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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. Which leader of the miner's strike was referenced by Lessing?

2. Lessing believed history was a great __________.

3. Which sciences did Lessing feel gave the best data regarding human behavior?

4. How did the whites feel about the blacks in Rhodesia?

5. Lessing believed people could grow if they only detached from ___________.

Short Essay Questions

1. When onlookers recognize that others are lying, Lessing believed they refuse to protest the lies for what purpose?

2. What is Lessing's prediction concerning what every viewpoint will become with time?

3. Why did Lessing join a communist group in Rhodesia?

4. Why was Lessing discouraged by the application of behavioral data uncovered through the "soft sciences"?

5. Why did Lessing feel that our ability to consider differing viewpoints might save the human race?

6. In terms of collective beliefs during her life time, what idiocy struck Lessing?

7. Lessing believed that if humans could learn from our history, we could change our future in what respect?

8. What was the political climate in Lessing's country when she was growing up?

9. Why did Lessing believe sub-groups with opposing positions were dangerous?

10. According to Lessing, how is the group mentality different from individual mentality?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Lessing felt that humans suffered from an "awful primitivism." What were some of the examples she gave to support this theory?

Essay Topic 2

When examining the miner's strike, Lessing noted that onlookers knew both sides of the debate were lying about the issues, yet people took sides in spite of the lack of accurate information.

1) What type of information should people use to come to conclusions?

2) What type of information do people typically use to come to conclusions?

3) What does Lessing say about the tendency of people to come to conclusions in spite of a lack of information?

Essay Topic 3

Lessing contended that several parts of our culture use brainwashing as a form of communication. Choose from one of the following entities and examine the influence it has or could have on society through brainwashing.

1) Advertising community.

2) Religion.

3) Government.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 648 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample