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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which adjective best describes the announcer’s voice during his afternoon broadcast?
(a) Excited.
(b) Terrified.
(c) Solemn.
(d) Apathetic.

2. Why does Mrs. Hocken forbid Nat from gathering supplies at the Trigg home?
(a) She thinks they have enough supplies as it is.
(b) She doesn’t want to be left alone.
(c) It's too dangerous.
(d) She doesn’t like the Triggs.

3. What had Mrs. Trigg attempted to use to fight off the birds, to no avail?
(a) A shovel.
(b) An umbrella.
(c) A rolling pin.
(d) A butcher’s knife.

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

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

6. Which type of dead bird litters the Trigg farm?
(a) Starling.
(b) Hawks.
(c) Wrens.
(d) Gulls.

7. Which of the following is NOT one of the crucial supplies Nat seeks to collect?
(a) Light.
(b) Water.
(c) Food.
(d) Fuel.

8. What is the name of the farmhand killed on the Trigg farm?
(a) John.
(b) James.
(c) Jack.
(d) Jim.

9. After battling birds in the kitchen, what does Nat ask his wife for?
(a) A massage.
(b) A cigarette.
(c) A beer.
(d) A sandwich.

10. With each attack, what has changed about the birds?
(a) Each attack has brought greater clarity to the birds’ behavior.
(b) Each attack has lessened the birds’ intensity.
(c) Each attack has created a new target for the birds.
(d) Each attack has brought larger species of birds.

11. During the final attack, what does Nat wonder about the birds?
(a) Whether they are mortal.
(b) How much memory is stored in their brains.
(c) Why they have chosen their town to attack.
(d) How long he will have to fight them off.

12. What has the farmhand died next to?
(a) A fishing net.
(b) The telephone.
(c) His gun.
(d) The radio.

13. According to Nat’s calculation, how long will each “lull” between attacks last?
(a) 6 hours.
(b) 10 hours.
(c) 12 hours.
(d) 2 hours.

14. Before the final attack, what does Nat mistake the swarm of gulls as?
(a) An airplane.
(b) Clouds.
(c) A wave.
(d) The Navy.

15. Upon arriving at the Trigg farm, what does Nat notice about the sheep?
(a) They are thin and emaciated.
(b) The birds have slaughtered them.
(c) They have broken through. the fence to graze
(d) They cower, terrified, in their pen.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where does Nat find the farmhand’s body?

2. What excuse does Nat give when the morning news announcement fails to broadcast?

3. When Mrs. Hocken hears droning during dinner, what does she think it is?

4. During the third attack, what does Nat find smoldering in the kitchen fire?

5. After turning off the wireless, what time do the children finally fall asleep?

(see the answer keys)

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