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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What would the author skip pages of his favorite book to read?
(a) The description of the ship the immigrants came across the ocean on.
(b) The description of the mountainous terrain the characters lived in.
(c) The description of the characters eating black bread, salt and tomatoes.
(d) The description of the homestead the characters were building.

2. What description does the author give Belmont Avenue?
(a) The "merriest street in Brownsville."
(b) The "loneliest street in Brownsville."
(c) The "brightest street in Brownsville."
(d) The "loudest street in Brownsville."

3. During his childhood subway train rides to "the city," what told the author that he was on his last leg home?
(a) The East River.
(b) The Borough Hall Station.
(c) The east and west side express lane junctions.
(d) The Brooklyn-Clark Station.

4. What did the author's family regularly do after their Friday night discussions?
(a) Go for a walk around the neighborhood.
(b) Read the newspaper.
(c) Listen to music.
(d) Play conasta.

5. What were the author's lasting feelings about his school years?
(a) A lifelong sense of being judged.
(b) A feeling of success.
(c) A hopeful feeling of accomplishment.
(d) A feeling of inadequacy.

6. To the author's mother, what was the gateway to romance?
(a) Status.
(b) Religion.
(c) Fashion.
(d) Riches.

7. What was the author's favorite delight in all seasons?
(a) Roasted apples from the Jewish vendor.
(b) Caramels from the candy store.
(c) Food from the delicatessen.
(d) Popcorn from the Coney Island dives.

8. What did the Jewish vendors sell roasted potatoes, baked apples and knishes from?
(a) A black oil barrel.
(b) A wood cart.
(c) A tin stove.
(d) A shiny metal cart.

9. What is the name of the second road the author mentions?
(a) Hampton Avenue.
(b) Pitkin Avenue.
(c) Broadway Street.
(d) Market Street.

10. What belief about Jews did the author grow up with?
(a) That they were destined to be leaders of the country.
(b) That they were destined to marry only out of duty.
(c) That they were destined to be bankers.
(d) That they were destined to be propertyless workers.

11. Who could the author hear crying in the streets at night as a child?
(a) The neighborhood cats.
(b) The man who had just lost his wife.
(c) The woman down the street who's cat ran away.
(d) The evicted tenants of the neighborhood.

12. How did the author describe the Episcopalian church in the neighborhood?
(a) Daunting.
(b) Quite plain.
(c) Romantic and ethereal.
(d) Rundown.

13. Did the author's mother believe her son's generation would succeed?
(a) Yes.
(b) She thought that if they didn't follow the traditions, they would fail.
(c) No.
(d) She felt that Socialism would lead everyone to succeed.

14. Where was city land all around Brownsville? What were those pieces of land used for?
(a) Cutting and storing tombstones.
(b) The neighborhood waste site.
(c) The neighborhood garden.
(d) A plot of land for squatters to camp.

15. Who did the author say it was good to be back among?
(a) The women who shouted from the market.
(b) The children playing handball on the street.
(c) His family.
(d) The children playing stickball on on the block.

Short Answer Questions

1. In Brownsville, what room of the house was the largest and most important?

2. Where did the author run away from his father?

3. Who inspired the teaching style and curriculum of the author's civics teacher?

4. Who did the author's father meet?

5. What did the author do every time he walked into the civics teachers classroom?

(see the answer keys)

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