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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. What must the magician do for success?

2. How does Wilson learn that cooking is a specific skill using hands to produce an immediate sense of achievement?

3. By what age do children become improvisers who behave with intelligence?

4. Who is an Israeli physicist mentioned in this chapter?

5. What is sometimes attributed to intelligence or gender?

Short Essay Questions

1. What do medicine and magic have in common?

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

3. What does William Calvin believe about female apes?

4. Why can't ground mammals take advantage of this global change?

5. Upon what does early medicine rely?

6. What is the title of Feldenkrais' book and what does the book claim?

7. Who is Patricia Greenfield and what does she theorize?

8. What does Plotkin say about secondary heuristics?

9. Explain the term "BackTur."

10. What must chefs do to create a meal?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

There are a number of interesting questions raised by The Hand. Questions that Wilson most likely want readers to consider and think through carefully. Discuss the following:

1. What does the term "author agenda" mean?

2. Name one idea/concept you think may have been a part of the Wilson's agenda. Analyze that idea throughout the book and discuss Wilson's probable agenda concerning that idea.

2. Do you think writers who have an agenda for writing should point it out in a preface?

3. How often do you think fiction is written with a clear agenda in mind by the author?

4. Research the life of Wilson and see if/where his life may have influenced his writing.

Essay Topic 3

Wilson reflects on the notion that each of us evolve over time in our own lives by unifying body and spirit through personal growth and learning. For example, Percelly and David both cross paths of trouble and opportunity mixed with family and tribal routines to try new skills or combinations. These new-found abilities are part of their repertoire that becomes useful to them and can be passed on to others.

1. Explain why Wilson might believe that personal growth helps unite the spirit and the body. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

2. Discuss the ways in which having trouble in a person's life could be an opportunity. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

3. Discuss ways in which a person in a family or group or tribe learning new skills might benefit the entire group. Use examples from the text to support your answer.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 966 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample