View a FREE sample

This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What is the first example Quammen cites of a species that has gone extinct?

2. What was Tasmania's environmental history, according to Quammen?

3. Why is Krakatau scientifically important?

4. What assertion did Frank Preston make based on his data?

5. What was the special creation theory?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is dispersal ability and why is it important?

2. What was MacArthur and Wilson's contribution to island biogeography?

3. What was the understanding about the variety of life forms before the theory of evolution came along?

4. What practical assertion does Quammen say Frank Preston made based on his findings?

5. List the attributes that govern the survivability of individual species in island ecosystems.

6. What example does Quammen draw from the island of Guam?

7. What do we know about the dodo?

8. What does Quammen use the island of Tasmania as an example of?

9. How did David Wallace make his start as a biologist, in Quammen's narrative?

10. Who is Frank Preston, and what was his contribution to the discussion of island size and species count?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Why does Quammen minimize Darwin's accomplishment as the founder of the theory of evolution? What does he benefit by debunking Darwin's accomplishment? Is it attraction to the underdog position, do you think? Was Wallace rely a superior scientist? Is Quammen just being contentious?

Essay Topic 2

Debate the proposition that it is more important to protect an endangered monkey than it might be to protect an endangered snake.

Essay Topic 3

Is Quammen consistent from the beginning of 'The Song of the Dodo' to the end? What expectations does he establish in the beginning? Does he fulfill them, over the course of the book? Does he abandon or sidestep the question of conservation in his discussion of methods of analysis and study?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 956 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample