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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. ____________ is comfortable to both sides as everyone knows unambiguously whom to hate.

2. Israelis were disappointed that the Arab TV show wasn't broadcast in the West so that the viewers could see how _______ the Arabs are.

3. Shipler seeks to unravel the complexities of interaction by which the tiny minority of high-minded individuals strive to bridge the gap of ___________.

4. As of the 2002 postscript, there is no lessening of the __________ desire to return to their homes.

5. Schools on both sides, Shipler says, continue to deal selectively with the creation of Israel, the ____________ of the conflict.

Short Essay Questions

1. Why it is sometimes advantageous to be an outsider, according to Shipler?

2. What does Shipler explain about the Middle Easterners and what they have felt they need to do?

3. What does Freij tell Shipler about his feelings of the Jews in regards to culture?

4. What is the official Israeli myth which is dissected in the book which Shipler has written?

5. What does Shipler mean when he discusses the idea of 'culture of the desert'?

6. Where is the Israelis' rejection of Palestinianism shown, according to Shipler?

7. And finally, what is Shipler's third goal for this book and for the reading audience as a whole?

8. How are the Arab youth being affected by the actions of the Israeli police?

9. What is the contradiction in opinion that Jews have about Arabs and their work ethic?

10. What does Shipler claim about Jerusalem at the time he and his family lived there in regards to its safety?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

A boy who did not agree with the anti-Arab bigotry in his school was called a traitor.

Part 1: Why do you think this Jewish boy was labeled a traitor?

Part 2: How else might the group have responded to the statement of the boy?

Part 3: Do you think the Jewish boy in today's world and in this classroom might face the same feedback? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

When you first read the title of this book, you were probably hit with a few images of each of these groups, whether accurate or not.

Part 1: Why do you think Arabs are perceived the way that they are?

Part 2: Why do you think Jews are perceived the way that they are?

Part 3: Why do you think you have certain images which come up in your mind when you hear the group names?

Essay Topic 3

A girl tells Shipler that she would like to learn to read, but that she is too old for coeducational schooling.

Part 1: Why do you think girls are only allowed to be in school up to a certain point?

Part 2: How does a society benefit from having a strong learning system?

Part 3: What might a women do if she has no education to use in her life? What are her options?

(see the answer keys)

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