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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 "City Flow" do in Heimaey?

2. What does the U.S. Army Air Corps do to an insulating vent on Mauna Loa volcano in 1935?

3. The U.S. Army Air Corps' actions on an insulating vent on Mauna Loa volcano in 1935 result in what?

4. Heimaey is considered to be an important what?

5. In 1973, the eruptions in Heimaey begin on January 23 and continue vigorously before diminishing in strength through when?

Short Essay Questions

1. Who is Thorbjorn Sigurgeirsson, and what idea does he come up with?

2. The author moves away from his discussion of Iceland's 1973 lava eruptions to talk about Hawaii's volcanoes. Describe what he writes about the U.S. Army Air Corps' attempts to stop lava from burying Hawaii's towns and cities.

3. Is there any warning prior to the eruption in Heimaey that began on January 23, 1973?

4. Describe work crews' first attempts at cooling off the lava flows of Heimaey in 1973.

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

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

7. Describe how workers are able to walk upon lava fields as they try to cool down the lava on Heimaey in 1973.

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

9. Describe what happens to the north side of the growing volcano on Heimaey.

10. What is threatened in Heimaey as a result of the unexpected volcanic eruption of 1973?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Throughout the book, the author discusses people who try to control nature as well as people who respect nature and choose to live with it instead of working against it. Compare and contrast these two groups of people using specific examples from each section.

Essay Topic 2

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.

Essay Topic 3

Using specific examples from "Atchafalaya," describe how engineers, scientists, and politicians create new problems when they try to direct and engineer natural forces in an attempt to help the neighboring communities. What new problems are created? How do experts and officials try to solve these new problems? Are they successful or unsuccessful in their attempts? Explain.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 946 words (approx. 4 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample