WorksheetsEnvironmental Science Review 1
Total questions: 49
Worksheet time: 27mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
Which of the following is a true statement about surface water?
a)
All large cities use surface water as a water source.
b)
Drought conditions reduce the amount of surface water worldwide.
c)
Sluggish waters make natural lakes poor water sources.
d)
It makes up less than 1 percent of all water on Earth.
2.
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.
3.
Earth�s surface water is found in
a)
lakes.
b)
rivers.
c)
streams.
d)
All of the above
4.
What is the relationship between groundwater and surface water?
a)
Surface water percolates through the soil to form groundwater.
b)
There is no relationship between surface and groundwater; they form independently.
c)
Groundwater filters through the soil to form surface water.
d)
Surface water is found in lakes directly above underground water sources.
5.
How is fresh water used in industry?
a)
in manufacturing processes
b)
in the disposal of waste products
c)
to generate power
d)
All of the above
6.
Which of the following is one way a person could conserve water?
a)
take a long bath instead of a shower
b)
wash laundry in small, partial loads
c)
use a low-flow showerhead and take short showers
d)
water your lawn daily and at mid-day
7.
Which of the following represents nonpoint-source pollution?
a)
unlined landfill
b)
polluted wastewater from a chemical plant
c)
leaking oil tanker
d)
runoff from agricultural feedlots
8.
Polluted groundwater is difficult to clean because
a)
groundwater is deep in the ground and dispersed through large areas of rock.
b)
pollutants cling to the materials that make up the aquifer and contaminate the clean water.
c)
the recycling process of groundwater can take hundreds or thousands of years.
d)
All of the above
9.
Most of the pollutants in the ocean come from
a)
commercial boats and personal watercraft.
b)
spills from oil tankers.
c)
activities on land.
d)
leaking underground storage facilities.
10.
A true statement about aquifers is that
a)
their water levels remain stable because they recharge so rapidly.
b)
they are hard to purify because the water collects in sand and rocks.
c)
they are formed by underground rivers and leakage from deep lakes.
d)
their water does not circulate in the water cycle because it cannot evaporate under the ground.
11.
The effects of water pollution on ecosystems
a)
are always immediate and highly lethal.
b)
result mostly from point-source pollution sources.
c)
can magnify over time within food chains.
d)
can be demonstrated by natural eutrophication.
12.
What pollutant forms when automobile emissions react with oxygen gas and ultraviolet rays?
a)
ozone
b)
carbon dioxide
c)
radon
d)
sulfur dioxide
13.
Two-thirds of the sulfur dioxide that pollutes the air is produced by
a)
automobile exhaust.
b)
industrial boilers.
c)
electric power plants.
d)
catalytic converters.
14.
Which of the following is often used to remove poisonous gases from industrial emissions before they are released into the atmosphere?
a)
catalytic converters
b)
scrubbers
c)
electrostatic precipitators
d)
crushed limestone
15.
Which of the following pH measurements of rainwater would indicate acid precipitation?
a)
pH 6.0
b)
pH 4.1
c)
pH 7.3
d)
pH 9.6
16.
Which of the following contributes most to acid precipitation?
a)
burning of fossil fuels
b)
ethanol
c)
radon and ozone
d)
All of the above
17.
Most air pollution is produced by
a)
thermal inversions.
b)
fuel burning.
c)
ozone layer depletion.
d)
volcanic eruptions.
18.
Which of the following is a secondary pollutant?
a)
hydrocarbon emissions in car exhaust
b)
sulfur dioxide created when electrical power is generated
c)
VOCs released by a dry cleaner
d)
smog formed in the presence of sunlight
19.
Temperature inversions work to trap pollution when
a)
cool air above keeps warmer air at the surface from moving upward.
b)
cool air above keeps warmer air at the surface from absorbing solar radiation.
c)
warm air above keeps cooler air at the surface from absorbing solar radiation.
d)
warm air above keeps cooler air at the surface from moving upward.
20.
Which of the following activities is the largest producer of primary air pollutants in the United States?
a)
electricity production
b)
healthcare
c)
transportation
d)
agriculture
21.
Light pollution can be decreased by
a)
directing lighting downward.
b)
lighting billboards from below.
c)
using incandescent light bulbs.
d)
increasing the number of lights per block on a city street.
22.
Climate in a region is
a)
the long-term, prevailing atmospheric conditions.
b)
determined only by seasonal daylight hours.
c)
the atmospheric conditions on a given day.
d)
never affected by ocean currents.
23.
Which of the following correctly states an observation that helps to explain circulation patterns in the atmosphere?
a)
Cold air rises and warms as it rises.
b)
Warm air rises and cools as it rises.
c)
Cold air can hold more water vapor than warm air.
d)
All of the above
24.
Which of the following best describes the effect of a mountain range on the climate of a region?
a)
The coastal side of the range usually has high levels of rain.
b)
A desert is often found on the inland side of the range.
c)
Average temperatures are lower at high elevations than at the base of the mountains.
d)
All of the above
25.
Latitude strongly influences climate because _____ solar energy falls on areas that are closer to the equator than to the poles.
a)
less
b)
the same amount of
c)
more
d)
sometimes less
26.
The thinning of the ozone layer
a)
occurs over both polar regions.
b)
is related to seasonal changes.
c)
will take many years to reverse.
d)
All of the above
27.
How long will it take for chlorofluorocarbons released from Earth�s surface today to reach the stratosphere?
a)
about six months
b)
one to two years
c)
three to five years
d)
10 to 20 years
28.
An important property of air circulation is
a)
warm air is denser than cold air.
b)
cold air and warm air have the same density.
c)
cold air is denser than warm air.
d)
air has no mass.
29.
Which of the following gases is most responsible for the greenhouse effect?
a)
nitrous oxide
b)
methane
c)
oxygen
d)
water vapor
30.
Which of the following does not address how oceans affect climatic conditions on land?
a)
Water cools Earth because it reflects the most sunlight.
b)
Oceans are the source of most water that falls as precipitation.
c)
Coastal areas have more moderate climates than inland areas.
d)
Ocean currents redistribute warm and cold masses of water.
31.
Which of the following would occur if Earth were not tilted relative to the plane of its orbit?
a)
Temperatures at the equator would become too hot to sustain life.
b)
Temperate regions would no longer have seasonal changes in climate.
c)
All parts of Earth would receive sunlight of equal concentration.
d)
Polar ice caps would melt due to a rapid increase in global warming.
32.
Which of the following statements related to global warming is not accurate?
a)
Carbon dioxide levels have risen over the last 30 years.
b)
Only fossil fuels, not living plants, release carbon dioxide when burned.
c)
Global temperature and carbon dioxide concentration are related.
d)
By itself, reforestation is not sufficient to slow global warming.
33.
Chlorofluorocarbon molecules are environmentally significant because
a)
their chlorine atoms can destroy many stratospheric ozone molecules.
b)
they are poisonous, flammable, and corrosive to metals.
c)
their absorption of lethal solar energy protects Earth.
d)
they readily break down ozone molecules produced as pollution.
34.
Ultraviolet radiation is particularly dangerous because
a)
it can damage genetic material in cells.
b)
little has been done to save the ozone layer.
c)
it always leads to the rapid death of organisms.
d)
All of the above
35.
Ozone holes appear in polar regions during springtime when ozone-destroying
a)
chlorine atoms are released from polar stratospheric clouds.
b)
chlorine atoms are captured by polar stratospheric clouds.
c)
CFCs are synthesized on polar stratospheric clouds.
d)
CFCs magnify ultraviolet light.
36.
La Ni�a is the _____ phase of the El Ni�o�Southern Oscillation (ENSO) cycle.
a)
warm
b)
cold
c)
neutral
d)
mixing
37.
The average global temperature has _____ during the 20th century.
a)
remained the same
b)
increased every year
c)
risen some years and fallen others, but has increased overall
d)
risen some years and fallen others, but has decreased overall
38.
Which of the following is not an environmental effect of deforestation?
a)
reduction of wildlife habitat
b)
soil erosion
c)
loss of topsoil
d)
re-establishment of trees
39.
Which of the following has not resulted from urban sprawl?
a)
suburbs
b)
overgrazing
c)
loss of farmland
d)
traffic congestion
40.
Which of the following most effectively allows forests to recover from tree harvesting?
a)
cutting only medium-sized or mature trees
b)
cutting all of the trees and then replanting the area with seedlings
c)
allowing the forest to reseed itself
d)
cutting only young trees and then replacing them with seedlings
41.
Where do most Americans live?
a)
in urban areas
b)
on producing farms
c)
in rural areas
d)
There is an equal distribution of people across the land
42.
Which of the following is a side effect of heat islands?
a)
drought
b)
lower temperatures
c)
lower temperatures and drought
d)
increased precipitation
43.
The U.S. Census Bureau defines an urban area as an area that contains more than
a)
250 people.
b)
2,500 people.
c)
25,000 people.
d)
250,000 people.
44.
Deforestation is an especially serious problem in tropical rain forests because
a)
farmers must repeatedly clear additional forest area to obtain land that can support crops.
b)
it takes so long for the replacement seedlings to reach maturity due to the hot climate.
c)
they are located in developed nations with high per person resource consumption.
d)
the downed trees are left to rot, damaging the soil.
45.
Which of the following statements about tree harvesting methods is correct?
a)
Clear-cutting is quick but is more expensive than other methods due to the vast areas involved.
b)
Selective cutting eliminates the possibility of soil erosion.
c)
Clear-cutting requires the most road building due to the large number of trees harvested.
d)
Selective cutting minimizes the impact on forest ecosystems.
46.
Environmental damage to wilderness areas
a)
is partly the result of ranching activities.
b)
has yet to attract widespread attention.
c)
may worsen as the U.S. population grows.
d)
is not related to pollution from urban areas.
47.
Why is it important to preserve farmland?
a)
Farmland provides an important oxygen source for urban areas.
b)
Farmland moderates the temperature of urban areas.
c)
Farmland provides crops and fruits to support urban and rural populations.
d)
All of the above
48.
Which of the following is true of land-use plans?
a)
Developers must prepare detailed reports assessing the environmental impact of their projects.
b)
The public often has input in land-use plans.
c)
Projects in environmentally sensitive areas may be hotly debated.
d)
All of the above
49.
What is reforestation?
a)
removing all trees from an area
b)
removing selected trees from an area
c)
replanting trees in an area
d)
None of the above
100 %
