A Hard Rain

1. The playwright uses the sounds of rain and thunder throughout the play mainly to -

• inform the audience about the progress of the storm
• give the characters a topic to discuss while they are waiting
• help the audience understand the characters' changing relationship
• hint at how the characters will resolve their conflic

The stage directions and dialogue in paragraph 35 indicate that Erica -

• thinks Dad will try to call her cell phone again
• realizes she is not being supportive of Reggie
• knows that Reggie will help her if she asks
• decides she should remain inside the cabin

What does deviated mean in paragraph 13?

• Originated
• Returned
• Strayed
• Recovered

Erica’s responses in scene 1 are important because they show -

• how she handles criticism from others
• that she has a friendly relationship with Reggie
• how she reacts to difficult circumstances
• that she feels responsible for taking care of Reggie

Why does the playwright include the stage directions at the beginning of scene 1?

• To show how the setting has caused a conflict for the characters
• To describe what time of day the characters arrived at the cabin
• To provide background information about the relationship between the characters
• To foreshadow the characters' actions later in the play

The Latin word sidere, meaning “to sink”, helps the reader understand that subsides in paragraph 28 means to -

• improve
• lessen
• react
• return

The playwright uses the stage directions in at the beginning and end of Scene 2 to highlight that Reggie -

• feels relieved that Erica chose to stay at the cabin
• thinks the storm is unlikely to end soon
• is worried that Erica will try to leave the cabin again
• is more concerned about Dad than he is telling Erica

Reggie’s dialogue in paragraphs 5-11 suggests that he -

• is tired of bickering with Erica
• feels confident that Dad listened to the weather report
• is hopeful that he and Erica can enjoy their time at the cabin
• believes that the indoor activities lead to boredom

Erica's dialogue is Scene 1 mainly relates the idea that she -

• misunderstands the purpose of modern technology
• feels frustrated about having to spend time at the cabin
• anticipates that the rain will ruin the entire trip to the cabin
• remembers the details of family trips better than her brother does