View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What designer called and wanted to use Hush Puppies Shoes in his spring collection during their resurgence, according to the author in the introduction?

2. On what date does the author describe a young boy overhearing news of the British invasion in Chapter 2?

3. A well-known saying states that twenty percent of the people do what percent of the work?

4. In Chapter 2, Gladwell explains the Law of the Few, which he splits further into three classes of people. Which is the second of these?

5. Gaeton Dugas held what profession?

Short Essay Questions

1. Early in television's history, few people believed TV held any educational value. Who was the first to challenge this and why?

2. How does the author relate the tipping point to weather in the Introduction?

3. What is the typical score for the author’s test for connectors described in Chapter 2?

4. According to the author, connectors operate in a variety of social niches. How does he compare Kevin Bacon and John Wayne?

5. What example does Gladwell use first in illustrating a super-connector in Chapter 2?

6. What test did the author develop to determine a person’s likelihood to be a connector?

7. What is illustrated by the author’s first example in the introduction?

8. Why do connectors start trends while normal people do not, according to the author?

9. What does the author state in reference to yawning in the Introduction?

10. What contribution did Barbara Flagg make for the research on Sesame Street?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe and discuss the murder of Kitty Genovese and the bystander effect. Who coined the terms “bystander effect” and "Genovese syndrome"? What are more recent examples of this phenomenon? If Genovese had been in a different environment, would it have affected her murder? How does the Power of Context apply to other situations similar to the Kitty Genovese murder?

Essay Topic 2

Describe and analyze the incident involving Bernie Goetz in 1984 in New York. What crime was Goetz convicted of for his actions? What did the newspapers report about Goetz and his assailants? How does context relate to this situation?

Essay Topic 3

Discuss the life and work of Mark Alpert and analyze Alpert’s role in epidemic trends. How does the author describe Alpert’s personality? How does this differ from a connector?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 764 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample