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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Volume 2: Of the Street-Jews.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What happened to many coster children if their parents thought they did not bring enough money home at night?
(a) They were killed.
(b) They were beaten.
(c) They were thrown out.
(d) They were sold into slavery.

2. What did crossing sweeps do?
(a) Swept the lantern cross pieces.
(b) Swept the street in front of a gentleman or lady as they were crossing it.
(c) Went through the city cleaning all the public and church crosses.
(d) Kept their assigned intersection clean.

3. Where did a coster sleep if sales were bad?
(a) In the doorway of a shop or church.
(b) In the debtor's prison.
(c) In the city parks.
(d) In the homeless shelter.

4. What did the two orphan girls whose story Mayhew told sell?
(a) Flowers.
(b) Themselves.
(c) Candy.
(d) Newspapers.

5. Why did some costermonger parents require their children to work?
(a) To contribute to family income.
(b) To make the parents' life easier.
(c) To build their character.
(d) To keep them out of the army.

Short Answer Questions

1. What kind of selling required the most capital and equipment?

2. What type of gambling was most popular with costers?

3. How long had the crossing week Mayhew interviewed work as a crossing sweep at the time of the interview?

4. What kind of education did most costermongers have?

5. How were dustmen hired?

(see the answer key)

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