The Cay

By Theodore Taylor

Name ______

Chapter 1

Vocabulary

  1. blackout - pg. 6 – So later in the morning, when she was busy making sure that our blackout curtains were in place, and filling extra pots with fresh water, and checking our food supply, I stole away down to the fort with Henrik van Boven, my Dutch friend, who was also eleven.

What is the reason for the blackout curtains? ______

Are they preparing for a positive or negative event? ______

  1. refinery – pg. 9 - My father returned home from the refinery where he was working on the program to increase production of aviation gas. Underline the word in the sentence that tells the reader the job of a refinery.
  1. gravely – pg. 9 – I asked, “Will they shoot at us tonight?”

He looked at me gravely and answered, “I don’t know, Phillip.”

Does gravely have a positive or negative connotation? ______

1.In the first sentence, what is the effect of the simile, “Like hungry sharks that swim in the darkness of the sea, the German submarines arrived in the middle of the night”?

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2.What details of setting are provided in the chapter?

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3. What circumstances contribute to Phillip’s mother’s actions?

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Chapter 2

Vocabulary

  1. quivered – pg. 15 - I looked on as the thick hoses that were attached to her quivered when the gasoline was pumped into her tanks. The author used sensory language. What does quivered mean?
  1. imagined2. shook3. froze
  1. disheartened – pg. 16 - He was tired and disheartened over what had happened to the Empire Tern. Does he feel good or bad? ______How do you know?______
  1. freighter – pgs. 17-18 – She was a small Dutch freighter with a high bow and stern… What is a freighter? ______Underline a word or two that helped you draw your conclusion.
  1. clenched – pg. 18 - Father was smiling and very gay, but when the Hato’s whistle blasted out three times, meaning it was time to go, he said goodbye to us between clenched teeth. What is the tone of this sentence? ______

Does clenched mean…? 1. closed tightly2. open wide 3. flexible

Infer why Phillip’s father says goodbye through “clenched teeth”?

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Chapter 3

Vocabulary

  1. Wrenching - pg. 20 – We could hear the whistle blowing constantly, and there were sounds of metal wrenching and much shouting. What feeling is the author conveying in this sentence?

1. peace 2. contentment 3. Alarm

  1. Murmured - pg. 23 – He murmured, “Dis be good, dis be good.” What is a synonym for murmured? 1. laughed 2. announced 3. whispered
  1. Flimsy- pg. 24 – Reread the paragraph that starts, “I then watched…” What can you infer flimsy means? ______
  1. Timber – pg. 24 – The piece of timber must have struck a glancing blow on his left side. What is timber? 1. concrete 2. metal 3. wood
  1. Lulled – pg. 24 - After a bit, lulled by the bobbing of the raft and the soft pleasant sounds of the sea against the oil barrels, I went to sleep. Lulled sounds like lullaby – what does lulled mean? ______
  2. Barren – pg. 25 – He scanned the barren sea and then looked back at me, his old eyes

growing remote. Which entry best represents the meaning of barren in this sentence? ______

1. Not producing offspring.

2. Lacking vegetation, especially useful vegetation

3. Devoid of something specified: empty

  1. Calypso - pg. 25 - …humming something in calypso. What does calypso have to do with? 1. a language 2. music 3. folktale
  1. Parched – pg. 26 – My lips were parched and my throat was dry.

He was 1. hungry 2. tired 3. thirsty

What details help you visualize the torpedo hit?

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Chapter 4

Vocabulary

a. groped – pg. 31 – His eyes groped through the darkness for mine. Which dictionary entry is the best definition in the context of the sentence? _____

1.to reach about uncertainly; feel one’s way

2. to search blindly or uncertainly

3.to make one’s way by reaching about uncertainly

  1. swells – pg. 31 – The raft plunged on across the light swells throughout the night. Where are swells? 1. air 2. land 3. water Underline the key word

How is Timothy feeling in this chapter? What evidence is there to justify your thinking?

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Chapter 5

Vocabulary

a. drone – pg. 36 - The faint drone of the aircraft seemed closer now. .. But already the drone seemed to be fading. Which dictionary entry is the best definition in the context above?

1. A male bee that performs no work, and produces no honey

2. An idle person who lives off others; a loafer.

3. A pilotless aircraft operated by remote control

4. Low and steady sound

b. doused – pg. 37 – I heard the sizzle of the water as Timothy doused the torch. What did Timothy do? (in your own words) ______

What character traits can you identify about the characters? Give evidence.

Character Trait / Evidence
Timothy
Phillip

Chapter 6

What factors does Phillip need to consider now that he never had to think about before?

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Chapter 7

What details lead the reader to an understanding of why Timothy is uneasy about this island?

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Chapter 8

How does the fact that Timothy can’t read make Phillip feel? Give evidence.

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Chapter 9

Cite evidence that shows how Phillip is becoming a dynamic character.

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Chapter 10

Vocabulary

  1. catchment - pg . 56 - Timothy yelled that his catchment was working. He had taken boards from the top of the raft and made a large trough that would catch the rain. What is a catchment? ______
  1. trough – pg. 56 -Which definition best defines trough in the sentence above?

1. A long, narrow, generally shallow receptacle for holding water or feed for animals

2. A gutter under the eaves of a roof

3. A long, narrow depression, as between waves or ridges

4. A low point in a business cycle or on a statistical graph

c. squall- pg. 56 – The squall wind was in the tops of the palms and I could imagine how they looked in the night sky, thrashing against each other high over our little cay. Circle the definition as it relates to the sentence.

1. a sudden violent wind often with rain or snow

2. a short-lived commotion

3. a cry

  1. tatters - pg. 59 - I tried to imagine how I looked. I knew my pants and shirt were in tatters. Define tatters - ______
  1. ropy – pg. 59 - My hair felt ropy. There was no way to comb it. Which definition best defines ropy in the context of the sentence?
  1. similar to rope; like rope in appearance
  2. in bad condition; of bad quality
  3. ill or unwell

Cite evidence that Timothy and Phillip’s relationship is growing into a friendship.

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Chapter 11

Why is Timothy encouraging Phillip’s independence? Cite evidence.

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Chapter 12

Vocabulary

Clasped – Pg. 69 –Then I clasped my hands under his chin and began to pull him out. Does clasp mean…? 1. clapped 2. grasped 3. touched

What does the sentence, “He never really regained his strength.”indicate to the reader?

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Chapter 13

Vocabulary

  1. lurking - pg. 71 – I knew that lurking in the tide pools were the treacherous sea urchins. – lurking means…… 1. available 2. hiding 3. around

b. treacherous – pg. 71 – I knew that lurking in the tide pools were the treacherous sea

urchins. Which definition best explains the treacherous sea urchins?

  1. not able to be trusted : showing that someone cannot be trusted
  2. very dangerous and difficult to deal with

1.Why does Timothy teach Phillip to fish? How does the reader know?

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2.Why does Phillip ask Timothy if he is still black? What does that indicate about Phillip’s attitude?

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Chapter 14

Summarize the plot so far in the novel.

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Chapter 15

Vocabulary

  1. receded – pg. 83 – When the water receded, it would tug at us, and Timothy’s strength would fight against it. What does receded mean?

1. moved away2. went toward

b. pelted – pg. 83 – We sat down on the ground beside it, still being pelted with rain, to wait

for the eye to pass. Is the rain falling gently or with intensity? ______

c . fury- pg. 84 – Almost within seconds, the full fury of the storm hit the cay at once.

fury means 1. width2. enjoyment3. violence

  1. limp- pg. 84 - He felt cold and limp. Does this sentence have a positive or negative connotation? ______
  1. flayed- pg. 85 – It had flayed his back and his legs until there were very few places that weren’t cut. What does flayed mean? ______

Upon realizing that Timothy has died, Phillip says, “There are times when you are beyond tears.” Interpret this quote.

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Chapter 16

At this point in the novel, the reader sees evidence of Phillip’s dynamic character. Locate quotes that show how he is changing.

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Chapter 17

Why did Timothy tell Phillip not to go after scallops and langosta? Determine who was right, Timothy or Phillip? Explain.

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Chapter 18

Vocabulary

  1. bleat – pg. 95 – Only the occasional bleat of the gull gave me a picture of that bird, for I had heard and seen them many times around the sea wall in Willemstad.

bleat : gull: ______: cat

  1. rustle – pg. 95 – I knew the rustle of the lizards.

Which entry best defines the word rustle as used above?

  1. to make a soft, light sound because parts of something are touching or rubbing against each other
  2. to cause (something) to make a soft, light sound
  3. to steal (animals) from a farm or ranch

Interpret Phillip’s quote, “Why didn’t you take us with you?” at Timothy’s grave?

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Chapter 19

Infer why Phillip wants to go back to the cay?

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