Comprehension Skills Test: “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed”

What is the genre of “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed”?

• historical fiction

• realistic fiction

• science fiction

• fantasy

Tags

CCSS.RL.6.9

CCSS.W.6.9B

Which shape best represents the plot structure in this story?

• a pyramid

• a square

• a rhombus

• a circle

Which statement below is a valid theme of the story?

• Extra-terrestrials are dangerous and should be avoided.

• It is human nature to adapt and change in response to our environment.

• Humans should never attempt to colonize other planets.

• In the future, you can live on any planet that you choose.

Which excerpt below best supports your answer to the previous question?

• “The town’s empty, but we found native life in the hills, sir. Dark people. Yellow eyes. Martians. Very friendly. We talked a bit, not much. They learn English fast."

• Summer burned the canals dry. Summer moved like flame upon the meadows.

• His wife took him aside a few days later. “Harry, I’ve used up all the food in the deep freezer. There’s nothing left.”

• Harry Bittering moved into the metal shop and began to build the rocket. Men stood in the open door and talked and joked without raising their voices.

Which statement below is false about the story's point of view?

• The narrator focuses on the thoughts and feelings of one character.

• The story is written with third person pronouns.

• The narrator is all-knowing, or omniscient.

• The narrator is not a character in the story.

What is the first sign that Mr. Bittering is beginning to accept changes?

• Mr. Bittering allows his son to change his name.

• Mr. Bittering begins to use the old names for landmarks.

• Mr. Bittering insists on building the rocket, despite the indifference of others.

• Mr. Bittering imagines big, lazy furniture in the villa.

Which of the following events is most important to the development of the plot?

• Mr. Bittering wanders through the garden.

• Harry readied the blueprints for the rocket.

• A radio flash carries news of the atom bomb and rocket destruction in New York.

• The Bitterings leave their furniture behind when they move to the villa.

Which statement below best describes the shift in mood that occurs in the story?

• The Martians are angry when the humans first arrive, but as the story progresses, the two groups become friendly.

• At first, the mood is tense as Harry struggles to accept his new reality. Gradually, the mood relaxes as Harry gives in to the changes that are inevitable.

• At the beginning of the story, the family is excited about their new lives on Mars. But the longer they are on Mars, the more they worry that something is horribly wrong.

• The story begins with a mood of uncertainty. Gradually, the mood becomes more

  certain as the characters settle in to their roles.

In “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed,” how does the author appeal to the reader’s senses in order to effectively establish the mood?

• with clever dialogue

• by appealing to the reader’s sense of horror

• by using vivid language, including imagery

• by using irony and complicated symbolism

In 1587, a group of around 115 British settlers arrived on Roanoke Island, building a settlement off of the coast of present-day North Carolina. Later that year, the governor, John White, left the colony – including his wife, daughter, and infant granddaughter - to return to England to gather desperately needed supplies. However, White’s return to the Roanoke colony in the Americas was delayed due to England’s involvement in a war. When White finally arrived in 1590, he found no trace of the colony or its inhabitants. The only clue left behind was a single word, “Croatoan,” carved into a wooden post. Croatoan was the name of a local tribe of Native Americans. To this day, the fate of the Lost Colony of Roanoke remains one of the biggest mysteries in American history.

Compare the true story of the Lost Colony of Roanoke to the fictional “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed.” Identify at least two similarities between the two stories. Then, answer this question: Based on the conclusion of his story, “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed,” what do you think Ray Bradbury would say happened to the settlers of the Lost Colony of Roanoke?

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