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. Why were cane toads first introduced outside of their natural environments?

2. Who is Edda Aradóttir?

3. To what has gene-drive technology been compared?

4. What is NOT one of the problems mentioned regarding cane toads?

5. Who is Paul Thomas?

Short Essay Questions

1. What makes cane toads so destructive?

2. What is a suppression drive?

3. What is an outlaw gene? Why is it important to this book?

4. What are negative emissions? Why might they be important?

5. How do cane toads become a problem in Australia?

6. What is the widely held view regarding man’s influence on the atmosphere?

7. How are geothermal plants clean?

8. According to Climeworks, why does it make sense to turn carbon dioxide to stone?

9. What is the early Anthropocene hypothesis?

10. What is the problem with fusion?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

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 2

What is the general tone of Kolbert's Under a White Sky? Why? How does this affect the reader? How might this impact a reader's attitude towards the environment and what is being done to preserve it?

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)

This section contains 803 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample