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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. What hairstyle is Dee wearing when she arrives at her family's home?
(a) Two long pigtails roped around her ears.
(b) She has shaved her head.
(c) A short Afro.
(d) Dreadlocks.

2. Who is Maggie's father?
(a) Stash.
(b) The story never reveals this fact.
(c) Hakim-a-barber.
(d) John Thomas.

3. How does Dee greet her mother and sister?
(a) With a kiss.
(b) With an Arabic greeting.
(c) With a hearty hello.
(d) With a hug.

4. What does Ms. Johnson believe Maggie thinks her portion from God is?
(a) To be loveless and alone.
(b) To suffer ill health.
(c) To do without while Wangero prospers.
(d) To prosper and live in abundance.

5. In the story's first paragraph, to which room of the house does Ms. Johnson compare her yard, saying it's an extension of that room?
(a) The living room.
(b) The dining room.
(c) The kitchen.
(d) The bedroom.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which member of the Johnson family always criticizes the others?

2. When Ms. Johnson snatches the quilts from Wangero's hands, who sits on the bed with her mouth open in shock?

3. What does the person who wants the butter churn dash tell Ms. Johnson she will do with it?

4. How many children does Ms. Johnson have?

5. On what occasion has Ms. Johnson offered Dee a quilt in the past?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is Maggie's relationship with Dee like?

2. Why doesn't Ms. Johnson have more formal education?

3. To whom is Dee referring when she says "It's really a new day for us" at the end of the story?

4. What is the significance of the title of "Everyday Use?"

5. What is revealed about Aunt Dicie/Big Dee in "Everyday Use" even though she doesn't appear onstage?

6. What religion is Ms. Johnson in "Everyday Use" and what does her religion indicate about her character?

7. What is Aunt Dicie/Big Dee's role in "Everyday Use?"

8. When Ms. Johnson gives Grandma Dee's hand-stitched quilts to Maggie, how does each Johnson sister in "Everyday Use" react?

9. How do African Americans change from the days of Ms. Johnson's youth in the 1920s to the era of the 1960s in which the story "Everyday People" is set?

10. Ms. Johnson's dream involves appearing on television with Dee and having Dee thank her for her role in Dee's succee. Is there any evidence in "Everyday Use" that Dee appreciate her mother's role in her success?

(see the answer keys)

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