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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Section 1: "There Will Come Soft Rains".

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What historical event is alluded to with the date given in the beginning of the story?
(a) The bombing of Hiroshima.
(b) The beginning of World War II.
(c) The first testing of a nuclear bomb.
(d) The beginning of the Cold War.

2. From two thirty-five to four o'clock, what can readers infer that the family would ordinarily be doing?
(a) Playing cards and having a snack.
(b) They would still be at work and school.
(c) Having friends over to eat and listen to the radio.
(d) Cleaning.

3. Who does the story imply is still alive in the city?
(a) Some animals.
(b) No one.
(c) The wealthy.
(d) A few scientists.

4. What does the breakfast stove make for breakfast?
(a) Eggs, toast, and bacon.
(b) Pancakes and bacon.
(c) Pancakes.
(d) Eggs and hash browns.

5. What is the house compared to as it burns to the ground?
(a) A bonfire.
(b) A skeleton.
(c) A cigar.
(d) A bomb.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the probable purpose of emphasizing the roundness of the smoke plume and the great quantity of smoke?

2. When the fire travels outside and up the sides of the house, it is described as what?

3. On what date does the story begin?

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

5. The line "And Spring herself, when she woke at dawn," contains an example of which technique?

(see the answer key)

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