Events
Which piece of evidence from the text best supports the idea that memory on Mars begins to deteriorate over time?
a. “Dan sat on the edge of the canal, regarding his father seriously.”
b. “In the empty Earth settlement, the painted houses flaked and peeled.”
c. “They came to a small deserted Martian villa with a good view of the valley. It was on top of a hill.”
d. “Mr. Bittering gazed at the Earth settlement far away in the low valley. “Such odd, such ridiculous houses the Earth people built.”
d. “Mr. Bittering gazed at the Earth settlement far away in the low valley. “Such odd, such ridiculous houses the Earth people built.”
Which piece of evidence from the text best supports how Mr. Bittering handled the transition from Earthman to Martian?
a. ‘“It looked just fine in Boston,” said Mrs. Bittering.”
b. “If we stay here, we’ll all change. The air. Don’t you smell it? Something in the air. A Martian virus, maybe; some seed, or a pollen. Listen to me!”
c. “He returned to his philosophy of names and mountains. The Earthmen had changed names.”
d. “In the Earthmen’s settlement, the Bittering house shook with a feeling of change.”
b. “If we stay here, we’ll all change. The air. Don’t you smell it? Something in the air. A Martian virus, maybe; some seed, or a pollen. Listen to me!”
In this passage, the Lieutenant and the Captain are discussing the whereabouts of the human colony on Mars. Reread their conversation.
“They hadn't the foggiest notion of what happened to this town or its people.”
“Strange. You think those Martians killed them?”
“They look surprisingly peaceful. Chances are a plague did this town in, sir.”
“Perhaps. I suppose this is one of those mysteries we'll never solve. One of those mysteries you read about.”
What type of irony is used here?
a. Verbal
b. Situational
c. Dramatic
c. Dramatic
Readers know that the Bitterings and other humans have changed into martians, but the new human characters (the lieutenant and the captain) do not know.
What is the purpose of the imagery as it is used in the following passage?
There were sixty others traveling in the same direction. The town filled with a silent, heavy dust from their passage. The canal waters lay blue in the sun, and a quiet wind moved in the strange trees.
a.Imagery is used to describe Mr. Bittering’s feelings.
b. Imagery is used to describe Mr. Bittering’s thoughts.
c.Imagery is used to describe the setting on Earth.
d. Imagery is used to describe the setting on Mars.
d. Imagery is used to describe the setting on Mars.
Read the lines from the text below.
“Cora, how long have your eyes been yellow?”
She was bewildered. “Always, I guess.”
“They didn't change from brown in the last three months?”
She bit her lips. “No. Why do you ask?”
What does the word bewildered mean as it is used in the text?
a. Confused because she doesn’t remember how long they’ve really been yellow.
b. Very confident because she knows for certain her eyes have always been yellow.
c. Annoyed because she is tired of Mr. Bittering asking her.
d. Happy because she’s always wanted yellow eyes.
a. Confused because she doesn’t remember how long they’ve really been yellow.
Why did the Bitterings go to Mars?
a. To escape war on Earth
b. For a vacation
c. To find Martians
d. To become Martians
To escape war on Earth
Which of the following statements suggests that Mr.Bittering has grown to be more accepting about the changes he and his family are going through on Mars?
a. Mr. Bittering desired to say good-bye to his Mars cottage before heading up to the Villas.
b. Mr. Bittering began building a rocket to take his family back to Earth.
c. Mr. Bittering agreed to stop work on his rocket until autumn.
d. Mr. Bittering had no choice but to eat Mars food because he ate all of the Earth food.
c. Mr. Bittering agreed to stop work on his rocket until autumn.
In this passage, Mr. Bittering and his wife Cora are in the Villas looking down on their former home. Reread their conversation.
Mr.Bittering gazed at the Earth settlement far away in the low valley. “Such odd, such ridiculous houses the Earth people built.”
“They didn’t know any better,” his wife mused. “Such ugly people. I’m glad they’ve gone.”
What type of irony is used here?
a. Verbal
b. Situational
c. Dramatic
a. Verbal
It is verbal irony because the Bitterings were originally humans. Their conversation is ironic.
What is the use of imagery in the following passage?
If I lie here long enough, he thought, the water will work and eat away my flesh until the bones show like coral. Just my skeleton left. And then the water can build on that skeleton - green things, deep-water things, red things, yellow things. Change. Change. Slow, deep, silent change. And isn't that what it is up there?
a. The use of imagery in this passage is to reveal Mr. Bittering’s feelings and thoughts.
b. The use of imagery in this passage is to reveal the setting on Mars.
c. The use of imagery in this passage is to reveal the theme of the story.
d. The use of imagery in this passage is to reveal the image created in readers’ mind.
a. The use of imagery in this passage is to reveal Mr. Bittering’s feelings and thoughts.
Which of the following statements foreshadowed the ending of the story?
a. “Go about our business, of course. Raise crops and children. Wait. Keep things going until the war ends and the rockets come again.”
b. “A river of wind submerged the house. When the windows ceased rattling, Mr Bittering swallowed and looked at the children.”
c. “Nonsense!” Mr. Bittering looked out of the windows. “We're clean, decent people.” He looked at his children. “All dead cities have some kind of ghosts in them. Memories, I mean.” He stared at the hills.
d. “The morning paper was toast-warm from the six a.m. Earth rocket. He broke its seal and tilted it at his breakfast plate. He forced himself to be convivial.”
a. “Go about our business, of course. Raise crops and children. Wait. Keep things going until the war ends and the rockets come again.”
How long were the Bitterings and the other settlers on Mars before a Lieutenant and other Earthmen came to rescue them?
a. 10 years
b. 3 years
c. 9 months
d. 5 years
d. 5 years
Why did Dan Bittering change his name to “Linnl”?
a. Linnl sounded better.
b. Dan felt he connected more to the name Linnl.
c. Dan felt it was a funny name.
d. Dan did so to make his parents angry.
b. Dan felt he connected more to the name Linnl.
In this passage, Mr. Bittering’s son Dan asks to change his name to Linnl (a Martian name). Mr. Bittering and his wife Cora discuss Dan’s request. Reread their conversation.
“Yaaa!” screamed the boy. “I'm Linnl, Linnl!” Racing down the meadowlands, he danced and shouted.
Mr. Bittering looked at his wife.
“Why did we do that?”
“I don't know,” she said. “It just seemed like a good idea.”
What type of irony is used here?
a.Verbal
b.Situational
c.Dramatic
b.Situational
This is situational irony because readers know how much Mr. B hates mars. Readers do not expect him to allow his son to change his name to a Martian name.
Which of the following statements reveal a tense mood?
a. “He saw the sky submerged above him, the sun made Martian by atmosphere and time and space.”
b. “They built a small white cottage and ate good breakfasts there, but the fear was never gone. It lay with Mr Bittering and Mrs Bittering, a third unbidden partner at every midnight talk, at every dawn awakening.”
c. “Tick-tock, seven o'clock sang the voice clock; time to get up. And they did.”
d. “We're clean, decent people.”
b. “They built a small white cottage and ate good breakfasts there, but the fear was never gone. It lay with Mr Bittering and Mrs Bittering, a third unbidden partner at every midnight talk, at every dawn awakening.”
What event is foreshadowed in the following statement?
“How nice,” said Mrs. Bittering, “if you could move up here to this villa for the summer.”
a. The Bitterings returning to Earth in Autumn.
b. The Bitterings moving to the villa for the summer.
c. Mrs. Bittering leaves her husband to vacation at the villas.
d. Mrs. Bittering leaves her children to vacation at the villas.
b. The Bitterings moving to the villa for the summer.
What physical changes occurred to the Earth people suggesting they were changing?
a.The earth people turned green and golden-eyed.
b.The earth people grew taller and turned green.
c. The earth people’s skin grew darker, their eyes turned gold and they grew taller and thinner.
d. The earth people’s skin grew darker, their eyes turned blue and they grew shorter and thinner.
c. The earth people’s skin grew darker, their eyes turned gold and they grew taller and thinner.
Mr. Bittering is discussing with his son David the possibility of alien life on Mars. Reread Mr. Bittering’s statement to his family.
“All dead cities have some kind of ghosts in them. Memories, I mean.” He stared at the hills. “You see a staircase and wonder what Martians looked like climbing it. You see Martian paintings and you wonder what the painter was like. You make a little ghost in your mind, a memory. It's quite natural. Imagination.”
In this passage, Mr. Bittering uses figurative language to describe memories. What does this statement suggest about memories?
a. Mr. Bittering suggests that memories are the only part of our imaginations.
b. Mr. Bittering suggests that memories are like ghosts that live on long after something goes away.
c. Mr. Bittering suggests that memories are like ghosts that haunt you forever.
d. Mr. Bittering suggests that memories are frightening.
b. Mr. Bittering suggests that memories are like ghosts that live on long after something goes away.
When the Lieutenant and Earthmen come back to save the people who were stranded on Mars, what do they find?
Mr. Bittering’s rocket finished and ready to go.
The Martians hanging out in the cottages and canals.
Angry Martians who want the Earthmen to leave.
An abandoned town and an unfinished rusting rocket.
d. An abandoned town and an unfinished rusting rocket.
Which quote from the text best reveals a calm or relaxing mood?
“All was water, quiet and deep, all was peace. He felt the steady, slow current drift him easily.”
“A few tremblings shook him, but were carried off in waves of pleasant heat as he lay in the sun. He was too tired to be afraid.”
“NO! Cried part of himself, deep down, put away, locked tight, suffocating. No! No!”
“We don't belong here. We 're Earth people. This is Mars. It was meant for Martians. For heaven's sake, Cora, let's buy tickets for home!”
a. “All was water, quiet and deep, all was peace. He felt the steady, slow current drift him easily.”
Read the lines from the text below.
“What about your Encyclopedia? You're taking it along, surely?”
Mr. Bittering glanced away. 'I'll come and get it next week.”
They turned to their daughter. “What about your New York dresses?”
The bewildered girl stared. “Why, I don't want them anymore.”
Why does their daughter react bewildered by her parents’ question?
a. She doesn't like New York.
b. She doesn’t have a connection left related to “Earth” things.
c. Those aren’t her dresses.
d. It will be too cold in the Villas to wear them.
b. She doesn’t have a connection left related to “Earth” things.