Dark They Were, and Golden Eyed

1. Part A: Which of the following identifies the theme of the text? (RL.7.2)

• A person’s surroundings shape him/her in unexpected ways.

• People should be willing to change for those around them.

• Losing one’s home is always a tragedy.

• People don’t realize the good things they have until they are gone.

Part B: Which TWO of the following best support the answer to Part A? (RL.7.1)

• He saw their skin baking brown. And he saw the yellow eyes of his wife and his children, their eyes that were never yellow before.”

• Dan fidgeted. 'The other day you called Dan, Dan, Dan. I didn't even hear. I said to myself, That's not my name. I've a new name I want to use.’.

• Something made him check everything each morning – warm hearth, potted blood-geraniums - precisely as if he expected something to be amiss.

• He saw the sky submerged above him, the sun made Martian by atmosphere and time and space.

• 'A radio flash just came. Atom bombs hit New York! All the space rockets blown up. No more rockets to Mars, ever!'

How does the exposition in paragraphs 1 - 13 contribute to the development of the plot?

(RL.7.3)

• It establishes that Mr. Bittering is uncomfortable on Mars because he feels as if his new home is going to affect who he is in some way.

• It establishes that Mars is beautiful planet that will allow the Bittering family to have a chance at real happiness.

• It shows that Mars is very different than Earth, and it will take a while for the Bittering family to get used to their new home.

• It shows that Mr. Bittering is a grumpy man who always sees the negative and will therefore not give his new home a chance .

Reread paragraphs.

Alone, thought Bittering. Only a thousand of us here. No way back. No way. No way. Sweat poured from his face and his hands and his body; he was drenched in the hotness of his fear. He wanted to strike Laura, cry, 'No, you're lying! The rockets will come back!' Instead, he stroked Laura's head against him and said, 'The rockets will get through, some day.'

How does the description of Mr. Bittering’s reaction to the news about Earth contribute to the reader’s understanding of Mr. Bittering’’s character? (RL.7.6)

• The description shows the reader that Mr. Bittering is willing to put aside his feelings to help his child.

• The description helps to highlight for the reader Mr. Bittering’s need to always be right. .

• The description proves to the reader that Mr. Bittering always loses his temper at Laura’s dramatic fits.

• The description emphasizes to the reader how Mr. Bittering has a close relationship with Laura.

Reread the following sentence.

Something made him check everything each morning – warm hearth, potted blood-geraniums - precisely as if he expected something to be amiss.

What does the word “amiss” mean as used in this sentence? (L.7.4)

• wrong

• correct

• emotional

• proper

Read the following paragraphs.

‘'We must get away,' said Bittering. 'We'll eat this stuff and then we'll change -who knows to what. I can't let it happen. There's only one thing to do. Burn this food!''It's not poisoned.''But it is. Subtly, very subtly. A little bit. A very little bit. We mustn't touch it.'He looked with dismay at their house. 'Even the house. The wind's done something to it. The air's burned it. The fog at night. The boards, all warped out of shape. It's not an Earthman's house any more.''Oh, your imagination!'.

What do the paragraphs above reveal about Mr. Bittering’s perspective?

(RL.7.6)

• The paragraphs illustrate how Mr. Bittering feels that they should have planted different food and built a different kind of house.

• The paragraphs emphasize how important Mrs. Bittering’s opinion is to Mrs. Bittering.

• The paragraphs show how glad Mr. Bittering is to be on Mars with his family.

• The paragraphs that Mr. Bittering thinks that the planet will cause them harm by changing them in some way.

Reread the following paragraph.

He returned to his philosophy of names and mountains. The Earthmen had changed names. Now there were Hormel Valleys, Roosevelt Seas, Ford Hills, Vanderbilt Plateaus, Rockefeller Rivers, on Mars. It wasn't right. The American settlers had shown wisdom, using old Indian prairie names: Wisconsin, Minnesota, Idaho, Ohio, Utah, Milwaukee, Waukegan, Osseo. The old names, the old meanings.

Based on the description above, what inference can the reader make about how the Earthmen regarded their taking over Mars? (RL.7.1)

• The Earthmen did not care about Mars before they settled there and just wanted to make Mars into the new Earth .

• The Earthmen were excited to show their creativity in naming the places in their new home.

• The Earthmen thought that what they named the places on Mars really did not matter.

• The Earthmen followed the traditions of the Native Americans on Earth when coming up with names.

How does the setting affect the plot of the story? (RL.7.3)

• The setting does not affect the story in any way because only what Mr. Bittering does allows the reader to understand the plot.

• The setting causes the Bittering family to realize that they had a wonderful home back on Earth, and they do everything they can to get back home.

• The setting causes Mr Bittering to be fearful of what will happen to him and his family, and his fears eventually come true as he adapts to life on Mars.

• The setting causes the Bittering family to resist adapting to their new life on Mars because they do not want to give up their true selves.

Read the following paragraphs.

The days were full of metal sound. He laid the frame of the rocket with the reluctant help of three indifferent men. He grew very tired in an hour or so and had to sit down.

'The altitude,' laughed a man.

'Are you eating, Harry?' asked another.

'I'm eating,' he said, angrily.

'From your deep-freeze?'

'Yes!'

'You're getting thinner, Harry.'

'I'm not!'

'And taller.'

'Liar!'

As it is used in the excerpt above, what does the word “angrily” show about Harry? (L.7.5)

• He is appreciative of the men’s help in building the rocket.

• He is annoyed that the men aren’t interested in leaving.

• He admires the men and wants to be more like them.

• He wishes that he knew as much about building rockets as the men do.

Read the following paragraphs.

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.’They both looked at each other, startled by all they had just finished saying. They laughed.

'Where did they go?' he wondered. He glanced at his wife. She was golden and slender as his daughter. She looked at him, and he seemed almost as young as their eldest son.

'I don't know,' she said.

How do the paragraphs affect the development of the story? (RL.7.5)

• The paragraphs emphasize how hard the Bitterings worked to adapt to their new home on Mars.

• The paragraphs show that the Bitterings have changed so much they do not remember who they were when they first arrived on Mars.

• The paragraphs describe the plans the Bitterings are making to return to their home on Earth.

• The paragraph highlights Mrs. Bittering’s fear of what would happen if they stayed on Mars instead of returning to Earth.

Tags

CCSS.RL.7.1

CCSS.RL.7.2

CCSS.RL.7.3