Outliers Malcolm Gladwell

Having read the excerpts from 'Outliers' and 'The Sports Gene', construct a compare and contrast paragraph that delves into the roles of innate talent and practice in achieving success. Use specific examples from both articles to support your analysis.

Malcolm Gladwell's purpose in writing Outliers: The Story of Success could be...

• to inform

• to persuade

• to entertain

The main/central idea of the excerpt we read is______.

• that natural talent always beats out preparation

• that natural talent is a gift and if you have it you don't have to work hard

• that preparation is more important than natural talent in order to reach a high level of achievement

• all of the above

How does Gladwell establish what he means by “outlier”?

• He refines the meaning to make it more precise.

• He states the medical meaning after the dictionary definition.

• He provides the denotation and then explains the connotation.

• He explains why he has titled the book Outliers.

• He explains why he has titled the book Outliers.

What does Gladwell say about reading schools at the end of one year compared to at the beginning of the next year?

• Only the very brightest students students make progress in their reading skills over the summer.

• The smartest students make no progress in their reading skills over the summer.

• The poorest students make no progress in their reading skills over the summer.

• The most average students students make no progress in their reading skills over the summer.

What does Gladwell think that being taller than another basketball player will do for a basketball player?

• He thinks it gives an advantage but no guarantees.

• He thinks the taller person in some ways has a disadvantage because of expectations.

• He thinks the intimidation factor is what makes a difference not height.

• He does not write about basket ball players.

What does Gladwell say about his great-great-great grandmother?

• She was educated in England

• She was from Peru.

• She was part of a mass exodus from Jamaica.

• She was a slave.

What is the most important thing in the type of culture Gladwell examines in Kentucky?

• Frugal living.

• Loyalty to clan or family.

• Loyalty to country.

• Love of the land.

In "Outliers," Gladwell discusses the "10,000-Hour Rule." What does this rule suggest?

• To become successful, one must invest at least 10,000 hours in deliberate practice.

• After 10,000 hours of practice, further improvement is not possible.

• It takes 10,000 hours to forget a skill completely.

• Only those born with natural talent can benefit from 10,000 hours of practice.

What is the main theme of Malcolm Gladwell's 'Outliers'?

• The role of luck in success

• The importance of hard work and opportunity

• The inevitability of failure

• The significance of natural talent