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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. The author puts forth the Nation of Islam's belief that the white man's rule will be ended in how much time in "Down at the Cross"?
(a) 5-10 years.
(b) 50-60 years.
(c) 100 years.
(d) 10-15 years.

2. In describing his dinner at Elijah Muhammad's home, the author states, "I began to see that Elijah's power came from his" what?
(a) "Single-mindedness."
(b) "Ambition."
(c) "Articulation and sense of logic."
(d) "Ability to create a sense of calm."

3. In what periodical was "Down at the Cross" first published?
(a) Time.
(b) Reader's Digest.
(c) The New Yorker.
(d) Publisher's Weekly.

4. The author states in "Down at the Cross" that what "and heroism have been made synonymous except when it comes to blacks"?
(a) "Power."
(b) "Love."
(c) "Strength."
(d) "Violence."

5. What kind of athletic career does the author describe pursuing but not succeeding at in "Down at the Cross"?
(a) Baseball.
(b) Basketball.
(c) Football.
(d) Prize-fighting.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does the author describe as the subject of the Nation of Islam speeches he observed on the streets in "Down at the Cross"?

2. What word from "Down at the Cross" refers to a large area of unforested grassland in southeastern Europe or Siberia?

3. What author does the narrator describe beginning to read when he began losing his faith in "Down at the Cross"?

4. After the confrontation at the bar, the author says that one of his companions, a Korean War veteran, said that the bar had been the white man's fight too. How did the white man respond?

5. What word from "Down at the Cross" means something continuing without pause or interruption?

Short Essay Questions

1. What "truth" does the author describe finding through this experiences with Christianity?

2. What differences does the author point out between Christianity and Islam in the second section of "Down at the Cross"?

3. How does the author perceive the expression of pain and suffering of blacks through Christianity?

4. How does the author compare his involvement in ministry with the thugs on the Avenue in "Down at the Cross"?

5. How would you describe the tone in the second section of "Down at the Cross"? How has the author's perspective changed?

6. How does the author describe his religious faith to Elijah Muhammad in "Down at the Cross"?

7. What is the subject of the hymn that opens "Down at the Cross"? How does this quote tie in with the essay's themes?

8. What does the author point out as the failings of Christianity and Islam in "Down at the Cross"?

9. What parallels does the author draw between Christianity and Islam in "Down at the Cross"?

10. What does the author remark about the Holocaust in "Down at the Cross"?

(see the answer keys)

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