"A Sound of Thunder" by Ray Bradbury

Which statement best explains why the discussion about President Keith in the opening scene is important to the success of the story’s plot?

• The discussion about President Keith’s election sets the plot in motion, so it is important for the reader to learn about it prior to learning about the time travel.

• The discussion demonstrates that President Keith won and that his opponent is monstrous, which is necessary to know to understand the final scene’s significance.

• It is revealed at the end that the government is at odds with the safari company, so knowing that members of the company support President Keith is important.

• Information about President Keith’s election serves to foreshadow the story’s dramatic ending.

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The scene that depicts how horrifying the dinosaur is contributes to the plot by —

• making the careless actions Eckels takes seem believable despite the risks they pose

• demonstrating why adventurous people would want to sign up for the

• explaining why Travis and the desk clerk warn Eckels about the danger of the hunt

• indicating that hunting a dinosaur is more challenging than hunting other game

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Which two details best support the inference that significant changes have taken place in the present day by the end of the story?

• The butterfly from the prehistoric age is dead.

• The sign on the wall reveals that language conventions are different.

• The election has all the same candidates that it did before the hunt.

• The air tastes and feels slightly different.

• The office furniture seems very different.

What does the time Eckels spends in the past reveal about him?

• It reveals that he is as comfortable in a setting he knows as he is in a past era.

• It reveals that he is unable to handle hunting large game without skilled guides.

• It reveals that he underestimates the past and overestimates his adaptability.

• It reveals that he romanticizes the past and does not appreciate his own era enough.

This question has two parts. First, answer Part A. Then, answer Part B.

Part A Which conclusion can a reader draw about Eckels, based on his characterization in the selection?

• He doesn’t think through his actions to analyze their possible consequences.

• He is a rule follower and he is concerned about the safety of others.

• He is a pompous rich man, but he respects Mr. Travis’s authority.

• He is a timid person who doesn’t want to take any risks.

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Part A

A. He doesn’t think through his actions to analyze their possible consequences.

B. He is a rule follower and he is concerned about the safety of others.

C. He is a pompous rich man, but he respects Mr. Travis’s authority.

D. He is a timid person who doesn’t want to take any risks.

Part B Which two quotes from the selection best support the answer to Part A?

• He shook his head. “Makes you think. If the election had gone badly yesterday, I might be here now running away from the results.” (paragraph 7)

• “I’ve hunted tiger, wild boar, buffalo, elephant, but now, this is it,” said Eckels. (paragraph 58)

• The rifle in his hands seemed a cap gun. “We were fools to come. This is impossible.” (paragraph 72)

• “I didn’t realize it would be this big,” said Eckels. “I miscalculated, that’s all. And now I want out.” (paragraph 76)

• “Don’t look at me,” cried Eckels. “I haven’t done anything.” (paragraph 122)

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