View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is another thing the London City Mission did?

2. What does Mayhew say is difficult or impossible?

3. When did the magician's father die?

4. What did a 19-year-old newspaper printer like?

5. What did Hemyng call a soldier who was supported by a wealthy woman?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did the fire eater Mayhew interviewed become one and what was his early life like?

2. What did bus drivers own, what did they do and what other work had many of them done? How often did they work and what did their work prevent?

3. How many prostitutes were there in London?

4. What was describe that was similar to modern crack houses, what were they like? What happened to the girl the author wrote about who was lured from home?

5. What did the people Mayhew called "Punch" do?

6. What differentiated street folk from patterers?

7. What was the purpose of the mission?

8. What did the London City Mission do?

9. How many visits were done by the London City Mission and what were the results of those visits?

10. Who did Halliday say were swindlers?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Vagrants were those who loitered in the streets with no work or occupation. Mayhew described them as, "Youths, prostitutes, Irish families and professional beggars." Many were young men between 12 and 20 years old, whom Mayhew described as budding criminals.

1. How does Mayhew's statement about vagrants demonstrate his tendency to generalize groups of people. Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

2. Do you think all vagrants were budding criminals? Why or why not? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

3. Why do you think Mayhew specifically mentions Irish families in his writing about vagrants and budding criminals? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Mayhew seems to genuinely believe that certain occupations like mudlark or dustman are hereditary, rather than learned.

1. Discuss why you think Mayhew was wrong or right in his belief about the occupations being hereditary. Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

2. Discuss how Mayhew's belief of lower level occupations being hereditary shows prejudice towards his research subjects. Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

3. How do you think Mayhew's prejudices affected his ability to research the lives of the mudlarks or dustmen? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Mayhew states that the necessity of finding food separates animals from plants. Humans also must work for a living. Someone who is physically or mentally unable to work must rely on others, or on charity.

1. Discuss what you think separates animals from plants that are different from what Mayhew has said. Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

2. Do you think all humans should have to work for a living? Why or why not? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

3. What types of obligations do you think society has towards the physically or mentally handicapped? Use examples from the text and your own life to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,137 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample