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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How does Nat enter the Trigg home?
(a) Through a smashed window.
(b) Through the unlocked front door.
(c) With his spare key.
(d) By breaking open the door.

2. How do Jill and Johnny react to the droning sound during dinner?
(a) They stare blankly at their parents.
(b) They burst into tears.
(c) They dutifully hide under the table.
(d) They jump up and down with excitement.

3. What detail about the Trigg farm initially fills Nat with misgiving?
(a) The broken windows
(b) The bloody animals in their pens
(c) The lack of smoke coming from the chimney
(d) The eerie silence on the farm

4. Between attacks, how is the sky frequently described?
(a) As wet and cloudy.
(b) As gray and stormy.
(c) As crisp and bright.
(d) As sunny and clear.

5. Before signing off for the afternoon, when does the announcer promise to resume broadcast?
(a) Noon.
(b) 7 o’clock am.
(c) 6 o’clock pm.
(d) Midnight.

Short Answer Questions

1. After the third attack, what emotion overcomes Nat?

2. If the family lasts through the next attack, what does Nat plan to add to the windows to reinforce his barricade?

3. During the final attack, what does Nat wonder about the birds?

4. According to the announcer, what is the most important step citizens should take to protect themselves against the bird attacks?

5. Whose body is found next to the Triggs’ telephone?

Short Essay Questions

1. What state are Mr. and Mrs. Trigg in when Nat arrives at their house?

2. How does Nat use the bird corpses to reinforce his barricades, and how does he feel about this?

3. What does Mrs. Hocken chide Johnny about during dinner in the story’s final section, and why is this ironic?

4. Why does silence fill the Hocken house after the third attack, and what does this mean?

5. Why does Nat feel a sense of admiration for the birds?

6. What does Nat realize is the force behind the bird attacks, and what does this mean to his survival planning?

7. How does Nat feel about the army sending reconnaissance forces to battle the birds?

8. Why does Nat drive through the second gate to his home after leaving the Trigg farm?

9. What is the droning sound that the Hockens hear during their dinner, and why does it stop?

10. How has the radio announcer’s voice changed in the 6 o’clock broadcast?

(see the answer keys)

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