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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. Kolbert jumps to a day when she meets Alex Kolker, a professor at LSU, who has what as a side gig?

3. Darwin’s ideas regarding evolution were first known as what?

4. When the United States won a case against the developer, Cappaert Enterprises, who took over the land?

5. What event does Kolbert attend that is to bring awareness and interest in eating carp?

Short Essay Questions

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

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

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

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

5. What has happened to Isle de Jean Charles?

6. What is the reason for why the Chicago River was reversed?

7. In what ways are those in the Chicago area trying to manage the carp problem?

8. What is the problem with Wood Screw Pumps?

9. How is an atoll formed?

10. What have humans done to save species on the brink of extinction?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Kolbert writes and Afterword but does so not to put the reader's mind at ease. What is the purpose of her Afterword? How does it leave the reader? Why might Kolbert want to leave the reader this way? What does she hope this might accomplish? In your own case, is she successful? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Kolbert background is journalism. How does she use this background in writing her book? In what ways does the reader feel that he or she is reading a work by a journalist? Do you believe it’s beneficial that Colbert has a journalism background? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 3

Kolbert mentions that there are two different main beliefs for how long mankind has influenced the earth's climate. What are these two beliefs? With which hypothesis do you agree? Why? What details from the book can you use to support your position? In the end, does it matter which hypothesis you agree with? Why or why not?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 967 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample