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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapter 11.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What do the letters A, T, C, and G stand for?
(a) Different types of RNA.
(b) Different types of nucleotides.
(c) Different types of DNA.
(d) Different types of genes.

2. According to Dawkins, are mistakes in fidelity good or bad?
(a) They are always good.
(b) They are neither good nor bad.
(c) They are always bad.
(d) They are usually good, but sometimes bad.

3. What did Spanish researchers see a baby swallow do?
(a) Use leverage to throw a magpie egg out of its nest.
(b) Gather other chicks into a circle to surround and kill a magpie chick.
(c) Steal food from a magpie chick in the nest and give it to siblings.
(d) Alert parents to a magpie in the nest.

4. What apparently selfish act of the penguin does the author describe?
(a) Stealing food from a baby penguin's mouth.
(b) Hiding behind other penguins when a predator is spotted.
(c) Stealing other penguins' eggs.
(d) Shoving each other to see who will fall off a cliff.

5. What happens to baby birds if the parent does not find enough food for the group?
(a) The parent will give up its life to feed the baby birds.
(b) All the babies die.
(c) The babies will survive but be sickly and have later problems.
(d) The parent will feed only a few babies, and the others will die.

Short Answer Questions

1. In the science fiction story Dawkins cites, who sends instructions through time?

2. How does Dawkins characterize the natural world in his discussion of selfishness?

3. In Dawkins' discussion, why do baby birds scream?

4. How does a mother protecting a child promote the selfish gene theory?

5. What does Dawkins say that Honeyguide chicks do?

(see the answer key)

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