War of the Worlds

What is most likely the meaning of the white flag that appears in Paragraph 7?

Then I saw some cabmen and others had walked boldly into the sand pits, and heard the clatter of hoofs and the gride of wheels. I saw a lad trundling off the barrow of apples. And then, within thirty yards of the pit, advancing from the direction of Horsell, I noted a little black knot of men, the foremost of whom was waving a white flag.

• A. The humans are violently attacking the Martians.

• B. The group of men are planting the flag in the ground near the Martian landing to establish that this is their territory.

• C. The men who are seeking out the Martians are showing that they come in peace.

• D. It is a gift being given to the Martians.

Which of these inferences about Ogilvy, Stent and Henderson is best supported by the text (Paragraph 9)?

Flutter, flutter, went the flag, first to the right, then to the left. It was too far for me to recognise anyone there, but afterwards I learned that Ogilvy, Stent, and Henderson were with others in this attempt at communication. This little group had in its advance dragged inward, so to speak, the circumference of the now almost complete circle of people, and a number of dim black figures followed it at discreet distances.

• A. They are close friends with the narrator.

• B. They attempted to communicate with the Martians.

• C. They have plans to attack the Martians.

• D. They were standing with the narrator and his neighbor as they stared at the Martian pit.

Which of the following best describes the mood in Paragraph 14?

Then, by the light of their own destruction, I saw them staggering and falling, and their supporters turning to run.

• A. Curiosity

• B. Amazement

• Fear

• Calm

What do the following lines from Paragraph 17 reveal?

All this had happened with such swiftness that I had stood motionless, dumbfounded and dazzled by the flashes of light. Had that death swept through a full circle, it must inevitably have slain me in my surprise. But it passed and spared me, and left the night about me suddenly dark and unfamiliar.

• A. The narrator has surprisingly survives the attack.

• B. Everyone on earth has perished in the fire.

• C. The narrator is ready to strike back at the Martians.

• D. The Martians have left behind a new earth that the narrator is eager to embrace.

What is a most likely central idea of the passage?

• A. Humans have a sense that there is something bad coming and they should not trust the Martians.

• B. The fear caused by the invasion has caused all people to unite in one universal response.

• C. People are curious about the mysterious visitors.

• D. Before approaching the pit, the humans hold a summit to decide what was the best move.

Which sentence from the text most strongly supports the correct answer to Question 5?

• A. “The crowd far away on the left, towards Woking, seemed to grow, and I heard now a faint murmur from it.”

• B. “Then, by the light of their own destruction, I saw them staggering and falling, and their supporters turning to run.”

• C. “There was scarcely an intimation of movement from the pit.”

• D. “But it was scarcely a time for articulate conversation.”

Which of the following inferences is best supported by the text?

• A. Humans cannot take their eyes off the Martians because they are so beautiful.

• B. The narrator is in awe of the Martians’ arrival and unsure if he should be afraid.

• C. The Martians have given no indication that they have any mental capacity.

• D. The narrator would like to leave Earth with the Martians once they depart.

Which statement from the text most strongly supports the correct answer to Question 7?

• A. “I began walking, therefore, in a big curve, seeking some point of vantage and continually looking at the sand heaps that hid these new-comers to our earth.”

• B. “‘Did you see a man in the pit?’ I said; but he made no answer to that.”

• C. “I did not dare to go back towards the pit, but I felt a passionate longing to peer into it.”

• D. “‘What ugly brutes!’ he said. ‘Good God! What ugly brutes!’”

Order these events chronologically as they occur in the story:

What happened first?

• A specter rises from the pit accompanied by a cloud and a drone sound.

• The Martian vessel sinks into the pit.

• A light flashes and people begin catching on fire.

• The narrator stares at the pit as the crowds approach it.

Order these events chronologically as they occur in the story:

What was the second event?

• A specter rises from the pit accompanied by a cloud and a drone sound.

• The Martian vessel sinks into the pit.

• A light flashes and people begin catching on fire.

• The narrator stares at the pit as the crowds approach it.