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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. What was the minimum wage in 1946?

2. In 2016, how many lobbyists did Uber have working in 44 states?

3. When did Desmond begin paying attention to poverty?

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

5. In 2022, how many young children lived in poverty or hovered at the edge of poverty?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did it seem unimaginable that the U.S. had made so little progress in poverty reduction?

2. What is the Official Poverty Measure?

3. Had poverty gotten worse because spending was reduced?

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

5. Why did Desmond believe poverty was physical pain?

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

7. How did many welfare policies have an antifamily design?

8. Why was Crystal Mayberry born prematurely?

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

10. Why and how did Desmond and his family learn to fix things themselves?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Desmond compared zoning laws to walls. Why did Desmond compare zoning laws to walls, and how did he believe they served as barriers to keep poor people out of affluent neighborhoods?

Essay Topic 2

Although aid was available to the poor, many low-income individuals did not apply for benefits. Why did low-income individuals not apply for benefits?

Essay Topic 3

Idioms are a type of figurative language. How were idioms used in Poverty, by America, and how did the affect the tone of the book?

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