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This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. The pull of love is something Rumi compares to a ________, urging the reader to realize learning is about more than just books.
(a) Lute.
(b) Reed.
(c) Bugle.
(d) River.

2. In the poem "The Prophets" the people wonder "How long should we keep pounding this cold _____?"
(a) Gold.
(b) Silver.
(c) Lead.
(d) Iron.

3. Rumi gives a definition for what we are, "You are the strange business. You have the energy of the ______ in you."
(a) Moon.
(b) Sun.
(c) Son.
(d) Stars.

4. Love is more than an old study of _________, according to the writing of Rumi in this section.
(a) Religion.
(b) Honor.
(c) Sculpture.
(d) Art.

5. Rumi's mystical work was contained within the patterns of ______ Sufism but the life was witness to the boundless universality of the heart.
(a) Jain.
(b) Islamic,
(c) Buddhist.
(d) Christian.

Short Answer Questions

1. Since the reed was cut from the bed, it has made a ___________ sound, according to the description by Rumi.

2. Rumi suggests that people listen to his message with the ear that is in the center of the _______.

3. Rumi states that "the human shape is a _______ made of distraction and pain, trying to open the image of itself."

4. When a man is approached by a person who wants to bring his reluctant cousin to a spiritual leader, what is used to convince the cousin?

5. Who is the spiritual leader who is approached in order to see how a person might be coaxed into learning?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are some of the ways a person will be able to bring themselves into the present moment, according to Barks?

2. Who does Rumi say will not be able to wake to the truth, according to the writings of Rumi?

3. What will happen after the traveler's legs become tired during the journey?

4. Where do human beings sit, according to the writings of Rumi, when they are in a prison?

5. What is the profession of Rumi when Barks introduces him at the beginning of this book?

6. What is the question Shams asks Rumi, which leads Rumi to believe that Shams is a great person?

7. What does Rumi do when he is so impressed with the depth of the knowledge of Shams?

8. How does breathing help to calm a person, according to Barks' thoughts at the beginning of the section?

9. What does Rumi have to say about the road to Mecca when he is describing the idea that some mysteries aren't meant to be known?

10. What happens after Joseph is sold into slavery by his brothers, according to the writings of Rumi?

(see the answer keys)

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