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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. With whom does Wolf speak at Roseto?

4. Who is Roger Barnsley?

5. What college does Joy attend?

Short Essay Questions

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

2. When are most of Canada's best hockey players born, and why does Barnley think that is so?

3. What does Wolf finally decide is the reason for the low number of heart disease-related deaths?

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

5. Who is Chris Langan?

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

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

8. What table of data does Gladwell insert in his book at this point?

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

10. How does Joy and some of his fellow students make it possible to use the computers more than is allowed and what is the result?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Gladwell gives the example of Harlan, Kentucky to introduce a discussion of how a person's cultural legacy can affect their success.

1. Define cultural legacy in your own words and give an example of it that is not in Outliers.

2. Discuss two examples of cultural legacy that are beneficial to an individual. Use examples from Outliers to support your answer.

3. Define, according to the values of honor, integrity, hard work, response to authority and honesty what you think your cultural legacy is. Use examples from Outliers to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

In the essay, "My First Impressions of the U.S.A., Einstein talks about what he calls the "cult of individuals." Gladwell states that Americans do not feel the need to obey authority. Discuss the following:

1. How would a "cult of individuals" explain why Americans are not intimidated by authority? Use examples from Outliers to support your answer.

2. Discuss ways in which Koreans' response to authority was partly responsible for the dismal accident record of Korean Airlines. Use examples from Outliers to support your answer.

3. Discuss the pros and cons of a society based upon a "cult of individuals." Use examples from Outliers to support your answer.

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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