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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. Not only do chemicals hurt the soil, but they also ____________ the soil for years.

2. In many cases, the spraying is killing wildflowers which attract ___________.

3. Wildlife biologists and forestry experts __________ the mass killings of so much life.

4. Only _________ have gained the ability to reserve the roles and actually change the environment they live in.

5. How long can chemicals remain in the soil to which they are applied?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the environmental problem that results from all of the water sources of the Earth being connected to each other?

2. What has happened with synthetic pesticides within less than twenty years of their existence?

3. What did the chemical warfare of World War II lead to?

4. What happens when the bees are suddenly gone from this beautiful American town?

5. What is seawater not able to be used for on the Earth?

6. What makes humans different from the plants and animals in nature, with regard to their ability to do?

7. What kinds of trees are in the forests described in this chapter?

8. What happened when people in Wyoming unintentionally destroyed the willows in a particular area?

9. What are the smallest organisms on the Earth which live in the soil?

10. Why did so many birds die as a result of the spraying for Dutch Elm Disease?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

The loss of the songs of the birds is a frightening idea to many readers. In trying to control the world, the birds are leaving for other areas or dying off completely.

Part 1: Describe why the birds are leaving certain areas.

Part 2: Summarize the Dutch Elm Disease response and how it affected bird populations.

Part 3: What might have been a more natural response to the Dutch Elm Disease problem?

Essay Topic 2

The world that Carson describes in the beginning of "Silent Spring" is one that provokes several reactions from readers.

Part 1: Describe the first world that Carson envisions in the first chapter of the book.

Part 2: How does the world change as the description continues on?

Part 3: Why does Carson use this description in the beginning of the book?

Essay Topic 3

Pesticides are the main concern of Carson throughout this book, and with good reason.

Part 1: List some of the chemicals which Carson describes in detail in this book.

Part 2: Choose one chemical and describe the ways in which it is affecting the Earth, according to Carson.

Part 3: Why are pesticides so important to discuss in relation to the management of the environment?

(see the answer keys)

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