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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. How many injured people were found in the Kelly Street apartment?
(a) Three.
(b) Two.
(c) One.
(d) Four.

2. How was a firefighter injured while rescuing a child from a fire on Prospect Avenue?
(a) He was struck by falling debris.
(b) He broke his ankle going down the stairs.
(c) He suffered smoke inhalation.
(d) He fell through a hole in the floor.

3. What did the three men sitting on Charlotte Street do when they saw the kid pull the false alarm in Chapter 3?
(a) They chased the kid.
(b) They did nothing.
(c) They called the police.
(d) They called the kid's parents.

4. Which two companies were prohibited from responding to the same fire under the new plan?
(a) 82 and 85.
(b) 82 and 90.
(c) 82 and 92.
(d) 85 and 87.

5. What did Smith find buried under the rubble at the Charlotte Street apartment in Chapter 5?
(a) A race car set.
(b) A child's bike.
(c) A Big Wheel.
(d) A doll.

Short Answer Questions

1. What was the average daily number of false alarms in New York City during the time period covered by the book?

2. What board game were the firemen playing in Chapter 3?

3. How does Smith envision false alarms occurring in richer neighborhoods?

4. Why did the firefighters think the car in the middle of Stebbins Avenue was stolen?

5. What happened to several firefighters (including Smith) fighting a blaze at a two-story factory building?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why was Smith reminded of the sun when he entered the burning room on Forest Avenue in Chapter 5?

2. How does Smith describe the fire marshals sent to investigate the Intervale Avenue fire?

3. What was Dennis Smith's main concern about writing about his fellow firefighters?

4. What was Firefighter Jim's reaction to news of the arrests of Vietnam War protesters in Chapter 3?

5. How did the firefighters feel about the deaths of the two teenagers in the Intervale Avenue arson fire in Chapter 1?

6. How was Firefighter Mike Carr killed?

7. What is Smith's view of the political leaders of New York City?

8. In what ways does Smith view the old-style machine politics as preferable to the current system?

9. Besides the risks to firefighters, what does Dennis Smith believe is a real risk of malicious false alarms?

10. In reflecting on the boys who chanted hate-filled slogans at the firefighters in Chapter 4, Smith reflects that "people don't hate other people." What does he mean by that?

(see the answer keys)

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