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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 do Barnsley and a colleague find when they do further investigation into the entire country's professional hockey teams?

2. Why are children born in a certain part of the year more likely to stand out?

3. What group of people founded Roseto, Pennsylvania?

4. Where does Langan once make an appearance that Gladwell mentions?

5. What does Langan do after dropping out of the second college?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does Gladwell assert about intelligence and what analogy does he use?

2. What is the origination of the title of this chapter, "The Matthew Effect"?

3. What does Anders Ericcson learn in a study he makes of musicians?

4. Describe Canada's system of amateur hockey leagues.

5. What are the unusual circumstances in the timing of Bill Joy's career in computer programming?

6. Why is the local physician's claim unusual, and what does Wolf decide to do?

7. What does Gladwell say Langan does not seem to be able to do?

8. Describe Chris Langan's childhood and college years.

9. What does IQ stand for and who developed a test to measure it?

10. What makes Roseto an "outlier" town and how does this fact come to light?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Gladwell in writing about Joe Flom cites anti-Semitism as part of the reason for Joe's success. Discuss one of the following:

1. Define anti-Semitism and give examples of it from both Outliers and other sources.

2. Do you think anti-Semitism still exists in the United States? Explain.

3. Discuss the ways in which racism influenced Malcolm Gladwell's family. Use examples from Outliers to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Titles often play a vital role in making a person decide to read a particular book. Discuss the following:

1. Fully explain why you think Outliers is titled as such. Do you think it is the best title for the book? Why or why not? Can you think of a better title? Why would you choose it?

2. How important is a title in influencing you to consider reading a book? Explain your answer.

3. Do you think a title needs to have direct relevance to a book's content? Explain your answer.

4. Have you ever read a book that when you finished, you do not understand the relevance of the title? Does it discourage you from "trusting" that particular author again?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the following:

1. What do you think are the characteristics of a successful work of non-fiction?

2. Analyze and discuss Outliers based upon the criteria you decide upon in #1 and judge if Outliers is a successful work of non-fiction/memoir.

3. Is Outliers a book you would recommend to a friend? Why or why not? Explain.

4. Can a non-fictional book be successful and yet many readers not enjoy it? Explain your response.

(see the answer keys)

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