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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. What is Khomeini's title?

2. Doctor Mossadegh importantly nationalized which industry in Iran?

3. Reza Khan was exiled to which city?

4. What is Mohammed Reza Pahlavi's age when he becomes Shah?

5. What does Shah Pahlavi call his nationwide effort to modernize Iran?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe the photograph involving the scene at the bus stop (Photograph 7).

2. What is the nature of the political cartoon depicted in Photograph 12? What is its message?

3. Describe the physical/personality differences between Reza Khan and Mohammed Reza Pahlavi as Kapuscinski sees them.

4. What crisis of manpower was experienced during the Great Civilization?

5. Describe the story of Agha Mohammed Khan. Why does Kapuscinski mention this event?

6. How is language related to the Iranian revolution and the message that Khomeini preaches?

7. Describe the important event of December 23, 1973, as it relates to Iranian history.

8. Describe why Kapuscinski feels that Shiism and Iranian culture were well-matched.

9. Around Kapuscinski's hotel, what is the state of the streets and of overall security and safety of citizens?

10. On the television in "Cards, Faces, Fields of Flowers," what is Khomeini preaching? What is his message?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Describe the concept of "literary reportage" and why Kapuscinski's work might be said to be written in that style. What about the style, structure, content, etc., of Shah of Shahs lends itself to literary reportage? To what extent does Kapuscinski involve himself in his own work?

Essay Topic 2

Kapuscinski devotes many pages of the book to the root causes of revolution and the nature of revolution.

1) What are the traditional causes of revolution, and why does Kapuscinski reject these as causes for the Iranian Revolution? What does Kapuscinski believe is the true cause of revolution?

2) Why does Kapuscinski refer to revolution as a "drama"?

3) Describe the two types of revolutions Kapuscinski defines.

Essay Topic 3

Describe the basic philosophical differences between conservatism and liberalism. How was this debate/struggle manifest in the aftermath of the Iranian Revolution?

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