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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. What was the name of Hamper's first supervisor?
(a) Angel.
(b) Buck.
(c) Brown.
(d) Bud.

2. What day was Hamper finally called in to work at the car factory?
(a) Sunday.
(b) Thursday.
(c) Monday.
(d) Saturday.

3. At the beginning of Chapter Three, what reason did Hamper give that Joanie was unhappy in their marriage?
(a) They lived in a bad neighborhood and Hamper did not care.
(b) They were not going anywhere in life.
(c) She wanted a different job.
(d) She wanted more children.

4. When Hamper was a child, why were his friends amused by his dad?
(a) Because his dad loved to entertain kids.
(b) Because their dads were sober and hard-working.
(c) Because his dad always gave them an allowance too.
(d) Because his dad told good stories.

5. What did Hamper hate more than anything?
(a) The minute hand on the clock.
(b) Not getting paid enough.
(c) General Motors itself.
(d) Having to work the swing shift.

Short Answer Questions

1. Why did Jack take a sledgehammer to the cigarette machine?

2. What job did Hamper get after he quit painting?

3. Why did Hamper's dad often denounce African-Americans?

4. Why did Hamper never beat his dad up when he was being lectured?

5. What happened one day when Hamper left journalism class on drugs?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. How did Hamper begin to construct his life after high school? How was he alone and yet not alone during this time?

3. Who were Lightnin' and Same-O? What did their lives say about Hamper's future?

4. How does Hamper describe the Cab Shop the first time he goes there? What about the description is the most informative about the scene?

5. Hamper's father, though not a model of determination or reliability, often berated his son because of his poor grades. How did his cursing set the tone of their conversations about school?

6. Who or what was Hamper's greatest enemy at work? How did he use his new attitude about work to combat the enemy?

7. What story does Hamper tell involving Lesley Gore's music? How does this story show that Hamper, if only for an hour and twelve minutes, transcended the shop-rat mindset?

8. At the end of Chapter 1, what did Hamper reveal about his hopes for the future? What insight did he show about the past?

9. Why is Hamper's description of Flint, Michigan, at the beginning of Chapter 2, a powerful one?

10. When did the GM assembly line begin to look like an attractive option to Hamper? How did this demonstrate a change in Hamper's thinking?

(see the answer keys)

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