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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. When did Krakatau erupt?

2. Where did Quammen go to study temrecs?

3. What did Philip Darlington propose?

4. How did humans hurt the dodo population indirectly?

5. What is the difference between an isolate and a sample?

Short Essay Questions

1. How did David Wallace make his start as a biologist, in Quammen's narrative?

2. Describe how Quammen's narrative progresses from one idea to the next.

3. Who is Philip Darlington, and what was his contribution to the discussion of island size and species count?

4. What is the governing metaphor in the opening chapter?

5. Describe Quammen's tone in the first chapter.

6. What practical assertion does Quammen say Frank Preston made based on his findings?

7. What was MacArthur and Wilson's contribution to island biogeography?

8. What was the understanding about the variety of life forms before the theory of evolution came along?

9. Why are islands important in ecosystem studies, in Quammen's opinion?

10. Describe the process by which scientists generate policies for managing ecosystems.

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

If you were going to try to make a difference in the field of rescuing species from extinction, what actions would you take, based on the information presented in this book? What strategies would you employ? What part of Quammen's book leads you to believe that this would be an effective strategy for mitigating species loss.

Essay Topic 2

Evaluate your own reading of 'The Song of the Dodo'--did you resist it, or were you compelled by the story? What does your reading tell you about yourself and your interests? Use specific examples from the book to describe yourself as a reader.

Essay Topic 3

If you were in charge of protecting the maximum number of species in your region, would you create one large nature reserve, or a number of smaller reserves? Use arguments from the book as well as descriptions of local wildlife in your answer.

(see the answer keys)

This section contains 838 words (approx. 3 pages at 300 words per page) View a FREE sample