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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. Sveinn Eiriksson is a man of:

2. Thorbjorn Sigurgeirsson is a native of which country?

3. During Thorbjorn Sigurgeirsson's test run to cool lava by the coastline, what happens?

4. When Magnus Magnusson takes the author to visit an old monument in Iceland, what do they do?

5. In Hawaii, how many volcanoes are there within the group that includes Mauna Loa?

Short Essay Questions

1. What role does Magnus Magnusson play during the 1973 volcanic eruptions in Heimaey?

2. Describe how Thorbjorn Sigurgeirsson and Sveinn Eiriksson work together to fight against the lava that threatens Heimaey's town and harbor.

3. Briefly describe Mauna Loa.

4. How is Heimaey's harbor altered after the eruptions and lava flows of 1973?

5. How old are the oldest parts of Hawaii and Iceland?

6. How do residents of Heimaey benefit from the cooling but still hot lava after the 1973 eruptions?

7. What is the population of Iceland's Heimaey before and after the 1973 eruptions?

8. What is the "City Flow?"

9. How does the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration protect its sensitive, expensive equipment against damaging lava in Hawaii?

10. Describe how Heimaey residents are evacuated following the eruptions that begin unexpectedly in 1973.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

From your observations of the Louisiana, Iceland, and California examples the author covers in his book, explain why people choose to live in dangerous places where the forces of nature are especially active. Do you feel that the reasons for living in these places outweigh the risks and dangers? Why or why not?

Essay Topic 2

Explain how the work crews, commanders, and scientists in "Cooling The Lava" learn by trial and error.

1. What mistakes do they make along the way?

2. What do they learn from these mistakes, and how do they adapt?

3. What might the outcome have been had they not been as flexible in their approach?

Essay Topic 3

Based on what the author has described about each region, is it viable for residents to continue living there? Provide your answers for the following regions:

1. In Louisiana near the Atchafalaya and Mississippi rivers.

2. By the active volcanoes of Hawaii.

3. In the volcanic island of Heimaey off the coast of Iceland.

4. In the plains below the San Gabriel Mountains of Southern California.

(see the answer keys)

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