Gladwell's Outliers

According to Gladwell, what is the "spirited debate" that psychologists have had around the world?

• how long you have to practice

• how to create a prodigy

• nature v. nurture

• Lebron v. Jordan

What does Gladwell explain in the first paragraph about innate talent and preparation?

• Innate talent is more important than preparation for achievement

• Preparation and innate talent are equally important when it comes to achievement

• Neither preparation nor talent are important for achievement.

• Preparation is more important that innate talent when it comes to achievement.

Which of the following words best replaces innate as it is used in the following passage?

For almost a generation, psychologists around the world have been engaged in a spirited debate over a question that most of us would consider to have been settled years ago. The question is this: is there such a thing as innate talent?

• true

• absolute

• natural

• acquired

Which of the following words best replaces assimilate as it is used in the following passage?

Of course, this doesn't address why some people get more out of their practice sessions than others do. But no one has yet found a case in which true world-class expertise was accomplished in less time. It seems that it takes the brain this long to assimilate all that it needs to know to achieve true mastery."

• to absorb

• to give in

• to separate

• to reject

With which of the following statements about success would the author most strongly agree?

• Some people work harder than everyone else, but never achieve mastery.

• Those at the very top achieve their positions by putting in the most hours.

• Violinists must practice harder than pianists to achieve success.

• Mozart was a prodigy and started composing at the age of six.

How many hours, according to Gladwell, does it take to achieve true mastery?

• 1,000 hours

• 10 hours

• 8,000 hours

• 10,000 hours

What information mainly does the following quotation convey?

“In study after study, of composers, basketball players, fiction writers, ice skaters, concert pianists, chess players, master criminals, and what have you, this number comes up again and again. Of course, this doesn’t address why some people get more out of their practice sessions than others do. But no one has yet found a case in which true world-class expertise was accomplished in less time.”

• All people get the same results out of their practice sessions.

• Ice skaters can achieve mastery more quickly than chess players.

• Criminals are true masters.

• The time required for mastery is consistent across a wide variety of skills.

• Sometimes true world-class expertise can be achieved in fewer than ten thousand hours.

How is Langan's family situated financially? (from Part 1, Chapter 4, "The Trouble with Genuises, Part 2)

• Upper class.

• Very poor.

• Very wealthy

• Middle class

From what are of the world are the highest-scoring students in the field of math?

• North America

• Europe

• Asia

• South America

What does Gladwell say about reading schools at the end of one year compared to at the beginning of the next year?

• Only the very brightest students students make progress in their reading skills over the summer.

• The smartest students make no progress in their reading skills over the summer.

• The poorest students make no progress in their reading skills over the summer.

• The most average students students make no progress in their reading skills over the summer.