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Brent Staples, Black Men and Public Space

Black Men and Public Space

Brent Staples

READING COMPREHENSION QUIZ

Take the quiz below to check your comprehension of the reading selection:

Question 4.3

What did Staples do to his first victim?

He mugged her.

He ended up helping her.

He inadvertently frightened her.

None of these

Correct.

Incorrect. The answer is C.

Question 4.4

Where does the event in which Staples describes his first victim occur?

Los Angeles

New York

Boston

Chicago

Correct.

Incorrect. The answer is D.

Question 4.5

In which city does Staples currently live?

Los Angeles

New York

Boston

Chicago

Correct.

Incorrect. The answer is B.

Question 4.6

How does Staples allay the fears of people who find his presence threatening?

He moves with care, particularly at night.

He gives other pedestrians a wide berth.

He whistles melodies from classical composers.

All of these

Correct.

Incorrect. The answer is D.

Question 4.7

Why does Staples say he has “smother[ed] the rage” he feels at “being taken for a criminal”?

He never cared much about people’s perceptions to begin with.

Not doing so would have led to madness.

People have felt less threatened by him as he has aged.

He has not tried to smother his rage. He enjoys feeling angry about this.

Correct.

Incorrect. The answer is B.

READING SUMMARY

Question 4.8

In a sentence or two, summarize the main idea of Staples’s “Black Men and Public Space.” Be sure to put the summary in your own words and to avoid using the sentence structure of the reading selection. Consider multimodal elements (if any) as well as text. Remember that your summary should restate the selection’s main idea and include only the most important supporting ideas.

Below is an example summary of this reading selection: Brent Staples reminisces about his experience as a young, black man and his tendency to frighten strangers by his mere physical presence. While Staples recognizes the injustice in the way that others perceive him, he expresses empathy for them. He also writes about his strategies, like whistling classical music, to allay the fears of those who find his presence threatening. Your summary will differ from this one in the way it is written, but it should include roughly the same information.

VOCABULARY QUIZ

Explain the meaning of each of the following words as it is used in the reading:

Question 4.9

Discreet (par. 1)

Discreet means tactful or prudent.

Question 4.10

Perilous (par. 8)

Perilous means dangerous.

Question 4.11

Congenial (par. 11)

Congenial means pleasant or good-natured.