WorksheetsA Sound of Thunder
Total questions: 20
Worksheet time: 10mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
Why does Eckels want to travel back in time?
a)
to escape the police
b)
to live in a simpler time
c)
to do scientific research
d)
to hunt big game
2.
What kind of a leader does President Keith seem to be?
a)
peace-loving and democratic
b)
harsh and cruel
c)
a puppet of the rich and powerful
d)
a mental and physical weakling
3.
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
4.
Travis says, "The cave man...is not just any expendable man, no! He is an entire future nation." Which one of the following words is closest in meaning to "expendable"?
a)
dependable
b)
spendable
c)
commendable
d)
defendable
5.
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
6.
Travis says, "With the death of that one cave man, a billion others yet unborn are throttled in the womb." Another word for "throttled" is
a)
created
b)
nourished
c)
enslaved
d)
strangled
7.
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
8.
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
9.
Just before returning home, Travis orders Eckels to
a)
retrieve the bullets
b)
bury the monster
c)
pay a fine
d)
sign a release
10.
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
11.
1. The phrase, “Warm phlegm gathered in Eckels’ throat; he swallowed and pushed it down. The muscles around his mouth formed a smile…. Shows that Eckels is…
a)
Excited about the hunt
b)
Frightened of the possible consequences
c)
Nervous about the decision to spend the money on the safari
d)
apathetic to the hunt and spending the money on it.
12.
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
13.
The line, “each lower leg was a piston…” is meant to emphasize…
a)
The power behind each leg and the dinosaur’s ability to move freely
b)
The height of the dinosaur compared to the trees.
c)
The fierceness of the dinosaur as it attacks the hunters.
d)
The inability of the dinosaur to be killed.
14.
What is the meaning of the word “cavernous” as used on page 2 (first column)
a)
large in size
b)
dark and shadowy
c)
flexible
d)
destructive
15.
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.
16.
What literary genre is "A Sound of Thunder?"
a)
Fantasy
b)
Comedy
c)
Science Fiction
d)
Drama
17.
What are some elements of science fiction?
a)
Settings in an alternate time and place
b)
Speculation about humanity's future
c)
Often tells of science and technology of the future and its effect on humans
d)
All the above
18.
Bradbury uses what literary device to describe the dinosaur?
a)
Imagery
b)
Personification
c)
Metaphor
d)
Foreshadowing
19.
How does Mr. Travis punish Eckels for stepping off the path?
a)
He refuses to let Eckels back on the Time Machine.
b)
He makes Eckels run up and down The Path.
c)
He shoots Eckels.
d)
He makes Eckels go collect the bullets from the T-Rex.
20.
Upon returning to Times Safari, Inc. office, what is the first thing that Eckels notices?
a)
That the spelling on the sign had changed
b)
A faint smell in the air
c)
The color of the desk
d)
That the man behind the desk was different
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