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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 actor was interviewed in the Playboy issue, read by Smith in Chapter 7?

2. Why was Pat, Dennis' wife, willing to accept his remaining in a dangerous profession?

3. Where did the firemen's training occur?

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

5. What did Smith foresee when he first applied to become a firefighter?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did Smith distinguish between acts of shoplifting and looting within poor neighborhoods?

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

3. What was Smith's attitude toward the man hanging around at the Union Avenue fire in Chapter 10? How did he feel about the man screaming that the firemen were not taking fire victims to the hospital because they didn't care about black people?

4. In what way can the training firemen undergo never be completely sufficient?

5. How did the firefighters react to the call in Chapter 7 in which they tended to a man who almost overdosed on drugs?

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

7. How did the elementary student, Cynthia, approach her interview with Smith in Chapter 9?

8. Despite the death of the baby in the last fire in the book, Smith was more committed than ever to remaining a firefighter. What did he see at that fire that reinforced his tremendous loyalty to his fellow firemen?

9. In what way does it seem as though Smith--despite his hatred for cockroaches--actually respects them?

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Firefighters work long shifts that require them to both sleep and eat meals at the station. How does Smith demonstrate that this enforced closeness with fellow firefighters encourages a sense of brotherhood? Did the cooking and sharing of meals among the men of Engine Co. 82 foster a unique relationship that was missing in other professions? Is there a unique value in seeing your fellow firefighters at their best and their worst (i.e., grumpy before morning coffee, poor hygiene, an issue Smith addresses in the book) throughout the day? Does this help explain the fierce loyalty described by Smith?

Essay Topic 2

Why was Smith so affected by the interview with the student, Cynthia? Why did his encounter with her leave him feeling both heartened and concerned? Did he ultimately feel uplifted or overwhelmed by what she represented?

Essay Topic 3

Most of the malicious false alarms in the engine company's neighborhood were pulled by young children. What did Smith believe was the proper punishment for these children? Did he believe that putting them away for awhile in a juvenile facility would teach them a lesson? Or, would exposure to other, possibly more violent, young people, backfire? How does society determine the proper punishment for a child and whether the child is old enough to be taught a lesson?

(see the answer keys)

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