Free Printable Environmental Science Semester 1 Exam

1.

Environmental science can be described as interdisciplinary because it ____.

a)

allows for a rigorous study of the environment

b)

includes topics that are not explored in other disciplines

c)

includes biology, chemistry, geology, social sciences, and the humanities

d)

is rapidly evolving over time into a different form of science

2.

Which resource would best be categorized as inexhaustible?

a)

oil reserves

b)

coal reserves

c)

solar energy

d)

forests

3.

About 80% of the world’s human population live in ____.

a)

nations with high average income per person

b)

the United States, Japan, Australia, and Germany

c)

environmentally sustainable societies

d)

less-developed countries

4.

Oil is a(n) ____.

a)

nonrenewable resource because it cannot be formed on human time scales

b)

renewable resource because it can be renewed through geologic processes

c)

inexhaustible resource because it is a form of stored solar energy

d)

ecosystem service because oil is a valuable commodity sold in the marketplace

5.

About 900 million people live in extreme poverty, struggling to live on the equivalent of less than ____ a day.

a)

$1.25

b)

$5.00

c)

$7.00

d)

$10.50

6.

Point sources of pollution ____.

a)

enter ecosystems from dispersed and often hard-to-identify sources

b)

include runoff of fertilizers and pesticides from farmlands and suburban lawns

c)

are easier to identify than nonpoint sources of pollution

d)

are more difficult to control than nonpoint sources of pollution

7.

Narrative: (for question 7)

A tiny, tawny-colored butterfly called the Carson Wandering Skipper was always known for its small and very localized populations. Typically, it was found along the western Nevada and eastern California high desert areas. It was always located close to hot springs and other wet areas that supported salt grass, the host plant it depended on.

Recently, the populations went into a steep decline, and a last hold-out area was threatened by imminent construction of a freeway bypass. Biologists became alarmed and began an intensive search for populations in locations other than the spot designated for the freeway bypass. They began their search by identifying all known locations of hot springs, in hopes of finding small populations of the Carson Wandering Skipper close by.

The biologists’ observations that the Carson Wandering Skipper populations had declined is an example of ____.

a)

reporting a conclusion

b)

identifying a problem

c)

performing an experiment

d)

proposing a hypothesis

8.

Scientific hypotheses differ from scientific theories in that scientific hypotheses are ____.

a)

Widely accepted description of observations in nature

b)

possible, but not yet well-tested, explanations of data

c)

not able to be tested

d)

arrived at after extensive mathematical modeling

9.

A scientific law ____.

a)

is a hypothesis that has been proven by repeated experiments

b)

is what a theory becomes when it passes experimental tests

c)

is a change in nature that has consequences when it is broken

d)

is a well-tested and widely accepted description of what we find happening repeatedly and in the same way in nature

10.

Energy can be generally defined as the ____.

a)

velocity of any moving object

b)

heat generated by atoms losing electrons

c)

capacity to do work

d)

transfer of heat from the sun to Earth

11.

The law of conservation of matter states that whenever matter undergoes a physical or chemical change, ____.

a)

atoms can be created and destroyed

b)

atoms can be destroyed and recombined

c)

atoms cannot be created or destroyed

d)

atoms can be created but not destroyed

12.

Which statement best describes the first law of thermodynamics?

a)

Some energy is always lost during physical changes

b)

Energy cannot be created or destroyed.

c)

Heat is a form of kinetic energy.

d)

Solar energy is converted into chemical energy in living systems.

13.

Most forms of energy can be classified as either ____.

a)

chemical or physical

b)

kinetic or mechanical

c)

potential or mechanical

d)

potential or kinetic

14.

An example of potential energy is ____.

a)

water flowing down a river

b)

the chemical energy in a candy bar

c)

a bullet fired at high velocity

d)

the falling of a leaf from a tree

15.

The second law of thermodynamics says that whenever energy is converted from one form to another in a physical or chemical change, ____.

a)

some matter is lost to the surrounding environment

b)

matter is not created nor destroyed

c)

energy is lost as electromagnetic waves

d)

some high-quality energy is converted into low-quality energy

16.

The layer of the Earth where living organisms can be found is called the ____.

a)

troposhpere

b)

stratosphere

c)

ozone layer

d)

biosphere

17.

A group of individuals of the same species living in a particular place is a(n) ____.

a)

ecosystem

b)

population

c)

community

d)

organism

18.

About how much energy is lost with each transfer from one trophic level to the next?

a)

0%

b)

10%

c)

35%

d)

90%

19.

Which of the following BEST represents the process of photosynthesis?

a)

carbon dioxide + glucose + solar energy → water + oxygen

b)

carbon dioxide + water + solar energy → glucose + oxygen

c)

oxygen + glucose + solar energy → carbon dioxide + water

d)

oxygen + glucose → solar energy + carbon dioxide + water

20.

If the biomass of flowers that support the butterflies was known to contain 100,000 units of energy, and certain bird species were eating the butterflies that foraged on the flowers, what amount of energy, on average, could be expected to be transferred to the birds?

a)

10 units of energy

b)

100 units of energy

c)

1,000 units of energy

d)

10,000 units of energy

21.

Food chains and food webs show how producers, consumers, and decomposers are connected to one another as chemical energy flows through different ____ in an ecosystem.

a)

energy pyramids

b)

trophic levels

c)

biospheres

d)

life-support systems

22.

Carbon is REMOVED from the atmosphere via ____.

a)

fuel combustion

b)

photosynthesis

c)

aerobic respiration

d)

none of the above

23.

Photosynthesis is performed by ____.

a)

heterotrophs

b)

autotrophs

c)

decomposers

d)

detritivores

24.

Oxygen accounts for about ____ of the air in the atmosphere.

a)

5%

b)

21%

c)

53%

d)

66%

25.

The oceans contain about ____ of Earth’s water.

a)

38%

b)

55%

c)

97%

d)

67%

26.

Water evaporates from the surfaces of plants through a process called ____.

a)

transpiration

b)

respiration

c)

surface runoff

d)

infiltration

27.

In the Sonoran Desert of the southwestern United States, scientists observed that population clusters of a small cactus were pronounced around nests of desert woodrats. Given this spatial relationship, they began to think the woodrat was related to the seeding of these cactus plants.

After years of counting and observing woodrat nests and nearby cactus plants, scientists collected woodrat droppings for laboratory analysis to determine whether they contained cactus seeds. They also collected the droppings and transported them to other areas to see if this would bring about new population clusters of the cactus.

Scientists then programmed the data they had collected into a computer. A computer program enabled them to predict that increases in the woodrat population would result in corresponding increases in the cactus population, and likewise, a decrease in the number of woodrats would signal an impending decrease in cactus.

The transport of woodrat droppings to other areas could be described as ____.

a)

developing a hypothesis

b)

creating a law

c)

a controlled experiment

d)

analyzing data

28.

In the Sonoran Desert of the southwestern United States, scientists observed that population clusters of a small cactus were pronounced around nests of desert woodrats. Given this spatial relationship, they began to think the woodrat was related to the seeding of these cactus plants.

After years of counting and observing woodrat nests and nearby cactus plants, scientists collected woodrat droppings for laboratory analysis to determine whether they contained cactus seeds. They also collected the droppings and transported them to other areas to see if this would bring about new population clusters of the cactus.

Scientists then programmed the data they had collected into a computer. A computer program enabled them to predict that increases in the woodrat population would result in corresponding increases in the cactus population, and likewise, a decrease in the number of woodrats would signal an impending decrease in cactus.

Which statement best describes the scientists’ initial observations?

a)

Woodrat nests had no effect on cactus populations.

b)

Woodrats were feeding on the seeds of nearby cactus plants.

c)

Cactus plants were more commonly closer to woodrat nests.

d)

Woodrats are proven to spread cactus seeds, which led to new plant clusters.

29.

What is the root cause of food insecurity?

a)

insufficient land

b)

climate change

c)

poverty

d)

food deserts

30.

Setting a legal limit on food prices _____.

a)

helps farmers and has no effect on consumers

b)

helps consumers but hurts farmers

c)

hurts consumers but helps farmers

d)

helps consumers and has no effect on farmers

31.

Most soil erosion is caused by _____.

a)

agriculture

b)

pollution

c)

failure to enforce laws

d)

climate change

32.

Eating grain-fed beef is less sustainable than other meats because growing grain has...

a)

a low environmental cost and beef requires less grain per pound than other meats.

b)

no environmental cost so beef requires more grain per pound than other meats.

c)

a high environmental cost and beef requires more grain per pound than other meats.

d)

a high environmental cost and beef requires less grain per pound than other meats.

33.

Numerous practices have been developed to reduce ____________________, including reducing or eliminating

tillage, managing irrigation to reduce runoff, and keeping the soil covered with plants or mulch.

a)

soil erosion

b)

pesticides

c)

tillage

d)

nitrogen fixation

34.

Overpumping of aquifers is leading to _____.

a)

increased flooding

b)

artificially low food prices

c)

decreased subsidence

d)

dropping water tables

35.

Surface runoff is water that _____.

a)

returns to the atmosphere through evaporation

b)

soaks into the ground through rock

c)

is wasted during flood irrigation of crops

d)

taken up by plants

36.

On a global scale, most fresh water taken from aquifers, lakes, and rivers is used for _____.

a)

manufacturing processes

b)

flushing toilets

c)

irrigation of crops and raising livestock

d)

domestic use in households

37.

What is gray water?

a)

untreated sewage from industrial sources

b)

water that passes through a desalination plant

c)

virtual water that is used indirectly by consumers

d)

used water from household appliances, showers and sinks

38.

What action could help reduce water waste from the single largest use of domestic water in the United States?

a)

Use a drip irrigation system.

b)

Install a water-saving toilet tank.

c)

Use native plants in landscaping.

d)

Use gray water to water houseplants.

39.

Which statement about nonpoint source pollution is correct?

a)

Nonpoint sources of pollution are washed into bodies of water along with rain or snowmelt.

b)

Nonpoint source pollution mainly comes from wastes pouring out of identifiable sewage pipes.

c)

Nonpoint sources of pollution is easier to identify than point sources of pollution.

d)

Nonpoint source pollution originates in a specific location.

40.

Which freshwater source is the most difficult to clean up once it has been contaminated by pollutants?

a)

aquifer

b)

river

c)

lake

d)

reservoir

41.

Which type of mining is NOT a form of surface mining?

a)

mountaintop removal

b)

strip mining

c)

subsurface

d)

open-pit

42.

Which of the following is a nonrenewable resource?

a)

wind

b)

solar

c)

coal

d)

geothermal

43.

Fracking technology has resulted in _____.

a)

better methods for refining crude oil

b)

increased production of oil and gas

c)

reduced air pollution from oil

d)

less harm to the environment

44.

Which pollutant associated with coal use is known to contribute to acid rain?

a)

coal ash

b)

soot

c)

sulfur dioxide

d)

oxygen

45.

The leading renewable energy resource that is used to produce electricity in the world today is _____.

a)

tidal power

b)

hydropower

c)

coal

d)

natural gas

46.

46. Which of the species in the food web above feed as primary consumers?

a)

I, II, and III only

b)

I, IV, and VIII only

c)

V, VII, and IX only

d)

II, III, and VIII only

47.

Which of the organisms in the food web above would be classified as herbivores?

a)

IX, V, and VII

b)

II

c)

III

d)

only IX

48.

Which of the species feed both as secondary consumers and as tertiary consumers (are considered)?

a)

I

b)

VII

c)

III

d)

IX

49.

If organism VI was no longer in this system (due to disease killing the entire population), which statement best describes what would happen to the rest of the organisms in the food web?

a)

All of the other organisms would die as well

b)

Then organism VII would put more pressure on VIII to make up for the loss of VI.

c)

Then organism VII would pressured more by I, II, IV and V to make up for the loss of VI.

d)

Then organism VI would consume more of VII so it would die out.

50.

Which of the species would be considered the top predator?

a)

VIII

b)

VII

c)

VI

d)

III

Environmental Science Semester 1 Exam

Total questions: 50

Worksheet time: 4hrs 10mins

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