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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. Harari states that throughout the text, he will use the term human to refer to whom?

2. What is NOT provided as an example of a full script?

3. Of what material was the lion-man figure made that was found in the Stadel Cave in Germany?

4. What was the largest marsupial ever to walk the earth?

5. Of the 24 Australian animal species weighing 100 pounds or more, how many became extinct?

Short Essay Questions

1. For what purpose does the author include a table at the start of the text that presents a timeline of human history?

2. What is Harari's assessment of the opportunities created by sapiens' use of fictive language?

3. What chain of events does Harari name as eventually leading to the appearance of the species Homo sapiens?

4. What evidence does the author provide for his claim that what is beneficial to the species as a whole is not always beneficial to individuals?

5. What is the function of a template for collective action within a society?

6. How does the author use the example about insects' wings to make his point about there being no single "natural" (147) way to live?

7. What is the significance of the era that occurred on Earth 70,000 years ago?

8. What is the author's definition of the word natural and how does he support his claim?

9. For what purpose does Harari make particular points about extinction in the final passages of Chapter Four?

10. What examples does the author provide for his claim that societal orders are imagined, rather than objective?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Examine the author’s use of characterization methods to portray his own persona within the narrative. What effects do these characterization methods have on the themes and messages inherent in Yuval Noah Harari's book Sapiens?

Essay Topic 2

How does the author use sensory details in order to paint a vivid portrait of the historical and sociological events depicted within Yuval Noah Harari's book Sapiens? Discuss at least two passages that include extensive use of sensory details and pull quotes from these passages to support your claim.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the use of Biblical allusions within Yuval Noah Harari's book Sapiens.

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