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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. At one point, Bradbury says that the house has a "preoccupation" with self-protection. What must be true about the house?
(a) It is bored by the idea of protecting itself.
(b) It is willing to do terrible things to protect itself.
(c) It is constantly trying to protect itself.
(d) It does not see a reason to try to protect itself.

2. In the sentence "The morning house lay empty," there is an example of which technique?
(a) Metaphor.
(b) Punning.
(c) Parallelism.
(d) Passive voice.

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

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

5. 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?
(a) It reinforces how helpless and pointless the technology is in the face of nature's power.
(b) It clarifies the order in which the house is burning, because the house can still "speak."
(c) It reminds the reader of the death of the family.
(d) It reminds the reader that the house is a living thing.

Short Answer Questions

1. In the section about the nursery, Bradbury mentions the "sprockets" in the walls. What are "sprockets"?

2. What does Bradbury compare to Baal?

3. To what famous dog is this dog an allusion?

4. In the image of animals, the panther is said to be "cavorting." What is this panther doing?

5. What happens at ten-fifteen?

(see the answer key)

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