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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What does Barbara have to care for when she stays in a friend's house at the beginning of her adventure in Minnesota?

2. When Barbara returns to her home in Clearview, she finds out that __________ is covering the floor of her room, requiring her to move to a new one.

3. The workers at The Maids get free ________ when they arrive at work in the morning, but have to wear uniforms.

4. Why is it strange that the author decides to go to a religious revival meeting on her night off?

5. What is the next place Barbara goes to in order to try to avoid drug testing and get more money?

Short Essay Questions

1. After Barbara takes her drug test, what does she do in terms of her job hunting?

2. What does Barbara decide about the entire hiring process after noticing she didn't even ask about salary at Menards?

3. What does Menards offers to Barbara eventually when they call up to hire her?

4. What does the long employment test at a Wal-Mart job fair seem to be trying to do?

5. What does Barbara do as the focus of her job at Wal-Mart, as it becomes clearer on the first shift?

6. What does the author do on a night when she has nothing to do and no money to spend on entertainment?

7. What is the second job that the author takes on in addition to the maid job in Maine?

8. Describe what 'time theft' is according to Wal-Mart and its slick produced videos that the author watches during orientation.

9. What surprises Barbara about the cleaning method of The Maids, as described in the book?

10. What are the workers in Portland, Maine expected to do as the wages seem to be falling between $6 and $7 an hour?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

While it might be no surprise that Wal-Mart doesn't want to have labor unions in their store, it's more surprising that workers aren't more motivated to get involved

Part 1: Why do you think Wal-Mart doesn't want to have labor unions and organizations in their stores?

Part 2: Why do you think employees at Wal-Mart are scared to begin talks for labor union support in their stores?

Part 3: Is the risk of losing one's job worth it in order to get a labor organization in a store? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

When Barbara goes back and tells her coworkers what she was doing and who she is, the coworkers don't seem to have a reaction.

Part 1: Why do you think Barbara's coworkers didn't really notice Barbara as anyone different or special?

Part 2: Why do you think Barbara expected to be seen as different in some way?

Part 3: Were you surprised that the other coworkers didn't have a bigger reaction? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Many times, the workers Barbara is with seem resigned to the life in which they have been a part.

Part 1: Why do you think the workers Barbara meets don't really understand that things could be better?

Part 2: Why do you think the workers around Barbara don't know their rights and don't believe them when Barbara tells them what they should expect?

Part 3: Why do you think the workers aren't motivated to do more for themselves?

(see the answer keys)

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