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This quiz consists of 5 multiple choice and 5 short answer questions through Atchafalaya.

Multiple Choice Questions

1. During the fifty years between New Orleans' floods of 1735 and 1785, what does the author say brings a false sense of security against flooding?
(a) Drought conditions.
(b) Extended, raised levees.
(c) Prosperous economic boom.
(d) Concrete seawalls.

2. On General Sand's floating conference boat, Oliver Houck is the only board member who is active in what?
(a) Cancelling the Old River project.
(b) Local political life.
(c) Environmental movement.
(d) Taking the census.

3. A snagboat is a river boat that does what?
(a) Removes obstructions from rivers.
(b) Pulls barges through turbulent water.
(c) Carries large logs to sawmills.
(d) Transports workers from one town to another.

4. The Old River Control began its operations in what year?
(a) 1917.
(b) 1963.
(c) 1988.
(d) 1931.

5. When floodwaters cover twenty-six thousand square miles in 1927, how is New Orleans saved?
(a) Blowing up a downstream levee.
(b) Quickly digging a diversion channel.
(c) Building concrete walls around the city.
(d) Layering sandbags along the riverbanks.

Short Answer Questions

1. The author asserts that due to floods in the region, Louisiana loses how much land each year?

2. What is a weir?

3. Throughout the book, a predominant theme is that the following gets in the way of man's plans:

4. Sympathetically, who does McPhee blame for destructive actions against the natural order of the environment?

5. Who is Raphael G. Kazmann?

(see the answer key)

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