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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 does the "K" in K-T boundary stand for?

2. Who does Malcolm contact to study the sample from the carcass he receives from Levine?

3. What have the windows and walls of the research trailer been reinforced with?

4. What does the back trailer house?

5. According to the Introduction, extinction is considered as unremarkable as what?

Short Essay Questions

1. Why does Guitierrez lament the changing ethics of scientists?

2. Why can complex systems only flourish at the "Edge of Chaos"?

3. What is reductionism? Is it useful in complexity theory or not?

4. Why, in Malcolm's opinion, is his extinction theory untestable?

5. When Thorne and the children arrive at Levine's apartment, name three items that they find.

6. How does Malcolm handle the newscasts that report Malcolm's death in Costa Rica?

7. How does Dodgson convince the head of Biosyn to allow Dodgson one more opportunity to successfully gain the dinosaur DNA he has been seeking?

8. Describe at least three types of systems that complexity theory has studied.

9. Describe the type of behavior that is common to all complex systems.

10. What is the "Edge of Chaos"?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Kelly and Arby have been extremely helpful to Levine as he has planned for his expedition. However, the children were never supposed to be on the island.

a. Discuss how the children's appearance affects the story in terms of the plot, the emotional involvement of the characters, and the abilities the children bring to the group.

b. The reaction to the children's unexpected appearance on the island was somewhat muted by the main characters. Why?

c. Why might Crichton have chosen to have these characters be children, not adults? What point is he trying to get across? Is he successful? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Examine the overriding beliefs the following characters had before they went to Isla Sorna and how those beliefs were changed by the events that transpired on the island: Levine, Harding, Malcolm, and Thorne.

Essay Topic 3

After arriving on Isla Sorna, both Eddie Carr and Sarah Harding see the dinosaurs for the first time. Describe the reaction of each of these characters upon seeing the dinosaurs. Then, compare and contrast these two characters using their reaction to seeing the dinosaurs as the starting point for a larger discussion about how these two are different.

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This section contains 822 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample