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

2. What causes the boy to think he is invisible?

3. What type of store does the couple open?

4. What natural formation scares the boy?

5. What is the name of the story's narrator?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. What is the cause of family tension in the story "The Rocket Man?"

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

5. What is the problem with the new resident in "The Man Upstairs?" How is the problem resolved?

6. How does the Erickson family come across the farmhouse? How do they claim the old house?

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

8. Explain the situation that plagues Timothy Elliot in "Homecoming." Why does Timothy feel like an outcast?

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. "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?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write a detailed biography of Ray Bradbury. Include his personal and professional lives, his stories, movies, and theater pieces. Also discuss Bradbury's affiliations and inspirations, as well as those he has inspired.

Essay Topic 2

Describe in detail the personification of aliens in the stories. Why does Bradbury feel it is important to give human (or non-human) qualities to the aliens? How are the aliens characterized and/or personified differently than the humans in the stories? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

Write a detailed short story in the style of Ray Bradbury. Will the story deal with aliens or a more complex subject. Be sure to capture Bradbury's flair for language and imagination. Explain your choices.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 740 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample