Name:________________________________
Date: _____/_____/_____
Class: ___________
A Sound Of Thunder
Comprehension Questions
1.
(Characterization) Identify the protagonist and antagonist of the story, and list several character traits for each of the following
people:
Eckels Mr. Travis Lesperance Billings and Kramer -
2.
(Plot) Why is it so important for the hunters to stay on the path?
3.
(Characterization) How does Eckels react when coming face-to-face with the prey?
4.
(Character Motivation) Why does the guide get angry with Eckels?
5.
(Literary Terms) What is significant about the dates listed below? This is an example of what literary technique: ______________.
1492 1776 1812 –
6.
(Plot) What is different about the world when the hunters return to their own time? Give at least two specific examples.
7.
(Recall) Which of Eckels actions during his time travel experience have far-reaching and dire consequences for the future?
8.
(Interpret) What is the “sound of thunder” at the end of the story?
9.
(Draw Conclusions) Why does Travis decide to kill Eckels? Support your answer.
10. (Interpret Foreshadowing) Find two instances of foreshadowing in the story and the result of each instance. Use the graphic
organizer below to record your answers. There is an example provided.
Foreshadowing
Results
“If you disobey the instructions….”
Eckels disregards the instructions and goes
off the path.
11. (Analyze Foreshadowing) How do these examples of foreshadowing and/or their results affect the story and the reader’s
experience?
12. (Critical Interpretations) In a review of Dinosaur Takes, a collection of Bradbury stories that contains “A Sound of Thunder,” the
critic Andrew Andrews remarked that Bradbury “gets to you – in simple ways he shows you how to marvel over these awesome,
startling creatures.” Revisit Bradbury’s portrayal of Tyrannosaurus rex. What words and/or phrases convey its petrifying power?