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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Where does Gladwell say dyslexic kids are more likely to end up?
(a) Manual labor.
(b) High-paying jobs.
(c) Juvenile detention.
(d) Menial jobs.

2. What does Gladwell say the average class size used to be at Shepaug Valley Middle School?
(a) 25.
(b) 12.
(c) 18.
(d) 8.

3. What technical aspect of the game of basketball did Ranadivé take advantage of?
(a) Time limits for inbound passes.
(b) Numbers of technical fouls allowed per player.
(c) Time limits for shooting.
(d) Tolerances for double dribbles.

4. What does Gladwell say makes parenting more difficult for wealthier parents?
(a) Having to navigate new decisions.
(b) Having to explain decisions.
(c) Having to keep up with other rich families.
(d) Having to compete for greater income gains.

5. Why does Gladwell say Goliath wanted David to come to him?
(a) Because he could not carry his weapons to David.
(b) Because he could not see him.
(c) Because he wanted to be within range of his archers.
(d) Because he did not want to leave his lines.

6. How did Gary Cohn get his big break?
(a) He talked his way into the executive washroom.
(b) He met executives through friends.
(c) He fell in with a party playing golf.
(d) He shared a cab with a trader.

7. How many students used to enroll in Shepaug Valley Middle School’s sixth grade, and how many enrolled at the time of publication?
(a) 300; 80.
(b) 350; 60.
(c) 500; 100.
(d) 450; 120.

8. What does Gladwell say is the benefit of bigger classes?
(a) More resources for each student.
(b) Less stress on the teacher.
(c) More attention for each student.
(d) More diversity.

9. Which part of the brain do dyslexics use more of, during reading, than “normal” readers (100)?
(a) Left hemisphere.
(b) Frontal cortex.
(c) Right hemisphere.
(d) Cerebral cortex.

10. How old was Gladwell’s powerful Hollywood friend, when he started a snow-shoveling business with other students?
(a) 10.
(b) 12.
(c) 16.
(d) 18.

11. What happened when the California governor announced plans to reduce class size?
(a) His popularity doubled.
(b) He was given a federal grant.
(c) He was challenged in a primary.
(d) He was voted out of office.

12. What percentage of wars were won by weaker countries, when the weaker countries use guerilla tactics, according to Ivan Arreguin-Toft?
(a) 63%.
(b) 55%.
(c) 29%.
(d) 44%.

13. Why does Gladwell say Boies made a good lawyer?
(a) Because he was personable and easy for judges to work with.
(b) Because he could collect essential info without reading.
(c) Because he learned to read more efficiently than most.
(d) Because of the strategies he developed to avoid reading.

14. How does “relative deprivation” explain the greater sense of dissatisfaction in the Air Force than in the Military Police, according to Sam Stouffer’s study (78)?
(a) If promotions are commonplace, people who get them are not excited about it.
(b) If promotions are rare, people who do not get promoted still feel depressed.
(c) If promotions are easy, people who do not get them feel worse than if they are rare.
(d) If promotions are rare, people who get them still feel deprived.

15. What was Vivek Ranadivé’s first principle of coaching?
(a) To win at all costs.
(b) To have fun first.
(c) Not to raise his voice.
(d) To play excellent basketball, win or lose.

Short Answer Questions

1. How many questions do students get in the Cognitive Reflection Test?

2. Who was most likely to be in Harvard’s “happy bottom quarter” (90)?

3. What does Gladwell say dyslexia is?

4. Why dose Gary Cohn say he left school?

5. Why does Gladwell say David Boies applied for law school?

(see the answer keys)

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