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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. How many years ago did changes in global climate initiate an ecosystem of fruits and flowers?

2. To what is Franz Liszt compared?

3. How does black magic differ from white magic regarding a patient's belief?

4. According to Chomsky, how many brain tasks are required for speaking language?

5. What is a second language requirement?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Paul Broca and for what is he known?

2. What does Wilson say about the skills of musical virtuosos?

3. How has the hand been used throughout its long history?

4. Why does Wilson bring up his friend Jack Schaefer?

5. Explain the studies that are conducted by a joint effort of University of New Mexico and Gallaudet University?

6. What must chefs do to create a meal?

7. What type of therapy is used in many cultures and to what does it go back?

8. What does William Calvin believe about female apes?

9. What is one thing that influences which hand is dominant and what are a couple other characteristics that are often associated with one dominant hand or the other?

10. What does the author think about concerning a high school language teacher?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Discuss the following:

1. A puzzling consideration for the author is the hand's ability to be adept at rock-climbing and piano-playing. What do you think is meant by this statement? Use examples from The Hand to support your answer.

2. The human hand is a tool that functions at a wide variety and range of speed and strength. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

3. The hand function clinician John Napier identifies the terms "power grip" and "precision grip" by defining "prehensile" and "non-prehensile" movement. Explain the terms in the above sentence. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 2

Greenfield proposes a hierarchical rule generator in the human brain that overcomes naive childhood impulses. She claims to know how a child will solve her stick puzzle simply by knowing the child's age. The MIT Professor Jeanne Bamberger corroborates Greenfield's opinion referring to a "felt path" that she describes as "exactly how chimps would do it." Older children pass the "chimp stage" so that by eleven they are not orderly solvers but improvisers who behave with intelligence.

1. Do you think human children are as predictable as Greenfield asserts? Why or why not? Use examples from the text to support your answer.

2. The MIT Professor Jeanne Bamberger corroborates Greenfield's opinion referring to a "felt path" that she describes as "exactly how chimps would do it." What do you think is meant by this statement. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

3. Explain why improvising in solving problems is a higher form of intelligence than being orderly in solving a problem. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

Essay Topic 3

Wilson claims the brain and musculoskeletal systems evolve by changing structure and function over time, the bipedal gait and upper limb changes are characteristic of the hominid line distinct from primates, and the driving force of hominid brain evolution is the brain and society as hominids expand their range beyond the jungle into other habitats.

1. Explain what Wilson means by the brain and musculoskeletal systems changing structure and function. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

2. Discuss, in depth, how the bipedal gait and upper limbs differ between hominids and apes. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

3. Discuss reasons you think expanding the range of habitats made the hominid more intelligent. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

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