The Art of War

Reading Check and Short Answer questions on key points are designed for guided reading assignments, in-class review, formative assessment, quizzes, and more.

Chapters 1-3

Reading Check

1. What is the one thing Sun Tzu describes warfare as relying on?

2. What quality is valued in a leader who does not make hasty calculations?

3. At the time The Art of War was written, how much did it cost per day to raise an army of 100,000 men?

4. For a military leader, what is the ideal condition of the country the leader is trying to capture?

5. What is the worst-case scenario in warfare, according to Sun Tzu?

Short Answer

Answer each question in at least 1 complete sentence. Incorporate details from the text to support your response.

1. What five factors decide the outcome of war?

2. How does Sun Tzu describe the use of deception in warfare?

3. What does Sun Tzu recommend to prevent resources from drying up for military forces?

4. What are the three ways in which leaders can undermine their army’s chances?

Paired Resource

“What Makes a Great Leader?”

• This 6-minute video describes the qualities of good leadership.
• How has thinking on leadership changed? What role does vision play in leadership? What are the ABCs of leadership? What is collective genius? How are the thoughts in this video like Sun Tzu’s thoughts on leadership? How is this video related to the novel’s themes of Planning Is Primary and Adapting Rapidly to Changing Conditions?