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

Multiple Choice Questions

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

2. How does Nat react to his wife’s news?
(a) He is devastated.
(b) He is skeptical.
(c) He is confused.
(d) He is excited.

3. Why doesn’t Nat ride along with Jill?
(a) There isn’t enough room.
(b) He still has to pick up Johnny.
(c) He wants to make another phone call.
(d) There isn’t enough time for him to climb into the car.

4. Which character says, “Come on now … let’s see how fast you can run”?
(a) The operator.
(b) Jill.
(c) Mr. Trigg.
(d) Nat.

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

6. What wind does Nat claim brought the birds to his neighborhood?
(a) The north wind.
(b) The south wind.
(c) The east wind.
(d) The west wind.

7. After the first attack, what color is used to describe the morning sky?
(a) Gray.
(b) Blue.
(c) Orange.
(d) Purple.

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

9. What do the seagulls camouflage while Nat is burying the bird bodies?
(a) The waves.
(b) The telephone lines.
(c) The trees.
(d) The sand dunes.

10. What type of bird makes a kamikaze dive toward Nat’s head?
(a) A gull.
(b) A starling.
(c) A gannet.
(d) An eagle.

11. Who suggests that the army should shoot the birds out of the sky?
(a) Mrs. Hocken.
(b) The news broadcaster.
(c) Mr. Trigg.
(d) Nat.

12. How many birds does Nat kill during the attack in the children’s bedroom?
(a) 100.
(b) 50.
(c) 200.
(d) 20.

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

14. What does Nat use as a weapon to beat the birds out of the children’s bedroom?
(a) A Bible.
(b) A blanket.
(c) A rag doll.
(d) A shovel.

15. After the first attack, what part of the children’s body does Nat realize the birds were trying to attack?
(a) Their legs.
(b) Their throats.
(c) Their eyes.
(d) Their chests.

Short Answer Questions

1. When does Nat most frequently pass time watching the birds?

2. Throughout the story, whom does Nat often order to “do what I tell you”?

3. Who does Mr. Trigg think has poisoned the birds?

4. What lighthearted offer does Mr. Trigg make to Nat for the next morning?

5. According to the narrator, what “changed overnight” at the story’s opening?

(see the answer keys)

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