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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. Humans share 98.4 percent of their DNA with:

2. Scientist Johann Friedrich Miescher is known for:

3. Trilobites are fossils of what?

4. Only one out of how many bones is ever fossilized?

5. How many elements occur naturally on Earth?

Short Essay Questions

1. How long do human cells live?

2. What did scientists find in the Burgess Shale of British Columbia?

3. What does the author say about oxygen and the highest elevations people can live at?

4. Describe the presence of bacteria in humans.

5. How do ice ages begin?

6. Why does Bryson say that fossils represent only a tiny fraction of life on Earth?

7. How much of Earth's land is suitable for humans to live on?

8. Describe the fossilized traces of microbes found in Greenland.

9. How does DNA replicate itself?

10. What type of scientific work did the monk and scientist Gregor Mendel do?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Explain supernovas. What exactly are they? Describe the mechanism behind them. How long do they last? What contributions do supernovas make to the universe?

Essay Topic 2

What are quarks? Describe them in detail, including their function, composition, colors, and "flavors."

Essay Topic 3

The author shares many stories of one person making an important discovery and someone else getting credit for it. Cite two examples of this. Why does Bryson discuss these cases? What do you feel he is trying to reveal about scientific discoveries and the scientific community?

(see the answer keys)

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