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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why does the person who died in the Johnstown flood say someone is rude?
(a) They wouldn't send him back.
(b) They didn't open the gates.
(c) She yelled at him.
(d) He doesn't listen to his story.

2. Who says "Big Moose done come down from de mountain"?
(a) Hurston.
(b) Jan Beaks.
(c) Gold.
(d) Charlie Jones.

3. How does Mr. Pitts plan to demonstrate his feelings towards Hurston?
(a) He will cook his own breakfast.
(b) He will wash her car.
(c) He will take her to Paris.
(d) He will ignore her.

4. In Chapter 5, why did the first slave avoid a beating for looking up the drawers?
(a) They were in the laundry room.
(b) They were hanging on a tree.
(c) They were on the missus.
(d) They were on the line.

5. What are the men doing at the start of Chapter 6?
(a) Fighting.
(b) Playing cards.
(c) Fishing.
(d) Singing.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where does Hurston end up following the men to work in Chapter 4?

2. What caused the Johnstown flood?

3. What does Hurston believe must occur before justice is reached?

4. How do the men react to their partners at a "toe party"?

5. What do people hide behind at a "toe party"?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the story Jim Presley tells Hurston. How are black men better then white men in this story?

2. Why do you think there are debates over which folktales are true or which version is the "correct" one?

3. Why do you think the people of Eatonville were eager to share their stories and culture with Hurston?

4. How does Hurston win acceptance at the Pine Mill?

5. What is Shug's reaction to Julius Henry's story, and why might she react this way?

6. What is the story Hurston hears about the Johnstown flood?

7. Describe the story in Chapter 2 which tells how a man decides to become a preacher.

8. Who is Babe Hill, and what role does she play in Hurston's book?

9. What is the significance of the stories Hurston hears about the slave outsmarting the master or black men outsmarting white men?

10. Describe Julius Henry's story.

(see the answer keys)

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