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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why advantage does Ms. Johnson think her substitute gift has over the quilts Wangero wants?
(a) Her other quilts are prettier.
(b) Her other quilts are made of warmer fabrics.
(c) Her other quilts are newer.
(d) Machine-stitched quilts will last longer than hand-stitched.

2. Who takes Polaroids of the Johnson family reunion?
(a) Dee.
(b) Maggie.
(c) Hakim-a-barber.
(d) Mrs. Johnson.

3. What does Dee's companion end up asking the family to call him?
(a) Asalamalakim.
(b) Hakim-a-barber.
(c) George.
(d) Keeshawn.

4. Which of the following statements is not true about what happens on the television talk shows that inspire Ms. Johnson's dreams?
(a) Unsuccessful children greet their unhappy parents.
(b) Children who have made it are surprised by their parents.
(c) The children thank the parents for helping them succeed.
(d) The children and parents embrace and smile and cry.

5. What scrap of Great Grandpa Ezra's clothing is in the quilts?
(a) A piece of his christening gown.
(b) A piece of his old red flannel shirt.
(c) A piece of his wedding pants.
(d) A piece of his Civil War uniform.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is Ms. Johnson's marital state?

2. What is the socioeconomic status of Ms. Johnson in "Everyday Use?"

3. Who says Wangero can have the quilts after Ms. Johnson says Wangero can't?

4. When Dee says "It's really a new day for us" at the end of the story, to whom is she referring?

5. Which character in "Everyday Use" doesn't read well due to poor eyesight?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Ms. Johnson's clean her yard prior to Dee's visit at the beginning of Alice Walker's "Everyday Use?"

2. How strong is Ms. Johnson physically and what might her physical strength indicate about her inner strength?

3. Explain Ms. Johnson's feelings about white people.

4. Are the Johnsons in "Everyday Use" typical or atypical for rural southern Black families living in the era in which the story is set?

5. Is there any significance to the fact that neither Ms. Johnson's marital state nor Dee's are revealed in "Everyday Use?"

6. What level of education does Dee have and how does it differ from the educational levels of her mother and sister?

7. Explain the difference in what Dee wants to use her mother's quilts and the way Maggie wants to use the quilts.

8. Why does Ms. Johnson agree to call Dee by the African name Wangero after reminding Dee of the family heritage behind her birth name?

9. What does Hakim-a-barber's car indicate about his character and Dee's?

10. What is the significance of the sunglasses Dee wears at the end of the story and the fact that they hide most of her face?

(see the answer keys)

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