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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What haunting sound does Nat hear when the birds start to attack on his way home from the bus stop?

2. Which of the following bird species is NOT mentioned in the one o’clock news?

3. Who suggests that the army should shoot the birds out of the sky?

4. After the first attack, what color is used to describe the morning sky?

5. Why hasn’t Mr. Trigg boarded up his windows against the attacking birds?

Short Essay Questions

1. What theory does Mrs. Trigg present as the origins of the strange birds?

2. What does Mrs. Hocken think the army should do to battle the birds, and what is Nat’s reaction to his wife’s idea?

3. What does Nat find irritating about the radio announcer’s voice, and why?

4. What does Nat think has caused the birds’ strange behavior?

5. What is Nat’s mental state when he returns home from the bus stop?

6. What supplies do the Hockens have at home, and what does Nat list as necessities to buy the next time he’s in town?

7. How does Mr. Trigg help the situation when Jill arrives at the bus stop?

8. How does Nat fight the birds away from his children during the first attack?

9. Who does Nat speak to while at the bus stop, and what is their reaction to his call?

10. What startling sight does Nat see while on the beach?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is unique about the past of the character Nat Hocken? How does his past affect him in the present? Does this set him apart from other characters in the story? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

What signs that something is amiss does Nat notice early on in the story? Why does he notice these things when no one else does? How does Nat's ability to notice these things ultimately affect the fate of his character?

Essay Topic 3

How does Nat's relationship with his wife and family differ both before and after the attack of the birds? Why is this so?

(see the answer keys)

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