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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. Why did it take people longer to cultivate fruit tress?

2. What is not one of the eight "founder" crops that started in the Fertile Crescent?

3. Almonds were found in which person's tomb?

4. Which mammal did the Spanish have that the Incas did not?

5. Strawberries are adapted to have seeds spread by what animals?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did the Maori and the Moriori differ?

2. What was the biggest difference between the histories of Old World Europe and the New World Americas? Why was this important?

3. Why does Diamond object to many of the traditional views on the uneven distribution of wealth and power?

4. What are several stages in the development of plant domestication? Which plants were domesticated in each stage?

5. Why was writing an advantage to the groups that had it?

6. What are the four different types of societies that Diamond discusses?

7. What advantages did the Spanish have over the Incas?

8. Why did plant domestication and food production did not develop earlier in some of the ecologically better areas?

9. Why is the axis of a continent important?

10. How do inventions spread between societies?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

How does Diamond explain the extinction of many large mammals around the world? What other theories have been proposed to explain this? Why does Diamond believe that these theories are not correct?

Essay Topic 2

What are some of the other theories that try to explain the differing development of societies? How does Diamond refute these theories? Why does he believe that they are not correct?

Essay Topic 3

Why are some native, wild plants domesticated? Trace the development of domesticating plants, including identifying those wild plants that were among the first domesticated plants.

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