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. At what age was Irv Lipsiner when he suffered complete cardiac heart failure, according to the author in Chapter 1?

2. What does TIA stand for?

3. What refers to the study of the history of words, their origins, and how their form and meaning have changed over time?

4. What poet is quoted by the author in the Introduction with the line, “Oh Lord, give each of us his own death”?

5. What word from Chapter 5 refers to a wasting away of the body or of an organ or part, as from defective nutrition or nerve damage?

Short Essay Questions

1. What happened when Dr. Nuland was doing Mr. McCarty’s paperwork, according to the author in Chapter 1?

2. How does the author describe the degeneration of his grandmother in Chapter 3?

3. What differences does the author cite between the young and the old in dealing with the seven causes of death in Chapter 4?

4. How has the determination of death changed over time, according to the author in Chapter 2? What are Dr. Nuland’s conclusions of the determination of death?

5. What medical advances does the author cite in the study of myocardial infarction in Chapter 2?

6. What medical progress has been made in the diagnosis and treatment of Alzheimer’s disease, according to the author in Chapter 5?

7. What medical procedure did Dr. Nuland Perform on James McCarty? What was the outcome?

8. What does the author write of the “mystery” and “myth” of death in the Introduction?

9. How does the author describe the progression of Alzheimer’s in Chapter 5?

10. How does the author go about explaining the heart’s functions in Chapter 2?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the role of endorphins and their role in easing death for trauma patients as well as “near-death experiences.” Why does the author state that the theory of endorphin release after trauma has insufficient evidence for proof? How is the theory illustrated in the case study of Katie Mason?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss Janet Whiting’s sequence of reactions to her husband’s diagnosis with Alzheimer’s disease. In what ways did Janet’s responses mimic those of grief? Give examples of how Phil’s wife employed both rationalization and denial as his symptoms presented themselves.

Essay Topic 3

Describe and analyze mortality rates for the elderly in the past century. How has the lifespan of Americans evolved since 1900? What has caused this increase in the American lifespan? How has the extended lifespan of Americans affected the increase in Alzheimer’s disease?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 887 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample