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

Short Answer Questions

1. Mrs. Einstein worries that her son has difficulty in school. What reason does she NOT mention for being worried?

2. With what part of Einstein's job at the university is his wife dissatisfied in Chapter Six?

3. In 1905, why don't other scientists know whether or not Einstein is correct?

4. Einstein encourages other scientists to check his theories, one of which requires a total eclipse. What prevents that experiment?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

2. Is it easy or difficult to manage a child like Albert? Explain.

3. Why does Einstein change his mind about granting the boy from the porch an interview?

4. Do the townspeople respect Einstein at the beginning of the book?

5. According to the author, how is the relationship between Einstein and Mileva during and after their divorce?

6. According to the author, why does young Einstein not fit in at his school?

7. Why does the author specifically mention that Einstein answers the strange boy on the porch in German?

8. Why does Hermann Einstein say that an education is so important? He mentions that "a Jew needs one to get along nowadays." To what situation is Hermann referring?

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

10. Why is the job at the Patent Office a good position for Einstein? Explain.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast the different schools Einstein attends and discuss why those schools are helpful or harmful to Einstein as he matures. What effect do the various types of instruction have on his personality and on his teaching career later in life?

Essay Topic 2

What kind of woman is Mileva Maritsch? Does the author present her fairly? Compare and contrast the author's portrait of Mileva with your own research. In what ways are the accounts of her similar, and in what ways do they differ?

Essay Topic 3

What impact does Einstein's theory have in areas other than science? What philosophers use his work, and for what purposes?

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