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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. Einstein's responses to the people he meets during the course of chapter one suggest what about his character?

2. The reader learns that Einstein helps a girl understand a math question. How is she going to repay him for his help?

3. What reason does the author mention for why Mileva is unhappy in her marriage?

4. When Einstein first lectures on his theory in the US, he comments that, "It is all very simple." How does the audience respond?

5. After he becomes a Swiss citizen, Einstein is able to secure a government job in what field?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Einstein get along better with his peers at the University than he does with his schoolmates previously?

2. Why is the job at the Patent Office a good position for Einstein? Explain.

3. Do the townspeople respect Einstein at the beginning of the book?

4. Why is Einstein asked not to return to the Luitpold Gymnasium?

5. In what ways is Elsa just what Einstein needs? Explain.

6. Why does Mileva decide not to move with her husband to Berlin?

7. Describe Einstein's parents, Pauline and Hermann. What type of parents are they?

8. According to the author, how is the relationship between Einstein and Mileva during and after their divorce?

9. In Chapter Two, Pauline Einstein thinks that Albert is ill and sends him to bed early. What brings about the change in Albert's appearance, and why does his mother mistake it for illness?

10. Why is Einstein sometimes called the Newton of the twentieth century?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Science is a constantly changing field, as new scientists expand and improve the work of those who come before them. Discuss at least three other scientific advances besides the atom bomb that Einstein's theory enables and the scientists who buils on his work.

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast the different schools Einstein attends and discuss why those schools are helpful or harmful to Einstein as he matures. What effect do the various types of instruction have on his personality and on his teaching career later in life?

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast Mileva Maritsch and Elsa Einstein. What are the strengths and weaknesses of each woman? In what ways do each influence Einstein's life?

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