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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 is the mouse called that would make it so only male mice survived?

2. What would Lackner and Wendt’s invention do?

3. Who is Paul Thomas?

4. Which country produces the most emissions?

5. What is a suppression drive?

Short Essay Questions

1. What are the pros and cons of a powerful gene drive?

2. What must happen to keep temperature rise to less than two degrees?

3. What is the problem with fusion?

4. How is cutting emissions at once absolutely essential and insufficient?

5. What does Kolbert think about the genetic engineering home kit that she purchases?

6. What is usually use to kill rodents? What are the problems associated with this?

7. What are a couple of the responses when asked about man’s roll and fixing or protecting the environment in into the wild Chapter 3?

8. What is the explanation that Tizzard gives for why genetic modifications are a good option for dealing with imbalances in nature?

9. What is the issue with chemical weathering regarding carbon dioxide?

10. What are some of the ways that Kolbert mentions Australians deal with cane toads? What might be the pros and cons?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Under a White Sky was in the process of being finished and published during the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. How does Kolbert relate the pandemic to her book? What connections does she make between climate change and a pandemic? How has the world changed because of the pandemic? How does this help you relate to the changes scientists in this book predict about our world?

Essay Topic 2

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?

Essay Topic 3

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?

(see the answer keys)

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