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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. How long does the Black Gangster Disciple Nation hold Venkatesh in the stairwell the first time he happens upon them?

2. Which of the following is not a reason why crack was so appealing to urban gangs in the 1980s?

3. At what preeminent university does Venkatesh meet Steven Levitt?

4. What do obstetricians in lower birth-rate areas do more often?

5. The authors compare the risk of a crack dealer in JT's gang to the most dangerous job in America. What is that job?

Short Essay Questions

1. According to the authors, what motivates everyone?

2. How did the introduction of crack cocaine reverse a trajectory in American black culture?

3. How is this book different from other nonfiction books, according to the authors?

4. Why would a foot soldier risk death or arrest in a gang that pays him less than minimum wage for his labor?

5. How is a sumo wrestler's life affected by his ranking?

6. How is the organizational structure of the Black Gangster Disciple Nation similar to McDonald's?

7. What happens to the day-cares of Haifa, Israel when a late-pickup fee is introduced?

8. How do the authors show that money spent does not affect election results?

9. How did Stetson Kennedy use the information he compiled about the Ku Klux Klan?

10. How are nylon stockings and crack cocaine similar?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

FREAKONOMICS is at heart a challenge to conventional wisdom. The authors regard conventional wisdom as something to be wary of and questioned. Write an essay on the subject of conventional wisdom in three parts:

Part 1) How did the term "conventional wisdom" enter the common lexicon? According to the authors, why is conventional wisdom comforting to people? What purpose does it serve?

Part 2) Why dot he authors deem it so important to challenge conventional wisdom? What does it add to the common discourse, and how does it illuminate the enigmatic world?

Part 3) Analyze one of the topics of any chapter in the book. What conventional wisdom are the authors challenging? How are they going about challenging it, and what conclusion do they reach?

Essay Topic 2

Throughout FREAKONOMICS, Levitt and Dubner regularly offer apologias to the reader, explaining that they understand that the conclusions they reach may be upsetting or offensive to some. Write an essay examining these apologias. With what findings are they associated? Why do you think the authors deem it necessary to offer an aesthetic caveat to these decisions? To what extent is the final moment of the book a final apologia to the reader?

Essay Topic 3

Much of the book is dedicated to parenting and the ramifications of parental influence. Write an essay about parenting, in three parts:

Part 1) Dubner and Levitt link Roe V. Wade to the drop in crime in the 1990's. How are these two connected? What does this connection say about parental influence and how it relates to the choices as child will make in life?

Part 2) The Early Child Longitudinal Study offers a broad cross-section data regarding influences on children. What factors actually have a correlative effect on a child's performance? What do these factors have in common? Can parents alter their behavior to affect performance?

Part 3) The final chapter of FREAKONOMICS deals with one of the first decisions a parent makes regarding her child: the child's name. What are child names indicative of? Do they indicate where the child is headed or where she came from? What do they say about the parent?

(see the answer keys)

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