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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What sense does the author describe experiencing as he watched television as a child?
(a) Hope.
(b) Confusion.
(c) Jealousy.
(d) Injustice.

2. What does the author describe as the "enemy of art, courageous thinking and honest writing"?
(a) Public education.
(b) Religion.
(c) Science.
(d) The Dream.

3. Coats explains that the young men who walk the streets of Baltimore loud and rude do so because:
(a) They are uncultured and wild.
(b) It gives them a sense of security and power.
(c) They are uneducated and don't know any better.
(d) It is their way of being friendly.

4. Where does the author begin his memoir?
(a) During a riot.
(b) During an interview.
(c) At an auction.
(d) In a bar.

5. What type of work did the author's father do?
(a) Research librarian at Howard University.
(b) Freelance writer and journalist.
(c) Police officer for Baltimore City.
(d) Custodian for Baltimore public schools.

6. How does the author describe Malcolm X?
(a) Strong, ethical, and powerful.
(b) Fierce, violent, and wild.
(c) Controlled, intelligent, and beyond fear.
(d) Rebellious, irrational, and impulsive.

7. What did the author find unique about Howard University?
(a) All the students were wealthy, regardless of race.
(b) All the students were black, but distinctly unique in culture.
(c) Everyone was treated as an equal, regardless of race.
(d) The professors spent time outside with the students.

8. Whom does the author describe as "the God I never had"?
(a) His son.
(b) His mother.
(c) His soul.
(d) His wife.

9. According to the author, there is no difference between his son and which murdered 17-year-old?
(a) Malcom X.
(b) Trayvon Martin.
(c) Jordan Davis.
(d) Prince Jones.

10. How did the author and his friends illegally obtain alcohol when they were underage?
(a) They would steal it from the liquor store.
(b) There were men of legal drinking age who would purchase it for them for a fee.
(c) They would steal it from their parents.
(d) They would make corn liquor at home in the bathtub.

11. Where did the author meet the mother of his son?
(a) Baltimore.
(b) Atlanta.
(c) New York.
(d) The Mecca.

12. How did the author's father discipline him?
(a) With a belt.
(b) By slapping his face.
(c) In time-out.
(d) By taking his phone.

13. What does the author tell his son about responsibility?
(a) He is responsible for his family.
(b) He is responsible for his body and the bodies of others.
(c) He is only responsible for himself.
(d) Responsibility comes with a price.

14. According to the author, America believes itself to be:
(a) Pure.
(b) Exceptional.
(c) Understanding.
(d) Peaceful.

15. Who said, "Either I can beat him, or the police"?
(a) The author's grandmother.
(b) The author.
(c) The author's mother.
(d) The author's father.

Short Answer Questions

1. What bothers the author about artists like Michael Jackson?

2. At what age does the author remember witnessing his first street fight?

3. Whom does the author describe as his "wedding ring"?

4. What did the girl with the long dreads teach the author?

5. According to the author, how does racism affect the body?

(see the answer keys)

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