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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. What problem does Joe Harvey mention to Kolbert?

2. What does bleaching do to coral?

3. Why are Kolbert and Gates’ plans to meet cancelled?

4. Why is one of the locals at the town hall meeting against the creation of holes in the levees?

5. How deep is Devil’s Hole at its deepest?

Short Essay Questions

1. What led to the introduction of non-native species to control pests?

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

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

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

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

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

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

8. How is extinction now an observable phenomenon?

9. What is the crime that was committed at Devils Hole?

10. Why were Asian carp brought over to the U.S.?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

What does Kolbert say about man and his relationship with the natural world? Do you agree with her? Why or why not? Has reading Under a White Sky altered your perspective of the environment and what is being done to remedy problems? If so, how? If not, why not?

Essay Topic 3

Kolbert uses both present tense and past tense throughout under a white sky. When does she use present tense and why? When does she use past tense and why? Does this change in tenses help the reader? Why or why not? And what other ways to Colbert try to take challenging information and make it more interesting and understanding for the reader?

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 982 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample