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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. What is one problem with recycled paper?

2. Which words best describes a material that has been downcycled?

3. What does the owner of Ciba-Geigy encourage Michael to do?

4. Where does Bill grow up?

5. What do the authors mean by designing products for worst-case scenarios?

Short Essay Questions

1. Describe one of Bill and Michael's ideas for completely positive design.

2. Describe why books are traditionally difficult to recycle and how this book itself is a more positive design.

3. Explain one example of how recycling is really downcycling of materials.

4. Describe why many materials cannot be recycled into a product of equal quality as the original material.

5. Explain how recycling is really downcycling.

6. Explain how you could be breathing benzene fumes from your treadmill even though benzene is forbidden for use in rubber products in the United States.

7. Describe why the authors warn against too much efficiency in design.

8. Describe Bill's experience in Jordan as a student and what he is inspired by.

9. What challenges does Michael face while working for the Environmental Protection Agency?

10. Name two common household objects and their hidden health effects because of the chemicals they contain.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Define, describe, and give examples to explain the difference between the design philosophies of cradle to grave versus cradle to cradle.

Essay Topic 2

Write a three-part essay to summarize the experience and early inspiration for each of the authors.

Part 1. Describe the childhood and education of each author.

Part 2. Explain the significant event in each author's early career that became his inspiration to create positive designs.

Part 3. Describe how the authors meet their goals in creating their new company.

Essay Topic 3

Compare and contrast the design concepts behind "one size fits all" and designing for "local use." How does each concept use energy and resources? What are the costs and benefits to each concept? Give some examples of product designs for each design concept.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 935 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample