WorksheetsSound of Thunder
Total questions: 30
Worksheet time: 23mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
Who is the protagonist of the story?
a)
Eckels
b)
Travis
c)
Billings
d)
Lesperance
2.
Why, according to Travis, must the time travelers be very careful not to kill any plants or creatures from the past?
a)
Because by changing anything in the past they might greatly alter the future
b)
Because there is a government fine for illegal hunting in the past
c)
Because some of the living things are important to human beings
d)
Because they might hurt themselves
3.
Who is the author of "A Sound of Thunder"?
a)
Roald Dahl
b)
Paul Zindel
c)
Ray Bradbury
d)
Langston Hughes
4.
Who is the president at the end of "A Sound of Thunder"?
a)
Lesperance
b)
Keith
c)
Travis
d)
Deutscher
5.
The tone of the story changes from the beginning to the end by
a)
starting off frightening and ending optimistic
b)
starting off pessimistic and ending up triumphant
c)
starting off optimistic and exciting and ending up tragic
d)
starting off tense and ending up pessimistic
6.
Why does Lesperance say, “We can’t take the body back with us.”
a)
Taking the body will make other people react badly when they get back from the safari.
b)
Taking the body is impossible because it will not fit in the time machine.
c)
Taking the body will disrupt the biological processes in the jungle.
d)
Taking the body will make others want to destroy more dinosaurs.
7.
Explain why the author includes the following dates for the time machine to go through on the trip home from the safari?
“1492. 1776. 1812.”
“1492. 1776. 1812.”
a)
All of these were dates when significant changes occurred in Europe.
b)
All of these were dates of success and triumph in the United States.
c)
All of these were dates of loss and destruction in the United States.
d)
All of these were dates of large scientific discoveries in the world.
8.
Which of the following is a theme developed in the story?
a)
Every action or choice has results that can drastically affect others.
b)
Love connects every living thing in an intricate web.
c)
Hate never leads to success.
d)
None of the above
9.
How does Travis “punish” Eckels for his behavior during the safari?
a)
He makes him pay a fee of $10,000
b)
He refuses to take him back to the year 2055.
c)
He shoots Eckels.
d)
He tells the authorities about the behavior of Eckels.
10.
When you think about the end of the story, what is ironic about the fact that Eckels killed a butterfly?
a)
Butterflies are peaceful and innocent.
b)
Butterflies were rare during Prehistoric times
c)
Butterflies are tiny, yet this one death changed the future of the United States in a big way.
d)
None of the above
11.
Travis asks the time travelers to obey several rules. By far the most important of these rules is to
a)
wear oxygen masks
b)
stay on the Path
c)
aim for the dinosaur's eyes
d)
take turns shooting
12.
At what point in the story does Eckels first become frightened?
a)
When he hands his check to the man behind the desk
b)
When the Time Machine starts its journey
c)
When he gets his first glimpse of Tyrannosaurus Rex
d)
When they arrive home again in the year 2055
13.
When the dinosaur begins to attack, Eckels
a)
shoots it in the brain
b)
shoots and misses
c)
becomes frightened and runs
d)
takes its picture
14.
What is the first thing Eckels notices when he returns from the time safari?
a)
The sign on the office door
b)
The mud on his boots
c)
The crushed butterfly
d)
That Deutscher has been elected president
15.
The "sound of thunder" referred to in the last line of the story is actually the sound of
a)
a dinosaur falling
b)
a violent storm
c)
an angry voice
d)
a rifle shot
16.
This makes Africa seem like _______.
a)
Iowa
b)
Illinois
c)
Canada
d)
Ohio
17.
What is the first thing Eckels notices when he returns from the time safari?
a)
The sign on the office door
b)
The mud on his boots
c)
The crushed butterfly
d)
That Deutscher has been elected president
18.
How does Time Safari Inc. attempt to keep hunters from changing time?
a)
An antigravity path
b)
Oxygen masks
c)
Marking animals with red paint
d)
All of the above
19.
The phrase, "warm phlegm gathered in Eckels' throat; he swallowed and pushed it down." suggests that Eckels feels...
a)
Confident about the safari
b)
Apathetic to the safari
c)
Self Conscious about his relationship with the tour guide
d)
Apprehensive about the safari
20.
using hints or clues to suggest something that may happen later
a)
plot
b)
foreshadowing
c)
irony
d)
infer
21.
the sequence of events in a story
a)
plot
b)
foreshadowing
c)
irony
d)
flashback
22.
the underlying message the author wants the reader to understand
a)
plot
b)
theme
c)
irony
d)
flashback
23.
a logical assumption that is based on observed facts and one's own knowledge and experience
a)
inference
b)
flashback
c)
foreshadowing
d)
imagery
24.
Which sentence contains an example of a simile?
a)
"Unbelievable," Eckels breathed, the light of the machine on his thin face.
b)
He felt the trembling in his arms, and he looked down and found his hands tight on the new rifle.
c)
Eckels, balanced on the narrow Path, aimed his rifle playfully.
d)
Its mouth gaped, exposing a fence of teeth like daggers.
25.
Which of the following is NOT a word used to describe Eckels?
a)
rich
b)
arrogant
c)
shallow
d)
kind
26.
What is the penalty for violating the first rule?
a)
death
b)
$10,000 fine and government action
c)
$5,000 fine and jail time
d)
not being allowed on any more trips
27.
What did Eckels have to retrieve from the dinosaur's skull?
a)
hairs
b)
bones
c)
bullets
d)
arrows
28.
The climax of the story occurs when--
a)
Travis orders Eckels out of the time machine
b)
Eckels kills a butterfly
c)
the tree falls on the dinosaur
d)
we learn the results of Eckels's actions
29.
What do A Sound of Thunder and the excerpt from Jurassic Park have in common?
a)
Both stories feature modern people among prehistoric dinosaurs
b)
Both stories were written by Ray Bradbury
c)
In each story people travel through time
d)
In each story prehistoric dinosaurs come to life
30.
The mood of A Sound of Thunder can be described as--
a)
tense and frightening
b)
past and present
c)
somber and serious
d)
science-fiction and adventure
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