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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Why did Smith say he disagreed with fellow firefighters' prejudices, but also understood them?
(a) Firefighting is most difficult and dangerous in poor, minority areas
(b) They are more poorly paid than firefighters in white areas.
(c) The only minorities they encounter are criminals.
(d) They do not live in the neighborhoods they serve.

2. What did the firefighters discover after the police had left the station in Chapter 6?
(a) A bullet that hit the alarm system.
(b) A bullet lodged in a bulletin board near Smith.
(c) A bullet that had ricocheted and landed on the floor of the fire station.
(d) A bullet lodged in a fire truck.

3. How many stitches did Fireman Billy-o get in Chapter 7?
(a) None.
(b) Six.
(c) Twelve.
(d) Ten.

4. Why were the five adults and two children unable to escape the burning building?
(a) Because a partial roof collapse blocked their way.
(b) Because the fire on the floors below stopped them.
(c) Because the fire escape was broken.
(d) Because the doors were locked from the outside to kep drug addicts out.

5. Why were merchants good to firefighters (i.e., by giving them discounts) under the old system?
(a) They were required to offer discounts to firemen.
(b) They expected the firemen to protect them from arson.
(c) They wanted to get faster response times during emergencies.
(d) They expected the firemen to be forgiving during inspections.

6. What was the first call the department took the day after the Saint Patrick's Day parade?
(a) A stove fire.
(b) An overflowing bathtub flooding an apartment beneath.
(c) A child locked inside a bathroom alone.
(d) A child locked inside an apartment alone.

7. Why was Smith upset about the path Tina de Vega took in life?
(a) He believes she should have left the South Bronx.
(b) He was angry with her for throwing her life away.
(c) He felt that nobody ever reached out to her.
(d) He worried that he could have done something to help her.

8. Why was Dennis upset about the visit from the welfare inspector?
(a) He thought his friends would see the inspector and he was ashamed about being poor.
(b) The inspector spoke to his mother harshly.
(c) He was afraid the inspector would find the hidden television.
(d) He was afraid the family would be denied more benefits.

9. What did the cockroaches symbolize in Smith's view?
(a) Poverty.
(b) Uncleanliness.
(c) Disease.
(d) Fear.

10. What did Smith see in Fireman Billy-o as he held the baby who died in the fire?
(a) Depression.
(b) Hatred.
(c) His humanity.
(d) Despair.

11. What actor was interviewed in the Playboy issue, read by Smith in Chapter 7?
(a) Jack Nicholson.
(b) Elliott Gould.
(c) Donald Sutherland.
(d) Marlon Brando.

12. What is the minimum height for a fireman in New York?
(a) 5'9".
(b) 5'4".
(c) 6'0".
(d) 5'7".

13. How many shots did the police officer fire at the fleeing youth in front of the fire station in Chapter 6?
(a) Five.
(b) One.
(c) Two.
(d) Three.

14. How did Smith view the fire department's amusement park trip for neighborhood children?
(a) He believed it was ultimately a waste of time.
(b) He believed the kids who attended were not the ones who needed help the most.
(c) He believed most of the children were cynical about the trip.
(d) He believed it improved relations and made the children less likely to pull false alarms.

15. How did Smith try to impress people after dropping out of school?
(a) By claiming he planned to become manager of the store one day.
(b) By claiming he was studying to be a botanist.
(c) By claiming he was saving money to tour Europe.
(d) By claiming he was studying business.

Short Answer Questions

1. After years of "carrying death in my hands," what did Smith see firefighting as lacking?

2. Why did Smith think his school principal and mother were wrong to lament his dropping out?

3. Why did Fireman Jim Stack have to stay longer at the hospital after the Intervale Avenue fire in Chapter 10?

4. How did Smith march in the St. Patrick's Day parade in Chapter 6?

5. What kind of entertainment did the firefighters and children experience during the ice cream party in Chapter 9?

(see the answer keys)

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