View a FREE sample

This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which two animals did Gurdjieff feel a man should embody?
(a) the lamb and the lion
(b) the wolf and the sheep
(c) the serpent and the dove
(d) the wolf and the kid

2. What was the "Sarmoung"?
(a) An ancient scroll from the Dead Sea.
(b) A city in ancient Mesopotamia
(c) A famous esoteric school which Gurdjieff and Pogassian seek
(d) A garment worn by an Armenian priest

3. Why was the lumber yard that Gurdjieff's father opened a failure?
(a) Gurdjieff's father had too many enemies and not enough customers
(b) A disease attacked the forests in the area
(c) People were poor and couldn't afford lumber
(d) His father had no business experience and was too honest

4. What legend did Gurdjieff's father and Dean Borsh discuss all night while Gurdjieff and his uncle listened to them?
(a) the legend of " The Lost City of Babul"
(b) the legend of "the Secret of the Gobi Desert"
(c) the legend of the "Flood before the Flood"
(d) the legend of "the Creation of the World"

5. On their expedition in search of the school run by the Sarmoung Brotherhood what experience causes Gurdjieff and Pogossian great fear but then hilarious laughter?
(a) two traveling bandits turn out to be friendly clowns
(b) threatening peasants suddenly start laughing
(c) a wide river crossing turns out to be extemely shallow
(d) fierce threatening dogs sit now quiety when they sit down

6. What was the title of the introduction Gurdjieff had originally planned for the thirtieth book?
(a) " A New World Devoid of Illusions"
(b) "Why I Am Against Contemporary Literature"
(c) "Why I Became a Writer"
(d) " The Meaning of Life as I Discovered It"

7. What was Gurdjieff's purpose in traveling to Echmiadzin?
(a) He was looking for work since he was out of money.
(b) He was on holiday.
(c) He sought answers to questions of supernatural phenomena.
(d) He was visiting relatives.

8. Why does Gurdjieff criticize newspaper literary critics?
(a) they can't write well
(b) they earn too much money for the work they do
(c) He is jealoous of them
(d) they fool easily suggestible people and are deceitful

9. What did Gurdjieff propose to do in his second book, "Meetings with Remarkable Men"?
(a) build up his ego, describing all his accomplishments
(b) create a consciousness devoid of illusions in people like himself
(c) write an entertaining book, enjoyable to everyone
(d) write a sort of travel log of his travels through exotic lands

10. What did Pogossian look like?
(a) He was of medium height, dark , with a small moustache.
(b) He was fat with a ruddy complexion and wore glasses.
(c) He was small, dark and clean-shaven.
(d) He was tall, fair-haired with a full beard.

11. With whom did Bogachevsky share lodgings?
(a) Nureyev
(b) Ponomarenko
(c) Krestovsky
(d) Dean Borsh

12. How did Gurdjieff view his father?
(a) like a very stern patriarch whom he feared
(b) like a fool whom he had no respect for
(c) like a friend who was somewhat beneath him
(d) like an older brother who instilled high ideals in him

13. What is it impossible to do even if one is an excellent linguist?
(a) dream in a foreign language
(b) speak like a native in a foreign language.
(c) speak more than five languages fluently
(d) think in a foreign language while speaking one's native tongue

14. Why did people think Dean Borsh was peculiar?
(a) His views were odd and though rich, he lived in one room.
(b) He was afraid of cats.
(c) He spoke in riddles.
(d) He wore outlandish clothes.

15. When did Gurdjieff meet Pogossian and become friends with him?
(a) when Pogossian was finishing his seminary studies
(b) in Baku on a trip
(c) in Kars during his childhood
(d) in Paldevan during his vacation

Short Answer Questions

1. In which towns did Gurdjieff's family live during his childhood?

2. What treasure did Gurdjieff secretly get from the Armenian priest?

3. What did Krestovsky teach Gurdjieff?

4. Gurdjieff changed his custom of drinking armagnac from liqueur glasses to drinking from what kind of glass?

5. When did Gurdjieff meet Bogachevsky?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 713 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample