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This test consists of 15 multiple choice questions and 5 short answer questions.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. What is a "war of attrition" based on in ESS?
(a) How much time and energy a goal is worth.
(b) How often a goal will be abandoned.
(c) How many possible routes there are to a particular goal.
(d) The amount of will and effort it takes to achieve a goal.

2. What fundamental question does Dawkins want to consider?
(a) Why do molecules exist?
(b) Why do genes exist?
(c) Why does DNA exist?
(d) Why do people exist?

3. What does longevity provide to an early molecule, according to Dawkins?
(a) Time to modify itself.
(b) Time to make copies of itself.
(c) Time to modify its surroundings.
(d) Time to repair itself.

4. Why does Dawkins say kind or cooperative behavior arises?
(a) Because it allows a gene to achieve a selfish goal.
(b) Because other factors besides natural selection are in play.
(c) Because it promotes the good of the whole species.
(d) Because other kind or cooperative behavior promotes it.

5. What does Dawkins postulate would preserve a gene forever?
(a) A gene that caused nothing but remained in the DNA.
(b) An undying being continuing to reproduce.
(c) A being that used only one gene.
(d) A being that passed on all its DNA through sexual reproduction.

6. What does Dawkins point out about antelopes' herd behavior?
(a) The herd behavior sacrifices an individual for the species survival.
(b) The herd behavior gives indidivuals a better chance of survival.
(c) The herd behavior is fot the good of the species.
(d) The herd behavior is not an adaptation.

7. What would not have existed in early oceans, that would have allowed amino acids and proteins to exist for long periods of time, to slowly develop into more complex forms?
(a) Enemies.
(b) Acids.
(c) Electricity.
(d) Sunlight.

8. According to Dawkins, how might a gene that normally does something selfish end in doing something unselfish?
(a) The selfish behavior might be modified by external influences.
(b) The gene might change its role because of negative response to the selfish behavior.
(c) The selfish behavior gene cannot end in doing something unselfish.
(d) The selfish behavior, combined with other genes' behaviors, might create an unselfish-seeming behavior.

9. What do the letters A, T, C, and G stand for?
(a) Different types of nucleotides.
(b) Different types of genes.
(c) Different types of DNA.
(d) Different types of RNA.

10. In Dawkins' metaphor about DNA, what represents a gene?
(a) A word in a book.
(b) A page in a book.
(c) A chapter in a book.
(d) A line on a page in a book.

11. What does the Watt Governor machine regulate?
(a) How hot it becomes.
(b) How heavy it becomes.
(c) How high it rises.
(d) How fast its arms spin.

12. How does Dawkins define communication?
(a) A gene behavior that helps one group of genes survive by influencing the behavior of another.
(b) A mutually learned behavior resulting from genetic behaviors that help groups of gene machines maintain cohesiveness.
(c) A gene behavior that allows cooperation between multiple gene machines.
(d) A learned behavior that is founded in genetic behaviors linking multiple gene machines.

13. In early reproducing molecules, what is the measure of "success"?
(a) That there are more molecules around that are like the molecule.
(b) That there are fewer ways for the molecule to be destroyed.
(c) That there are more copies of the molecule, whether they are accurate or not.
(d) That there are more chemical reactions that can use the molecule.

14. In Dawkins' metaphor about DNA, how many books are on the bookshelf?
(a) Thirty-two.
(b) Forty-six.
(c) Twenty-three.
(d) Fifty-four.

15. What happens to animals that tend to lose in fights?
(a) They tend to change their fighting strategies.
(b) They tend to fight more aggressively in the future.
(c) They tend to challenge less dominant rivals in the future.
(d) They tend to give up sooner in the future.

Short Answer Questions

1. Do one-celled animals seem to have purpose and intention, according to the author?

2. What would molecules that grouped and built protective walls around themselves become?

3. What almost always happens when copies of things are made, according to Dawkins?

4. How common does Dawkins say doubt about evolution is?

5. Can a gene change it's strategy for survival?

(see the answer keys)

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