View a FREE sample

This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Where did the dust men take the debris?
(a) They piled it up in vacant buildings.
(b) They dumped it in the Thames.
(c) They dumped it in huge piles.
(d) They took it to a huge dump outside the city.

2. How did many musician patterers support themselves?
(a) Singing for noble houses.
(b) Making musical instruments.
(c) Selling sheet music.
(d) Selling personalized songs.

3. How often did chimney sweeps bathe in times earlier than that of Mayhew?
(a) Seldom.
(b) Everyday.
(c) Never.
(d) Twice a week.

4. Who did not usually bother to wash up even before eating or sleeping?
(a) Chimney sweeps.
(b) Mudlarks.
(c) Everyone.
(d) Ragmen.

5. What type of freedom did costers enjoy that other workers did not?
(a) Being able to work when they wanted to work.
(b) Being their own boss and not being stuck indoors.
(c) Not having to pay taxes.
(d) Being able to put money away for retirement.

6. What was the average wage of someone in the job in number 69?
(a) 10 shillings per day.
(b) 1.5 shillings per day.
(c) .5 shillings per day.
(d) 22 shillings per day.

7. What did many children do about food in the worse lodging houses?
(a) Did not eat.
(b) Steal meat, bacon or potatoes.
(c) Beg from other renters.
(d) Went through the garbage piles.

8. What was a job of last resort?
(a) Crossing sweeps.
(b) Begging.
(c) Costermongers.
(d) Chimney sweeps.

9. Who were the forerunners to doormen?
(a) Costermongers.
(b) Mudlarks.
(c) No job mentioned in this book.
(d) Crossing sweeps hired to open the door to an establishment.

10. What did Mayhew say was the reason people from wealthier families became patterers?
(a) Believing it was the way God called people to live.
(b) Rebellion.
(c) Being kicked out of their home.
(d) Wanderlust.

11. Why did some of these low-end workers go into the business?
(a) Because they make pretty good pay.
(b) No reason is mentioned.
(c) Because they like being outside.
(d) Because their family was in it before them.

12. What did the children who were put in jail think of the experience?
(a) They saw it as a vacation.
(b) They usually were beat at home when they got out of jail.
(c) They were ashamed.
(d) They were proud of themselves.

13. What did crossing sweeps do?
(a) Kept their assigned intersection clean.
(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) Swept the lantern cross pieces.

14. What does Mayhew say the Jewish traders seldom were?
(a) Drinkers or gamblers.
(b) Kind.
(c) Generous.
(d) Penurious.

15. What type of toiletry items were provided by some of the better lodging houses?
(a) Towels and soap.
(b) Soap and razors.
(c) Baht powder and shaving cream.
(d) Laundry soap and wash boards.

Short Answer Questions

1. What happened to many coster children if their parents thought they did not bring enough money home at night?

2. What is one thing positive Mayhew says about crossing sweeps?

3. What did the city of London use several tons of per year?

4. What did one of the young thieves who belonged to a gang tell Mayhew?

5. What did some of the bolder boys do?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 599 words (approx. 2 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample