Graveyard Walk TEAS VI Passage
Graveyard Walk Steven walked through the graveyard every day on his way home from school. It was a convenient shortcut, and in broad daylight, the tombstones and dark cypress trees seemed mild and unthreatening. Things were different this evening. Steven stole through the gates as quickly as possible, fearful that he was being watched. He ran to the deep shadows of a mausoleum and caught his breath, heart pounding. He tried to listen for ominous noises, but could hear nothing over the blood rushing through his ears. He pressed the button to light up his watch: 11:30 p.m. He must stay here a full hour to win the bet. He now wished he had never taken it. He heard a slow scrape from behind him. Steven froze, and then turned with underwater slowness. To his horror, he could see the mausoleum door sliding open. Steven wanted to run, but could not. He could not feel his legs; he struggled to draw breath. A yellow light shone from inside the mausoleum. Shadows crept and danced on the tombstones as someone or something- holding the light pushed through the door. It made a terrible, guttural sound, like the groans of a dying man. The door swung fully open.On the mausoleum threshold stood an old man in a plaid shirt, a lantern in his hand and a cigarette in his mouth. He coughed again, spat, and closed the door. It was only the graveyard groundskeeper, finishing up a long day of work. The groundskeeper ambled off toward the machine shed. As soon as the man’s back was turned, Steven left his hiding spot and ran. His friend David could keep that $5 wager. An hour in this place just wasn’t worth it.
1.) Which of the following sentences as used in the passage indicates a “compare and contrast text structure
A. “An hour in this place just wasn’t worth it.”
B. “Things were different this evening”
C. “He must stay here the full hour to win the bet”
D. “He heard a low scrape from behind him.”
2.) Which of the following definition matches the meaning of the word “threshold” as it is used in this passage?
A. A level at which one starts to feel or react to something.
B. A strip of wood or stone forming a bottom of a doorway
C. A point of launch of the beginning, as into a new stage of phase
D. A level, rate, or amount at which something takes effect.
3.) Which of the following is a logical conclusion one could make based on the passage?
A. The graveyard groundskeeper is a very frightening person
B. Steven becomes most frightened by the atmosphere of the graveyard at night
C. Steven and David often make bets with each other
D. Children who live nearby often dare each other to visit the graveyard at night
