Name
Date
THERE WILL COME SOFT RAINS
Selection Test A
Comprehension
Read each of the following questions. Then choose the letter of the best answer. (6 points
each)
1. What time period is covered by the events in
this story?
4. What does the house do in the evening?
A. It sends robot mice to clean the house.
A. one complete day
B. It cooks and serves a meal.
B. a morning from 7:00 A.M. to 1200 P.M.
C. It reads a favorite poem aloud.
C. an evening from 5:00 P.M. to 9:00 P.M.
D. It sets playing cards on a table.
D. two weeks
5. Which event happens last?
2. Which word best describes the actions of the
house in this story?
A. sneaky
B. stubborn
C. mechanical
A. The house burns in a fire.
B. A dog dies inside the house.
C. A voice reads a poem aloud.
D. The family dies.
D. understanding
3. Based on details in the story, you can conclude
THERE WILL COME SOFT RAINS
Copyright by McDougal Littell, a division of Houghton Mifflin Company
that the family
A. knew they were going to die
B. did not like living in their house
C. started a nuclear war
D. did not expect to die
Resource Manager
Unit 3
Grade 10
59
Name
Date
SELECTION TEST A, CONTINUED
Vocabulary
Choose the answer that best explains the meaning of each underlined word. (6 points each)
6. What does sublime mean?
9. Someone with paranoia feels
A. awful
A. an irrational fear
B. intelligent
B. a strong passion
C. splendid
C. an uncontrollable anger
D. awkward
D. a lively energy
7. A silhouette is a
10. What does tremulous mean?
A. long answer
A. careful
B. home robot
B. awake
C. rhyming poem
C. trembling
D. dark outline
D. stiff
8. What does manipulate mean?
A. move
B. measure
C. make
Written Response
Short Response Answer the following questions based on your knowledge of the story.
Write a sentence or two on a separate sheet of paper. (10 points each)
11. What are two things the house does on its own?
12. What can you conclude happened to the other families in the neighborhood? Provide
one example from the story to support your conclusion.
Extended Response Answer the following question based on your knowledge of the
story. Write one or two paragraphs on a separate sheet of paper. (20 points)
13. Explain why the house is the main character in this story. Support your answer with
details from the story.
60
Unit 3
Grade 10
Resource Manager
Copyright by McDougal Littell, a division of Houghton Mifflin Company
THERE WILL COME SOFT RAINS
D. mix