View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. How how long could the lasers mentioned in Chapter 14 deliver a power of 500 trillion watts?

2. How much did it cost to launch a pound of anything into orbit in 2008?

3. How many watts do humans emit?

4. In Chapter 14, how many lasers were in a building at Livermore?

5. In Chapter 17, what speed had unmanned prototypes of scramjets reached?

Short Essay Questions

1. What theory did Milutin Milankovic use to explain the cyclic pattern of the ice ages?

2. Why do all objects fall at the same speed?

3. What are the GRACE satellites, and what are some things that they have measured?

4. In Chapter 18, what could the author see with night vision binoculars?

5. What is X-ray backscatter, and what is it used for?

6. In Chapter 11, what two sides are there to stockpiling weapons?

7. What is the main difference between nuclear and diesel submarines?

8. What radiation levels were measured after the Three Mile Island incident, and why were the levels not caused by the accident?

9. At the time the book was written, what prototype of a nuclear waste facility was developed by the U.S. government?

10. In Chapter 13, what are the pros and cons of using depleted uranium in the shells of hydrogen bombs?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

There is concern that the Earth’s climate is changing because of human activity. Why is it important to distinguish between human-caused phenomena and natural climate fluctuations? How will solutions need to be based upon cause?

Essay Topic 2

Some people believe that oil is in short supply. Why are people concerned that oil reserves will run out? How does new technology make it possible to extract more oil? How can oil be produced? Why does a study from 1956 indicate that the oil supply will never be totally depleted?

Essay Topic 3

People are confused and misinformed about radioactivity. What confusion and misinformation surrounds discussions of radioactivity? How many people have died from radiation accidents? How do people usually die in a nuclear disaster? What are the risks of radiation exposure? How can safety measures decrease those risks?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,098 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample