The Tell Tale Heart (HMH)

Which two sentences best explain how Poe creates irony, a contrast between what is expected and what actually happens, in the story?

• The narrator's attempts to hide the murder actually result in him giving himself away

• The narrator chooses to commit the murder in the middle of the night, when the old man

  is asleep.

• The more the narrator insists that he is not mad, the more readers can detect evidence of

  his madness.

• The narrator admits that he could not stop thinking about the old man and about his pale, filmy

  eye.

• The narrator’s neighbor hears the old man shriek and summons the police out of concern for his

  safety.

Tags

CCSS.RI. 9-10.7

CCSS.RI.8.7

CCSS.RL.7.7

CCSS.RL.8.5

CCSS.RL.8.7

Read the dictionary definition below.

acute \ə-kyoot´\ adj 1. sharp or severe 2. keenly perceptive 3. less than ninety degrees

4. high in pitch

Which definition best fits how the word acute is used in paragraph 1?

• Definition 1

• Definition 2

• Definition 3

• Definition 4

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

Read the excerpt from paragraph 2.

I think it was his eye! yes, it was this! He had the eye of a vulture—a pale blue eye, with a film

over it. Whenever it fell upon me, my blood ran cold. . . .

How does the author create suspense in this excerpt?

• By identifying the source of the narrator’s irrational fear

• By explaining why the narrator wants to avoid the old man

• By describing how unhealthy the old man looks to the narrator

• By repeating words to emphasize the narrator’s skill as a criminal

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.5.4

In paragraph 4, the narrator describes going to the old man’s room every night around midnight. Why

is he unable to commit the murder for the first seven nights?

• He needs to have more light in order to see his victim.

• He cannot see the old man’s eye, so he lacks the motivation to act.

• He cannot sneak into the room because the old man is a restless sleeper.

• He wants to be merciful, so he gives the old man a few more days to live.

Tags

CCSS.RI.7.10

CCSS.RI.8.10

CCSS.RL.7.10

CCSS.RL.8.10

CCSS.RL.9-10.10

Read the dictionary entry below.

profound \prə-found´\ adj 1. showing great insight or understanding 2. deeply felt or held;

intense 3. far-reaching 4. situated at a great depth

Which definition best fits how the word profound is used in paragraph 4?

• Definition 1

• Definition 2

• Definition 3

• Definition 4

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RI.7.4

CCSS.RI.8.4

CCSS.RI.9-10.4

How does the author create suspense in paragraph 4?

• By explaining the narrator’s reasons for the murder

• By having the narrator repeat the old man’s words

• By describing the narrator’s anxiety and fear

• By showing the narrator’s repetitive actions

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.4

CCSS.RL.8.4

CCSS.RL.9-10.4

CCSS.RL.6.4

CCSS.RL.11-12.4

In paragraphs 14–15, the narrator’s tone in describing his cleanup and first encounter with the

police is one of —

• anxiety

• confidence

• indifference

• melancholy

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

The use of a first-person narrator in the story —

• allows readers to understand each character’s viewpoint

• helps explain how the characters are related to each other

• gives readers insight into the narrator’s unstable state of mind

• illustrates how the old man treats the narrator from day to day

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6

How does the narrator’s mention of his sharpened sense of hearing in paragraph 1 hint at the old man’s death?

• It hints at the narrator’s ability to hear the police coming to check on the old man.

• It hints at the narrator’s decision to murder the old man partly due to his loud voice.

• It hints at the time when the old man’s sleep is disturbed by the narrator at the door.

• It hints at the point when the old man’s heartbeat drives the narrator to kill him.

Tags

CCSS.RL.5.6

CCSS.RL.6.6

CCSS.RL.7.6

CCSS.RL.8.6