Question: "I left Tangier, my birthplace, the 13th of June 1325 with the intention of making the pilgrimage to Mecca... to leave all my friends both female and male, to abandon my home as birds abandon their nests." So begins an old manuscript in a library in Paris-the travel journal of Ibn Battuta.

Almost two centuries before Columbus, Ibn Battuta set off for Mecca, returning home three decades later as one of history's great travelers. Driven by curiosity, he journeyed to remote comers of the Islamic world, traveling through 44 modern countries, three times as far as Marco Polo. Little celebrated in the West, his name is well known among Arabs. In his hometown of Tangier, a square, a hotel, a cafe, a ferry boat, and even a hamburger are named after him.

Ibn Battuta stayed in Mecca as a student for several years, but the urge to travel soon took over. In one adventure, he traveled to India seeking profitable employment with the sultan of Delhi.On the way, he described his group being attacked in the open country by 80 men on foot, and two horsemen. "We fought... killing one of their horsemen and about twelve of the foot soldiers... I was hit by an arrow and my horse by another, but God in his grace preserved me... ". In Delhi, the sultan gave him the position of judge, based on his _ study at Mecca. But the sultan had an unpredictable character, and Ibn Battuta looked for an opportunity to leave. When the sultan offered to finance a trip to China, he agreed. IbnBattuta set off in three ships, but misfortune struck while he was still on the shore. A sudden storm grounded and broke up two ships, scattering treasure and drowning many people and horses. As he watched, the third ship with all his belongings and slaves (one carrying his child), was carried out to sea and never heard from again.

After a lifetime of incredible adventures, Ibn Battuta was finally ordered by the sultan of Morocco to return home to share his wisdom with the world. Fortunately, he agreed and wrote a book that has been translated into numerous languages, allowing people everywhere to read about his unparalleled journeys. 1. When did IBN Battuta leave for Mecca?
2. When did he return?
3. How many countries did he go through?
4. Compared to Marco Polo, how far did he travel?
5. Is he famous with Arabs?
6. Where was he born?
7. On what date?
8. What did he do while in Mecca?
9. What did he hope to do in India?
10. Did he have a peaceful journey?
11. How many men attacked him on foot?
12. How many horsemen?
13. How many horsemen were killed?
14. Who did he think preserved him?
15. What job did he get in Delhi? Provide a numbered list of answers.
****
A numbered of answers: 1. 1325
2. three decades later
3. 44
4. three times as far
5. yes
6. Tangier
7. unknown
8. studied
9. work with the sultan of Delhi
10. no
11. 80
12. two
13. one
14. God
15. judge

Question: CHAPTER NINE

MEG GOES TO VANITY FAIR

"I do think it was the most fortunate thing in the world that those children should have the measles just now," said Meg, one April day, as she stood packing the 'go abroady' trunk in her room, surrounded by her sisters.

"And so nice of Annie Moffat not to forget her promise. A whole fortnight of fun will be regularly splendid," replied Jo, looking like a windmill as she folded skirts with her long arms.

"And such lovely weather, I'm so glad of that," added Beth, tidily sorting neck and hair ribbons in her best box, lent for the great occasion.

"I wish I was going to have a fine time and wear all these nice things," said Amy with her mouth full of pins, as she artistically replenished her sister's cushion.

"I wish you were all going, but as you can't, I shall keep my adventures to tell you when I come back. I'm sure it's the least I can do when you have been so kind, lending me things and helping me get ready," said Meg, glancing round the room at the very simple outfit, which seemed nearly perfect in their eyes.

"What did Mother give you out of the treasure box?" asked Amy, who had not been present at the opening of a certain cedar chest in which Mrs. March kept a few relics of past splendor, as gifts for her girls when the proper time came.

"A pair of silk stockings, that pretty carved fan, and a lovely blue sash. I wanted the violet silk, but there isn't time to make it over, so I must be contented with my old tarlaton." 1. Who is going away?
2. When was she going?
3. Who is she with?
4. What are they doing?
5. Who promised to take her somewhere?
6. How long will she be gone for?
7. Did her parents lend her anything?
8. What did they lend her?
9. Where were the items stored before being given to Meg?
10. What did they call the chest?
11. How was the climate for the trip?
12. What was Amy repairing?
13. How was Joe being useful?
14. What did she want most?
15. Why couldn't she have it?
16. What did she take instead?
17. Who was organizing ribbons?
18. Were here things elegant?
19. who was Mrs. March?
20. What did one of the siblings lend her? Provide a numbered list of answers.
****
A numbered of answers: 1. Meg
2. April
3. Her sisters
4. packing
5. Annie Moffat
6. A fortnight
7. Yes
8. Silk Stockings, a fan, and a sash
9. A cedar chest
10. the treasure box
11. lovely
12. a cushion
13. folding skirts
14. the violet silk
15. There wasn't time to make it over
16. her old tarleton
17. Beth
18. no
19. their mother
20. a box

Question: Philosophical empiricists hold no knowledge to be properly inferred or deduced unless it is derived from one's sense-based experience. This view is commonly contrasted with rationalism, which states that knowledge may be derived from reason independently of the senses. For example, John Locke held that some knowledge (e.g. knowledge of God's existence) could be arrived at through intuition and reasoning alone. Similarly Robert Boyle, a prominent advocate of the experimental method, held that we have innate ideas. The main continental rationalists (Descartes, Spinoza, and Leibniz) were also advocates of the empirical "scientific method".

Aristotle's explanation of how this was possible was not strictly empiricist in a modern sense, but rather based on his theory of potentiality and actuality, and experience of sense perceptions still requires the help of the active nous. These notions contrasted with Platonic notions of the human mind as an entity that pre-existed somewhere in the heavens, before being sent down to join a body on Earth (see Plato's Phaedo and Apology, as well as others). Aristotle was considered to give a more important position to sense perception than Plato, and commentators in the Middle Ages summarized one of his positions as "nihil in intellectu nisi prius fuerit in sensu" (Latin for "nothing in the intellect without first being in the senses"). 1. Where does their knowledge come from?
2. What is this generally contrasted with?
3. what is that?
4. what is Aristotle's explanation?
5. based on what?
6. was Plato's position more important?
7. how did commentators summarize this?
8. what is that in Latin?
9. what wasn't emipiricist?
10. who had knowledge of God's existence? Provide a numbered list of answers.
****
A numbered of answers:
1. one's sense-based experience
2. rationalism
3. knowledge may be derived from reason independent of senses
4. experience of sense perceptions still requires the help of the active nous
5. his theory of potentiality and actuality
6. no
7. nothing in the intellect without first being in the senses
8. nihil in intellectu nisi prius fuerit in sensu
9. Aristotle's explanation
10. unknown