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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapter 5.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What word book by James Murray was first published in 1879?
(a) Oxford English Dictionary.
(b) The First Language.
(c) The Birth of Writing.
(d) A Table Alphabeticall.

2. Before "A Table Alphabeticall", how were most catalogs and word lists arranged?
(a) By topic.
(b) By frequency of use.
(c) By order of the philosophers.
(d) By order of the king's scribe.

3. What theory was not only useful in practical communications, but had applications in psychology, biology, and physics?
(a) The theory of relativity.
(b) The M-Theory.
(c) The Quantum theory.
(d) The information theory.

4. Seventeenth numerical tables were set up so that what factor could be learned about each number?
(a) Pi.
(b) The base number.
(c) The logarithm.
(d) The square root.

5. How did sub-Saharan African tribes communicate over long distances?
(a) By drums.
(b) By messenger.
(c) By smoke signals.
(d) By witchcraft.

Short Answer Questions

1. In the prologue to "The Information", what year does Gleick identify as a crucial year in the history of information and computing?

2. Who was the sixth editor of the Oxford English Dictionary?

3. What is the system of dots and dashes used to communicate telegrams called?

4. What word book by Robert Cawdrey was published first in 1604?

5. What did the written language provide that helped to progress the intellect of mankind?

(see the answer key)

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