Sound of Thunder Study Guide

Name: Jaime Calva 

Period: 3rd

Study Guide for Bradbury’s “A Sound of Thunder”

I. VOCABULARY: Be able to define the following words and understand them when they

appear in the story or class discussion.
annihilate- destroy utterly or obliterate 

expendable- designed to be used only once and then abandoned or destroyed

infinitesimally-indefinitely or exceedingly small 

primeval- of or resembling the earliest ages in history of the world 

resilient- able to recoil or spring back into shape after bending, stretching, or being compressed

revoke- put an end to the validity or operation 

sheathed- put something into a sheath 

subliminal- below the threshold of sensation or conscious  

taint- a trace of a bad or undesirable quality or substance

undulate- move with a smooth wavelike motion

II. LITERARY TERMS: Be able to define each term and apply each term to the story.

foreshadowing- to hint to something that will happen in the future

Describe what is foreshadowed in this story: Foreshadowed in the story is the things that will happen if Eckles screws around in the past.   

simile- a figure of speech involving the comparison of one thing with another thing of a kind, used to make a description more emphatic or vivid 

example: Eckel's experience with the T-Rex is like one long horror movie from which he cannot awaken 

metaphor- a figutre of speech in which a word or phrase is applied to an object or action to which it is not literally applicable 

example: "The jungle was alive again, full of the old tremorings and bird cries. Eckels turned slowly to regard the primeval garbage dump, that hill of nightmares and terrors."

protagonist- the good character from a story or movie 

Who is the protagonist of this story?Eckel's 

III. QUESTIONS: Answer the following questions.

1. What company does Eckels visit?
Time Safari Inc.

2. What are the penalties for disobeying instructions?
10,000 more dollars and possible government actions when you come back 

3. About what is Eckels thankful?

4. What did some people want to do if Deutscher had won the election and why?
They want to go live at 1492
5. What does the man behind the desk tell Eckels happened last year that makes Eckels think about going on the safari?

Dozens of hunters and 6 safari leaders died last year.

6. Who is the Safari Leader?
Travis 

7. How many people besides Eckels are on the trip? Name them.
Travis, Lesperance, Billings and Kramer

8. What does Travis tell Eckels is the best way to kill a dinosaur?
Shot through the eyes to blind them and then through the head

9. When the hunters arrive at their destination, what does Travis tell them hasn’t happened yet in history?
Christ isn't born yet

10. How many years did the men travel?
6,002,055 yrs.

11. What is the antigravity metal path and why must the men stay on it?

12. What happened to the machine and the men’s clothes before they made their journey?

13. Why do the men wear oxygen helmets?

14. What is unique about the dinosaurs that the men can shoot?

15. What is a paradox?

16. What does Eckels jokingly pretend to do?

17. How does the reader know Eckels is afraid?

18. What does Eckels say when he sees the size of the dinosaur?

19. How do the men know which dinosaurs they can shoot?

20. Where was Eckels on his way to when he stepped off the path?

21. What do Billings and Kramer do after the dinosaur is dead?

22. What does Lesperance offer Billings and Kramer that they turn down?

23. What does Travis tell Eckels they are going to do to him?

24. What does Travis make Eckels do in order to go back with them?

25. What does Eckels notice about the sign on their return?

26. What does Eckels find on the bottom of his boots?

27. What does Eckels learn about the election?

28. What is the reader to infer that Travis does to Eckels?