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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. According to Wilson, what did the expansion of territory by hominids require?

2. What does Frederick Wood Jones note about the hand?

3. To what was the pre-human arm metaphorically compared?

4. What helps maintain a skill that is learned?

5. Where does the hand's optimal strength lie when rock climbing?

Short Essay Questions

1. According to Wilson, what are the two problem-solving strategies that stand out?

2. How does the touch of the pianist differ from that of the rock climber?

3. What does Mary Marzke classify and how does she do so?

4. What has to happen in order for the thumb to be useful?

5. What does Wilson propose as the juggling riddle, and why do children not aspire to juggle?

6. What aspects of the human capacity for passionate, creative work does Wilson illustrate?

7. What terms does John Napier use that mean essentially the same as "prehensile" and "non-prehensile" and what do the terms mean?

8. What does Wilson say about juggling as a pastime?

9. Explain the crane metaphor Wilson uses.

10. What is Wilson's "mission" with this book?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The human brain accounts for intelligence or the ability to discover, weigh and relate facts to solve problems. Wilson claims there are two problem-solving strategies that stand out. They are the ability to design and manufacture a large, diverse, specialized inventory of tools and the use of words established by agreement among people as codes and symbols to stand for a real-world object or process.

1. Explain, in depth, why the ability to discover, weigh, and relate facts is a good measure of intelligence. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

2. Explain why the ability to design and manufacture tools is an important survival skill and problem solving ability. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

3. Explain how language consists of agreements about codes and symbols among people. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Anatomically, ape and human hands have been, until recently, considered functionally equivalent by anthropologists. The prehuman arm, however, was considered functionally and anatomically different metaphorically by analysis to a construction crane and its operator.

1. Explain the metaphor of the prehuman being related to a crane. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

2. Explain what part of the body is the crane operator in the above metaphor and how it relates to the use of the hand. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

3. Discuss the following statement in relation to modern human society. When the forelimbs were relieved of the duty to walk on and support body weight, the brain enabled them to become functional in many other areas and skills. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the following:

1. Mary Marzke follows up on Napier's initial work to classify three types of grip that are defined as pad-to-side, three-jawed chuck and five-jawed cradle. Describe the three types of grips in detail and discuss why you do or do not agree with Marzke that there are only three types of grips. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

2. What are the eight features of the human hand that Marzke discusses and why are they important? Use examples from the text to support your answer.

3. Describe what you think is the single most important modification of the ape hand to human society and why you think it is. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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