Vocabulary Quiz – The Tell-Tale Heart
1. “Above all was the sense of hearing acute. I heard all things in the heaven and in the
earth.” Which of the following words is a synonym for “acute” in the preceding
sentence?
a. Well developed
b. Clever
c. Severe
d. Full of hallucinations
2. “Hearken! And observe how healthily – how calmly I can tell you the whole story.” Which
of the following words could be substituted for “hearken” and mean the same thing?
a. Pay attention!
b. Be assured!
c. Believe me!
d. Think hard!
3. “You should have seen how wisely I proceeded --with what caution --with what foresight
--with what dissimulation I went to work! I was never kinder to the old man than during
the whole week before I killed him.” Which of the following definitions of “dissimulation”
is correct?
a. A disguise of his true feelings.
b. A careful and methodical activity.
c. An intense commitment to a plan of action.
d. A feeling of joy or satisfaction at work well done.
4. “It was not the old man who vexed me, but his Evil Eye.” All of the following are different
correct definitions for the verb “vex.” Which meaning did Poe have in mind for the
quoted sentence?
a. to irritate; annoy; provoke
b. to torment; trouble; distress; plague; worry
c. to discuss or debate (a subject, question, etc.) with vigor or at great length
d. to afflict with physical pain
5. “Never before that night had I felt the extent of my own powers – of my sagacity. I could
scarcely contain my feelings of triumph.” Which of the following best fits the definition of
“sagacity?”
a. Possessing of sound judgement and intelligence.
b. Having very great or unlimited authority or power.
c. Being especially slow and careful; deliberate; painstaking.
d. Possessing or characterized by courage; brave.
6. “Yes, he had been trying to comfort himself with these suppositions: but he had found all
in vain. All in vain; because Death, in approaching him had stalked with his black shadow
before him, and enveloped the victim.” Which of the following words is an antonym for
“supposition?”
a. Certainty
b. Guess
c. Hope
d. Speculation
7. “The night waned, and I worked hastily, but in silence.” Which of the following best
captures the meaning of the word “waned?”
a. To draw to a close; approach an end.
b. To increase in extent, quantity, intensity, power, etc.
c. To continue without any indication of ending.
d. To move quickly and steadily.
8. “I then took up three planks from the flooring of the chamber, and deposited all between
the scantlings.” What is a scantling?
a. A timber of relatively slight width and thickness, as a stud or rafter in a house
frame.
b. A wide and thick wooden timber pier used to provide foundational support to a
roof, ceiling, or floor.
c. A metal or plastic conduit that carries plumbing or wiring and that runs beneath
flooring or within the walls of a building.
d. A gap that exists between the ceiling of a lower level of a building and the flooring
of the level above.
9. “There entered three men, who introduced themselves, with perfect suavity, as officers
of the police.” Which of the following is a definition for “suavity?”
a. Courteous and friendly.
b. Officious and/or authoritative.
c. Rude and condescending.
d. Confident and self-assured.
10. “A shriek had been heard by a neighbour during the night; suspicion of foul play had been
aroused; information had been lodged at the police office, and they (the officers) had
been deputed to search the premises.” What is the definition of “depute?”
a. To assign authority or accountability for the completion of a task or responsibility.
b. To order someone to do something, even if doing so might prove harmful or
deadly to the person receiving the order.
c. To collect evidence or information about an event, either before or after it has
transpired.
d. To investigate a possible or actual crime