The Earth Men--Quiz
  1. (2) Draw a diagram of what a day and a year are, astronomically speaking.
  2. (2) Explain, using a diagram, why the distance from Earth to Mars changes with the time of year.
  3. On page 17, after Mrs. Ttt yells at him about his muddy boots, the captain says, "This is no time for trivialities...we should be celebrating." The word trivialities means...a) worries about cleanliness, b) important things, c) womanly worries, d) unimportant things, e) yelling.
  4. Even though it doesn't really have anything to do with the story, Ray Bradbury spends time describing a mechanical spider toy that the little girl plays with. What might be the point? a) To show how weird the Martians are. b) To show us a glimpse of what Martian life is like. c) He's comparing the Earth men to the spider; they are just toys that the Martians play with. d) All of the above.
  5. It turns out that the line of work a Martian needs to be in to welcome Earth men is...a) military, b) government leader, c) police, d) immigration, e) psychiatry.
  6. The best word(s) to describe most Martians' reaction to the Earth men would be...a) fear, b) anger, c) indifference, d) annoyance, e) all of the above.
  7. What is it the Earth men want from the Martians? a) Land. b) They want the Martians to surrender. c) Recognition. d) Goods to trade with Earth. e) All of the above.
  8. (2) What is euthanasia? Give an example of a "nice" way to say it. (Extra Credit Opportunity: What do we call those "nice" ways of saying unpleasant things?--Example: passed away = died.)
  9. Why was there no "hullabaloo" to welcome the Earth men? a) The Martians didn't believe the Earth men's story. b) There are many people on Mars who claim to be from Earth. c) The Martians had already met Earth men before (from the First Expedition). d) The Martians wanted the Earth men to go home.
  10. What was the Martian's explanation for the rocket? a) It came from somewhere else on Mars. b) It was left there by the First Expedition. c) It was a product of the Earth men's minds. d) It was a fake.
  11. Why did Mr. Iii laugh when the captain asked if his men should sign the papers too?
  12. (p28-29) Based on how Mr. Xxx uses these words, match each one with the sense it refers to:
    • olfactory
    • labial
    • auditory
    • visual
    • tactile
    • touch
    • taste
    • smell
    • sight
    • hearing
  13. Why does Mr. Xxx shoot the men? a) They are a danger to Martians. b) They are in pain. c) He believes they really are from Earth. d) He thinks they will be happier dead.
  14. Why does Mr. Xxx shoot himself?
  15. Why does the story end with a "weather report"? a) To show what weather on Mars is like. b) To show that Mars is like Earth in many ways. c) To show that the Earth men's visit went basically unnoticed. d) All of the above. e) None of the above.