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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. What is the one factor Gladwell seems to measure college success by?

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

3. What aspect of law did Boies’ talents fit best with?

4. Where was Ranadivé’s team based?

5. What percentage of wars were won by weaker countries, when the weaker countries use guerilla tactics, according to Ivan Arreguin-Toft?

Short Essay Questions

1. Gladwell seems to want it both ways, valuing poverty and celebrating wealth. Does Gladwell acknowledge or try to resolve this contradiction?

2. What were the advantages Lawrence of Arabia’s force had, compared to the Turks?

3. What did Ranadivé find was the disadvantage of his success with his coaching style?

4. What is “relative deprivation” (77)?

5. How does Gladwell explain Ikea’s success through “disagreeableness” (118)?

6. What does Gladwell say is Gary Cohn’s emotional relationship with the daring leaps he took, to get himself into trading, from selling aluminum siding?

7. What are the factors that this conventional wisdom overlooks, in Gladwell’s account?

8. How does Gladwell say dyslexia prepared Brian Grazer to be a movie producer?

9. What are the three kinds of warriors whom Baruch Halpern says balance each other?

10. What is Vivek Ranadivé’s qualification to coach basketball?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Write a character sketch of the author based on her style and content. What can we tell about him, based on the choices she makes in terms of description, characterization and plot? What values does he hold dear? What are his hopes and fears? What kind of person do you think he is? Anchor your sketch in passages in the book.

Essay Topic 2

Evaluate your own reading of David and Goliath—did you resist it, or were you compelled by the story? What does your reading tell you about yourself and your interests? Use specific examples from the book to describe yourself as a reader.

Essay Topic 3

Identify the most important points in David and Goliath. How is the book organized? How does this differ from how a novel is organized with plot points?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,012 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample