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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 does the author say happens in the area of the Atchafalaya River in the spring of 1973?

2. The livelihood of approximately how many people is affected by the Old River Control?

3. While aboard the Mississippi on his annual trip, General Sands tries to:

4. When was the Kent, a small towboat used by the U.S. Army Corps, put into service?

5. This book is a:

Short Essay Questions

1. What are some of the predominant problems in the regions populated near the Atchafalaya and Mississippi rivers?

2. Explain how the Mississippi River forms Louisiana over many centuries.

3. Who is Henry Shreve, and what does he do?

4. Explain what the author says about Old Cajun bayou life in the Atchafalaya region after the Corps took control.

5. Describe what McPhee writes about Morgan City, Louisiana.

6. In 1927, what happened to the region of the Mississippi River during the great flood?

7. What is the goal of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers with regards to the Atchafalya and Mississippi rivers?

8. Throughout the 1700s and 1800s, what did people in southern Louisiana do to protect their communities and land against floods?

9. Why does the author state that ever since the Corps took control of the Atchafalaya, the river's name means "collision" to him?

10. Congress enacts the Flood Control Act in 1928 to launch the Mississippi River and Tributaries Project. What is done through this project?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In detail, explain how carefully studying the geological history of a region before engineering a project could lead to more effective, efficient, and lasting solutions. What other factors do people need to consider to come up with better solutions? What factors get in the way of developing a viable solution? How can engineers, politicians, conservationists, and residents work together to develop the right solutions?

Essay Topic 2

Describe three or four of the key players in the quest to cool lava on the island off the coast of Iceland. Who are these individuals? How do they contribute to the effort and the final outcome? Do their backgrounds and character traits help or hinder their efforts?

Essay Topic 3

1. Why do people begin to settle in the Atchafalaya-Mississippi region? How do these communities go from being small settlements to large cities that support many important industries?

2. What brings newcomers to the Los Angeles County region where the coastal plains meet the mountains? How do the communities in this region grow and transform over time?

3. Keeping in mind the costs and resources involved, do you feel that protecting the communities in southern Louisiana and in southern California is worthwhile? Why or why not?

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