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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 causes the characters' life spans to be shortened drastically?

2. Who becomes suspicious of the mushrooms being grown in "Boys! Raise Giant Mushrooms in Your Cellar?"

3. "Have I Got a Chocolate Bar for You!" deals with a boy that practices which religion?

4. What is the name of the boy in "A Story of Love?"

5. How long has the character lived alone on the planet?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the irony involved in "Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed?"

2. What is the story of the main character in "The Illustrated Woman?"

3. Discuss the bizarre inscriptions discussed in "The Inspired Chicken Motel" and how they affect a family.

4. In "The Happiness Machine" Leo Auffmann invents a happiness machine. Describe the machine and was it does for the users. Also examine the opinion of Mrs. Auffmann.

5. What is unusual about the parrot in "The Parrot Who Met Papa?" What happens to the parrot?

6. In "Tyrannosaurus Rex" a movie producer hires a modeler to create a stop-motion dinosaur. What is the unusual outcome of the project?

7. Why is Joseph resentful toward Marie in "Interval in Sunlight?"

8. In "The Best of All Possible Worlds," two men meet on a commuter train.

9. In the story "The Aqueduct" how does a third party benefit from a war between two other nations?

10. What is the reaction of the people when a girl talks about a woman being buried alive in "The Screaming Woman?"

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 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)

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