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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. Large-scale, single-crop farming eliminates the _______________ that provided built in control of pests.

2. ____________ can eliminate only the unwanted plants and give the beneficial plants a chance to thrive.

3. Herbicides can change the _________ of plants, making toxic plants more appealing to animals.

4. If a robin did not die, it often suffered from __________ as a result of being exposed to DDT.

5. In England, the treatment of _______ with chemicals resulted in widespread bird deaths.

Short Essay Questions

1. What did the chemical warfare of World War II lead to?

2. Why is it strange that a program was launched against the Southern population of fire ants?

3. What happens to the liver when it processes chemicals in the body?

4. What happened in Clear Lake, California in the 1940s and 1950s?

5. What do the mitochondria of cells do within the body?

6. What are some of the ways humans have done great damage to other life forms, according to Carson?

7. What is the basis of all life function, according to Carson's writing in this chapter?

8. How does Carson think weeds are defined by most people in today's world?

9. What does Carson say the major public health problems used to be caused by?

10. How are commercial fishermen affected by the spread of chemicals among the fish population?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Pests are some of the main targets of chemicals in the world. Humans try to kill pests every chance they get, in a variety of different ways and for numerous reasons.

Part 1: What are some of the pests humans try to rid the world of?

Part 2: What happens when a pest is eradicated from an area?

Part 3: What happens to the soil that is in the area where the pests have been eradicated?

Essay Topic 2

The cycle between the various areas of the environment begins to reveal just how intertwined everything is - and how horrible it would be if one part of the cycle is disrupted.

Part 1: Describe the cycle that takes place between the plants, the soil, and the animals.

Part 2: Why is the soil so important in this life cycle?

Part 3: What is the role of the insects and the mites in the soil?

Essay Topic 3

The loss of the songs of the birds is a frightening idea to many readers. In trying to control the world, the birds are leaving for other areas or dying off completely.

Part 1: Describe why the birds are leaving certain areas.

Part 2: Summarize the Dutch Elm Disease response and how it affected bird populations.

Part 3: What might have been a more natural response to the Dutch Elm Disease problem?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 688 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample