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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. How did Ruth Gates fall in love with the ocean?

2. What is Kolbert expecting to see in the SeaSim in Townsville, Australia?

3. Where does Kolbert stay for her last night in Nevada?

4. Why is the Kaneohe Bay a prime location for studying and creating super coral?

5. How far away is a fake Devil’s Hole from the real one?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the purpose of the model delta at the Center for River Studies?

2. What is William Lewis Manly's role in the discovery of Devils Hole?

3. Why was the Old River Control Auxiliary Structure created?

4. What is the problem with Wood Screw Pumps?

5. How does Kolbert compare her stay at the Paris in Las Vegas to life for the pupfish in Devils Hole Jr.?

6. What is Van Oppen's relationship with her students?

7. How is extinction now an observable phenomenon?

8. How did the indigenous people of the New Orleans area deal with flooding versus the first European settlers?

9. What problems has human domination over nature caused, according to Kolbert?

10. What are crevasses, and why do a group of engineers want to create man-made ones?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

And under a white sky into the wild chapter 3, Kolbert begins and ends the chapter talking about gods. What does she say about gods in this chapter? Of what does this inform the reader? How does this talk about gods affect the tone of the book? How secure does the reader feel about mankind in his abilities in relation to this talk of gods?

Essay Topic 2

Kolbert clearly is drawn to Ruth Gates and her work. How is Gates different than other scientists Kolbert encounters in this book? Why is Kolbert drawn to her and her work? What does this reveal about Kolbert?

Essay Topic 3

Kolbert says that clear signs of the Anthropocene age are increased radioactivity and rodents. In what ways does that show the influence of humans on the natural world? How has the world been negatively affected by this influence? How might this human influence also be considered a natural occurrence as it has been happening since mankind was first created? How might this support the idea that there is no absolutely natural world and that the world is full of genetically modified beings?

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