View a FREE sample

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

Short Answer Questions

1. Why does Gladwell say the Royal Scots were the least helpful regiment to patrol the Catholic neighborhood of Lower Falls?

2. What was the breakthrough that set up the confrontation that led to Bill Hudson getting his famous photo?

3. How does Rosemary Lawlor explain why she was hooked on fighting the British?

4. How does Gladwell characterize general Freeland’s tour of the deserted streets of Lower Falls?

5. How many Londoners said they had not gotten any sleep the previous night, in a poll during the Blitz?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Gladwell credit Bill Hudson’s photo of Walter Gadsden being attacked by the police dog in Birmingham with having done?

2. How does Gladwell explain Freireich’s wife’s bond to him?

3. How did the women of Ballymurphy break the curfew in Lower Falls?

4. What is the lesson Gladwell derives from the video of the third-grade classroom from the Curry School of Education?

5. How does Turtle win the race with Deer, in the Brer Rabbit story Gladwell relates?

6. How did Freireich compensate for the isolation that came from experimenting in the way he did?

7. Why does Gladwell say that it took the British so long to understand that they were applying too much force in northern Ireland?

8. What was the effect of the Three Strikes law in California?

9. How does Gladwell say successful dyslexics typically feel about wishing dyslexia on their children?

10. Why does Gladwell say the Nazis did not come to Le Chambon and make an example of the town?

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

Who is the audience for David and Goliath? What is the ideal reader for David and Goliath likely to think about the book’s main topics? How does this book try to affect the reader? What is it trying to teach him or her, or get him or her to do?

Essay Topic 3

Write an evaluative review of David and Goliath. What is this book’s place in our culture? Who will find this book most useful? What are its uses? What are its limitations?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,118 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample