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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Chapter 3.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What apparently unselfish behavior of small birds does the author describe?
(a) Protecting another bird's eggs.
(b) Staying awake to warn the flock of approaching predators.
(c) Bringing excess food to others in the flock.
(d) Drawing the attention of a hawk to itself and away from the flock.

2. What almost always happens when copies of things are made, according to Dawkins?
(a) Mistakes in the copies.
(b) Confusion between copies and originals.
(c) An overabundance of copies.
(d) Conflict between the copies.

3. What apparently selfish act of the penguin does the author describe?
(a) Shoving each other to see who will fall off a cliff.
(b) Stealing other penguins' eggs.
(c) Hiding behind other penguins when a predator is spotted.
(d) Stealing food from a baby penguin's mouth.

4. In Dawkins' metaphor about DNA, how does he describe the creation of new DNA by sexual reproduction?
(a) Two books are combined into one two-volume work.
(b) Two bookshelves are combined into one.
(c) Pages are torn out of different books and put together.
(d) Books from different shelves are mixed together on a new shelf.

5. What apparently selfish act of gulls does the author describe?
(a) "Ditching" the rest of the flock when a predator is spotted.
(b) Eating others' baby chicks.
(c) Stealing another gull's nest.
(d) Fighting for fish.

Short Answer Questions

1. What apparently unselfish act of a bee does the author describe?

2. What does the author suggest might be better wording than "survival of the fittest"?

3. What fundamental question does Dawkins want to consider?

4. In Dawkins' metaphor about DNA, what does the bookshelf represent?

5. What would give longevity to early self-duplicating molecules, according to Dawkins?

(see the answer key)

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