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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. If all of the ice in Antarctica were to melt, by how much would ocean levels rise?

2. The last chapter of the book is a cautionary analysis of man's irresponsibility with regards to the:

3. The author seems to condemn the fact that, over the years, studying wildlife meant what?

4. The troposphere is the layer of atmosphere:

5. The dodo was a:

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What is a hominid? Describe some of the hominids that existed in the past.

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

4. What does a Swedish DNA study reveal about the origins of modern man?

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. How much of Earth's land is suitable for humans to live on?

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

9. Describe the fossilized traces of microbes found in Greenland.

10. What does the author say about radioactive waste being dumped into oceans?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain what makes a fossil so rare. What conditions are required for a fossil to form? What do scientists say about the number of species represented by fossils? Describe the completeness or incompleteness of fossil records.

Essay Topic 2

Compare and contrast the existence of bacteria on Earth with the existence of humans. Does one depend on the other? How so? Which organism is more resilient? Why?

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?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 763 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample