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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.
Short Answer Questions
1. Between 1980 and 2003, how many supernovas did the Reverend Robert Evans of Australia discover using a simple backyard telescope?
2. A hundred years before Einstein's math analyses confirmed the existence of atoms, this self-educated scientist suggested everything is made up of tiny, unchangeable particles:
3. Scientists are aware of at least how many galaxies in the universe?
4. What followed the last supervolcanic eruption on Earth in the region that is now northern Sumatra?
5. In the 1700s, people were finding holes in theories. For example, if the thoughts on erosion were completely correct, then:
Short Essay Questions
1. Describe what happened to an enormous thighbone discovered in New Jersey in 1789.
2. Describe some of the theories regarding what might have caused the Big Bang.
3. How does the Superstring Theory explain quarks?
4. What explanation did James Hutton come up with to describe the phenomenon of seashell fossils frequently found on mountaintops?
5. Describe what happened after the last supervolcano erupted on Earth. When did this happen?
6. Who was Clair Patterson? Describe Clair Patterson's campaign against lead contamination.
7. Why does Bryson consider Pluto to be an oddity?
8. Why is the term "dinosaurian" a misnomer?
9. How did the English scientist Henry Cavendish determine the weight of Earth?
10. Explain the misunderstanding of radiation during the early 1900s.
Essay Topics
Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:
Essay Topic 1
Describe who the following scientists were and how they started out in their careers, and explain what they are best known for:
1. Marie Curie.
2. Albert Einstein.
3. Carl Sagan.
Essay Topic 2
How did the dinosaurs become extinct? Explain the sequence of events that happened after the asteroid hit. What was the outcome to other life forms? What conditions changed in the aftermath? What group of animals became dominant following the dinosaur extinction?
Essay Topic 3
Explain how lead, despite being toxic to humans, found its way into gasoline. Why was safety ignored? Who fought to remove lead from gasoline? Describe this individual, his campaign, and the resistance he met. What was the outcome of his campaign?
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This section contains 917 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) |
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