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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 were the first sounds Orwell heard in the morning when he woke at the Brookers?
(a) The sound of mill girls' clogs down the cobbled street.
(b) The sound of hammering at the house next door.
(c) The sound of birds chirping in the trees.
(d) The sound of Mrs. Brooker bustling around the kitchen.

2. How did D. H. Lawrence come to Orwell's mind as he rode the train?
(a) He met a passenger whose name was Lawrence.
(b) He looked out over snow-covered hills.
(c) He was reading a book of poetry.
(d) He looked at a beautiful girl.

3. What was one "perk" given to miners that was actually off-set by transportation costs?
(a) Reduced cost of the coal for their houses.
(b) Bonus for meeting coal goals.
(c) Free tool sharpening.
(d) Bonus for on-time work.

4. How far under the ground was Orwell when he reached the bottom of the mine?
(a) Four hundred yards.
(b) Four thousand feet.
(c) Four thousand yards.
(d) Seven hundred feet.

5. 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 large pan of hot cereal and a bottle of cold tea.
(d) A hunk of bread and drippings, and a bottle of cold tea.

Short Answer Questions

1. Which towns did Orwell note for their approach to tearing down slum housing and rebuilding?

2. How did one member of the press see Orwell's presence in Wigan?

3. What does "back to back" mean?

4. Who wrote "The Coal Scuttle?"

5. What physical attributes did the fillers share?

Short Essay Questions

1. When people moved into the Corporation housing, what were some of the restrictions by which they had to abide?

2. Why were the fillers an important part of the coal mining business? What were their jobs?

3. Why did Orwell leave the Brookers? Where did he go? How did he respond to his train trip leaving town?

4. What were some of the reasons Orwell gave for a miner's pay being much lower than his publicized wage?

5. What were the two largest causes of death to a miner on the job? What were the causes of these hazards?

6. Describe the meals Orwell was offered while living at the Brookers. Who cooked the meals? What were the boarders given to eat for dinner?

7. What were the caravan dwellings Orwell speaks about in his book? How many were there in Wigan? What were the living conditions in these caravan dwelling?

8. Who were the Brookers? How did Orwell describe them? What did they look like? Behave like?

9. What was one major convenience added to the more modern mines in England? What myth often told about miners did this modern convenience dispel?

10. Who were some of the boarders at the Brooker's rooming house? How were thought of by the Brookers?

(see the answer keys)

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