View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 multiple choice questions, 5 short answer questions, and 10 short essay questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Gregor Mendel, who conducted research on transmittal of traits in pea plants, was a scientist and a:
(a) Blacksmith.
(b) Soldier.
(c) Monk.
(d) Politician.

2. A Swedish DNA study concludes that all modern humans descended from how many people in Africa?
(a) 500.
(b) 2,000.
(c) 10,000.
(d) 80,000.

3. What is the highest elevation that humans are able to live and survive on Earth continuously without special accommodations?
(a) 18,000 feet.
(b) 22,000 feet.
(c) 27,000 feet.
(d) 14,000 feet.

4. With so many hominid species existing in the past, why did only one survive?
(a) Larger brain.
(b) Greater capacity for compassion.
(c) Climate change.
(d) Nobody knows.

5. The early Cambrian period, or the Cambrian explosion, refers to a time how long ago?
(a) 998 million years.
(b) 7 million years.
(c) 540 million years.
(d) 39 million years.

Short Answer Questions

1. The KT meteor caused dinosaurs to become extinct but paved the way for what to become the new dominant species?

2. The troposphere is the layer of atmosphere:

3. In times past, Earth was:

4. Regarding species that have gone extinct, scientists generally:

5. What is the current estimate of the number of species that have lived on Earth since the beginning of life on our planet?

Short Essay Questions

1. What does the author say about bacteria and humans, particularly their interaction?

2. How many elements occur naturally on Earth? How many are central to life?

3. What type of scientific work did the monk and scientist Gregor Mendel do?

4. Why does Bryson say that fossils represent only a tiny fraction of life on Earth?

5. Describe the Indonesian volcanic eruption of 1815.

6. What are bipeds? What are some of the unique challenges they face because of their structure?

7. Why haven't scientists discovered every species of plant and animal life yet?

8. What does the author say about oxygen and the highest elevations people can live at?

9. How does DNA replicate itself?

10. What is cytoplasm?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 719 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample