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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 the beginning of "Chapter Six: The Measure of Humanity," what physical characteristic is the basis for Wilkerson's imaginary caste system?
(a) Sex.
(b) Shoe size.
(c) Eye color.
(d) Height.

2. When 20 Black people arrived in the New World on a Dutch ship in 1619, what were they classified as?
(a) Slaves.
(b) Colonists.
(c) Merchandise.
(d) Indentured servants.

3. 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) Wilkerson is metaphorically challenging the reader to reason past a "fog" of propaganda.
(b) It foreshadows the difficulties Wilkerson will have in gaining cooperation during her visit.
(c) It symbolizes the difficulty of seeing the Indian social system clearly.
(d) Wilkerson personifies the fog in an analogy that demonstrates how tradition "clouds" an understanding of present realities.

4. In the 1863 Draft Riots, what immigrant group perpetrated violence against Blacks?
(a) Italians.
(b) Chinese.
(c) Germans.
(d) Irish.

5. What social trend does Wilkerson link to the 2016 election?
(a) The offshoring of manufacturing jobs.
(b) A decrease in undocumented immigration.
(c) An increase in hate crimes.
(d) A rise in anxiety and depression.

Short Answer Questions

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

2. On page 59 of "Chapter Five: 'The Container We Have Built for You,'" when Harold Hale's daughter is about to return to school after a visit with a friend's family, what is the grandmother's response?

3. What technique does Wilkerson use for the first time in the beginning of "An Old House and an Infrared Light"?

4. On page 15, Wilkerson says of the old house that "whatever is lurking will fester." What is especially apt about her choice of the word "fester"?

5. To whom is Wilkerson referring on page 4 when she describes someone as "a no-nonsense national figure overqualified by some estimates"?

(see the answer key)

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