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

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

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

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

5. Norris F. Rabalais was born and raised in what Louisiana parish?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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?

Essay Topic 2

Using specific examples from "Atchafalaya," describe how engineers, scientists, and politicians create new problems when they try to direct and engineer natural forces in an attempt to help the neighboring communities. What new problems are created? How do experts and officials try to solve these new problems? Are they successful or unsuccessful in their attempts? Explain.

Essay Topic 3

1. How might building more debris basins alleviate mountain debris flow problems in Southern California? How might building more basins aggravate the problem?

2. How might adding more river control structures near the Atchafalaya River in Louisiana alleviate the region's flooding problems? How might adding more structures aggravate the problem?

(see the answer keys)

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