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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. In 1959, what percent of poor families were composed of a married couple?
(a) 75 percent.
(b) Not quite 80 percent.
(c) 85 percent.
(d) About 70 percent.

2. By the time Black men who did not finish high school are in their mid-thirties, how many will have spent their lives in prison?
(a) About 11 in 15.
(b) Almost 7 in 10.
(c) About 12 in 15.
(d) About 8 in 10.

3. What was the minimum wage in 1946?
(a) 40 cents.
(b) 45 cents.
(c) 50 cents.
(d) 35 cents.

4. Where did Desmond go to graduate school?
(a) University of Illinois.
(b) University of Michigan.
(c) University of Colorado.
(d) University of Wisconsin.

5. What was the median income for a Black household in 2019?
(a) $24,100.
(b) $37,400.
(c) $36,050.
(d) $21,300.

Short Answer Questions

1. When did Desmond begin paying attention to poverty?

2. What percent of the U.S. population was poor in 1970?

3. At the time America, By Poverty was written, how many eviction filings were created on average yearly?

4. When did air traffic controllers strike when negotiations with the Federal Aviation Administration broke down?

5. By July 2022, what was the minimum wage in Emeryvill?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happened when poor workers received a pay raise?

2. Where did Desmond grow up?

3. Why did Desmond write Poverty, By America?

4. Why did some of the government aid for the poor never reach them?

5. Why was Crystal Mayberry born prematurely?

6. What are independent contractors and how did they affect wages and benefits?

7. Why are there millions more Americans in poverty than official statistics reveal?

8. How did poverty affect Desmond's former roommate Woo?

9. When Desmond went to college, how was his life different from the lives of many of his classmates?

10. Why did Desmond believe poverty was physical pain?

(see the answer keys)

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