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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What news does John get at the beginning of the book?
(a) His brother has murdered a man.
(b) His brother has shown up at his mother's house.
(c) His brother has just finished school.
(d) His brother has received a life sentence.

2. Who is Jake?
(a) John and Robby's brother.
(b) Judy's brother.
(c) Robby's son.
(d) John's son.

3. Where do John and Jamila have to drive through on the way to the penitentiary?
(a) A ghetto.
(b) Farms.
(c) A business district.
(d) A mall.

4. Where does John pick Robby up?
(a) A truck stop.
(b) A bowling alley.
(c) A laundromat.
(d) A diner.

5. How does John say the prisoners view children?
(a) As bright distractions.
(b) As objects of exchange.
(c) As sexual objects.
(d) As religious objects.

6. What theme runs through 'Brothers and Keepers'?
(a) Christian virtue.
(b) Loyalty.
(c) Escape.
(d) Literacy.

7. John says that the prisoners are like him except for what?
(a) They are bad.
(b) They are unlucky.
(c) They are poor.
(d) They are illiterate.

8. What Catch-22 was John caught in?
(a) He was expected to be smart and also anti-intellectual.
(b) He was expected to be a rebel and also a conformist.
(c) He was expected to have money, but he was expected not to work.
(d) He was expected to be black and also to fit in seamlessly.

9. What kinds of places did Robby NOT frequent?
(a) Hang out corners.
(b) Gym.
(c) Girl's houses.
(d) Poolroom.

10. What does John say his mother lost when Robby declined into crime?
(a) Her affection for her children.
(b) Her forgiving nature.
(c) Her patience with the racism of the system.
(d) Her faith in God.

11. What was the Homewood Avenue district?
(a) A center for drugs and prostitution.
(b) A coal mining ghetto.
(c) A center for gang violence.
(d) A shipping port.

12. How does John characterize his feeling about his brother?
(a) In spite of the distance, he feels his brother is part of him.
(b) He feels like his brother is a stranger to him.
(c) He is always trying to keep himself clear of his family's troubles, but they keep finding him.
(d) He feels little or no relation with his family.

13. Why does Jamila think Robby should be out of prison?
(a) Because he wants to be.
(b) Because he eats apples.
(c) Because he was wrongly imprisoned.
(d) Because he is her uncle.

14. How often does John visit Robby in prison?
(a) Monthly.
(b) Weekly.
(c) Annually.
(d) Every other month.

15. Where does the word 'jail' come from?
(a) Chain.
(b) Cage.
(c) Trap.
(d) Torture.

Short Answer Questions

1. What were prisoners prevented from doing after the revolt, according to John?

2. What does John say he wishes he had done the first time Robby was arrested?

3. How does John say he and his children and Robby act during their visit?

4. What does John say he feels about escaping to Wyoming?

5. What does John say he likes seeing at the prison?

(see the answer keys)

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