WorksheetsEnvironmental Science Midterm Fall Semester 2024
Total questions: 108
Worksheet time: 54mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
Population growth in a developed country is higher than a developing one.
a)
True
b)
False
2.
Fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, are considered to be nonrenewable resources.
a)
True
b)
False
3.
Match the term with the definition:
Ecology
a)
study of how living things interact with the environment
b)
cannot be broken down by natural resources
c)
country currently undergoing industrialization
d)
produced by nature faster than used by man
e)
can be broken down by natural processes
4.
Match the term with the definition:
Biodegradable
a)
can be broken down by natural processes
b)
cannot be broken down by natural resources
c)
country currently undergoing industrialization
d)
study of how living things interact with the environment
e)
produced by nature faster than used by man
5.
Match the term with the definition:
Natural resource
a)
anything made by nature and required by man
b)
cannot be broken down by natural resources
c)
country currently undergoing industrialization
d)
study of how living things interact with the environment
e)
produced by nature faster than used by man
6.
Which of the following is best described as a renewable resource?
a)
aluminum
b)
coal
c)
gasoline
d)
plastic
e)
sunlight
7.
Which of the following is most likely considered to be a developing nation?
a)
USA
b)
Canada
c)
England
d)
Mexico
e)
France
8.
How do scientists characterize a nonrenewable resource?
a)
a resource that is used by humans
b)
a resource that cannot be replaced
c)
a resource that can be replaced relatively quickly
d)
a resource that takes more time to replace than to deplete
9.
Which of the following is an important foundation of environmental science?
a)
ecology
b)
economics
c)
meteorology
d)
political science
10.
Which of the following phrases describes the term biodiversity?
a)
species that have become extinct
b)
the animals that live in an area
c)
species that look different from one another
d)
the number and variety of species that live in an area
11.
Population growth can result in what ethical environmental problem, addressed by ecologist Garrett Hardin in "The Tragedy of Commons?"
a)
the conflict between water resources and industrial growth
b)
the conflict between forest resources and lumber companies
c)
the conflict between political interests and international energy use
d)
the conflict between individual interests and the welfare of society
12.
An important effect that hunter-gatherer societies have had on the environment was________.
a)
Soil erosion
b)
Extinction
c)
Air pollution
d)
All of the above.
13.
An important effect of the agricultural revolution was __________.
a)
soil erosion
b)
habitat destruction
c)
plant and animal domestication
d)
all of the above.
14.
The term used to describe the productive area of Earth needed to support the lifestyle of one person in a particular country is called ______.
a)
supply and demand
b)
the ecological footprint
c)
the consumption crisis
d)
sustainability
15.
Who is an environmental scientist?
a)
A person engaged in the social movement to protect the environment
b)
A person who educates the public about environmental issues
c)
A person who follows the process of observation, hypothesis testing, and field and laboratory research
d)
A person who lobbies for environmental laws
16.
At what time did most environmental problems begin?
a)
industrial revolution
b)
agricultural revolution
c)
the new millenium
d)
enlightenment
17.
What is the law of supply and demand?
a)
the greater the demand for a limited supply of something the more that item will be worth
b)
interdisciplinary science
c)
earth as a closed system
d)
can be broken down by natural process
18.
What is the smallest unit of study within environmental science?
a)
A global climate system
b)
A regional problem
c)
A small population of individuals
d)
A community of interacting species
19.
Which of the following is considered a global issue in environmental science?
a)
The pollution of a single lake
b)
The extinction of a species
c)
The interaction between two species in a forest
d)
The health of a single population
20.
______________ is a testable explanation for an observation.
a)
experiment
b)
hypothesis
c)
data
d)
prediction
21.
Information gathered in an experiment is called ________.
a)
prediction
b)
data
c)
experiment
d)
hypothesis
22.
The procedure used to test a hypothesis is called ____.
a)
experiment
b)
hypothesis
c)
prediction
d)
observation
23.
The group that does not receive the experimental treatment in an experiment is the ________.
a)
data
b)
control group
c)
variable
d)
experimental group
24.
Principles or standards we consider important are known as __________.
a)
morals
b)
values
c)
models
d)
data
25.
The decision-making model ___________________.
a)
is a conceptual model.
b)
provides a systematic process.
c)
helps you make decisions.
d)
all of the above.
26.
Which environmental decision-making model is in the correct order?
a)
Gather information. Consider values. Explore consequences. Make a decision.
b)
Explore consequences. Make a decision. Gather information. Consider values.
c)
Consider values. Explore consequences. Make a decision. Gather information.
d)
Make a decision. Gather information. Consider values. Explore consequences.
27.
The accumulation or sharing of knowledge is an example of a(n) ______________.
a)
educational value
b)
ethical/moral value
c)
recreational value
d)
environmental value
28.
What displays trends of data or data in motion?
a)
graphs
b)
tables
c)
baby animal pictures
d)
verbal expressions
29.
When experiments are impossible or pose unethical predictions they are tested by looking at ________________.
a)
correlations
b)
maps
c)
curiosity
d)
YouTube
30.
Groups of individuals or events selected to represent the population are called _____________.
a)
populations
b)
stats
c)
risks
d)
samples
31.
The probability of an unwanted outcome is ________.
a)
risk
b)
my grades
c)
gambling
d)
insurance
32.
In a scientific investigation, it is important that the number of objects or events being sample be ____.
a)
large enough to give an accurate estimate for the whole population.
b)
equal to the mean number of objects or events not sampled.
c)
a guess of how likely an unwanted outcome will occur.
d)
equal to the total statistical population.
33.
The differences observed between the control group and the experimental groups can help identify ______.
a)
cause-and-effect
b)
inverse-and-converse
c)
conditional
d)
unconditional
34.
When making environmental decisions, listing positive and negative long and short term consequences can help you to: ____.
a)
predict risks involved
b)
collect data for a graph
c)
make observations
d)
weigh your values
35.
Experiments are repeated in order to _____.
a)
confirm experimental results.
b)
consider a hypothesis supported
c)
improve the probability the results are accurate
d)
all of these
36.
If the results of your experiment do not support your hypothesis, you should _______.
a)
publish your results anyway.
b)
consider the results abnormal and continue working.
c)
find a way to rationalize your results.
d)
try another method.
37.
To fully understand a complex environmental issue, you may need to consider ____.
a)
economics
b)
values
c)
scientific information
d)
all of the above
38.
The hypothesis that continents move slowly is called continental _______.
a)
plates
b)
convection
c)
drifting
d)
spreading
39.
The cycle of heating, rising, cooling and sinking is a ________ current.
a)
convection
b)
conduction
c)
geothermal
d)
density
40.
The theory that Earth’s crust and upper mantle are in sections that move is called plate ________.
a)
spreading
b)
convection
c)
tectonics
d)
continents
41.
As Earth’s plates move apart at some boundaries, they collide at others, forming ________.
a)
mountains and volcanoes
b)
ocean basins
c)
strike-slip faults
d)
both a and b
42.
Oceanic plates are pushed down into the upper mantle in _________.
a)
convection currents
b)
subduction zones
c)
strike-slip faults
d)
divergent boundaries
43.
Plates move apart at _________ boundaries.
a)
convergent
b)
transform
c)
divergent
d)
magnetic
44.
Where plates slide past one another, ________ occur.
a)
volcanoes
b)
earthquakes
c)
island arcs
d)
ocean trenches
45.
The places between plates moving together are called ________.
a)
divergent boundaries
b)
convergent boundaries
c)
strike-slip faults
d)
lithosphere
46.
Which of the following statements supports continental drift?
a)
identical fossils found on different fossils
b)
continents fit together like puzzle pieces
c)
identical rocks found on different continents
d)
all of the above
47.
The lithosphere is generally thought of as being made up of the crust and the upper ________________.
a)
mantle
b)
surface
c)
outer core
d)
inner core
48.
Which area is highly sensitive to climate shifts and may be the first place to show signs of climate change?
a)
hydrosphere
b)
atmosphere
c)
biosphere
d)
lithosphere
49.
How do regions of snow and ice help regulate the Earth’s temperature?
a)
by absorbing heat from the sun
b)
by reflecting heat from the sun
c)
by absorbing UV radiation from the sun
d)
by reflecting UV radiation from the sun
50.
What component of Earth regulates temperature absorbing and storing energy from sunlight?
a)
air
b)
ocean
c)
polar ice
d)
land masses
51.
Which of the following best describes how living organisms influence the composition of gases in the atmosphere?
a)
Animals remove oxygen when they breathe in and add nitrogen when they breathe out.
b)
Animals remove nitrogen when they breathe in and add oxygen when they breathe out.
c)
Animals remove oxygen when they breathe in and add carbon dioxide when they breathe out.
d)
Animals add oxygen when they breathe out and remove carbon dioxide when they breathe in.
52.
What are the two gases that make-up most of the atmosphere?
a)
oxygen and carbon dioxide
b)
carbon dioxide and nitrogen
c)
nitrogen and oxygen
d)
carbon monoxide and nitrogen
53.
In which layer of the atmosphere does the temperature drop as altitude increases and is where weather conditions exist?
a)
troposphere
b)
stratosphere
c)
mesosphere
d)
thermosphere
54.
In which layer of the atmosphere does temperature rise as altitude increases and is where most of the ozone can be found?
a)
troposphere
b)
stratosphere
c)
mesosphere
d)
thermosphere
55.
Which layer of the atmosphere is the coldest?
a)
troposphere
b)
stratosphere
c)
mesosphere
d)
thermosphere
56.
How does ozone protect organisms living on the Earth?
a)
By absorbing heat from the sun
b)
By reflecting heat from the sun
c)
By absorbing UV radiation from the sun
d)
By reflecting UV radiation from the sun
57.
The greenhouse effect is the _____________________ of the surface of Earth that occurs when carbon dioxide, water vapor, and other gases in the air absorb and reradiate heat.
a)
natural cooling
b)
natural warming
c)
unnatural cooling
d)
unnatural warming
58.
Scientists use what to determine the composition of the earth’s interior?
a)
The depth of different types of earthquakes
b)
By studying the way seismic waves bounce off of different layers of the earth’s interior.
c)
By drilling holes and taking samples
d)
By studying the way seismic waves bend and change speed when passing through different parts of the earth.
59.
What is the thickest layer of the Earth?
a)
crust
b)
mantle
c)
outer core
d)
inner core
60.
This is the name for the chain of volcanoes around the edge of the Pacific Plate.
a)
Circle of Fire
b)
Ring of Lava
c)
Ring of Fire
d)
Circle of Magma
61.
Which layer of the atmosphere is the hottest?
a)
troposphere
b)
thermosphere
c)
exosphere
d)
mesosphere
62.
________ occurs when water vapor cools and becomes liquid water.
a)
evaporation
b)
transpiration
c)
condensation
d)
precipitation
63.
Water that falls to Earth as rain, snow, sleet or hail is called ________.
a)
evaporation
b)
transpiration
c)
condensation
d)
precipitation
64.
The water cycle is driven by ______.
a)
wind and water
b)
people
c)
sun and gravity
d)
the moon
65.
Most of Earth's fresh water is _______.
a)
used daily
b)
underground
c)
in lakes and rivers
d)
frozen
66.
What is the core made of?
a)
steel
b)
iron
c)
aluminum
d)
iron and nickel
67.
Which of the following is the name of the ancient, super-continent formed 28 million years ago?
a)
Pangea
b)
Gondwanda
c)
Neverland
d)
Gondor
68.
Which of the following is NOT a place where the crust of the lithosphere has fractured?
a)
fault
b)
subduction zone
c)
oceanic trench
d)
river
69.
The type of heat transfer that occurs through a solid, or when objects touch each other: _______.
a)
radiation
b)
convection
c)
conduction
70.
What is the process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria use sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to produce carbohydrates and oxygen?
a)
Respiration
b)
Photosynthesis
c)
Fermentation
d)
Digestion
71.
What do you call organisms that make their own food?
a)
Consumers
b)
Decomposers
c)
Producers
d)
Parasites
72.
What is another term for producers?
a)
Heterotrophs
b)
Autotrophs
c)
Carnivores
d)
Herbivores
73.
What do producers create from inorganic molecules?
a)
Inorganic molecules
b)
Organic molecules
c)
Proteins
d)
Minerals
74.
What do you call organisms that get their energy by eating other organisms?
a)
Producers
b)
Consumers
c)
Decomposers
d)
Autotrophs
75.
What do other underwater organisms in deep-ocean communities primarily consume?
a)
Sunlight
b)
Algae
c)
Bacteria or organisms that eat the bacteria
d)
Seaweed
76.
What are consumers that eat producers to get energy called?
a)
Secondary consumers
b)
Tertiary consumers
c)
Primary consumers
d)
Quaternary consumers
77.
What do you call a consumer that eats another consumer?
a)
Primary consumer
b)
Secondary consumer
c)
Tertiary consumer
d)
Producer
78.
Which of the following organisms is a decomposer?
a)
Grasshopper
b)
Fungi
c)
Elephant
d)
Starfish
79.
What is the process of breaking down food to yield energy called?
a)
Photosynthesis
b)
Fermentation
c)
Cellular respiration
d)
Glycolysis
80.
What combines with glucose to form water and carbon dioxide during cellular respiration?
a)
Nitrogen
b)
Hydrogen
c)
Atmospheric oxygen
d)
Helium
81.
Where does cellular respiration occur in most organisms?
a)
in the bloodstream
b)
in the cells
c)
in the stomach
d)
in the skin
82.
What is a food chain?
a)
a sequence of organisms each dependent on the next as a source of food
b)
a group of organisms that live in the same habitat
c)
a network of interconnected food webs
d)
a classification of organisms based on their diet
83.
What does a food web show in an ecosystem?
a)
a single food chain
b)
many feeding relationships
c)
only predator-prey interactions
d)
the number of species in an ecosystem
84.
What is each step in the transfer of energy through a food chain or food web known as?
a)
Energy level
b)
Trophic level
c)
Nutrient cycle
d)
Food stage
85.
What happens to energy each time it is transferred in an ecosystem?
a)
It is completely used up.
b)
Some of its is lost as heat.
c)
It increases at higher trophic levels.
d)
It remains constant.
86.
What is one way to visualize energy transfer in an ecosystem?
a)
Food web
b)
Energy pyramid
c)
Water cycle
d)
Carbon cycle
87.
Which of the following is correctly arranged from the lowest trophic level to the highest trophic level?
a)
Bacteria, frog, eagle, mushroom
b)
Algae, deer, wolf, hawk
c)
Grass, mouse, snake, eagle
d)
Grass, bass, minnow, snake
88.
Which of the following pairs of organisms probably belong to the same trophic levels?
a)
humans and bears
b)
bears and deer
c)
humans and cows
d)
both a and c
89.
From producer to secondary consumer, about what percentage of energy is lost?
a)
10 percent
b)
90 percent
c)
99 percent
d)
100 percent
90.
Which of the following are most likely to be the pioneer organisms on an area of bare rock?
a)
saplings
b)
shrubs
c)
lichens
d)
perennial grasses
91.
Excessive use of fertilizer that contains nitrogen and phosphorous ______.
a)
affects the carbon cycle.
b)
may cause algal blooms in waterways.
c)
causes soil erosion.
d)
contributes to primary succession.
92.
_______________ succession is the type of ecological succession that happens on new lands.
a)
Primary
b)
Secondary
93.
Which human activities have contributed to an increased abundance of carbon in the atmosphere?
a)
cutting forests and clearing land
b)
burning fossil fuels
c)
producing cement
d)
all of the above
94.
Which of the following is/are legume(s)?
a)
alfalfa
b)
clover
c)
peas
d)
all of the above
95.
Which of the following statements about an organism’s habitat is NOT true?
a)
An organism’s habitat is the place where it lives.
b)
A habitat has specific characteristics that an organism needs to live there.
c)
Most organisms can survive if they are taken away from their habitat.
d)
A habitat contains biotic and abiotic factors.
96.
Organisms can adapt ______.
a)
to other organisms
b)
to their physical surroundings
c)
to selective breeding
d)
both a and b
97.
The organisms most likely to belong to the same species are __________.
a)
people at a football game
b)
birds in a forest
c)
organisms in a pond
d)
bacteria inside a person’s body
98.
Which of the following kingdoms includes organisms that can make their own food?
a)
Plants and animals
b)
Fungi and plants
c)
Fungi and protists
d)
Protists and plants
99.
A desert ecosystem contains __________________.
a)
air
b)
sand
c)
living things
d)
all of the above
100.
Approximately what percentage of the Earth's species do tropical rain forests contain?
a)
7 percent
b)
20 percent
c)
40 percent
d)
50 percent
101.
Animal species of the tropical rain forest _____.
a)
compete for more available resources than species native to other biomes do.
b)
have adaptations to use resources and avoid competition.
c)
have adaptations to cope with extreme variations in climate.
d)
are never camouflaged.
102.
Migration of animals in the savanna is mostly a response to __________.
a)
predation
b)
altitude
c)
rainfall
d)
temperature
103.
The tundra is most suitable to a vertebrate that _____.
a)
requires nesting sites in tall trees
b)
is coldblooded
c)
has a green outer skin for camouflage
d)
can migrate hundreds of kilometers in the summer
104.
A biome that has a large amount of rainfall, high temperature, and poor soil is a _______.
a)
temperate woodland
b)
temperate rain forest
c)
tropical rain forest
d)
savanna
105.
The two main factors that determine where organisms live are ________________.
a)
soil type and precipitation
b)
temperature and precipitation
c)
altitude and precipitation
d)
temperature and latitude
106.
Which of the following biomes contains large trees?
a)
savanna
b)
temperate rain forest
c)
chaparral
d)
desert
107.
The most common types of plants in the taiga biome are ______.
a)
deciduous trees
b)
short shrubs
c)
coniferous trees
d)
grasses
108.
__________ experience seasonal variations in temperatures throughout the year.
a)
Tropical rain forests
b)
Temperate deciduous forests
c)
Taigas
d)
Deserts.
100 %
