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

Multiple Choice Questions

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

2. What did some of the bolder boys do?
(a) Took the leavings out of the empty coal barges.
(b) Collected the leavings out of the empty grain bins.
(c) Ran errands to nobles who often would have them arrested.
(d) Protected some of the more timid vendors.

3. What did a publisher who Mayhew knew do for the boy who talked to Mayhew?
(a) Adopted him.
(b) Sent him to America.
(c) Give him odd jobs occasionally.
(d) Helped him get an apprenticeship.

4. To what was street vending an alternative?
(a) Being hung.
(b) Being sent to the military.
(c) Going to jail.
(d) Going to the workhouse.

5. What percentage of people earning their living on the streets were vendors?
(a) Eighty-five percent.
(b) Fifty percent.
(c) Sixty percent.
(d) Seventy-five percent.

6. Where did costermongers usually live?
(a) In a rented room.
(b) In the city parks.
(c) Above their stores.
(d) In alms houses.

7. How did the renters of low lodging houses eat?
(a) They brought their own food.
(b) Food was included in the rent.
(c) They pooled food with other renters.
(d) They ate before they came in for the night.

8. Why were chimney sweeper apprentices often starved?
(a) To keep them small.
(b) To control them.
(c) To save money.
(d) They were fed just like every other apprentice.

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

10. What did the city of London use several tons of per year?
(a) Coal.
(b) Flour.
(c) Tobacco.
(d) Corn.

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

12. What did shovelers do?
(a) Picked up horse manure from the streets.
(b) Cleared the streets of leaves.
(c) Piled coal ash into heaps.
(d) Cleared the streets of snow.

13. Who usually watched Jewish girls who peddled fruit?
(a) Their mothers.
(b) No one.
(c) Their brothers.
(d) Their boyfriends.

14. What is an example of a mutual aid society?
(a) Old Relics.
(b) Star Alliance.
(c) Foresters.
(d) Costermen.

15. What happened to the man after he was injured?
(a) He was almost blind.
(b) He dragged one leg.
(c) One arm was was amputated.
(d) One leg was amputated.

Short Answer Questions

1. What was the name of the vaudeville show costers enjoyed?

2. What type of freedom did costers enjoy that other workers did not?

3. At about what age did many costermonger children begin to sell?

4. What did Mayhew think of the reason for wealthier people to become patterers?

5. What did the children who were put in jail think of the experience?

(see the answer keys)

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