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. Congress mandates that the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers survey the Mississippi and tributaries in order to assure and improve what?

2. During the fifty years between New Orleans' floods of 1735 and 1785, what does the author say brings a false sense of security against flooding?

3. From St. Louis down to the Atchafalaya, General Sands takes note of what?

4. Sympathetically, who does McPhee blame for destructive actions against the natural order of the environment?

5. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers distributes Atchafalaya river water to swamps, bayous, towns, and cities in:

Short Essay Questions

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

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

3. Describe some of the challenges New Orleans faces because of its geographical location.

4. Name some of the companies and industries that are attracted to the regions in and around Baton Rouge and New Orleans as these communities develop.

5. The Old River Control project began operating in 1963. What happens ten years later?

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

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

8. Explain who thinks the Old River Control project is an arrogant enterprise, and why they think this.

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

10. What are some of the main points the author tries to make through this work of historical nonfiction?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In "Cooling The Lava," how much of the success of the operation can be attributed to human ingenuity, and how much can be attributed to a fortunate turn of events? Explain your answer in detail, supporting your conclusions with examples.

Essay Topic 2

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 3

Explain how the work crews, commanders, and scientists in "Cooling The Lava" learn by trial and error.

1. What mistakes do they make along the way?

2. What do they learn from these mistakes, and how do they adapt?

3. What might the outcome have been had they not been as flexible in their approach?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 1,037 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample