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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What difference does the author see between his childhood and that of his son?
(a) He had to learn to fight and survive in a more violent environment.
(b) He had more friends than his son does now.
(c) His son's friends are much wilder than his were.
(d) His son is living in "The Dream."

2. What did the author's parents teach him about religion?
(a) They were devout Muslims.
(b) They rejected all religions.
(c) They were devout Baptists.
(d) He should find his own spiritual path.

3. Coats explains that the young men who walk the streets of Baltimore loud and rude do so because:
(a) They are uneducated and don't know any better.
(b) It is their way of being friendly.
(c) It gives them a sense of security and power.
(d) They are uncultured and wild.

4. What important skills did the author's mother teach him?
(a) How to pray.
(b) How to read and write.
(c) How to cook and clean his clothes.
(d) How to stretch a dollar.

5. Whom does the author describe as his "wedding ring"?
(a) His wife.
(b) His soul.
(c) God.
(d) His son.

6. How did the author's parent's respond to his questions about inequality in the world?
(a) They read passages from the bible.
(b) They referred him to books.
(c) They sent him out on the street.
(d) They told him stories of their youth.

7. Whom did the girl with the long dreads love?
(a) Maya Angelou.
(b) Prince Jones.
(c) The Author.
(d) Malcom X.

8. According to the author, what do many of his black contemporaries have in common?
(a) They are unhappy with their lives.
(b) They are proud of their heritage.
(c) They have never known their fathers.
(d) They are searching for a better future.

9. What is "The Mecca" that the author describes to his son?
(a) The culture of the student body at Howard University.
(b) His father's collection of books.
(c) His mother's collection of vintage vinyl.
(d) His poetry notebook.

10. What type of work did the author's father do?
(a) Custodian for Baltimore public schools.
(b) Freelance writer and journalist.
(c) Research librarian at Howard University.
(d) Police officer for Baltimore City.

11. The author admires Malcolm X because he never:
(a) Gave up.
(b) Hesitated.
(c) Lied.
(d) Ran.

12. What did the author learn from television as a young boy?
(a) The world is a terrifying place.
(b) There are children in other neighborhoods who do not live in fear.
(c) All children live in fear.
(d) There is hope for his escape.

13. How does the author describe the classroom?
(a) A palace of thought.
(b) The road to freedom.
(c) An open, unending forum of ideas.
(d) A jail of other people's interests.

14. For how many years were black people enslaved in America?
(a) 100 years.
(b) 150 years.
(c) 50 years.
(d) 250 years.

15. What is "the Yard"?
(a) A communal green space at Howard University when students gather.
(b) An area near the docks in Virginia where students gather.
(c) A club in downtown Atlanta.
(d) A strip of green grass near the White House where protesters gather.

Short Answer Questions

1. What essential question does the author pose in his memoir?

2. What did the girl with the long dreads teach the author?

3. What sense does the author describe experiencing as he watched television as a child?

4. What is PG County?

5. Who said, "Either I can beat him, or the police"?

(see the answer keys)

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