He-y, Come on Ou-t!

In “He—y, Come On Ou—t!,” how do the villagers come to discover the hole?

• A landslide has swept away a shrine that had covered it.

• A child from the village falls into it by accident.

• A construction worker notices it while clearing debris.

In “He—y, Come On Ou—t!,” what is remarkable about the hole that the

villagers discover?

• It is very wide.

• It is in a holy place.

• It seems to be bottomless.

• It is filled with different things.

In “He—y, Come On Ou—t!,” who offers to fill the hole?

• one of the scientists

• a government worker

• a newspaper reporter

• one of the concessionaires

In “He—y, Come On Ou—t!,” what is the main reason that “the hole gave

peace of mind to the dwellers of the city”?

• The city dwellers were relieved to know that the nuclear waste was stored

  safely underground.

• The city dwellers could produce more and more without worrying about

  the consequences.

• The city dwellers could feel safe because the hole was in the village,

  miles from the city.

• The city dwellers were glad to have such a wonderful place in which to

  bury their dead.

Read this paragraph from “He—y, Come On Ou—t!”

One newspaper reporter tied a weight to the end of a long cord and lowered it into

the hole. A long way down it went. The cord ran out, however, and he tried to pull it

out, but it would not come back up. Two or three people helped out but when they

all pulled too hard, the cord parted at the edge of the hole. Another reporter, a

camera in hand, who had been watching all of this, quietly untied a stout rope that

had been wound around his waist.

What had the reporter with the camera most likely been planning to do?

• photograph the weight as it descended

• lower himself and his camera into the hole

• take pictures of the people pulling the cord

• assist with the lowering of weights into the hole

The scientist in “He—y, Come On Ou—t!” seems to pride himself on

being “all-knowing.” What does he do that best shows his self-important

nature?

• He suggests that the villagers sell the hole to concessionaires.

• He runs a variety of tests on the hole without getting clear results.

• He maintains the false appearance that he actually understands the hole.

• He drowns out people’s questions by blasting a loud sound with his bull

  horn.

Read these lines from “He—y, Come On Ou—t!”

The police felt comforted as they used the hole to get rid of accumulations of

expertly done counterfeit bills. Criminals breathed easier after throwing material

evidence into the hole.

In general, how does the hole seem to make people feel?

• concerned

• wealthy

• relieved

• lawful

The people in “He—y, Come On Ou—t!” believe that their

“problems…would gradually be resolved by the hole.” What is the first sign

that they are incorrect?

• Construction continues in the city, which grows and expands.

• A large road now connects the bustling city to the small village.

• Things that were thrown into the hole suddenly begin to reappear.

• The scientist cannot explain the hole, which worries the city leaders.

Which event creates situational irony in the ending of “He—y, Come On

Ou—t!”?

• The hole never fills up, and the city becomes cleaner and better.

• A voice shouts from the sky, and a pebble falls toward the city.

• The city keeps expanding until the village is swallowed up.

• The hole is filled and eventually pollutes the entire village.

How does the incident with the workman at the end of “He—y, Come On

Ou—t!” most clearly present an example of dramatic irony?

• The narrator hears the workman say something that he does not really mean.

• The reader knows more about what is happening than the workman does.

• The workman’s behavior is not what the reader might predict.

• The workman’s appearance is unexpected and surprising.