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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. Why did the firefighters think the car in the middle of Stebbins Avenue was stolen?

2. What did Smith keep in his locker at the fire station?

3. Why did Smith's mother scold him before he left for work in Chapter 3?

4. Which two companies were prohibited from responding to the same fire under the new plan?

5. What does Smith say computers can be used for in the firefighting field?

Short Essay Questions

1. Explain why the landlord of the Intervale Avenue apartment building wanted the place torched.

2. Why does Dennis Smith think firefighters--although regular people--are nevertheless somehow apart from others?

3. How did the firefighters feel about the deaths of the two teenagers in the Intervale Avenue arson fire in Chapter 1?

4. What did Katherine Anne Porter mean by "a book will find its author" and how did that apply to Dennis Smith?

5. Why was Smith reminded of the sun when he entered the burning room on Forest Avenue in Chapter 5?

6. Describe Fireman Jim Gintel's personality.

7. In reflecting on the boys who chanted hate-filled slogans at the firefighters in Chapter 4, Smith reflects that "people don't hate other people." What does he mean by that?

8. Why do firemen have to sometimes crawl on their bellies while in a burning building?

9. How does the fire department announce the death of a fellow firefighter in the line of duty?

10. Why, according to Dennis Smith, were so many false alarms were pulled in the South Bronx?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Although willing to run into burning buildings, Smith was nevertheless unhinged by the sight of cockroaches and was unable to remain in a roach-infested room for long. What images were conveyed to Smith by the sight of the roaches and why was he unable to ignore them? How did his knowledge of cockroaches provide him with a deeper understanding of the conditions in which the South Bronx residents live?

Essay Topic 2

Fire departments in the United States are traditionally overwhelmingly white--Smith himself came from an Irish background and many of his fellow firemen are Irish or Italian. How did that situation arise? Does the tradition of family members following one another into the field explain it? In what ways have fire departments attempted to diversify in recent years, and have those efforts been successful? Are there specific ways you can think of that would help diversify fire departments?

Essay Topic 3

Smith reveals a particular contempt for people who steal from their fellow poor and mentions that he himself shoplifted from fancy stores as a child, but would never have stolen from a neighbor. What do you think about this attitude? Is it acceptable for the poor to steal from stores? Does shoplifting have an effect only on the store owner or does the effect trickle down to the entire community? Should the punishments be different depending upon whom the victim is?

(see the answer keys)

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