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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. To what do marionettes exhibit similarities?

2. What is one thing the thumb is uniquely able to do?

3. What sport does David participate in during High School?

4. Who says that the hand and brain both speak to each other?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What does Charles Bell believe about practice?

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

4. Who is George, and what does Wilson say about him?

5. What is the connection between marionettes and the human muscle and tendon configuration in the arms and legs?

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

7. What puzzles Frank Wilson about rock climbing and piano playing? Why?

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

9. What two terms does Duchenne propose for the scale of movement required by two hands acting in partnership?

10. What are the eight features of the human hand according to Mary Marzke?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Wilson has cited a number of people in this book. Discuss he following:

1. Choose three people whom Wilson mentions positively and give a brief idea of his opinions about those three people (or stereotypes). Use examples from The Hand to support your answer.

2. Choose three people whom Wilson mentions negatively and give a brief idea of his opinions about those three people (or stereotypes). Use examples from The Hand to support your answer.

3. Judging what Wilson says about different people in his text, how would you characterize him as a friend? As a colleague? Use examples from The Hand to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Monkeys and apes evolve from quadruped--walking on four legs--to biped, which enables movement on branches and treetops. The Pliocene epoch brings the hominids with a recognizable four-finger hand and thumb exemplified by Lucy, lacking some flexibilities of a modern hand. For example Lucy can pound and throw stones accurately overhand, unlike chimps that throw only underhand. These bio mechanical hand changes are accompanied by increased brain size, social structure, communication and cooperative tool making.

1. Discuss, in depth, how bipedal locomotion gave the hominids more survival advantages over apes. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

2. Discuss, in depth, why it was so important about Lucy developing four fingers and a thumb? Use examples from the text to support your answer.

3. Give reasons why the bio mechanical hand changes helped to increase brain size. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

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.

(see the answer keys)

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