Quiz about Environmental Science Worksheet Questions

Question 1

Atmospheric deposition of pollutants is an example of point source pollution.

Accepted Answer

False

Answer

True

Question 2

Eutrophication is a natural process that has been greatly stimulated by human activities.

Accepted Answer

True

Answer

False

Question 3

Runoff of pesticides from lawns, fields, golf courses, and other areas is considered to be one of the most important sources of toxic organic pollution of water.

Accepted Answer

True

Answer

False

Question 4

The greatest remaining need in rectifying remaining water pollution problems in the United States and Canada is solving the point source discharge problem.

Accepted Answer

False

Answer

True

Question 5

Pollution of water in large aquifers is essentially irreversible in the short term (decades).

Accepted Answer

True

Answer

False

Question 6

A 2006 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that resulted in the EPA dropping enforcement actions on at least 1,500 water pollution cases and the exclusion of the drinking water sources of over 117 million Americans was based on the court's interpretation of the word

Accepted Answer

navigable

Answer

aquifer

Answer

organic

Answer

toxic

Question 7

Air pollution can lead to water contamination via a process called atmospheric deposition.

Accepted Answer

True

Answer

False

Question 8

The use of water to cool industrial facilities

Accepted Answer

can result in a thermal plume.

Accepted Answer

can attract certain fish, birds, and marine mammals.

Accepted Answer

can result in a thermal plume and attract certain fish, birds, and marine mammals.

Answer

was banned as a result of the Clean Water Act.

Question 9

The type of water pollutant that most commonly threatens human health is/are __________.

Accepted Answer

pathogenic organisms

Answer

dissolved plant matter

Answer

toxic and hazardous chemicals

Answer

thermal pollution

Answer

oxygen-demanding wastes

Question 10

High oxygen content in water is an indication that

Accepted Answer

water is clean enough to support game fish.

Answer

there are no contaminants present at all.

Answer

there is a large population of coliform bacteria.

Answer

water is only able to support algae and bacteria.

Answer

sewage, paper pulp, or food processing wastes have been added to the water.

Question 11

By far the greatest amount of proven natural gas reserves are found in

Accepted Answer

the Middle East

Answer

Alaska

Answer

Canada

Answer

Africa

Question 12

The greatest amount of energy in the United States is used for

Accepted Answer

transportation.

Answer

industrial uses.

Answer

heating and cooling buildings.

Answer

commercial uses.

Question 13

The Marcellus and Devonian Shales

Accepted Answer

could result in the drilling of thousands of wells in populated places.

Answer

are a potential vast source of oil in the eastern United States.

Answer

can be drilled without any pollution risk to the environment.

Question 14

The largest source of oil for the United States is currently

Accepted Answer

Canada.

Answer

the Middle East.

Answer

Venezuela.

Answer

Alaska.

Question 15

Coal and petroleum are derived from organic molecules created by living organisms millions of years ago.

Accepted Answer

True

Answer

False

Question 16

Black lung disease results from

Accepted Answer

coal dust causing inflammation and fibrosis in lungs.

Answer

the radioactivity in coal.

Answer

the radioactivity around coal-fired power plants.

Answer

careless strip-mining methods.

Answer

coal dust literally filling lungs like dust in a vacuum cleaner bag.

Question 17

Which of the following is NOT a drawback of burning coal for electricity?

Accepted Answer

Coal reserves in the United States are plentiful.

Answer

Much of the coal mined is through mountain top removal and valley fill, which leads to major environmental problems near the mine sites.

Answer

When burned, coal gives off a high amount of sulfur compounds and mercury.

Answer

Toxic coal ash much be stored indefinitely.

Question 18

Under normal operating conditions, ________ power plants release radioactivity as well as toxic metals.

Accepted Answer

coal-fired

Answer

hydroelectric

Answer

nuclear

Answer

wind-generated

Answer

All of these choices are correct

Question 19

The main pollutant released by coal burning is

Accepted Answer

sulfur oxides.

Answer

mercury vapor.

Answer

methane.

Answer

volatile organic compounds.

Answer

nox.

Question 20

Most useful oil deposits are usually found

Accepted Answer

saturating porous rocks, like water in a sponge.

Answer

in a liquid pool under a layer of impermeable shale.

Answer

locked in the mineral structure of a rock formation.

Answer

in pools on the earth's surface, where geologic pressures have forced them to collect.

Answer

in small pools directly above the bedrock.

Question 21

Oil shale and tar sands are examples of ________

oil.

Accepted Answer

unconventional

Answer

unrecoverable

Answer

unproven

Answer

unknown

Question 22

________

is the most rapidly growing energy source

Accepted Answer

Natural gas

Answer

Methane

Answer

Nuclear power

Answer

Coal

Question 23

Currently the most common way to extract natural gas is by _________

Accepted Answer

hydraulic fracturing

Answer

collecting it from deep ocean thermal vents

Answer

separating it from crude oil pockets

Answer

collecting it from abandoned deep mines

Question 24

What is the biggest drawback for developing oil shales, tar sands, and coal gasoline?

Accepted Answer

cost

Answer

there are no drawbacks

Answer

availability of these resources

Answer

imports of these are extremely cheap

Question 25

What is the name of the shale basin that is located under much of the northern Appalachian Mountains?

Accepted Answer

Marcellus Shale Basin

Answer

Devonian Shale Basin

Answer

Barnett Shale Basin

Answer

Delaware Shale Basin

Question 26

Hydraulic fracturing breaks what kind of rock layer to release methane?

Accepted Answer

shale

Answer

slate

Answer

granite

Answer

limestone

Question 27

Pressurized fl uid and chemicals injected into a well are used in a mining process called ________

.

Accepted Answer

hydraulic fracturing

Answer

high pressure welling

Answer

placer mining

Answer

heap-leach extraction

Question 28

One ________

of natural gas is that it is ________

than either coal or oil.

Accepted Answer

disadvantage; harder to ship and store

Answer

advantage; easier to build infrastructure for transporting it

Answer

disadvantage; harder to sell

Answer

advantage; easier to fi nd

Question 29

Methane produced from animal waste or by digesting garbage is an example of a(n)

Accepted Answer

unconventional gas resource.

Accepted Answer

by-product of human activities.

Answer

conventional gas source.

Answer

nonrenewable energy source.

Answer

unconventional gas resource and a by-product of human activities.

Question 30

Improved insulation, energy-efficient windows and curtains, and caulking and sealing cracks could reduce commercial building and household energy loss by up to (a) percent.

Accepted Answer

50

Answer

10

Answer

20

Answer

30

Question 31

Photovoltaic systems are characterized by all of the following except

Accepted Answer

they are difficult to use where conventional electricity is unavailable.

Answer

they convert sunlight into electricity.

Answer

they have become more efficient over the past 25 years.

Answer

they are economically competitive with fossil fuels in many places.

Question 32

Many of the places with the greatest potential for solar and wind development are far from the urban centers where the power is needed.

Accepted Answer

True

Answer

False

Question 33

Cogeneration refers to

Accepted Answer

production of both electricity and usable steam or hot water by the same facility.

Answer

cooperative efforts between power producers and consumers aimed at sharing profits from energy sales.

Answer

sale of electrical power by consumers back to the electrical grid.

Answer

the production of electricity using several different fuel sources at a single facility.

Question 34

Home appliances in standby mode can account for up to 25 percent of a monthly electric bill.

Accepted Answer

True

Answer

False

Question 35

Wood and charcoal burning is still the main energy source for about 30 percent of the world's population.

Accepted Answer

True

Answer

False

Question 36

In favorable locations, wind power is cheaper than other new energy sources.

Accepted Answer

True

Answer

False

Question 37

Biomass is a relatively recently discovered energy source.

Accepted Answer

False

Answer

True

Question 38

Passive heat absorption refers to

Accepted Answer

using natural materials to gather and hold heat.

Answer

the cooling of solar panels used to generate electricity.

Answer

using water to cool nuclear power plants.

Question 39

Most of our energy waste in North America results from

Accepted Answer

technological inefficiency

Answer

failure to turn off lights

Answer

the fact that more efficient energy conversion is not possible

Answer

overwhelming public ignorance of conservation issues

Answer

the fact that energy conservation techniques are quite expensive

Question 40

The quickest and easiest way to save money on energy bills is to

Accepted Answer

modify your energy-using behavior.

Answer

install a new water heater.

Answer

put new insulation in your home.

Answer

buy a more efficient automobile.

Answer

install a new furnace.

Question 41

Energy efficiency is a measure of

Accepted Answer

energy produced compared to energy consumed.

Answer

heat produced by a barrel of fuel.

Answer

energy stored in a unit of fuel.

Answer

total energy consumed over a year divided by time spent.

Answer

energy used per unit of time.

Question 42

How does eating locally grown food in season save energy?

Accepted Answer

All of these are ways that eating locally grown food in season saves energy.

Answer

Locally grown food does not need to be transported far distances.

Answer

Locally grown food does not use petroleum-based fertilizers.

Answer

Locally grown food does not use petroleum-based pesticides.

Answer

Locally grown food supports local farmers.

Question 43

The idea of cogeneration is to actively use ________ electricity-generating plants.

Accepted Answer

both electricity and waste steam heat from

Answer

solar as well as coal energy to produce electricity at

Answer

warm water as well as steam to produce electricity at

Answer

two kinds of fuel (e.g., coal and oil) at

Answer

two different types of thermal conversion machines for increased efficiency at

Question 44

A glass greenhouse on the south side of a building is an example of

Accepted Answer

passive heat absorption

Answer

parabolic collection

Answer

an active solar heating system

Answer

cogeneration

Answer

charging fuel cells to increase efficiency in energy use

Question 45

Which of the following solar energy uses has been used by people for thousands of years?

Accepted Answer

passive heat absorption

Answer

parabolic solar collection

Answer

active solar heating system

Answer

cogeneration

Answer

All of these choices are correct.

Question 46

A system of pipes painted black that have water circulating on the wall in a glass greenhouse on the south side of a building is an example of

Accepted Answer

an active solar heating system.

Answer

parabolic collection.

Answer

passive heat absorption.

Answer

cogeneration.

Answer

charging fuel cells to increase efficiency in energy use.

Question 47

The most effective technology developed so far to produce solar energy concentrated enough to run an industrial furnace or turbine is to use

Accepted Answer

parabolic mirrors.

Answer

cogeneration.

Answer

passive heat absorption.

Answer

photovoltaic cells.

Answer

smart meters.

Question 48

Active solar energy systems involve

Accepted Answer

pumps and moving fluids.

Answer

large volumes of massive heat absorbers.

Answer

photovoltaic cells.

Answer

cogeneration.

Answer

stationary materials to gather and hold heat.

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