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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 disease did one of the firefighters contract?
(a) Hepatitis.
(b) A bacterial infection.
(c) Pneumonia.
(d) Influenza.

2. Why were conditions in the fire station cold in April?
(a) Because there was a hole in the roof of the station.
(b) Because budget cuts caused the firefighters to forgo the use of the heating system.
(c) Because a garage door had been open and broken for months
(d) Because the station's heating system was broken.

3. At what age did Smith drop out of school?
(a) Fifteen.
(b) Fourteen.
(c) Sixteen.
(d) Seventeen.

4. Why was Dennis upset about the visit from the welfare inspector?
(a) The inspector spoke to his mother harshly.
(b) He was afraid the inspector would find the hidden television.
(c) He was afraid the family would be denied more benefits.
(d) He thought his friends would see the inspector and he was ashamed about being poor.

5. What did the naked man on Southern Boulevard wield as a weapon?
(a) A handgun.
(b) A baseball bat.
(c) A whip.
(d) A butcher knife.

Short Answer Questions

1. What did Smith see in Fireman Billy-o as he held the baby who died in the fire?

2. Why were the five adults and two children unable to escape the burning building?

3. Why did the firemen call for police assistance while battling the Fox Street fire in Chapter 8?

4. How must firefighters find the rewards in their profession?

5. To which classical literary figure does Smith refer when describing the wounds on the young girl assaulted by her stepfather in Chapter 9?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why did Smith view being a firemen as a sign of success when he was a child?

2. What did Smith find most frustrating about the attack on the firefighters (the dropped garbage can) in Chapter 8?

3. In what key way does Smith say the modern firefighting exams are different from those of the past?

4. Why were some of the firefighters unwilling to help out at the department's occasional parties for neighborhood kids?

5. How did Dennis Smith feel as a child when the welfare inspector visited his family?

6. Why had the system of safety inspections changed so radically?

7. How did contemplating the changing seasons make it easier for Smith to deal with the dangers of his job?

8. Did Smith feel that the rich New Yorkers mentioned in Chapter 7, who were raising money to bail out Black Panthers, had any real understanding of need?

9. What were Smith's initial views of firefighting before he joined the department?

10. Did Smith's wife appreciate her husband's devotion to his job?

(see the answer keys)

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