Comprehension quiz

Supervising a Palaeoclimate Research Proposal

Listen to the lesson carefully, then answer 10 comprehension questions. Pick one option per question.

Question 1What was the purpose of the meeting with Professor Lane?

To submit the final palaeoclimate report To review the first draft of the research proposal To request funding for new laboratory equipment To plan a field trip to collect ice cores

Question 2What material did the professor persuade the students to analyse?

Tree rings, as they first intended Ice cores, from published archives Sediment cores, instead of tree rings Pollen samples, collected locally

Question 3Why was the data delivery delayed until June?

Because of equipment failures Because the semester was extended Because of statistical errors Because funding arrived late

Question 4What problem did the professor identify with the students' hypothesis?

It was too broad to test within one semester It had already been disproved by other teams It lacked any connection to palaeoclimate It required data that did not yet exist

Question 5What narrower focus did Sarah suggest for the research project?

The medieval warm period The most recent major ice age Modern ocean temperature records Tropical rainfall over a century

Question 6Which part of the work did the students admit they found most daunting?

The laboratory work with the cores The statistical analysis of the data The writing of the literature review The presentation in front of the faculty

Question 7What did Tom wonder about the warming signal in their data?

Whether it would delay the whole project Whether it might reflect local rather than global conditions Whether it had been measured with faulty tools Whether it matched the published ice core records

Question 8What warning did the professor give about correlation between records?

It usually appears only in tree ring data It matters far less than statistical skill It can replace the need for several proxies It does not by itself establish a causal link

Question 9How did the students decide to strengthen the evidence for their study?

By collecting sediment cores from many more sites By repeating the statistical tests every week By comparing their cores with published ice core data By extending the project over two full semesters

Question 10What surprised the students about the professor's advice on results?

She cancelled all their laboratory bookings She demanded a completely new topic She refused to extend any of the deadlines She encouraged them to report results contradicting their hypothesis