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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 is the main issue between husband and wife in "Powerhouse?"

2. What is the name of the widower in "The Playground?"

3. In what year does the couple live?

4. What relation of the wife's dies during the story?

5. In "The Last Night of the World" how do the people feel about the upcoming event?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the purpose of the City? Who built it?

2. What does Father Peregrine discover when he examines the morality of the Martians?

3. Describe the main plot of "The Coffin."

4. Describe the situation of the main character in "The Emissary."

5. In "The Murderer" Albert Brock is under psychiatric care. Why is Brock under observation? What is the problem with Brock?

6. What do the main characters in "The Next In Line" discover when they go to Mexico? What is their reaction?

7. "The Big Black and White Game" tells a story about a segregated baseball game. Describe the players on each team.

8. In "Mars Is Heaven" one of the characters is suspicious of the happenings in an Earth-like village. Who is the character and what causes the character to be distracted?

9. "The Veldt" tells a story about the Hadley family. What unusual thing has the family done to their house? What part of the house proves to be the most significant?

10. What are the marital issues for Smith and Braling in "Marionettes, Inc.?" What is the solution chosen by the two men?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Bradbury tends to use the emotion of fear in many of his stories. Why? How does fear challenge a person? How does fear change the way a person acts and thinks? Do the aliens in the stories always play on a person's fear? Do people tend to make situations worse when they act through fear? Explain. Give specific examples from the text.

Essay Topic 2

One theme in the book is the old adage "Be careful what you wish for." This can be seen in "Silent Towns" and "Marionettes, Inc." in addition to others. Discuss how this choice of theme is a popular one and how Bradbury uses it to relate to his audience. Also give examples of things you wished for, received, and regretted.

Essay Topic 3

Make a comparison of the stories contained within the book to the productions in the Ray Bradbury Theater as well as full length feature films. Do the films and plays live up to Bradbury's writing and visions. Explain similarities, differences, and explain your preferences.

(see the answer keys)

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