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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Volume 4: Those That Will Not Work.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How did the police sometimes help crossing sweeps?
(a) By finding them odd jobs.
(b) By recommending them for better jobs.
(c) By protecting their territory for them.
(d) They looked down upon the crossing sweeps and would not help them.

2. To whom did some merchants loan stock at no cost?
(a) Male costers with families.
(b) Male costers who sold food.
(c) Female costers selling nearby.
(d) Female costers who sold newspapers.

3. What type of gambling was most popular with costers?
(a) Playing chess for money.
(b) Playing cards or pitching pennies.
(c) Betting on the horse races.
(d) Betting on dog fights.

4. What did the fire eater have to do once to win five shillings on a bet?
(a) Walk on a tightrope forty feet off the ground while eating fire.
(b) Jump into the Thames River while on fire.
(c) Kill 20 rats in a cage with his teeth.
(d) Kill a cobra with his teeth.

5. What did one of the young thieves who belonged to a gang tell Mayhew?
(a) He's rather earn an honest living if there were a job.
(b) Their parents usually beat them if they didn't bring something home everyday.
(c) The rich don't care about them so why shouldn't they steal from them.
(d) That the older boys did most of the thieving.

Short Answer Questions

1. What were the street folk families like?

2. What did the mother of the magician do to the family library?

3. How were dustmen hired?

4. What did some of the boys do to earn tips while serving as crossing sweeps?

5. What does Mayhew say separates animals from plants?

(see the answer key)

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