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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. Most human traits, including eye color, are determined by:

2. Compared to at sea level, oxygen at a few thousand feet above sea level is:

3. The troposphere is the layer of atmosphere:

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

5. With so many hominid species existing in the past, why did only one survive?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. What is Carl Linnaeus known for?

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

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

6. How long do human cells live?

7. How do ice ages begin?

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

9. What is the water distribution across the world's major oceans?

10. What does Bryson caution regarding extinction?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain supernovas. What exactly are they? Describe the mechanism behind them. How long do they last? What contributions do supernovas make to the universe?

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

Describe, in detail, the composition and function of a cell.

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