Question 1

The assertion that "the world will never be white again" was made by which author of Go Tell It on the Mountain?
A) Martin Luther King, Jr.
B) Langston Hughes
C) James Baldwin
D) Ralph Ellison

Accepted Answer

The quote "the world will never be white again" is from the novel Go Tell It on the Mountain by James Baldwin. Martin Luther King Jr., Langston Hughes, and Ralph Ellison were all influential African American writers during the Civil Rights era, but this specific quote is attributed to Baldwin.

Question 2

The effort on the part of contemporary physicists to achieve a "theory of everything" is evident in
A) Language Theory.
B) String Theory.
C) Postmodernism.
D) deconstructionism.

Accepted Answer

The "theory of everything" refers to the idea of a unified theory that explains everything in the universe, including the fundamental forces and particles. String Theory is one of the leading contenders for such a theory and is actively being pursued by many physicists. Language Theory, Postmodernism, and deconstructionism are not related to this effort in physics.

Question 3

The leading action painter of the twentieth century was
A) Rothko.
B) Stella.
C) Cage.
D) Pollock.

Accepted Answer

The question asks for the leading action painter of the twentieth century, which refers to artists who used gestural and spontaneous markings to convey emotion and energy in their works. While Rothko and Stella were prominent painters in their own right, they did not work in the action painting style that Pollock is famous for. Cage was a composer and music theorist who incorporated chance and non-traditional methods into his work, but he was not a visual artist. Pollock, on the other hand, is widely regarded as the pioneer of action painting and his drip and splash technique had a major impact on the development of abstract expressionism.

Question 4

The elements of jazz and street slang in the poetry of Gwendolyn Brooks show the influence of
A) Langston Hughes.
B) Ezra Pound.
C) T. S. Eliot.
D) Robert Frost.

Accepted Answer

Gwendolyn Brooks was heavily influenced by Langston Hughes, who was known for incorporating jazz and street slang into his poetry.

Question 5

The feminist Simone de Beauvoir held that women
A) should reject the role of "Other."
B) should learn to exploit male sexism to their own advantage.
C) must find and express the essence of their feminine natures.
D) All these answers are correct.

Accepted Answer

Simone de Beauvoir believed that women should reject the role of "Other" that society had designated for them and strive for equality with men. She rejected the idea of an innate feminine essence and argued that gender was a social construct. She did not believe that exploiting male sexism would lead to true liberation for women. Therefore, only option A is the best choice.

Question 6

After 1945, there was a shift in major art production from
A) Paris to London.
B) London to Paris.
C) Paris to New York.
D) New York to Paris.

Accepted Answer

After World War II, Paris was no longer seen as the center of the art world due to the destruction caused by the war and the rise of the United States as a superpower. Therefore, major art production shifted from Paris to New York, which emerged as the new center of the art world.

Question 7

In his writings on existentialism, Sartre insisted that each individual is
A) born with an essential nature.
B) controlled by social and economic forces.
C) the sun of his or her own actions.
D) unable to choose between good and evil.

Accepted Answer

Sartre believed in the concept of radical freedom, which means that individuals are not determined by outside forces or internal nature. Instead, individuals create themselves through their choices and actions, which makes them the sun of their actions.

Question 8

Beckett's Waiting for Godot belongs to a dramatic genre known as
A) theater of the absurd.
B) Neorealism.
C) theater of the cruel.
D) guerrilla theater.

Accepted Answer

Waiting for Godot is often considered the quintessential example of the theater of the absurd, a genre that seeks to expose the futility and absurdity of human existence through seemingly meaningless and fragmented dialogue, unconventional characters, and non-linear plot structures.

Question 9

A major component of hip-hop music is
A) percussive beats.
B) disco, reggae, and rock influences.
C) electronic manipulations of music by disc jockeys.
D) All these answers are correct.

Accepted Answer

All of these options contribute to the creation of hip-hop music. Hip-hop music relies heavily on percussive beats, incorporates various musical influences such as disco, reggae, and rock, and often involves the electronic manipulation of music by disc jockeys or producers.

Question 10

The pioneer figure in American Pop art was
A) Rauschenberg.
B) Christo.
C) Warhol.
D) Gehry.

Accepted Answer

Warhol is widely considered to be the pioneer figure in American Pop art, known for his iconic silkscreened images such as Campbell's Soup cans and Marilyn Monroe. While Rauschenberg and Christo were influential artists in their own right, they were not as closely associated with the Pop art movement as Warhol. Gehry is an architect and not typically associated with Pop art.

Question 11

Some critics contend that Postmodernism originated with the rejection of the International Style in the field of
A) literature.
B) painting.
C) music.
D) architecture.

Accepted Answer

Postmodernism originated with the rejection of the International Style in architecture. While postmodernism has since influenced many other fields, such as literature, painting, and music, its origins can be traced back to the architectural movement of the 1960s and 1970s that rejected the formalism and functionalism of the International Style.

Question 12

Minimalism and geometric abstraction have this in common: they
A) are forms of land art.
B) are largely nonrepresentational.
C) make use of assemblage and found objects.
D) usually depend on electronic power.

Accepted Answer

Both minimalism and geometric abstraction prioritize the use of simple shapes and forms over representational imagery. They are concerned with the formal qualities of art rather than its subject matter. None of the other options accurately describe both minimalism and geometric abstraction.

Question 13

Merce Cunningham's choreography is considered radical because it
A) does not depend on music.
B) excludes female dancers.
C) requires a polyrhythmic score.
D) All these answer are correct.

Accepted Answer

Merce Cunningham's choreography is considered radical because it does not depend on music. Cunningham believed that movement and music should exist independently from each other, so his choreography is often performed with a score that is separate from the music.

Question 14

Einstein on the Beach, one of the first operas to employ electronically amplified instrumentation, was written by
A) Philip Glass.
B) John Cage.
C) György Ligeti.
D) Shirin Neshat.

Accepted Answer

Einstein on the Beach was written by Philip Glass, who is known for his use of minimalist music and for being one of the first composers to use electronic amplification in his works. John Cage and György Ligeti were also notable composers of the 20th century, but they did not write Einstein on the Beach. Shirin Neshat is a contemporary visual artist and filmmaker, not a composer.

Question 15

Which one of the following figures does NOT belong with the other three?
A) Ellison
B) Brooks
C) Baldwin
D) Neruda

Accepted Answer

The first three names (Ellison, Brooks, and Baldwin) are all African American authors, while Neruda is a Chilean poet.

Question 16

Sartre's landmark philosophic treatise is entitled
A) No Exit.
B) Existence Precedes Essence.
C) Being and Nothingness.
D) Existentialism.

Accepted Answer

Sartre's landmark philosophic treatise is entitled "Being and Nothingness".

Question 17

Arguably the most radical development in music in the last fifty years, as seen in synthesizers and sampling, has been the
A) impact of electronic technology.
B) influence of non-Western music.
C) application of the twelve-tone system.
D) explosion in international dance.

Accepted Answer

The use of synthesizers and sampling in music is a direct result of electronic technology, which has transformed the music industry and allowed for new and innovative ways of creating and producing music. The other choices (influence of non-Western music, application of the twelve-tone system, explosion in international dance) are important developments in music, but they do not represent the most radical development in the last fifty years.

Question 18

Leading artists of China's Pop art movement, such as Wang Guangyi, have assumed the role of
A) defenders of consumerism.
B) social critic.
C) defenders of Maoism.
D) spiritual leader.

Accepted Answer

Leading artists of China's Pop art movement, such as Wang Guangyi, have assumed the role of social critic, providing commentary on society and politics through their art. They often use imagery from Communist propaganda alongside Western commercial branding to explore the contradictions and complexities of modern Chinese identity. They are not defenders of consumerism, Maoism, or spiritual leaders.

Question 19

Which composer wrote aleatory pieces such as 4' 33"?
A) Graham
B) Dunham
C) Cunningham
D) Cage

Accepted Answer

John Cage wrote aleatory pieces, including his famous work 4'33", which features four minutes and 33 seconds of silence.

Question 20

The United States Supreme Court did not ban school segregation until
A) 1900.
B) 1925.
C) 1954.
D) 1975.

Accepted Answer

The United States Supreme Court banned school segregation in 1954 with the landmark case Brown v. Board of Education.

Quiz 15: Globalism: Information, Communication, and the Digital Revolution

The assertion that "the world will never be white again" was made by which author of Go Tell It on the Mountain?

The effort on the part of contemporary physicists to achieve a "theory of everything" is evident in

The leading action painter of the twentieth century was

The elements of jazz and street slang in the poetry of Gwendolyn Brooks show the influence of

The feminist Simone de Beauvoir held that women

After 1945, there was a shift in major art production from

In his writings on existentialism, Sartre insisted that each individual is

Beckett's Waiting for Godot belongs to a dramatic genre known as

A major component of hip-hop music is

The pioneer figure in American Pop art was

Some critics contend that Postmodernism originated with the rejection of the International Style in the field of

Minimalism and geometric abstraction have this in common: they

Merce Cunningham's choreography is considered radical because it

Einstein on the Beach, one of the first operas to employ electronically amplified instrumentation, was written by

Which one of the following figures does NOT belong with the other three?

Sartre's landmark philosophic treatise is entitled

Arguably the most radical development in music in the last fifty years, as seen in synthesizers and sampling, has been the

Leading artists of China's Pop art movement, such as Wang Guangyi, have assumed the role of

Which composer wrote aleatory pieces such as 4' 33"?

The United States Supreme Court did not ban school segregation until