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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. When the author recalls his first time in the Atchafalaya swamps with Charles Fryling in 1980, what does he fondly remember?

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

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

4. In 1973, what happens to the Old River Control structure despite engineers drilling it and filling it with cement?

5. The writing on Dugie's belt buckle reads:

Short Essay Questions

1. 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.

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

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

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

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

6. In the 1700s, why did people settle in New Orleans and surrounding areas despite the region clearly being a floodplain?

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

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

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

10. What is James B. Eads' contribution to the Mississippi River?

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

Compare and contrast Louisiana's bayou life before and after the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers develops the system of locks, gates, spillways, and structures to control the region's rivers.

Essay Topic 3

Part of the problem is that people settle into regions that are particularly hazardous: floodplains, active volcanic zones, and places prone to mountain landslides, brush fires, and earthquakes.

1. Using examples from the book, elaborate upon some of the reasons the author gives to explain why people settle in regions where natural forces are especially active, posing risks to the communities that develop there.

2. Is the author sympathetic or unsympathetic to man's plight in his efforts to control nature? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 963 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample