We learn from the passage that one of the similarities between history and biography is that they both deal with well-known public figures
search for facts that involve the whole of society
give information based on facts
deal primarily with the world of fiction
choose their subject matters very carefully
One of the differences between the historian and the biographer is that only. the historian has to be very careful as to whether the information he's received is factual
the biographer focuses entirely on the history of an individual
the biographer must discard material that is irrelevant
the historian needs to look for proof of his research
the biographer is interested in the full scope of past human activity
Biography and history may become more similar if the biographer is writing about the life of a famous American
investigating the life of a very private person
revealing facts about him or herself
interested in historical events in his private capacity
investigating the life of a well-known public figure
66 ARE THEY EVIL? During the Middle Ages in Europe, the cat became an object of superstitions and was associated with evil. The animal was believed to have powers of black magic - an assistant to witches and perhaps the embodiment of the devil. People who kept cats were suspected of wickedness and were often put to death along with their cats. Cats were hunted, tortured, and sacrificed. Live cats were sealed inside the walls of houses and other buildings as they were being constructed, in the belief that this would bring good luck. As the cat population dwindled, the disease-carrying rat population increased, a factor that contributed greatly to the spread of epidemics throughout Europe. By the 17th century, the cat had begun to regain its former place as a companion to people and a controller of rodents. Many of the superstitions that appeared during the period of cat persecution, however, are still evident today in the form of such sayings as "A black cat crossing your path brings bad luck."
