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

Multiple Choice Questions

1. How much of a basketball court does Gladwell say most teams concede to their opponents?
(a) 70%.
(b) 25%.
(c) 80%.
(d) 50%.

2. How does Gladwell characterize the building the Paris Salon was held in?
(a) An intimate gallery.
(b) A sprawling complex.
(c) A commodious hall.
(d) An enormous barn.

3. When did the Impressionists go out on their own, and form their own exhibition?
(a) 1873.
(b) 1865.
(c) 1882.
(d) 1860.

4. What does David do after he stuns Goliath?
(a) Releases him.
(b) Stabs him in the heart.
(c) Cuts off his head.
(d) Makes him his slave.

5. Where does Gladwell say dyslexics’ neurons get “lost along the way” (99)?
(a) In their ventricles.
(b) They get into the blood.
(c) They form behind the eyes.
(d) In their brain stems.

6. Where was Ranadivé’s team based?
(a) Chattanooga, TN.
(b) Portland, OR.
(c) Menlo Park, CA.
(d) Albany, NY.

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

8. What does Gladwell say led to declining enrollment in Shepaug Valley Middle School?
(a) Closing factories.
(b) Increasing real estate prices.
(c) Smaller family size.
(d) New train lines.

9. How much does Gladwell say per-pupil spending increased in the U.S. from 1996 to 2004?
(a) 21%.
(b) 61%.
(c) 53%.
(d) 38%.

10. What does Gladwell say the Cognitive Reflection Test measures?
(a) Analytic ability.
(b) Problem solving.
(c) Intuition.
(d) Dyslexia.

11. Where does David’s stone hit Goliath?
(a) Jaw.
(b) Nose.
(c) Forehead.
(d) Heart.

12. What aspect of law did Boies’ talents fit best with?
(a) Litigating.
(b) Legal research.
(c) Negotiation.
(d) Case strategy.

13. What does Gladwell say is the overriding assumption about class composition?
(a) Single-gendered is better.
(b) Smaller is better.
(c) Diverse is better.
(d) Homogenous is better.

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

15. What does Gladwell say the inverted-U curve expresses?
(a) The sweet-spot theory.
(b) The plateau effect.
(c) Diminishing marginal returns.
(d) Stagnation level.

Short Answer Questions

1. What technical aspect of the game of basketball did Ranadivé take advantage of?

2. What does Gladwell say makes parenting more difficult for wealthier parents?

3. How old was Gladwell’s powerful Hollywood friend, when he started a snow-shoveling business with other students?

4. What does Gladwell say Goliath’s attendant was acting as?

5. How did Gary Cohn get his big break?

(see the answer keys)

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