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

Short Answer Questions

1. Working class people are driven to live in ____________ since rents are so high in the areas where they work.

2. What does Barbara have to leave in her disgusting hotel room, even though she does not want to?

3. Because of the low wages that are paid in the area, people who are working at minimum wage are expected to ____________.

4. How long does the shift at Menards turn out to be when they call again the next day before she goes to work?

5. Despite the miraculous vacuum cleaner, Lori and Pauline's __________ are ruined and wrecked.

Short Essay Questions

1. What surprises Barbara about the cleaning method of The Maids, as described in the book?

2. Why does the author decide to go to Maine for her next working assignment?

3. What is the one upside of the Twin Lakes apartment that compels Barbara to sign up for a lease there?

4. What does the author admit to doing which is making her a little nervous about the drug test she needs to take?

5. Why so the Maids think that the job they are offering is easy for someone to learn and to do?

6. What is the second job that the author takes on in addition to the maid job in Maine?

7. After Barbara takes her drug test, what does she do in terms of her job hunting?

8. What does the unattractive young cook at the elder care facility reveal to Barbara as they are out on a smoke break?

9. What is the rate of pay that the Merry Maids claims to offer to those who work for them?

10. What comes in the emergency food package that Barbara eventually gets from the Community Emergency Assistance Program?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The author herself is white and someone who is certainly in the middle class, even if she's not working as though she was.

Part 1: In what ways might her 'white-ness' have affected the way her experience turned out?

Part 2: In what ways might her experience have been different had she been a man?

Part 3: In what ways might her experience have been different had she been of a different class or race?

Essay Topic 2

While it might be no surprise that Wal-Mart doesn't want to have labor unions in their store, it's more surprising that workers aren't more motivated to get involved

Part 1: Why do you think Wal-Mart doesn't want to have labor unions and organizations in their stores?

Part 2: Why do you think employees at Wal-Mart are scared to begin talks for labor union support in their stores?

Part 3: Is the risk of losing one's job worth it in order to get a labor organization in a store? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

The minimum wage workers are kept down and continue to be kept down in modern times. With this idea in mind, it seems that maybe there is a reason for the poverty level to exist.

Part 1: Why might there be a need for poverty level workers in the world?

Part 2: What might happen if the poverty level workers were not around to fill the positions they are in?

Part 3: Do you think it's realistic to have a goal of removing poverty and minimum wage workers completely? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

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