“Not Poor, Just Broke” by Dick Gregory Quiz and Answer Key

Incorporate narrative nonfiction into the English Language Arts classroom and measure general reading comprehension with this editable quiz on “Not Poor, Just Broke” by Dick Gregory. This autobiographical account addresses the author’s formative years with emphasis on the transformational incident that caused him to feel personal shame for the first time. An answer key is provided. Materials are delivered in printable Word Document and PDF formats. By taking this assessment, students will demonstrate knowledge of the following:

• The mother’s perspective on life
• The mother’s job and how it complicates life for the family
• How the narrator demonstrates anger at his mother’s treatment
• An item hidden in the family closet
• The reason for hiding the item
• The importance of Helene Tucker
• Why the narrator gathers ice from the grocery store
• How the teacher treats the narrator
• The narrator’s motivations
• Why the mother called her son, the narrator, a “little rat”
• A terrible incident at the diner and its effect on the narrator
• The narrator’s reaction to a visitor
• Why the narrator throws a brick through the grocery store window