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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 James B. Eads invent to explore the Mississippi River?

2. The author asserts that due to floods in the region, Louisiana loses how much land each year?

3. Initially, Rabalais is hired as a construction inspector to watch for what at the navigation lock?

4. In feet, how long is the towboat Mississippi?

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

Short Essay Questions

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

2. What is Major General Sands' concluding thoughts regarding the Old River Control Structure?

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

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 main points the author tries to make through this work of historical nonfiction?

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

8. What is the Old River Control project developed by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers?

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

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

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Compare and contrast how residents of Hawaii and residents of Iceland handle the challenges that come from living on volcanic lands.

Essay Topic 2

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 3

1. Describe how the system of rivers encompassing the Mississippi, Atchafalaya, and smaller rivers works over centuries to drain water into the Gulf of Mexico and form the land that's now part of Louisiana.

2. How does the presence of large cities like New Orleans and Baton Rouge affect the natural flow and activity of these major and minor rivers?

3. How are New Orleans, Baton Rouge, and other cities in southern Louisiana at risk because of the region's geology?

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This section contains 943 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample