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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which aspect of the birds’ behavior does Nat find most interesting?
(a) Their mating.
(b) Their fighting.
(c) Their eating habits.
(d) Their migration.

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

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

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

5. During the attacks, where does Nat decide his family should sleep?
(a) In the kitchen.
(b) In the shed.
(c) In the attic.
(d) In the basement.

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

7. What lighthearted offer does Mr. Trigg make to Nat for the next morning?
(a) A feather jacket.
(b) A shooting lesson.
(c) A bird hat.
(d) A gull breakfast.

8. When Nat sees the gulls circling overhead, what do they look like they’re waiting for?
(a) Prayers.
(b) Prey.
(c) The tide.
(d) Orders.

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

10. Who offers to drive Jill home from the bus stop?
(a) A passerby.
(b) The bus driver.
(c) The policeman.
(d) Mr. Trigg.

11. During the one o’clock news bulletin, how are the birds described?
(a) As bloodthirsty monsters.
(b) As a confused species.
(c) As a nightmare.
(d) As a thick, black cloud.

12. 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 smash of automobiles crashing.
(c) The birds’ screeching cry.
(d) The beating of wings.

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

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

15. Why doesn’t Mrs. Hocken immediately open the door for Nat when he runs home?
(a) She doesn’t hear him knocking.
(b) She's too afraid.
(c) The newscaster told her not to open it.
(d) The door is jammed.

Short Answer Questions

1. What type of bird makes a kamikaze dive toward Nat’s head?

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

3. What does Nat use as a weapon to beat the birds out of the children’s bedroom?

4. What type of land does Nat live on?

5. What is Mrs. Trigg’s reaction to Nat’s story about the previous night’s attack?

(see the answer keys)

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