View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Timothy use to make sinkers?

2. When Phillip discovers Timothy is dead, who or what comes to him?

3. In Chapter 9, what does Timothy do when Phillip calls him a stupid, ugly black man?

4. How many feet out on the reef is the fishing hole?

5. At the end of Chapter 11, what is Timothy sure will change?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Timothy decide to teach Phillip how to fish?

2. What is a langosta?

3. What does Timothy tell Phillip will be his main danger as he makes his way along the poles planted in the reef to the fishing hole?

4. In Chapter 14, how do Timothy and Phillip know a tempest is on the way?

5. What is the Devil's Mouth?

6. Why does Timothy plan to keep a constant small fire burning at their campsite?

7. When Timothy contracts malaria, why isn't Phillip able to stop him from leaving the campsite and going to the beach?

8. As Timothy and Phillip wait for the tempest to hit the cay, Phillip feels slithering around his ankles. What causes this feeling?

9. In Chapter 12, what are the symptoms Timothy exhibits when he tells Phillip he has malaria?

10. In Chapter 7, what makes Phillip believe Timothy is holding something back from him as he tells Phillip about the island they are on and their prospects of being rescued?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Phillip change from an innocent to a more worldly character during the course of the novel? What events lead to the change? Does he maintain any of his innocence? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Identify two examples of foreshadowing in The Cay. What are they and what future events do they foreshadow? Use specific examples and evidence from the novel to support your thoughts.

Essay Topic 3

How is the theme of compassion portrayed throughout The Cay? Which characters show compassion? To whom do they show compassion? What actions do they take to show compassion?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 665 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample