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WorksheetsEnvironmental Science MidTerm (Ch. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8)
Total questions: 80
Worksheet time: 40mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
Most scientists classify organisms into
a)
five kingdoms.
b)
six kingdoms.
c)
three kingdoms.
d)
two groups.
2.
What essential characteristic does a good experiment have?
a)
A control group is given the experimental treatment.
b)
A single variable is tested.
c)
A control is used.
d)
Both (b) and (c)
3.
Biomes with higher temperatures and less precipitation tend to have
a)
shorter and less dense vegetation.
b)
taller and denser vegetation.
c)
taller and less dense vegetation.
d)
shorter and denser vegetation.
4.
The energy in most ecosystems comes from
a)
green plants.
b)
the sun.
c)
wind.
d)
All of the above
5.
Most of Earth’s fresh water is
a)
suspended in atmospheric cloud formations.
b)
held in reservoirs behind large dams.
c)
solidified at the North and South Poles.
d)
stored in large underground rock structures.
6.
The distance north or south of the equator, as measured in degrees, is called
a)
altitude.
b)
latitude.
c)
longitude.
d)
magnitude.
7.
The group that does not receive the experimental treatment in an experiment is the
a)
control group.
b)
experimental group.
c)
data.
d)
variable.
8.
Which of the following converts nitrogen in the air into a form plants can use?
a)
bacteria
b)
fungi
c)
protists
d)
animals
9.
Which of the following is responsible for making nitrogen in the atmosphere usable by living organisms?
a)
absorption of nitrogen into water systems
b)
conversion of nitrogen into carbohydrates by photosynthesis
c)
nitrogen-fixing bacteria
d)
decomposing bacteria
10.
An organism is resistant to a chemical if it
a)
has a gene that protects it from the chemical.
b)
has been exposed to a small amount of the chemical over time.
c)
did not eat anything with the chemical on it.
d)
All of the above
11.
Which of the following is an example of secondary succession?
a)
breaking down of bare rock by fungi and mosses
b)
pioneer plants begin to grow after glacial melting
c)
growth of plants after a forest is destroyed by fire
d)
appearance of weeds in cracks in a concrete surface
12.
Which organism is likely to be in the bottom trophic level of a food chain?
a)
leopard seal
b)
algae
c)
krill
d)
killer whale
13.
Deserts are
a)
covered with sand and contain no plant life.
b)
found only in North America.
c)
often formed on the dry side of mountain ranges.
d)
never located in cooler climates.
14.
What type of graph is best for comparing the data for several things in one graph?
a)
Line graph
b)
Bar graph
c)
Pie graph
d)
Circle graph
15.
Which of the following describes the depletion of a renewable resource?
a)
hunting of excess deer to maintain a healthy population size
b)
intensive cultivation of farmland that exhausts soil nutrients
c)
mining coal
d)
increasing use of solar energy to generate electrical power
16.
If you visited a savanna, you would likely see
a)
large herds of grazing animals, such as rhinos, gazelles, and giraffes.
b)
a dense forest.
c)
snow and ice.
d)
a coastal ecosystem.
17.
What type of vegetation would you expect to find on an abandoned farm that has remained undisturbed for 150 years?
a)
short grasses
b)
shrubs
c)
young pine trees
d)
tall, mature oak trees
18.
The community of a pond is made up of all the
a)
abiotic factors in the water.
b)
resources organisms need.
c)
habitats in and around the water.
d)
populations of fish, insects, and other living organisms.
19.
The experimental method includes which of the following steps?
a)
remaining skeptical, organizing data, and analyzing data
b)
drawing conclusions, being open to new ideas, and communicating results
c)
observing, hypothesizing, predicting, experimenting, and communicating results
d)
being curious, imagining, being able to see patterns, observing, and predicting
20.
Which of the following is not a true statement about cellular respiration?
a)
It is essentially photosynthesis in reverse.
b)
Oxygen is one of the primary reactants.
c)
It produces energy for organisms to use.
d)
Sugar molecules are its primary products.
21.
Taiga is
a)
a cold, treeless, desert-like biome found near the North and South Poles.
b)
found mostly in Africa.
c)
a forest biome dominated by coniferous trees, such as pine, fir, and spruce.
d)
a dry, rocky biome found in the central part of South America.
22.
What term is used to refer to the many feeding relationships that are possible in an ecosystem?
a)
food web
b)
food chain
c)
energy pyramid
d)
energy transfer
23.
Which of the following describes soil and temperature in an ecosystem?
a)
abiotic factors
b)
biotic factors
c)
unnecessary factors
d)
selection factors
24.
Consumers are organisms that
a)
eat only other animal species.
b)
get solar or other energy indirectly.
c)
are also known as self-feeders.
d)
occupy an ecosystem’s lowest energy level.
25.
Water found in lakes, rivers, and streams is called:
a)
surface water
b)
ground water
c)
aquifers
d)
ice caps
26.
Humans have inadvertently promoted the evolution of insects that are resistant to insecticides by
a)
trying to control pests with chemicals.
b)
using insecticides that are outdated.
c)
using the wrong insecticide.
d)
All of the above
27.
The process of two species changing genetically in response to long-term interactions with each other is
a)
artificial selection.
b)
coevolution.
c)
selective breeding.
d)
resistance.
28.
Succession is possible because
a)
climates change over time.
b)
it is a rapid and chaotic process that is very difficult to control.
c)
existing plants reproduce quickly.
d)
new species make the environment less suitable for previous ones.
29.
Many angiosperms depend on
a)
other animals in the oceans.
b)
gymnosperms for reproducing.
c)
plants for food.
d)
animals to carry pollen and disperse seeds.
30.
Which kind of organism obtains energy only from producers?
a)
decomposers
b)
herbivores
c)
omnivores
d)
All of the above
31.
Which of the following is Earth’s densest atmospheric layer?
a)
mesosphere
b)
stratosphere
c)
thermosphere
d)
troposphere
32.
Plants play a crucial role in the carbon cycle because they
a)
do not release carbon dioxide during cellular respiration.
b)
allow carbon to enter an ecosystem through photosynthesis.
c)
have special bacteria that live in their root systems.
d)
are chemically converted into fossil fuels when burned.
33.
Which statement describes how humans are affecting the balance of carbon in the atmosphere?
a)
Fewer agricultural crops are planted, reducing the amount of carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere.
b)
Burning fossil fuels in great quantities has increased the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
c)
Overgrazing of grasslands has reduced the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.
d)
Severe drought in large areas of the world has decreased the amount of carbon dioxide that is released into the atmosphere.
34.
A sustainable world would be characterized by the
a)
preservation of rare animals by relocation from natural habitats to laboratories.
b)
invention of safer storage facilities for increased amounts of toxic wastes.
c)
maximum exploitation of natural resources using more advanced technologies.
d)
indefinite existence of human populations in a healthy and prosperous condition.
35.
As you travel from the North Pole, through the middle of North American and on toward the equator, you would expect to see
a)
tropical rain forests, then deserts, then taiga.
b)
temperate deciduous forests, then taiga, then tropical rain forests.
c)
tundra, then taiga, then grasslands, then tropical rain forests.
d)
taiga, then desert, then tundra.
36.
Without the greenhouse effect, Earth’s atmosphere would be _____ to support life.
a)
too hot
b)
too cold
c)
too wet
d)
lacking the oxygen
37.
The organisms most likely to belong to the same species are
a)
people at a football game.
b)
bacteria inside a person’s body.
c)
birds in a forest.
d)
organisms in a pond.
38.
Which of the following is the most abundant gas in the Earth’s atmosphere?
a)
Nitrogen
b)
Oxygen
c)
Carbon Monoxide
d)
Methane
39.
In order for evolution to occur in a population, individuals with a trait that is “naturally selected for” must
a)
live a long time.
b)
leave the area.
c)
reproduce.
d)
coevolve.
40.
Which of the following is not a mechanism of energy transfer through or within Earth’s atmosphere?
a)
radiation
b)
condensation
c)
conduction
d)
convection
41.
The term “biodiversity” refers to
a)
The number of species living on Earth.
b)
The number and variety of species living on Earth.
c)
The number and variety of species that are considered renewable.
d)
The number and variety of species that live in an area.
42.
Which of the following is not a biotic factor in an ecosystem?
a)
roots
b)
insects
c)
leaves
d)
air
43.
Which of the following situations best describes the use of a renewable resource?
a)
filling a car with gasoline
b)
building wooden furniture
c)
mining copper
d)
burning coal in a power plant
44.
What kind of natural disaster helps some forest communities by allowing some trees to release their seeds, by clearing away deadwood, and by encouraging new growth?
a)
fire
b)
flood
c)
windstorm
d)
drought
45.
A gymnosperm is a(n)
a)
animal.
b)
protist.
c)
fungus.
d)
plant.
46.
A large area of land that is drained by a river is known as a(n):
a)
recharge zone
b)
aquifer
c)
watershed
d)
reservoir
47.
Why is the world’s loss of biodiversity a source of concern?
a)
Humans depend upon other organisms for food and oxygen.
b)
Species extinctions have been rare throughout history.
c)
Loss of biodiversity is not a concern because extinctions are common
d)
Both (a) and (b)
48.
Where is most of the fresh water on Earth located?
a)
in reservoirs and lakes
b)
in ice caps and glaciers
c)
in oceans
d)
in streams and tributaries
49.
An ecological footprint is the
a)
mark a person’s shoe makes in soft earth.
b)
number of animals a person has killed.
c)
amount of land and ocean area needed to support one person.
d)
number of trees people cut down.
50.
Which gas makes up 78 percent of our atmosphere but can be used by plants only when transformed by bacteria first?
a)
nitrogen
b)
oxygen
c)
hydrogen
d)
carbon dioxide
51.
One way that bacteria and fungi are important to the environment is that they
a)
produce oxygen.
b)
use the sun’s energy to make their own food.
c)
are a major food source in many ecosystems.
d)
break down dead organisms.
52.
Adaptations demonstrated by plants in tropical rain forests include
a)
trees with aboveground roots called buttresses, which increase stability.
b)
orchids and vines that use tall tree trunks for support.
c)
herbs with large flat leaves located in the understory.
d)
All of the above
53.
Tropical rain forests are threatened by
a)
deforestation and the trade of rain forest plants and animals.
b)
a decrease in the average temperature at the equator.
c)
a decrease in rainfall at the equator.
d)
a thinning of the soil.
54.
Compared to developing nations, developed nations have
a)
lower health standards.
b)
faster-growing populations.
c)
greater personal wealth.
d)
higher health standards.
55.
The main factor(s) that determines what type of plants grow in a biome is
a)
temperature.
b)
precipitation.
c)
altitude.
d)
Both (a) and (b)
56.
Which two kingdoms contain organisms that can use energy from the sun to make food?
a)
protists and plants
b)
eubacteria and plants
c)
fungi and protists
d)
plants and animals
57.
The energy consumed by organisms
a)
can be stored in fat and sugar molecules.
b)
remains constant at all trophic levels.
c)
undergoes magnification in food chains.
d)
is not partially lost during digestion.
58.
The bacteria that live within the roots of a soybean plant are a critical part of the nitrogen cycle because they
a)
provide the plant with sugars needed for growth.
b)
transform nitrates into nitrogen gas for release.
c)
change atmospheric nitrogen into a usable form.
d)
release nitrogen by decomposing dead plant parts.
59.
Three major categories of environmental problems are: loss of biodiversity, pollution, and resource depletion.
a)
True
b)
False
60.
If an insect can no longer be killed by a particular insecticide, it has developed an addiction to the chemical.
a)
True
b)
False
61.
Pine trees and other conifers are classified as gymnosperms because they are woody plants, the seeds of which are not enclosed in fruits.
a)
True
b)
False
62.
Developing countries have characteristics such as high fossil fuel consumption, low population growth rates, and high life expectancy.
a)
True
b)
False
63.
The Atlantic Ocean is the largest ocean on Earth.
a)
True
b)
False
64.
During succession, a final and stable community is referred to as a climax community.
a)
True
b)
False
65.
Darwin proposed that natural selection is the mechanism for evolution.
a)
True
b)
False
66.
The greenhouse effect is good for the Earth.
a)
True
b)
False
67.
Most bacteria, including the kinds that cause disease and those found in garden soil, belong to the kingdom Archaeabacteria.
a)
True
b)
False
68.
A process in which energy from the sun is used to make sugar molecules is called cellular respiration.
a)
True
b)
False
69.
Horses and cattle are carnivores because they eat only producers.
a)
True
b)
False
70.
Algae are a type of organism in the kingdom of Protista.
a)
True
b)
False
71.
The first organisms to colonize any newly available area are known as settlers.
a)
True
b)
False
72.
Small streams and rivers that flow into larger ones are called tributaries.
a)
True
b)
False
73.
A temperate deciduous forest biome receives 200 to 450 cm of rain per year.
a)
True
b)
False
74.
We live in the temperate grasslands.
a)
True
b)
False
75.
Most of the animals in the tropical rain forest live in the canopy layer, where fruits and flowers are abundant.
a)
True
b)
False
76.
Groundwater makes up less than 1% of all the water on Earth.
a)
True
b)
False
77.
When the last member of a species dies, adaptation is said to have occurred.
a)
True
b)
False
78.
Sunlight, air, forests, minerals, and water are all natural resources.
a)
True
b)
False
79.
Organisms that get their food by breaking down dead organisms are called decomposers.
a)
True
b)
False
80.
Animals that have backbones are called insects.
a)
True
b)
False
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