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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. At the story’s opening, how does Nat describe the birds’ strange behavior?
(a) As haunting.
(b) As restless.
(c) As violent.
(d) As confused.

2. In the story’s opening paragraph, what does the reader learn about Nat Hocken?
(a) He is a war veteran.
(b) He is an only child.
(c) He is an ornithologist.
(d) He is the father of three children.

3. How long does Nat wait at the bus stop before Jill’s bus arrives?
(a) 45 minutes.
(b) 15 minutes.
(c) 30 minutes.
(d) 60 minutes.

4. While waiting at the bus stop, how does Nat know the birds are headed inland?
(a) By the wind.
(b) By their cries.
(c) By their size.
(d) By their speed.

5. According to the narrator, what “changed overnight” at the story’s opening?
(a) The weather.
(b) The politics.
(c) The world.
(d) Nat’s heart.

6. What does Mr. Trigg do for a living?
(a) He is a schoolteacher.
(b) He is a newscaster.
(c) He is a scientist.
(d) He is a farmer.

7. Why can’t Nat bury the bird bodies in his back garden?
(a) The ground is too hard.
(b) There's not enough space.
(c) He's afraid of their evil spirits.
(d) His wife forbids it.

8. Where does the bird draw blood from Nat during the first attack?
(a) From his eyes.
(b) From his ear.
(c) From his neck.
(d) From his hand.

9. How did the birds get into the children’s bedroom?
(a) Through the wooden floor.boards
(b) Through a hole in the roof. shingles
(c) Through the chimney.
(d) Through an open window.

10. What type of land does Nat live on?
(a) An island.
(b) A land lock.
(c) A peninsula.
(d) An isle.

11. At what time is the news broadcast in the evening?
(a) Ten o’clock.
(b) Eight o’clock.
(c) Six o’clock.
(d) There is no evening broadcast.

12. What does Nat take with him from the shed when he picks Jill up from the bus stop?
(a) A hoe.
(b) A shotgun.
(c) A shovel.
(d) An axe.

13. What haunting sound does Nat hear when the birds start to attack on his way home from the bus stop?
(a) The screams of his neighbors.
(b) The beating of wings.
(c) The smash of automobiles crashing.
(d) The birds’ screeching cry.

14. What country does Mrs. Trigg think the violent birds have come from?
(a) Cuba.
(b) America.
(c) Russia.
(d) China.

15. What does Nat find most annoying about the radio news broadcaster?
(a) His accent.
(b) His stuttering speech.
(c) The terror he inflicts on listeners.
(d) The suaveness of his voice.

Short Answer Questions

1. After the first attack, what part of the children’s body does Nat realize the birds were trying to attack?

2. What do the seagulls camouflage while Nat is burying the bird bodies?

3. When Nat phones about the birds flying inland, how does the voice on the other end sound?

4. Who offers to drive Jill home from the bus stop?

5. At three o’clock, Nat sees that the sky is “colorless.” What does he compare it to?

(see the answer keys)

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