1. What does "feathery fire" describe in the poem "There Will Come Soft Rains"?
(a) The movement of flames destroying the earth.
(b) The movement of feathers in the sunshine.
(c) The color of the rays of the sun coming over the horizon.
(d) The color of a male robin's breast.

2. Just before the house collapses, what does it do?
(a) It dumps out all of the liquor, coffee, and milk in one last attempt to fight the fire.
(b) It shuts down entirely except for its "voice" function.
(c) It begins performing multiple functions over and over.
(d) It announces the wrong date and time.

3. On what date does the story begin?
(a) August 6.
(b) April 4.
(c) August 4.
(d) April 6.

4. To what story do the robot mice allude?
(a) Snow White.
(b) Beauty and the Beast.
(c) Little Red Riding Hood.
(d) Cinderella.

5. What is the probable purpose of emphasizing the roundness of the smoke plume and the great quantity of smoke?
(a) It points out how little chance the house really had.
(b) It reminds the reader of a nuclear explosion.
(c) It reinforces the "technology versus nature" motif.
(d) There is an implied comparison to a woman's skirts.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the likely purpose of inserting the house's "dialogue" ("Help, help! Fire! Run, run!") into the scene that describes the fire consuming the house?

2. What does Bradbury compare the chemical fire-fighting foam to?

3. What causes the house to temporarily "give up" as the fire spreads?

4. During the fire, what does Bradbury compare the house's dialogue to?

5. When the windows break and the wind makes the fire grow and spread, which thematic motif is reinforced?

(see the answer key)

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