The Cage Short Story

The character in The Cage volunteered to

• spend several days in prison

• take part in a scientific experiment

• exchange places with another prisoner

The man was told that

• he would probably be unable to escape from the cell

• there was one way to escape from the cell

• he could talk about his plan of escape from the cell

The prisoner thought that he could escape by

• loosening a couple of cement blocks and then pushing them out

• finding a window and climbing through it

• removing the hinges from the huge steel door

At the ed of the story, the prisoner believed that

• it was not possible to escape from the cell

• he needed another week to escape

• he had come close to escaping

The door of the cell was riveted into the wall and could not be removed. What is the meaning of the word riveted?

• pasted or glued

• bolted or fastened firmly

• painted or colored brightly

The prisoner used the prong on the metal shield as a tool. Which phrase best defines the word prong?

• a sharply pointed edge

• a heavy steel bar

• a hammer or ax

The mortar around the blocks crumbled into powder. Define the word mortar.

• paint

• wallpaper

• a mixture of cement, sand and water

With a spurt of new energy, the prisoner began working again. What is the meaning of the word spurt?

• sudden burst

• loss

• payment

What is the setting of The Cage?

• a prison courtyard

• a warden's office

• a cell

What happened first in the plot of the story?

• the prisoner reached up and grabbed the metal shield around the lightbulb

• the door of the cell opened slowly

• the prisoner saw light between the cement blocks