The Martian Chronicles

Multiple Choice and Long Answer questions create ideal opportunities for whole-text review, unit exam, or summative assessments.

Multiple Choice

1. Which is the most reasonable interpretation of what the planet Mars stands for?

A) The American frontier

B) Contemporary America

C) European dominance

D) Humanity’s capacity for cruelty

2. Which does the text closely associate with rockets?

A) Air

B) Water

C) Fire

D) Earth

3. What does the text suggest is the most significant human achievement?

A) Technology

B) Architecture

C) Space travel

D) Art and literature

4. Which cycle is a dominant motif in the text?

A) Love and hate

B) Destruction and renewal

C) Work and play

D) Accumulation and depletion

5. Which object in the text can most reasonably be seen as a symbol of withdrawal and approach?

A) Trash

B) Food

C) Clothing

D) Doors

6. What does the text suggest people miss most from their pasts?

A) Customs

B) Loved ones

C) Past selves

D) Objects

7. Which character has the most romantic and idealized perspective regarding Mars?

A) Spender

B) Wilder

C) Parkhill

D) Teece

8. Which character most clearly represents oppression on Earth?

A) Spender

B) Wilder

C) Parkhill

D) Teece

9. Which aspect of the Martians’ culture foreshadows their relationship with humanity?

A) Their canals

B) Their chemical fires

C) Their masks

D) Their telepathy

10. Which story most clearly supports the idea that human nature is often callous and even mean-spirited?

A) “August 2002: The Night Meeting”