Deck 48: Eliza Griswold, Undermined: a Local Activist Fights for the Future of Coal Country

Question 1

As a consequence of Coptis's activist work,

A) the company had to pay millions of dollars in damages to workers whose health had been harmed by their work.
B) mining regulations were strengthened and violations were more harshly penalized.
C) Donald Trump visited her area and openly pointed her out, criticized, and taunted her at his rally, giving her new and valuable visibility in the environmental movement.
D) not very much, if anything, changed.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

In Eliza Griswold's essay, "Undermined…," what kind of work did Veronica Coptis do?

A) She worked in an oil refinery.
B) She managed a call center.
C) She had been a miner.
D) None of the above, but her husband worked at a mine.

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Why did Coptis become an activist in her essay, "Undermined…"?

A) She lost her job and was angry at the company.
B) Her husband suffered serious health problems, repeating what had happened to her father.
C) She was alarmed by the environmental destruction caused by mining.
D) She was inspired during her college years.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

One advantage Coptis had in the activist work she was doing was that

A) her husband, parents, and siblings supported her and defended her work to others.
B) she was a local person, knew the area and its people, and people recognized her as such.
C) her ties with national organizations gave her more credibility and were a source of funding for the things she wanted to do.
D) she was older and retired, so didn't have to worry about being fired or losing her (retirement) income.

Question 5

The message Coptis is trying to deliver as a social activist is that

A) one person can make a difference.
B) large corporations can be made to be accountable for the harm they do to people and the environment.
C) because coal mining is a dying industry, her region needs to stop being despoiled by coal mining and develop a new economy that provides people a way to continue living there.
D) the environment is more important, in the long run, than any personal problems people are facing in the short run.

Question 6

Where does "Undermined…" take place?

A) Pennsylvania
B) Wyoming
C) Florida, where Veronica Coptis had to move after being threatened
D) not mentioned to protect people's anonymity