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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What did Dean Borsh teach Gurdjieff?
(a) Scripture and other subjects
(b) history and other subjects
(c) mathematics and other subjects
(d) geography and other subjects

2. When did Gurdjieff meet Pogossian and become friends with him?
(a) in Paldevan during his vacation
(b) when Pogossian was finishing his seminary studies
(c) in Baku on a trip
(d) in Kars during his childhood

3. Besides having an accident with a firearm, what other prediction of the fortuneteller came true about Gurdjieff?
(a) A large sore, a carbuncle, appeared on Gurdjieff's side
(b) A severe rash broke out all over Gurdjieff's body
(c) Gurdjieff fell ill with a high fever
(d) Gurdjieff came down with pneumonia.

4. Who was Vseslavsky?
(a) an army chaplain friend of Bogchevsky
(b) Bogachevsky's brother-in-law
(c) a fellow-countryman of Bogachevsky and an army engineer
(d) Bogachevsky's childhood friend

5. What had Gurdjieff promised himself to do after completing his first series of writing?
(a) drink all the bottles of Calvados in the wine cellar of the Prieure
(b) visit his relatives and friends and relax
(c) consult with all his learned tutors
(d) go on a vacation to the Black Sea

6. What, in Gurdjieff's opinion, has harmed contemporary literature?
(a) readers who are easily taken in by inferior, sensational writing
(b) writers seeking fame rather than quality
(c) the grammars of all languages
(d) not enough good writers

7. What did Gurdjieff and Pogossian pursue together?
(a) They became interested in ancient Armenian books.
(b) They studied the Scriptures together.
(c) They decided to pursue medical careers together.
(d) They pursued a career in agriculture.

8. What would Gurdjieff's father do on evenings before Sundays and holidays?
(a) tell stories to his children
(b) lay out his clothes for Sunday
(c) write letters to his friends
(d) go to bed late

9. What kind of education was Father Borsh in favor of having Gurdjieff pursue?
(a) the priesthood
(b) a medical education
(c) a practical education in woodworking
(d) a military education

10. What did Pogossian's parents do for a living?
(a) His father was a merchant, his mother a housewife.
(b) His father was a potter, his mother a seamstress.
(c) His father was a dyer, his mother an embroideress in gold
(d) His father was a teacher, his mother a laundress.

11. How did Gurdjieff view his father?
(a) like a fool whom he had no respect for
(b) like a very stern patriarch whom he feared
(c) like a friend who was somewhat beneath him
(d) like an older brother who instilled high ideals in him

12. What language did the bards sing when they competed in contests?
(a) Turkish
(b) Turko-Tartar
(c) Russian
(d) Turko-Russian

13. Why does Gurdjieff criticize newspaper literary critics?
(a) He is jealoous of them
(b) they can't write well
(c) they earn too much money for the work they do
(d) they fool easily suggestible people and are deceitful

14. What did Gurdjieff propose to do in his second book, "Meetings with Remarkable Men"?
(a) write a sort of travel log of his travels through exotic lands
(b) build up his ego, describing all his accomplishments
(c) create a consciousness devoid of illusions in people like himself
(d) write an entertaining book, enjoyable to everyone

15. Where did Gurdjieff witness his third ashokh contest?
(a) Istanbul in Turkey
(b) Subatan in the region of Kars
(c) Kabul in the region of Afghanistan
(d) Teheran in Persia

Short Answer Questions

1. How does Gurdjieff remember Pogossian?

2. Between what ages did Father Borsh feel females were fully developed?

3. How did Gurdjieff and Pogossian secure passage on a ship to Egypt?

4. On their expedition in search of the school run by the Sarmoung Brotherhood what experience causes Gurdjieff and Pogossian great fear but then hilarious laughter?

5. What legend did Gurdjieff's father and Dean Borsh discuss all night while Gurdjieff and his uncle listened to them?

(see the answer keys)

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