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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What haunting sound does Nat hear when the birds start to attack on his way home from the bus stop?

2. Why doesn’t Mrs. Hocken immediately open the door for Nat when he runs home?

3. What does Mr. Trigg think is affecting the birds’ behavior?

4. What does Mr. Trigg do for a living?

5. After the first attack, what color is used to describe the morning sky?

Short Essay Questions

1. What theory does Mrs. Trigg present as the origins of the strange birds?

2. What does Nat find irritating about the radio announcer’s voice, and why?

3. What is Nat’s mental state when he returns home from the bus stop?

4. Why is Nat filled with “a kind of excitement” upon returning home from the beach?

5. During the news broadcast at dinner that night, what insight does the announcer give into the attacks?

6. What supplies do the Hockens have at home, and what does Nat list as necessities to buy the next time he’s in town?

7. When do the birds first draw blood from Nat?

8. How does Nat dispose of the bird carcasses that litter his yard after the first attack?

9. How does Mrs. Hocken react when Nat starts boarding up the windows and doors?

10. How is the weather described on the morning of the first bird attack?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

What is the initial response toward the bird attacks by the authorities? Why do they respond in the way that they do? What suggestions does Nat have for dealing with the birds? Are the birds ever dealt with? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

What is unique about the past of the character Nat Hocken? How does his past affect him in the present? Does this set him apart from other characters in the story? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

How does Nat's relationship with his wife and family differ both before and after the attack of the birds? Why is this so?

(see the answer keys)

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