Download Environmental science PSAE QUESTIONS 2009

S.C.A. Environmental Science PSAE Study Questions #1-#59
2008-2009
These questions were taken from Karen Arms Holt Environmental Science Textbook
Chapter 3
1. The ozone layer is located in the
a.
stratosphere.
b.
ionosphere.
c.
d.
thermosphere.
troposphere.
2. Which of the following is not a mechanism of energy transfer through or within Earth’s atmosphere?
a.
radiation
c.
conduction
b.
condensation
d.
convection
3. What part of Earth encompasses all areas where organisms can obtain the energy they need?
a.
biosphere
c.
atmosphere
b.
hydrosphere
d.
lithosphere
4. Where is most of the fresh water on Earth located?
a.
in reservoirs and lakes
c.
b.
in ice caps and glaciers
d.
in oceans
in streams and tributaries
Chapter 4
5. Which of the following statements about an organism’s habitat is not true?
a. Most organisms can survive if they are taken away from their habitat.
b. An organism’s habitat is the place where it lives.
c. A habitat has specific characteristics that an organism needs in order to live there.
d. A habitat contains biotic and abiotic factors.
6.The process of two species changing genetically in response to long-term interactions
with each other is
a. artificial selection.
c. selective breeding.
b. coevolution.
d. resistance.
7 Which of the following converts nitrogen in the air into a form plants can use?
a. bacteria
c. protists
b. fungi
d. animals
Chapter 5
8. Which of the following statements is not correct?
a. Plants and other producers get their energy directly from the sun.
b. Animals get their energy from the sun indirectly.
c. Rare bacteria that live deep in the ocean get their energy from hydrogen sulfide in hot
water.
d. Consumers get their energy directly from the sun.
9. Which gas makes up 78 percent of our atmosphere but can be used by plants only when transformed by
bacteria first?
a. nitrogen
c. hydrogen
b. oxygen
d. carbon dioxide
10. Which of the following plants is likely to be a pioneer species?
a. lichen
c. shrub
b. grass
d. oak tree
11. 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.
12Which 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
Chapter 6 & 7
13. Which of the following statements is not correct?
a. Grasslands have rich soil that supports abundant plant life.
b. The tundra is a fragile biome because conditions are severe, and the ecosystem is easily
disrupted.
c. Chaparral fires are beneficial because they destroy trees that compete for light and
space.
d. Tropical rain forests are resistant to change because the plants contain so many
nutrients.
14. As you travel from the North Pole 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 grasslands, then tropical rain forests.
d. taiga, then desert, then tundra.
15. The deforestation of the rain forests may cause climate changes which, in turn, may affect
a. acid precipitation.
c. smog.
b. flooding.
d. habitat destruction.
16. Estuaries are very productive ecosystems because they receive fresh nutrients from
a. lakes and ponds.
c. marshes and swamps.
b. rivers and oceans.
d. streams and springs.
17. Coral reefs are intricately shaped rocklike structures that are formed as a result of
a. volcanic activity that is common in tropical marine environments.
b. the gradual accumulation and fusion of skeletons of bony fish.
c. the secretion of calcium carbonate by tiny marine animals.
d. minerals that are washed from land ecosystems and build up.
18. Two threats to ocean ecosystems are
a. nutrient runoff and industrial waste discharges.
b. overfishing and entanglement of marine mammals in trawl nets.
c. sewage and algal blooms.
d. All of the above
Chapter 8 & 9
19. The density of a population is
a. the number of individuals born every year.
b. the proportion of males and females.
c. the number of individuals living in cities.
d. the number of individuals per unit area.
20. In which of the following relationships is neither species harmed?
a. predation
c. parasitism
b. competition
d. commensalism
21. Which of the following would most likely cause a large number of density-independent deaths in a
population?
a. winter storms
c. predators
b. disease-carrying insects
d. limited resources
22. A species of plant has exponential growth after it is introduced into an area where it has never lived.
Which statement best describes exponential growth?
a. Each individual plant grows much larger than usual.
b. The population immediately decreases.
c. Within a few years the population increases dramatically.
d. The species’ reproductive potential declines.
Chapters 11
23. 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.
24. Many areas of the world without adequate fresh water have become habitable because
a. rainfall patterns have changed.
b. water management projects have diverted water to the area.
c. icebergs have been towed in to provide fresh water.
d. water conservation has been implemented.
25. 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
26. A common feature of thermal pollution and artificial eutrophication is that they both
a. have sources that are difficult to identify and control.
b. cause large mats of algae to bloom in fresh water.
c. are a result of power plants and other industrial activity.
d. decrease the amount of oxygen dissolved in water.
27. 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.
Chapter 12
28 All of the following are primary air pollutants except
a. carbon monoxide.
c. sulfur oxides.
b. nitric acid.
d. VOCs.
29. Two-thirds of the sulfur dioxide that pollutes the air is produced by
a. automobile exhaust.
c. electric power plants.
b. industrial boilers.
d. catalytic converters.
30.Two-thirds of the sulfur dioxide that pollutes the air is produced by
a. automobile exhaust.
c. electric power plants.
b. industrial boilers.
d. catalytic converters.
31. Which air pollutants can aggravate bronchial asthma in humans and cause fish to suffocate?
a. natural substances such as mold and fungi
b. acids formed from nitrogen compounds
c. particulates produced by forest fires
d. VOCs released during industrial processes
32. The automobile’s contribution to air pollution includes
a. water vapor released during combustion.
b. fumes that escape when the gas tank is filled.
c. nitrogen oxides emitted in exhaust.
d. Both (b) and (c)
33. One way radon and asbestos are similar is that they
a. are both gaseous pollutants.
c. cut and scar the lungs.
b. increase the risk of cancer.
d. are primarily outdoor air pollutants.
Chapter 13
34. 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.
35. A true statement concerning the physical properties of air is that
a. warm air sinks toward Earth’s surface.
b. warm air can hold more water vapor than an equal amount of cold air.
c. as air warms, the water vapor it holds condenses.
d. cold air rises in the atmosphere.
36. A true statement about greenhouse gases is that they
a. convert sunlight into heat energy that warms Earth.
b. are concentrated in the stratosphere.
c. trap heat that is radiated upward from Earth.
d. are not affected by human activity.
37. A true statement about greenhouse gases is that they
a. convert sunlight into heat energy that warms Earth.
b. are concentrated in the stratosphere.
c. trap heat that is radiated upward from Earth.
d. are not affected by human activity.
38. Which of the following gases is most responsible for the greenhouse effect?
a. nitrous oxide
c. oxygen
b. methane
d. water vapor
Chapter 14
39.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.
40.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.
41. Given that most people live in urban areas, why should rural areas be preserved?
a. They provide crucial infrastructure.
b. They provide ecological services.
c. They contain greenbelts.
d. None of the above
42. Which of the following has not resulted from urban sprawl?
a. suburbs
b. overgrazing
c. loss of farmland
d. traffic congestion
Chapter 16
43.The first step in surface coal mining is
a. to remove and set aside the soil that covers the area to be mined.
b. to use heavy equipment to take core samples.
c. to test to see if quarrying would be more effective.
d. to make cuts in the coal for easier removal.
44. Which of the following is not a characteristic of a mineral?
a. naturally occurring
b. atoms in random geometric patterns
45. Acid mine drainage
a. harms or kills aquatic life.
b. purifies streams.
c. usually an inorganic solid
d. orderly internal structure
c. causes acid rain.
d. is unregulated in the United States.
46. What can contaminate a river during dredging?
a. potash
b. sea water
c. placer deposits
d. muddy sediments
Chapter 17
47. Oil and natural gas result from
a. the migration of complex carbohydrate molecules to nonporous rock formations.
b. the decay of tiny marine organisms that accumulated on the ocean floor millions of
years ago.
c. the burning of high-sulfur, low-grade uranium.
d. the decay of plants that lived in swamps hundreds of thousands of years ago.
48. How is electricity generated in a coal-fired power plant?
a. The heat generated from burning coal turns water into steam, which turns a turbine,
thus running the electric generator.
b. The coal is burned, which heats the air. The hot air rises and turns the electric
generator’s turbine.
c. The turbine breaks down the coal into a liquid fuel that powers the electric generator,
thus producing an electric current.
d. The coal is heated until it vaporizes. The coal vapor is distilled in the combustion
chamber, which powers the electric generator.
49. In a nuclear power plant,
a.
b.
c.
d.
three pipe circuits pump water through the reactor, turbine, and cooling tower.
solid uranium pellets are bombarded with steam in the control rods.
nuclear fusion superheats water in the reactor, causing steam to power the turbine.
solid neutron pellets undergo a chain reaction and release massive amounts of heat.
50. Nuclear fusion
a.
b.
c.
d.
must take place at extremely high temperatures.
does not release a great amount of energy.
must take place in low-density containers.
results in nuclei that are lighter in weight than the nuclei that existed before the
reaction.
Chapter 18
51. Which of the following is an example of how biomass fuel is currently being used?
a.
b.
c.
d.
Biogas digesters ferment manure and produce methane.
Dung-fired power stations produce electricity.
Ethanol from fermenting corn is added to gasoline.
All of the above
52. A geothermal power plant gets energy by
a. pumping heated water or steam from rock formations.
b. circulating fluid underground.
c. holding water behind a dam.
d. using methane from decomposition.
53. One disadvantage of wind energy is that
a.
b.
c.
d.
wind turbines are not cost-effective.
large amounts of farmland are needed for the turbines.
the difficulty of transporting the energy from its source to where it is needed.
wind turbines generate only a small amount of energy.
54. The percentage of energy put into a system that does useful work is
a. energy conservation.
b. renewable energy.
c. energy efficiency.
d. energy conversion.
Chapter19
55. Which of the following statements does not describe a problem associated with modern landfills?
a. Chemicals leaking out of the waste stored there may pollute wells or groundwater
supplies.
b. Materials buried in landfills decompose in three years.
c. Explosive gases can be produced by landfills and may build up in the basements of
nearby buildings.
d. All of the above
56. Which items make up the largest percentage of waste produced by households and businesses?
a. aluminum cans
b. plastic bottles and packaging
c. paper products
d. yard waste, such as grass clippings and tree limbs
57. A common characteristic of all hazardous-waste land-disposal facilities is that they
a.
b.
c.
d.
are long-term storage sites.
make use of deep-well injection.
pose no threat to the environment.
are not regulated by state or federal laws.
58. An example of something that is biodegradable is
a. a leaf in a compost pile.
b. a plastic milk jug in a landfill.
c. a polystyrene burger container in a trash can.
d. All of the above
59. The process of composting
a.
b.
c.
d.
uses synthetic materials.
has little potential to conserve landfill space.
is always carried out in city-run facilities.
could effectively handle a variety of wastes.
End of Review
Answers:
1. a
2. b
3. a
4. b
5. a
6. b
7. a
8. d
9. a
10. c
11. c
12. c
13. d
14. c
15. b
16. b
17. c
18. d
19. d
20. d
21. a
22. c
23. a
24. b
25. d
26. d
27. b
28. b
29. c
30. d
31. b
32. d
33. b
34. a
35. b
36. c
37. a
38. d
39. a
40. d
41. b
42. b
43. a
44. b
45. a
46. d
47. b
48. a
49. a
50. a
51. d
52. a
53. c
54. c
55. b
56. c
57. a
58. a
59. d