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: 1.30 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 S5 wager. An hour in this place just wasn’t worth it.
The Correct Answer and Explanation is:
Which of the following best describes the theme of the passage “Graveyard Walk”?
Correct Answer:
Things are not always what they seem.
Explanation
The passage “Graveyard Walk” presents a situation in which a young boy, Steven, must stay in a graveyard for an hour as part of a bet. The story starts with a calm description of how Steven normally walks through the graveyard in daylight without fear. However, this particular visit is different. The setting has changed—it is now dark, and Steven is alone in the graveyard at night. The environment, once harmless and familiar, now feels eerie and threatening.
Steven’s fear grows quickly. He believes he is being watched, hides in the shadows, and listens for noises. The suspense builds when he hears a scraping noise and sees the mausoleum door slowly opening. His imagination runs wild as he imagines a horrifying presence emerging from within. Every sensory detail—the sound of his heartbeat, the shadows, and the strange light—adds to the tension and his sense of dread.
But the climax of the story brings a twist. The terrifying figure that Steven expects turns out to be something entirely ordinary: the graveyard groundskeeper, simply finishing his day of work. The groundskeeper coughs, spits, and then walks away without noticing Steven. This moment completely deflates the suspense and reveals that Steven’s fear was based on misunderstanding and imagination rather than actual danger.
The story’s theme is therefore centered on perception versus reality. Steven thought he was encountering a supernatural event, but the truth was mundane and non-threatening. The passage teaches a valuable lesson about how fear and imagination can distort reality. Thus, the best answer is “Things are not always what they seem” because it accurately captures the story’s message. The events appear frightening at first, but turn out to be completely harmless, reminding readers that appearances can be deceiving.
