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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 refers to a disease outbreak, which presents over a large area and is actively spreading?

2. What word from the Epilogue means caused by or evidencing a mentally disturbed condition?

3. How tall was Robert DeMatteis?

4. When was Lewis Thomas born?

5. The word “virus” derives from the Latin “virus,” which means what?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Dr. Nuland suggest regarding the works of William Osler and Lewis Thomas in Chapter 7?

2. What is stated regarding the statistics of suicide in Chapter 7?

3. Why is understanding the finite quality of life important, according to Dr. Sherwin B. Nuland?

4. How is the etymology of cancer related to its progression as a disease?

5. What case study does the author cite in discussing AIDS and HIV in the beginning of Chapter 8?

6. What does the author state regarding dignity in death in the Epilogue?

7. What is the central message in Chapter 12? How is hope related to this message?

8. What problems and diseases are associated with those infected with AIDS, according to the author in Chapter 9?

9. How are viruses spread? What does the author use as an example in Chapter 9?

10. How do accidents, suicide, and euthanasia differ from other causes of death, according to the author in Chapter 7?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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?

Essay Topic 2

Discuss the impact of the electrocardiogram on modern medicine and treatment. What developments have been made in the past 20 years? What other tests are commonly used today to detect heart muscle damage? How effective are each of these diagnostic tests?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the author’s case study of the woman with breast cancer presented in the Introduction. What are the fears that are illustrated in this example regarding death? What caused the woman the greatest concern about her mother’s passing? How did Dr. Nuland address these fears?

(see the answer keys)

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