Monsters Are Due on Maple Street

Which statement expresses the main idea of "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street"?

• A mysterious flash of light causes the power to go out on Maple Street.

• A boy convinces people that aliens have invaded their quiet neighborhood.

• People in a typical American neighborhood turn on each other when they think their street has been invaded by aliens.

• Aliens are planning to take over Earth by causing trouble in one neighborhood after another.

The narrator tells us about the setting at the beginning of Act I. He states, "Maple Street, USA, late summer. A tree-lined little world of front porch gliders, hopscotch, the laughter of children, and the bell of an ice-cream vendor." The narrator's MAIN PURPOSE in describing the setting this way is MOST LIKELY...

• to create a suspenseful, terrifying tone

• to show that the neighborhood is a peaceful, "normal" neighborhood

• to hint that the neighborhood will become violent

• to have the audience envision a strange setting

Which genre (category of literature) is "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street" considered?

• romance

• horror

• historical fiction

• science fiction

The aliens would describe the people of Maple Street as

• brave and courageous

• interesting and unique

• predictable and flawed

• unpredictable and fascinating

You can INFER from the aliens' conversation (figure one and figure two) that...

• Maple Street is unique.

• Destroying humans is always very difficult.

• They have done the same thing in other towns on Earth.

• Their own planet is very similar to Earth.

"Maple Street, USA, late summer" is the __ of "The Monsters are Due on Maple Street."

• plot

• theme

• setting

• cast

When Charlie sees all of Maple Street lit by candles, he says, “Why, it’s like goin’ back into the dark ages or somethin’.” Considering what happens in the play, what second meaning could this statement have?

• The space creatures may take the townspeople to a different time period.

• The residents have let their fear, rather than their reason, take over.

• The creatures causing the power failure are from the Dark Ages.

• People used candles during the Dark Ages.

Why does Charlie shoot Pete Van Horn?

• He thinks Pete caused the power failure.

• He believes Pete is making ham radios.

• He has seen Pete gazing at the night sky.

• He sees a dark figure approaching and thinks it is the monster.

At the end of the play, the residents of Maple Street are — 

• resolving their problems.

• meeting with the aliens.

• turning on one another.

• moving to another town.

Why do you think the writer made the events occur on Maple Street, U.S.A.?

• The aliens were told to find this street.

• The setting indicates that small towns are filled with superstitious people.

• The main characters live on this street.

• The setting suggest that the events could happen anywhere.