Prepared by: David J. Birnbaum (djbpitt+tales@pitt.edu) and Seth
Graham (sbgraham+tales@pitt.edu)
Last modified: 2002-01-07
Location: http://clover.slavic.pitt.edu/~tales/02-2/sample_questions.html
Quizzes will consist primarily of specific, factual questions about the most recent reading assignment. For example, if the tale "Baba Yaga and the Brave Youth" had been assigned for the day of the quiz, the quiz might include the following question:
In the tale "Baba Yaga and the Brave Youth," Baba Yaga counts:
(The correct answer is "spoons." The tale is in Afanas'ev, pp. 76-78.)
Prepare for quizzes by doing all the reading on the assigned dates and reviewing everything quickly before class.
Some examination multiple-choice questions may resemble quiz questions, but others will require interpretation, rather than just memorization. A sample examination question about the same tale would be:
Baba Yaga's function in the tale "Baba Yaga and the Brave Youth" is that of:
(The correct answer is "villainess.")
Examination questions may also involve our showing pictures or playing music that have been discussed previously and asking you to identify the artist or composer or subject matter.
Prepare for multiple-choice examination questions by reviewing critical readings carefully and looking at tales from different critical perspectives. For example, as we study psychoanalytical, feminist, and Marxist approaches to fairy tales, review the descriptions of these approaches and then try reading the same tale three times, once from each perspective.
For a guide to answering short essay questions, along with a sample question, answer, and analysis of the answer, see http://clover.slavic.pitt.edu/~tales/02-2/short_essay_guide.html.