Questions and Answers
Did the town Rachel Carson describes in Chapter 1 actually exist?
False
In Chapter 2, what species did she say has 'acquired significant power to alter the nature of his world'?
People
When discussing invasive species in Chapter 2, she states that 'it is no accident that our most troublesome insects are ______ species'.
forging
In Chapter 3, what inorganic molecule is described as 'the basic ingredient in a variety of weed and insect killers'?
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DDT in powder form was dusted over soldiers, refugees, and prisoners to kill what pest?
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Which insecticide did Rachel Carson say was the most toxic, Aldrin or Endrin?
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In Chapter 4, what decade did she reference when stating 'the production of these synthetic chemicals in large volume began in the ________'?
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What pesticide killed the birds described in the summer of 1960 at Tule Lakes?
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What pesticide was supposed to be a safer relative of DDT, but caused fish and birds to die in Clear Lake, California?
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In Chapter 5, did she say the effects (persistence) of insecticides in the soil were in months or years?
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What is referred to by Chapter 6's title 'Earth's Green Mantle'?
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What animal group was affected by Klamath weed in California?
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What insect were they trying to control by dusting Michigan with Aldrin?
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Name one organism she mentioned that could be poisoned by non-selective insecticides in Chapter 7.
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What birds did a housewife complain were attracted to her feeder, leading to concerns about pesticide use?
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What pesticide was sprayed on trees in Lansing, Michigan to combat Dutch elm disease?
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What started to die within two days of spraying for budworms on evergreen trees in Chapter 9?
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Did the ones that were moved from a toxic environment recover or still die?
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The gypsy moth is native to what country?
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What invasive species entered the USA from South America through the port in Mobile, Alabama?
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What was collected from the general population between 1954 and 1956 to test for DDT levels?
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Does the FDA allow any pesticide residue in milk?
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What organ do chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides damage?
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What illness was created by the bootleggers' chemical mimicking Jamaica ginger?
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What do cells require in order to reproduce that DDT and other pesticides destroy?
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What does the term 'gynandromorph' refer to in mosquitoes exposed to DDT?
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Who was the first person to declare that environmental agents could produce malignancies?
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In laboratory tests, DDT produced tumors on what organ, leading it to be classified as a chemical carcinogen?
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In Chapter 15, did she describe the balance of nature as fluid or a status quo?
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Where did Dr. Pickett develop a program using less toxic insecticides derived from plant extracts?
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What insecticide 'ushered in the age of resistance'?
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What insect became resistant to Chlordane, a favorite pesticide used by exterminators in North America?
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What organism laid its eggs in the wounds of livestock and was eradicated in February 1959?
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Study Notes
Chapter 1
- The town described is fictional.
Chapter 2
- Human beings have significantly changed their environment.
- Invasive species can be troublesome; they tend to be forging species.
Chapter 3
- Arsenic is a primary ingredient in various weed and insect killers.
- DDT was used to dust over soldiers, refugees, and prisoners to eliminate lice.
Chapter 6
- Endrin is noted as the most toxic insecticide.
- Production of synthetic chemicals started in the 1940s.
Chapter 4
- DDE was responsible for the deaths of fish-eating birds at Tule Lakes and Lower Klamath.
Chapter 5
- Insects were targeted in California, using DDD, a relative of DDT, which led to the death of fish and birds.
Chapter 7
- Insecticide impact on soil is persistent for years, not months.
Chapter 8
- Title "Earth's Green Mantle" refers to plants.
- Livestock were affected by the non-native Klamath weed treated with pesticides.
Chapter 9
- The Asian Beetle was controlled through aerial dusting with aldrin over 27,000 acres in Michigan.
Chapter 10
- Insecticides do not selectively target species and can harm unintended organisms, such as family pets.
Chapter 11
- A housewife mentioned that birds like robins and cardinals visited her feeder.
- DDT was sprayed on trees in Michigan to combat Dutch elm disease.
Chapter 12
- After DDT spraying to combat budworm infestation, fish and salmon started dying within two days.
Chapter 13
- Toxaphene was used against weevils in cotton fields, resulting in fish deaths.
Chapter 14
- The gypsy moth is originally from Europe.
- Fire ants invaded the U.S. from South America via Mobile, Alabama.
Chapter 15
- Human body fat samples showed DDT levels of 5.3 to 7.4 parts per million from 1954 to 1956.
- The FDA does not permit any pesticide residue in milk.
Health Effects
- Chlorinated hydrocarbon insecticides can harm the liver.
- Triothocresyl phosphate led to Ginger Paralysis in consumers mimicking Jamaica ginger.
Chapter 16
- DDT and other pesticides destruct ATP, crucial for cell reproduction.
- Mosquitoes exposed to DDT developed gynandromorphs, organisms with both male and female traits.
Environmental Concerns
- External environmental factors can cause malignancies; Sir Percivall highlighted soot as a carcinogen for chimney sweeps.
- DDT was categorized as a carcinogen after producing tumors in the liver during laboratory tests.
Nature and Agriculture
- Nature is described as fluid in terms of balance, allowing for continual change.
- Dr. Pickett's program in Canada utilized plant-derived insecticides like nicotine sulfate and lead arsenate in orchards.
Resistance and Pest Control
- DDT initiated the era of resistance in pests.
- Chlordane, a common pesticide, was used against cockroaches which eventually became resistant.
Livestock Health
- Screw worms, which infested livestock wounds, were eradicated in the Southeast by February 1959.
Studying That Suits You
Use AI to generate personalized quizzes and flashcards to suit your learning preferences.
Description
Test your knowledge on key concepts from Rachel Carson's 'Silent Spring'. This quiz features flashcards covering essential themes and details from each chapter of the book. See how well you understand the impact of environmental issues discussed in this seminal work.
