Dangerous Minds by Malcolm Gladwell – Reading Comprehension

According to the passage, what prediction did James Brussel famously make about the Mad Bomber’s attire when caught?

• He would be wearing a police uniform

• He would be wearing a double-breasted suit, buttoned

• He would be wearing overalls and work boots

• He would be wearing a trench coat and hat

Which statement best reflects the difference between organized and disorganized crimes as described in the passage?

• Organized crimes are random and impulsive; disorganized crimes are carefully planned

• Organized crimes involve careful control and planning; disorganized crimes show little logic and victims may be attacked at random

• Organized crimes are committed by blue-collar workers; disorganized crimes are committed by white-collar workers

• Organized crimes always involve multiple offenders; disorganized crimes involve a single offender

Based on the case study of Carmine Calabro, which profile detail was highlighted as accurate?

• The offender would be an elderly woman

• The offender would be a mid-twenties to early-thirties disorganized male familiar with the building

• The offender would be a wealthy businessman from out of state

• The offender would be a teenage girl acting with accomplices

In the Baton Rouge case of Derrick Todd Lee, which profiler prediction did the passage report as incorrect?

• The offender would be a white male blue-collar worker between twenty-five and thirty-five

• The offender would be a female nursing student

• The offender would be a wealthy executive

• The offender would be a teenager

Which of the following was one reason Douglas and Ressler interviewed incarcerated serial killers, according to the passage?

• To learn how to conduct polygraph tests

• To look for patterns connecting a killer’s personality with the nature of his crimes

• To recruit informants for undercover operations

• To test new forensic DNA methods

According to the passage, what central criticism did the University of Liverpool psychologists make of the F.B.I.’s organized/disorganized typology?

• They found strong evidence that serial killers fit neatly into either organized or disorganized categories.

• They concluded that crime-scene traits correlate reliably with criminals’ demographics like age and ethnicity.

• They found that crime-scene details from the two lists did not co-occur as predicted and that most crimes were mixtures of traits.

• They determined that disorganized crimes were far more common than organized crimes.

What is a Barnum Statement as described in the passage?

• A prediction that identifies a single, highly specific suspect characteristic.

• A statement that credits the client with both a personality trait and its opposite, making it widely applicable.

• A statistical list of variables used to classify strangers in profiling research.

• A confession extracted during interrogation.

In the discussion of the Mad Bomber case, what did Donald Foster point out about James Brussel’s predictions?

• They were generated by advanced statistical modeling.

• They were altered after the fact to match the known suspect and included vague, unverifiable claims.

• They were entirely incorrect and led to the wrong suspect’s arrest.

• They were based on confidential psychiatric evaluations of George Metesky.

During the BTK profiling session described in the passage, which of the following characterizations was part of the consensus view?

• BTK was likely connected with the military.

• BTK’s I.Q. was probably between 105 and 145.

• BTK was certainly single and had no friends.

• BTK was articulate and from the middle class.

Select the statement that best captures the author’s overall perspective on criminal profiling as portrayed in the passage.

• Profiling is a precise science that consistently aids investigations.

• Profiling is useful when combined with astrology and cold reading.

• Profiling, as practiced, often relies on vague, unfalsifiable statements and can mislead investigations.

• Profiling is valuable only when applied to bombers rather than serial killers.