By the Waters of Babylon

What is the most likely way in which water would be purified?

• by bathing in it

• by drinking it

• by sealing it in a large container

• by removing impurities from it

Why would stern parents most likely do if their child misbehaved?

• punish the child's behavior

• laugh about the child's behavior

• overlook the child's behavior

• try to explain the child's behavior

What must happen when a person is fasting?

• The person must not speak loudly.

• The person must not eat.

• The person must not smile.

• The person must rush off.

John is a member of the

• Hill People

• City People

• Forest People

• The Dead Places

Why does John go to the Place of the Gods?

• to anger his father

• to find metal

• to become more powerful

• to try to gain knowledge

What do John's references to gods and magic most clearly suggest?

• John's people lack knowledge about technology.

• The Great Burning was a recent event.

• The People of the Hills are social outcasts.

• John is young and lacks experience.

What is one central idea of "By the Waters of Babylon"?

• Love can change the world.

• Life is not always fair.

• True wisdom may require knowledge of painful truths.

• If you do what is forbidden, you will always pay the price.

"A priest must know many secrets...If hunters think we do things by chants and spells, they must believe so--it does not hurt them" suggests what about John's culture?

• The hunters worship priests as gods

• The hunters know far more than the priests do.

• The priests are more educated and powerful than the hunters are.

• Only men can become priests and learn their secrets.

After which of these events does "By the Waters of Babylon" take place?

• a violent bank robbery

• a deadly tornado

• a destructive war

• a great flood

In the story, John sees the city "as it had been when the gods were alive." What is he seeing?

• a view of another planet

• the city's future

• New York City in the past

• a terrifying nightmare