does this statement tell how the setting affects the plot of the story? the other rats greeted them with "shrill cries... with... a derisive note..

• Yes

• No