View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. The boy feels like an outcast because he is not a _____.

2. What is the name of the older lighthouse keeper in "The Fog Horn?"

3. What is the name of the protagonist in "The April Witch?"

4. In "The Crowd" Spallner is involved in what kind of accident?

5. Where is the Captain captured by the Martians?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the plot of the story "The Fog Horn."

2. 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?

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

4. What year is home to William and Susan Travis? What year do they choose to travel to in an attempt to escape war? Where do they go?

5. What is the purpose of Benjy's visit in "The Great Wide World over There?"

6. Explain Walter Gripp's situation in "The Silent Towns." What has upset Walter? What does he do about it? What is the outcome?

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

8. What happens to Hollis during his free fall in space? How does the story end for Hollis?

9. In "A Sound of Thunder" several people take a trip. Who goes on the trip? What is the purpose of the trip? What negative occurrence happens during the trip?

10. In "There Will Come Soft Rains" a metropolitan area has been destroyed. What happened to the area? What is left behind?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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.

Essay Topic 2

Much of Bradbury's early works played upon the fears of the public, particularly when it came to the unknowns of outer space. Discuss Bradbury's methods. Investigate what was known about the other planets at the time the majority of the stories were written. How else might Bradbury approach the subject? How do you think Bradbury's views have changed? Have the stories stood the test of time?

Essay Topic 3

There are several stories that contain seemingly implausible scenarios. One excellent example can be found in "The Scythe." Where do you think Bradbury got the idea to turn Erickson into the Grim Reaper? What could happen that might cause the event to occur? How did Erickson deal with his disbelief? How did the knowledge of being the Grim Reaper affect Erickson mentally and emotionally? What other implausible stories are there? How does Bradbury make them believable? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 839 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample