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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Who wrote "The Coal Scuttle?"
(a) Mr. Albert Hall, Mayor of Chelsey, Yorkshire.
(b) Mr. John Abbott, Mayor of Chelsey, Yorkshire.
(c) Mr. Paul McCartney, Mayor of Barnsley, Yorkshire.
(d) Mr. Joseph Jones, Mayor of Barnsley, Yorkshire.

2. At what time of year does the coal industry slack off?
(a) Summer.
(b) Fall.
(c) Winter.
(d) Spring.

3. According to Mrs. Brooker, who was "at Canada?"
(a) Many of her husband's relatives.
(b) Many of her children.
(c) Many of her former boarders.
(d) Many of her aunts and uncles.

4. When they had something to eat, what did the fillers consume?
(a) A hunk of meat and gravy, and a bottle of cold tea.
(b) A large sandwich and pickles, and a bottle of cold tea.
(c) A hunk of bread and drippings, and a bottle of cold tea.
(d) A large pan of hot cereal and a bottle of cold tea.

5. Why did men chew tobacco in the mines?
(a) It was medicinal.
(b) It was a stimulant.
(c) It was a deterrent to thirst.
(d) It was good for headaches.

6. How many people shared the bedroom in which Orwell slept at the Brookers?
(a) Four.
(b) Three.
(c) Seven.
(d) Five.

7. Who were the fillers?
(a) The foremen.
(b) The men digging coal from the ground.
(c) The men shoveling coal onto the conveyer belt.
(d) The men moving coal on the elevators.

8. What does "one up, one down" mean?
(a) One ground floor, one basement.
(b) One room in front of another.
(c) One room on each storey.
(d) One room with a higher ceiling than the other.

9. What could happen to cause a miner to lose one or two days pay?
(a) A broken elevator.
(b) A new training session.
(c) An over-scheduling mistake.
(d) A machinery breakdown or a fault.

10. How long were the fillers on the job during their shifts?
(a) Six hours with no benefits.
(b) Seven hours with two twenty minute breaks.
(c) Seven and a half hours with no break.
(d) Eight hours with half an hour for lunch.

11. To what did Orwell compare the sound of the conveyor belt in the mine?
(a) A loud hum.
(b) A machine gun.
(c) Thunder.
(d) An echo.

12. What creature did Orwell see a surprising abundance of in the coal mine?
(a) Bats.
(b) Rats.
(c) Mice.
(d) Moles.

13. Who were the only permanent lodgers at the Brookers?
(a) Mr. Reilly and the Irish miner with one hand.
(b) Mr. Reilly and Mr. Orwell.
(c) Mr. Reilly and Mr. Simons.
(d) Mr. Reilly and a man named Joe.

14. What was one problem faced by the tenant moving from slum housing into new housing?
(a) The outdoor plumbing.
(b) The lack of medical care.
(c) The higher expense.
(d) The noise level.

15. How did Orwell describe Mrs. Brooker?
(a) An anxious faced, obese invalid.
(b) A jolly, industrious woman.
(c) An overweight, jolly woman.
(d) A beautiful, tall seductress.

Short Answer Questions

1. What were "cream crackers?"

2. How did Orwell come to understand the discrepancies in pay for miners?

3. What were newspaper canvassers?

4. How does a miner bathe after dinner?

5. What did Orwell learn had happened to Wigan Pier?

(see the answer keys)

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