Skip to main content

Citizen Scout

I didn't go to English class on Tuesday because there wasn't going to be anything for me to do that day. Plus, I think I pulled a muscle while doubled over in a coughing fit—that, or I cracked a rib. Probably just a muscle.

I did go to class yesterday, though, because I'm feeling much more comfortable now, and I knew there would be a full two hours of work going on. I never know what my tasks will be each day because I just go with the flow and do whatever the teacher asks of me. Yesterday, she asked me to work with a woman who has been studying for her citizenship test. Yes, immigrants really can be here legally and really do want to join the team and become citizens.

This particular immigrant moved here from Mexico years ago with her family. Her husband has already become a citizen, which means her children can become citizens after they complete a stack of forms. No tests are required for them, but the mother has to take the test. It's nearly 100 questions long and covers history and general citizenship subjects like who becomes president should the president and vice-president both become incapacitated, or how many representatives are in the House of Representatives.

The woman and I sat in a room with a series of flash cards that represented the types of questions that will appear on the test. She was sailing right through them until we got about half-way through, and then it became clear she hadn't studied that far into the questions. It was OK because I didn't know all the answers either, so we learned together. What an ordeal.

I wonder how many people born and educated in the U.S. would pass the test if they were forced to take it. I wasn't sure if I could pass such a test, so I went to history.com and took the test there. The questions were very similar to the questions on the flash cards from yesterday morning—96 of them in three categories. Lucky for me it seems I could pass with a full 93%, but I'm sure I would not have done that well had I not just studied.

Go here and see if you could pass, unless you're from the UK or Australia or someplace where none of this matters.

Comments

savannah said…
i am so going to take the test! xoxox
8:18 AM
Shan said…
That is a very impressive score! I've heard that test is a booger. I may not tell if I take it. I don't want my blog friends to be disappointed because I made a C in poli-sci. :) I'm so curious to see what's on it though.
9:54 PM
Cheltenhamdailyphoto said…
Well obviously I'm not going to take the test, but I know what you mean. I'm not sure I'd be able to answer similar Qs about my own country.
5:22 AM
Madame DeFarge said…
I always think the same about the UK citizenship test. I think I flunked it when I looked at it, but then I am Scottish, so I'm allowed to get some wrong on account of cultural imperialism.
4:51 PM
MmeBenaut said…
It matters in Australia but not for US citizenship. We have a test too but I'm pretty sure it isn't 100 questions.
What is the pass mark?
In Australia ours was 100% but they've recently relaxed it so that all questions have the same weight.
I'm sure I wouldn't get 100% on our test.
6:07 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Am I Stupid, or What?

In two weeks, I will climb up into a charter bus, take my assigned seat, and ride 22 hours straight to Orlando, Florida. I will be a chaperon with the high school marching band, which will perform at Disney's Magic Kingdom--me and 180 people on four big buses for seven days. We will travel together, eat together, play together, fall down exhausted together--and after 22 hours, I suspect stink to high heaven together. Because of the crazy schedule, we will leave Ohio at 6 pm, travel all night and most of the next day, and spend several hours at MGM Studios before ending up at the hotel sometime after 7 pm. After I check in with the eight girls I am to supervise, I intend to shower and shower and shower. I intend to wear clean clothes and socks and brush my teeth until my toothbrush wears out. Of all the things I could be concerned about on this trip, being dirty seems to weigh heaviest on my mind. One of my eight charges could run off and do bad things with her boyfriend, but I'...
21 comments
Read more

No More Mr. Nice Guy

It's good to be a nice person--to say nice things, to do nice things, to write nice things--but I declare an end to the use of the word nice. Nice is what you say when you can't think of any other adjective. Someone shows you a picture of their back yard--that's nice. Someone tells you about their afternoon adventure--that's nice. Or someone describes their childhood in great detail and sometimes with painstaking effort--that's nice. It's a lazy word, and it's non-descriptive. Nice is like mashed potatoes with noodles and chicken gravy all in a big pile on one plate with some canned corn for garnish. Everything is the same color and texture and base substance--starch (this is a favorite Amish dish). Nice is like a partly cloudy day in April when outside feels like inside, and you can't tell a difference between the lighting and the temperature of your living room and the lighting and temperature of your front yard. Nice is a glass of lukewarm water. ...
20 comments
Read more

An Offending Pile

So, I'm standing in my living room letting my mind wander for a minute or two as I stare out the window and watch the day go by, and I see my neighbors walking their dogs down the street. They are nice neighbors who are always friendly and responsible with their property. That is to say they aren't like the other neighbors who heap rubbish behind their house like Ma and Pa Kettle and let their dogs bark for thirty minutes at a time . Anyway, I see the nice people walking their dogs, a big golden retriever who is as sweet as can be and as dumb as a post—he once ate a sock and nearly died before it was surgically removed—and a new golden retriever puppy. Then I see Neighbor Wife suddenly run down the street with the big dog. Then I see Neighbor Husband stopped in front of my house with the puppy on its leash. And then I see the puppy taking a huge dump in my grass. Let me tell you, that is not done in this town unless the dog owner has a plastic bag handy and is ready to pick up ...
16 comments
Read more