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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Section 2: "Part Two: The Arbitrary Construction of Human Divisions".

Multiple Choice Questions

1. In "A Long-Running Play and the Emergence of Caste in America," what does Wilkerson say Americans want to dismiss as a "sad, dark chapter" of American history (43)?
(a) Slavery.
(b) The Jim Crow era.
(c) The Colonial treatment of Blacks.
(d) The Trump presidency.

2. In "The Vitals of History," what does Wilkerson compare an honest and rigorous study of history to?
(a) A child learning a new language.
(b) A mechanic using a diagnostic computer.
(c) A doctor taking a patient history.
(d) An archaeologist uncovering artifacts.

3. According to Wilkerson's explanation on page 9, why did Democrats hesitate to impeach Trump?
(a) Fear of backlash from his base.
(b) Fear of retribution from Trump himself.
(c) Many had investments in Trump businesses.
(d) The evidence was unclear.

4. According to Wilkerson, what constituency does the Republican Party represent?
(a) Those who want to protect an older social order that benefits whites.
(b) Progressives and nativists.
(c) Humanitarians and the marginalized.
(d) People whose first concern is the sovereignty of the United States.

5. In "Through the Fog of Delhi to the Parallels in India and America," what is the rhetorical purpose of including the detail of the fog that Wilkerson sees when her plane lands?
(a) It symbolizes the difficulty of seeing the Indian social system clearly.
(b) Wilkerson is metaphorically challenging the reader to reason past a "fog" of propaganda.
(c) Wilkerson personifies the fog in an analogy that demonstrates how tradition "clouds" an understanding of present realities.
(d) It foreshadows the difficulties Wilkerson will have in gaining cooperation during her visit.

Short Answer Questions

1. On page 11, what does Wilkerson indicate the term "evangelical voters" is code for?

2. In "Chapter Five: 'The Container We Have Built for You,'" what does Harold Hale do when people knock down his mailbox?

3. In the opening anecdote of the book, what escapes from the melting permafrost?

4. In the 1863 Draft Riots, what immigrant group perpetrated violence against Blacks?

5. On page 6, Wilkerson calls a financial crisis "cataclysmic." What kind of crisis was it?

(see the answer key)

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