Passage and 10 questions
H. G. Wells author of The Invisible Man and The Time Machine was also very interested in history. The following passage, “Primitive Thought,” is adapted from Wells' “A Short History of the World.” In it, Wells speculates on the origins of human thought and religion.

1. According to lines 6-13, people who think systematically
A. determine the course of human progression.
B. are outnumbered by people driven by emotion.
C. composed a large portion of early civilization.
D. are the modern equivalent of medicine men.

2. The overall tone of this passage is:
F. simplistic and speculative.
G. scholarly and authoritative
H. facetious and entertaining
J. strident and conciliatory

3. As used in the passage, the word egotisms (line 17) most nearly means
A. vanity.
B. self-consciousness.
C. conceit.
D. self-centeredness.

4. Which choice best states the psychological conflict hat guided human social interaction?
F. Fear of father versus respect for mother
G. dangers of separation versus desire to be independent
H. instinct to be independent versus jealousy of larger families
J. desires to remain together versus respect for father

5. As used in line 39, the word fancy most nearly means
A. elegant
B. imagination
C. fond.
D. Anxious.

6. Which of the following is the best paraphrase of the sentence “Fetish is simply primitive science.” (line 52)?
F. Science is not based on superstition.
G. The original word for science was fetish.
H. The roots of modern science lie in superstition.
J. Fetish and superstition are primitive.
7. According to the last paragraph, how did primitive Medicine Men attain their status?
A. They demonstrated more knowledge and power then others in their tribe did.
B. They rose in status by asserting their charismatic personalities.
C. The oldest man in the tribe was chosen as Medicine Men.
D. The Medicine Men was revealed in a tribal dream.

8. According to the passage, which of the following is not a step in the development of primitive science and religion?
F. Primitive people observed events and their apparent causes.
G. Primitive people attempted to find the means to control the
forces that affected their lives.
H. Primitive people attributed power to other people, animals, and
objects.
J. Primitive people elected a priest from among their tribal members.

9. According to this passage, primitive religion was the precursor to
A. superstition.
B. practical science.
C. respect for elders
D. a rapid increase in population.

10. This passage would most likely be found in
F. a popular science magazine.
G. an introductory history book.
H. an encyclopedia of world religion.
J. a book of ancient mythology.