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Worksheets"The Veldt"
Total questions: 19
Worksheet time: 13mins
“It’s just that the nursery is different now than it was.”
What do we ordinarily associate with a children’s nursery?
the African veldt
the hot sun
comfort
play
“It’s just that the nursery is different now than it was.”
What do we normally associate with a children’s nursery?
lions
motherhood
toys
vultures
“It’s just that the nursery is different now than it was.”
What do we not typically associate with a children’s nursery?
vultures
death
toys
childhood
“‘But nothing’s too good for our children,’ George had said.”
Bradbury warns against the hidden dangers of
overindulgence, or spoiling children.
using technology as a babysitter.
blindly relying on technology.
immediate gratification.
giving children everything
“The hot straw smell of lion grass, the cool green smell of the hidden water hole, the great rusty smell of animals, the smell of dust like a red paprika in the hot air. And now the sounds: the thump of distant antelope feet on grassy sod, the papery rustling of vultures. A shadow passed through the sky. The shadow flickered on George Hadley’s upturned, sweating face.”
Identify the prominent literary device in the excerpt above.
metaphor
simile
sensory detail, or imagery
personification
“The hot straw smell of lion grass, the cool green smell of the hidden water hole, the great rusty smell of animals, the smell of dust like a red paprika in the hot air. And now the sounds: the thump of distant antelope feet on grassy sod, the papery rustling of vultures. A shadow passed through the sky. The shadow flickered on George Hadley’s upturned, sweating face.”
Identify the literary device in italics in the excerpt above.
metaphor
simile
sensory detail, or imagery
personification
“George Hadley was filled with admiration for the mechanical genius who had conceived this room.”
Within the context, conceived does not mean
imagined, thought up, dreamed up.
became pregnant.
developed.
invented.
created.
“A miracle of efficiency selling for an absurdly low price. Every home should have one. Oh, occasionally they frightened you with their clinical accuracy, they startled you, gave you a twinge, but most of the time what fun for everyone.”
The description above makes the room seem
desirable.
harmless.
entertaining.
affordable.
“And here were the lions now, fifteen feet away, so real, so feverishly and startlingly real that you could feel the prickling fur on your hand, and your mouth was stuffed with the dusty upholstery smell of their heated pelts, and the yellow of them was in your eyes like the yellow of an exquisite French tapestry, the yellows of lions and summer grass, and the sound of the matted lion lungs exhaling on the silent noontide, and the smell of meat from the panting, dripping mouths.”
Identify the prominent literary device in the excerpt above.
metaphor
simile
sensory detail, or imagery
personification
“Walls, Lydia, remember; crystal walls, that’s all they are.”
Though George dismisses her fears, the walls actually
later prove quite dangerously real.
provide harmless and wholesome entertainment.
serve to divide the family.
“When I punished Peter a month ago by locking the nursery for even a few hours—the tantrum he threw! And Wendy too. They live for the nursery.”
The names Wendy and Peter allude to
Charlie and the Chocolate Factory because it portrays spoiled children who get everything they want and often suffer for it.
Peter Pan because it depicts a mischievous boy who lives in Neverland without any adults and refuses to grow up.
“When I punished Peter a month ago by locking the nursery for even a few hours—the tantrum he threw! And Wendy too. They live for the nursery.”
How do teens typically react when parents attempt to take away technology such as cellphones or video games?
Teens quietly accept their parents’ decision, go to their rooms, and read a book.
They beg, plead, scream, cry, stomp their feet, and slam doors.
One teen described it “like taking candy from a baby.”
“Why don’t we shut the whole house off for a few days and take a vacation?”
The excerpt above seems ironic because
the house literally does everything for them, so why would they need a vacation?
ordinarily, people take vacations from hard work; however, the house provides endless leisure. They want to “vacation” so that they can actually work.
Bradbury warns against the hidden dangers of using technology as a babysitter.
Identify relevant textual evidence to support the claim above.
“Nothing ever likes to die—even a room.”
“I wonder if it hates me for wanting to switch it off?”
“I feel like I don’t belong here. The house is wife and mother now, and nursemaid. Can I compete with an African veldt?”
“This room is their mother and father, far more important in their lives than their real parents.”
Sadly, many children can often outsmart their parents when it comes to technology.
Identify relevant textual evidence to support the claim above.
“We’ve given the children everything they ever wanted.”
“He may have got into the machinery and fixed something.”
“Or Peter’s set it to remain that way.”
“They’re spoiled, and we’re spoiled.”
Bradbury warns against overindulgence.
Identify relevant textual evidence to support the claim above.
“Too much of anything isn’t good for anyone.”
“We’re full of strawberry ice cream and hot dogs,” said the children, holding hands.
“They’re insufferable…They’re spoiled, and we’re spoiled.”
“We’ve given the children everything they ever wanted. Is this our reward—secrecy, disobedience?”
“That sun. He could feel it on his neck, still, like a hot paw. And the lions. And the smell of blood.”
Identify the literary device in italics in the excerpt above.
metaphor
simile
sensory detail, or imagery
personification
Identify relevant textual evidence that explains what the hot sun represents.
“What prompted us to buy a nightmare?”
“We’ve been contemplating our mechanical, electronic navels for too long.”
“This room is their mother and father, far more important in their lives than their real parents. And now you come along and want to shut it off. No wonder there’s hatred here. You can feel it coming out of the sky. Feel that sun.”
“We were [dead], for a long while. Now we’re going to really start living. Instead of being handled and massaged, we’re going to live.”
“Remarkable how the nursery caught the telepathic emanations of the children’s minds and created life to fill their every desire.”
In “The Veldt” by Ray Bradbury, the nursery actually represents
a room where the baby sleeps.
a place where plants get propagated, grown, and sold to the general public.
ever-evolving modern technology: the internet, YouTube, Netflix, Amazon Prime, HBO, anything with the ability to provide more personalized programming.
ever-evolving modern technology: the internet, virtual reality, cellphones, video games, platforms such as Netflix, Amazon, HBO, anything with the ability to gather data regarding personal preferences, browsing and purchasing history.
