Dark They Were and Golden Eyes

What is Harry Bittering’s main emotion in the first half of “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed”?

• He is curious about the fate of the Martians.

• He is angry at his wife for wanting to stay on Mars.

• He is afraid of being changed by the Martian environment.

• He is annoyed by the other Earth people in the town on Mars.

Answer explanation

Paragraph 2 on page 127

Which event in “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed” is most important in preventing the family’s return to Earth?

• The family is happy living on a farm in the new settlement.

• The return ticket to Earth costs more than the family has.

• A rocket that Harry builds does not function.

• Atomic world war breaks out on Earth.

Answer explanation

Paragraphs 27-33 on page - 128

In “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed,” what does Mr. Bittering do to cope with his fears about living on Mars? Choose two options.

• He investigates Martian ruins to understand them better.

• He tries to build a rocket to take his family back to Earth.

• He persuades his wife and family to return with him to Earth.

• He spends time with other settlers, who talk him out of his fear.

Answer explanation

Paragraphs 96-122 on pages- 132-133

In “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed,” what does the constant wind on Mars most likely represent?

• the power of the environment to completely change the Earth's people

• the sadness that Mr. Bittering feels when he cannot return to Earth

• the very hot weather on Mars disturbs the Earth's people

• the destruction of the Earth people’s settlement on Mars

Answer explanation

Paragraph 8 on pages- 127-128

At the end of “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed,” what is the attitude of the lieutenant who has recently arrived?

• He finds the environment on Mars unappealing.

• He likes the Martians and believes they are peaceful.

• He suspects the Martians’ involvement in the disappearance of the settlers.

• He feels enthusiastic about the new settlement that the captain is planning.

Answer explanation

Paragraphs 267-271 0n pages- 139-140

Which of the following quotations from “Dark They Were, and golden-Eyed” contains a simile?

• The man felt . . . the tissues of his body draw tight as if he were standing at the center of a vacuum.

• At any moment the Martian air might draw his soul from him.

• A few tremblings shook him, but were carried off in waves of pleasant heat as he lay in the sun.

• And then the water can build on that skeleton—green things, deep water things, red things, yellow things.

Answer explanation

A simile is a group of words that use "like" or ''as'' to compare two things. The writer of a simile is making a connection between the two elements of the simile.

Here, they are comparing the tissues of his body to be drwn by the Martian wind to vaccum-a a place where virtually all matter, even air, has been removed.

Read this excerpt from “Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed.” Summer burned the canals dry. Summer moved like a flame upon the meadows. In the empty Earth settlement, the painted houses flaked and peeled. Rubber tires upon which children had swung in backyards hung suspended like stopped clock pendulums in the blazing air. Which of the following best expresses the meaning of the underlined sentence in this excerpt?

• The rubber tire swings are peeling in the harsh summer sun.

• The rubber tire swings swing back and forth in the breeze.

• The rubber tire swings are no longer used as playthings.

• The rubber tire swings are too hot to play on.

Answer explanation

He is trying to tell us that the tires weren't being used and they were just sitting there. Hence, he compared them to a stopped clock pendulum.

Why can the following sentence from “Dark They Were, and golden-Eyed” be correctly called a metaphor? A river of wind submerged the house.

• It makes the river and the wind seem like human beings.

• It describes how wind can overpower solid objects.

• It suggests that the wind is a powerful river.

• It shows that the house is near a river

Answer explanation

A metaphor is a direct comparison between two things or concepts. Metaphors use figurative language to make comparisons.

Metaphors do not use the keyword 'like' or 'as' as the critical/keywords of comparison

Here, the Martian wind is compared to a powerful river that can even submerge the houses in that area.

What is the main theme of "Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed"?

• A) The inevitability of change

• B) The power of technology

• C) The importance of family

• D) The beauty of nature

In "Dark They Were, and Golden-Eyed," what does the transformation of the settlers symbolize?

• A) Adaptation to a new environment

• B) Loss of identity

• C) Technological advancement

• D) Cultural assimilation