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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. When did GM schedule an applicant for a physical?
(a) When the application had been processed.
(b) When they planned to put him to work immediately.
(c) When the applicant didn't look healthy.
(d) When the applicant's background check showed drug involvement.

2. According to Hamper's theory, why did the shop-rats listen to that kind of music?
(a) It's the only station their radio can pick up.
(b) It's the music their fathers always listened to.
(c) It's redundant and predictable like their work.
(d) It's the music they grew up with.

3. How many siblings did Joanie have?
(a) Two.
(b) Eight.
(c) Eleven.
(d) None.

4. Why did Hamper like spending time at Joanie's house?
(a) She had no siblings.
(b) Her mother cooked great food.
(c) Her father was friendly and fair.
(d) Her siblings were well-behaved.

5. In the summer and fall of 1977, how many hours a day did Hamper work?
(a) Eight.
(b) Twelve.
(c) Fourteen.
(d) Nine.

Short Answer Questions

1. Where did Lightnin' sleep during every work shift?

2. How old was Hamper the first time he went to a car factory?

3. Why did Joanie and Hamper get married when she became pregnant?

4. When Hamper moved into his mother's basement, what did he think would save his marriage to Joanie?

5. During the pre-work physical, what did Hamper do against his better judgment?

Short Essay Questions

1. What did Hamper say about his younger siblings? How did this give the reader another glimpse of family life?

2. How was Hamper's father an anomaly among fathers? Even at a young age, what was Hamper's opinion of him? How might this affect his own development in the future?

3. What do Hamper's stories about high school revolve around? How does this show that he was giving in to the nuns' perception of him that began in junior high?

4. When Hamper tells the story of people who disagree with the shop-rats' drinking, he writes much of the story in capital letters. What literary effect does this visual change have on the story?

5. What role did Hamper's mother play in his life?

6. What pattern emerged in junior-high that led Hamper to consider the life of a shop-rat? How did he begin to identify with his family who had worked in the factory?

7. How is Hamper's portrayal of his mother pathetic at times? Is it a fair character description?

8. At the end of Chapter 4, Hamper reveals his place in the present time and lets the reader know that the events took place some nine years before he wrote about them. What effect does this have on the reader's perception of the book?

9. What is Hamper's first exposure to the true culture of the Cab Shop? How did this dramatically change his attitude toward work?

10. What promises did the Plant Manager make during the factory meeting? How did Hamper's retelling of the speech change its tone?

(see the answer keys)

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