Test: Dark They were, and Golden-Eyed (Pages 1-5)

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is the surname of the family that arrives on Mars?

   a) Smith

   b) Jones

   c) Bittering

   d) Bradbury

2. How does Harry feel immediately after stepping out of the rocket?

   a) Excited and happy

   b) Like he's in a vacuum, wanting to leave

   c) Curious about the cities

   d) Relieved to be off the rocket

3. What does Harry fear the Martian air might do to him?

   a) Make him stronger

   b) Help him breathe better

   c) Dissolve his intellect and burn away his past

   d) Make him homesick

4. What do the old Martian cities look like among the grass?

   a) Tall skyscrapers

   b) Children's delicate bones

   c) Busy marketplaces

   d) Newly built cottages

5. Why does Cora Bittering initially refuse to consider going back to Earth?

   a) She loves Mars

   b) They have no money

   c) She fears atom bombs will destroy Earth

   d) The rocket is broken

6. What news does Laura deliver that causes distress?

   a) A Martian storm is coming

   b) Atom bombs hit New York and space rockets were destroyed

   c) Their food supply is gone

   d) Martians have been sighted

7. Approximately how many Earth people are stranded on Mars?

   a) Only the Bittering family

   b) About a hundred

   c) About a thousand

   d) Tens of thousands

8. What does Harry propose the stranded people should do?

   a) Explore the Martian cities

   b) Start a war with Martians

   c) Build a rocket to go back

   d) Move to the hills

9. How do the men in town react to Harry's plan to build a rocket?

   a) They eagerly volunteer to help

   b) They are angry and refuse

   c) They laugh and are unconcerned

   d) They offer him money

10. What physical change does Harry first notice in Sam's eyes?

    a) They turned blue

    b) They turned grey

    c) They turned yellow

    d) They became larger

11. What change does Harry see in his own eyes when he looks in the mirror?

    a) They are red

    b) They are unchanged

    c) They are completely yellow

    d) Flecks of new gold

12. What food does Harry insist on eating after noticing the changes?

    a) Only Martian vegetables

    b) Only food from their Earth deep-freeze

    c) Only canned goods

    d) Only fresh fruit

13. What happens to the rocket frame Harry begins building?

    a) It gets stolen

    b) It is completed quickly

    c) It begins to rust

    d) It is dismantled by the other men

14. By autumn, how has Harry's appearance changed?

    a) He looks older and tired

    b) He is paler and thinner

    c) He is very dark and golden-eyed

    d) He hasn't changed

15. How does the family later view the Earth settlement houses?

    a) As beautiful and nostalgic

    b) As strong and well-built

    c) As odd, ridiculous, and ugly

    d) As comfortable homes

16. How many years pass before another rocket arrives from Earth?

    a) One year

    b) Two years

    c) Five years

    d) Thirty years

17. What message does the captain of the new rocket bring?

    a) Earth needs more colonists

    b) They have won the war on Earth and are here to rescue

    c) Mars is being evacuated

    d) A plague has struck Earth

18. How does the rescue team describe the 'native life' they find in the hills?

    a) Hostile and primitive

    b) Pale and weak

    c) Dark people with yellow eyes, friendly, learn English fast

    d) Identical to Earth humans

19. What explanation does the lieutenant suggest for the disappearance of the Earth settlers?

    a) They were killed by Martians

    b) They built rockets and left

    c) A plague

    d) They moved to another valley

20. What does the captain conclude about the fate of the original settlers?

    a) The Martians are lying

    b) They will find the answer soon

    c) It's one of those mysteries they'll never solve

    d) The lieutenant knows more than he's saying

Synonyms (Multiple Choice)

Choose the best synonym for the given word, based on its use in the text.

1. Flutter

   a) Stiffen

   b) Wave/Quiver

   c) Vanish

2. Vacuum

   a) Crowd

   b) Empty space

   c) Storm

3. Submerged

   a) Floating

   b) Dried

   c) Immersed

4. Delicate

   a) Strong

   b) Fragile/Fine

   c) Large

5. Hollered

   a) Whispered

   b) Listened

   c) Shouted/Yelled

6. Unbidden

   a) Invited

   b) Uninvited

   c) Hidden

7. Prowling

   a) Sleeping

   b) Exploring/Moving stealthily

   c) Building

8. Stranded

   a) Comfortable

   b) Rescued

   c) Abandoned/Left behind

9. Drenched

   a) Dry

   b) Soaked

   c) Warm

10. Warped

    a) Painted

    b) Twisted/Bent

    c) Straightened

11. Leisure

    a) Difficulty

    b) Relaxation/Free time

    c) Anger

12. Construct

    a) Destroy

    b) Design

    c) Build

13. Casually

    a) Formally

    b) Angrily

    c) Informally/Relaxedly

14. Flecks

    a) Chunks

    b) Specks/Small spots

    c) Bars

15. Idled

    a) Worked hard

    b) Helped eagerly

    c) Loafed/Did little

16. Suspended

    a) Swinging

    b) Hanging

    c) Broken

17. Gazed

    a) Ignored

    b) Looked intently

    c) Shouted at

18. Mused

    a) Shouted

    b) Laughed

    c) Pondered/Thought

19. Flimsy

    a) Strong

    b) Weak/Poorly made

    c) Giant

20. Abandoned

    a) Busy

    b) New

    c) Deserted

Short Answer Questions

Provide your answers in the text boxes below.

1. Describe Harry Bittering's initial emotional reaction upon arriving on Mars.
2. Why does Cora Bittering believe they will be safer on Mars than on Earth?
3. What specific physical changes does Harry notice in Sam and later in himself?
4. What is the immediate impact of Laura's news about the war on Earth on the family?
5. Contrast Harry's urgent desire to build a rocket with the attitude of the other men in town.
6. Describe the significant changes in the Bittering family's appearance and attitude by the autumn described on page 4.
7. How does the family's perception of Earth-built houses change as they become more Martian?
8. Explain the irony of the rescue rocket arriving after five years.
9. How does the rescue team captain interpret the presence of the dark, golden-eyed people they find?
10. What 'mystery' does the captain resign himself to never solving?
11. What role does the Martian environment (wind, air, seasons) play in the story?
12. What does the title 'Dark They were, and Golden-Eyed' refer to?
13. How does Harry's attitude towards food from their Martian garden change?
14. What are the Bittering children doing that shows their assimilation into Martian culture near the end?
15. What does the rusting, unfinished rocket frame symbolize?