View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. When Einstein first lectures on his theory in the US, he comments that, "It is all very simple." How does the audience respond?

2. Einstein is most interested in what part of being a professor?

3. Toward the end of Chapter One, Einstein finds a boy waiting for him on the porch. In what language does the boy speak to him?

4. What reason does the author mention for why Mileva is unhappy in her marriage?

5. The two American scientists, Michelson and Morley, are trying to measure the speed of what?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why is young Einstein disgusted with his music teacher? Explain.

2. Describe Mileva Maritsch.

3. Why does Mileva decide not to move with her husband to Berlin?

4. Explain what happens to the group of German astronomers who plan to check Einstein's theory on light rays by observing a total eclipse.

5. Why does Einstein not enjoy giving interviews?

6. Describe Mileva Maritsch's frustrations with her marriage to Einstein. Is it Einstein with whom she is displeased, or something else?

7. Why does Einstein get along better with his peers at the University than he does with his schoolmates previously?

8. Describe Pauline Einstein. What kind of woman is she?

9. Why is Einstein sometimes called the Newton of the twentieth century?

10. What does Einstein's theory of relativity have to do with Michelson and Morley's experiment?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the ways in which Einstein's experiences at the Polytechnic School form who he is for the rest of his life. What impact do his friends have? What impact does Mileva have? If the school is structured differently, does Einstein become a different person? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast Einstein's relationship with Germany from his early days as a professor to his final days in America. How does the relationship change? How do the attitudes of the common people change? Is Einstein responsible in any way for his status, or is he purely a victim of circumstance?

Essay Topic 3

Albert Einstein is a pacifist. Using supporting material from the book, explain his world view and how it evolves over the course of his life. What are the factors that initially influence him to become a pacifist, and why does he eventually abandon the notion? How does his pacifism affect his scientific career?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 886 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample