Full Test Bank Test Bank Humans And The Geologic + Chapter 1

Chapter 01 Test Bank: Humans and the Geologic Environment

Multiple Choice Questions

1. Which trend best describes human population growth?

A. Exponential

B. Unpredictable

C. Planar

D. Linear

E. Tangential

2. Which of the following measures do environmentalists suggest may be necessary in order for humans to live in a sustainable manner?

A. Conserve resources

B. Reduce per capita consumption of resources

C. Develop renewable energy resources

D. Stabilize the population

E. All of the answers listed here

3. The tragedy of the commons is an important concept related to environmental degradation and human behavior. Which of the following best describes this concept?

A. When humans act irrationally during a large-scale natural disaster.

B. When over population creates living conditions that lower the quality of life.

C. When the self interest of individuals destroys natural resources being shared by society.

D. When humans overreact to an environmental threat and then limit economic growth.

E. When a common disease spreads through society due to poor sanitation.

4. Which of the following refers to the process by which the physical world is examined in a logical manner?

A. Inquiry Theory

B. Scientific Method

C. Intelligent Design

D. Elemental Method

E. Plausibility Theory

5. Which term refers to a scientific explanation of data that can be tested in such a way that shows it to be false?

A. Hypothesis

B. All of the answers listed here

C. Plausibility

D. Uncertainty

E. Educated Guess

6. Which of the following in NOT an attribute of a good scientific explanation?

A. Sustainable

B. Falsifiable

C. Peer-Reviewed

D. Consistent with all the data available

E. All of the answers listed here

7. About how many years old is the Earth as shown by science?

A. 4.6 billion

B. 10 thousand

C. 4.6 trillion

D. 4.6 thousand

E. 4.6 million

8. Which of the following terms refers to the use of resources in such a way that future generations will have a fair share and inherit a quality environment?

A. Catastrophism

B. Renewability

C. All of the answers listed here

D. Sustainability

E. Environmentalism

9. This type of dating uses radioactive elements and their decay products to determine an absolute age for an earth material.

A. Petrographic Dating

B. Fossilization Timing

C. Relative Dating

D. Superposition

E. Radiometric Dating

10. How does the ecological footprint for people living in developed (industrialized) nations compare to that of people living in still developing nations?

A. It is greater

B. This is not a plausible comparison

C. It is equivalent

D. It is not defined for developing nations

E. It is smaller

11. How was the geologic time scale developed?

A. By systematically dividing all of earth history into equally spaced time intervals, similar to the hours and minutes on a clock.

B. All of the answers listed here.

C. By correlating exposed rock sections from around the world.

D. By compiling Biblical and historical records to reconstruct Earth's history.

E. By radiometrically dating successive intervals in rock layers.

12. When defining environmental risks, scientists must primarily consider which of the following components?

A. The magnitude and consequences of an event.

B. Whether an event is even possible.

C. The measures necessary to prevent environmental risks from occurring.

D. The probability that an event will occur and the expected consequences of that event.

E. The consequences of an event only.

13. Which of the following is NOT

TRUE

of incremental processes?

A. They can be difficult to recognize.

B. They generate very small changes with time.

C. They take place somewhat randomly as discrete events.

D. Climate change is an example of an incremental process.

E. Deforestation is an example of an incremental process.

14. Which of the following statements is NOT

TRUE

regarding the Earth system?

A. Earth’s life forms are dependent on the system.

B. It is affected by other bodies in the solar system.

C. Humans are not capable of affecting the system.

D. It consists of several sub-systems.

E. It is dynamic and interactive.

15. Which term is used to describe the amount of biologically productive land/sea area necessary to support the lifestyle of an individual?

A. Geologic Commons

B. Environmental Area

C. Consumption Rate

D. Ecological Footprint

E. Sustainable Square

16. Which of the following are potentially limiting factors associated with food production and distribution?

A. All of the answers listed here

B. Water supply and resources

C. Mineral resources

D. Energy resources

E. Topsoil erosion

17. Almost all of the environmental problems discussed in class were ultimately tied to one factor. Which of the following is the root cause of most of our problems?

A. Human population

B. Energy production

C. Food production

D. Air pollution

E. Water pollution

True / False Questions

18. The biggest environmental issue facing the human race is sustainability.

True / False

19. A scientific law describes the relationship between several different hypotheses.

True / False

20. As one of many species living on Earth, humans are very limited in their ability to impact the environment.

True / False

21. In geologic time, humans have existed for only a very brief amount of Earth's history.

True / False

Multiple Choice Questions

22. The two critical factors that led to the development of Earth's diversity of life are

A. the surface temperature of the Earth, and the ability to retain its atmosphere.

B. the amount of solar insolation, and the presence of the Moon.

C. the distance between Sun and Moon, and the effect of the Moon on Earth.

D. the amount of glacial ice, and the number of oceans.

23. What is meant by the tragedy of the commons?

A. Common people go through tragic environmental problems.

B. The self-interest of people results in the destruction of a common or shared resource.

C. Common societies are disconnected from the natural environment.

D. Environmental problems are very common in nature.

24. What is a scientific theory?

A. A prediction made about a scientific phenomenon

B. A possible explanation that has not yet been tested

C. A possible explanation that has been tested and found to be false

D. A widely accepted and logical explanation of natural phenomena that has survived rigorous testing

25. What is the Law of Superposition?

A. Sedimentary rocks are always deposited in horizontal layers

B. Sedimentary features are always superimposed on other types of rocks

C. Sedimentary layers become progressively older with depth

D. Sedimentary layers become progressively younger with depth

26. Why is pollution considered a geologic hazard?

A. It always involves materials not found in nature.

B. It may involve extraterrestrial phenomena.

C. It directly impacts human health.

D. It involves nonrenewable resources.

27. What is used to determine the age of a rock in years?

A. Heat

B. Gravity

C. Solar radiation

D. Radioactive elements

28. Which of the following is not a sporadic geologic process?

A. Eroding of sedimentary rocks

B. Landslides

C. Earthquakes

D. Floods

29. What is an example of creeping normalcy?

A. Landsliding

B. Volcanic activity

C. The process of deforestation

D. Earthquake activity

30. What is an interdisciplinary field of study?

A. A study of special environments

B. A combination of two or more fields

C. Any specialized field in geology

D. Any highly specialized field focusing on the environment

31. What is the downside of specialization?

A. Scientists lose sight of nature as a whole

B. Very few jobs exist

C. Specialized jobs do not pay well

D. None of these choices are correct

32. What comprises the geosphere?

A. All of the organisms on Earth

B. All of the water on Earth

C. All of the gases surrounding the Earth

D. The solid Earth

33. Which of the following is not an adverse consequence of deforestation?

A. Increased soil erosion

B. Increased landslide activity

C. Decreased use of resources per capita

D. Decreased plant and animal life

34. How might deforestation contribute to global warming?

A. Trees no longer prevent soil erosion.

B. Trees no longer remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.

C. Trees no longer produce oxygen.

D. Burning of trees increases the heat output of Earth.

35. Linear growth occurs when the amount added over successive time periods

A. increases.

B. decreases.

C. increases then rapidly decreases.

D. stays the same.

36. Exponential growth occurs when the amount added over successive time periods

A. increases.

B. decreases.

C. increases then rapidly decreases.

D. stays the same.

37. What is the projected population of Earth in 2050?

A. 95 million

B. 9.5 billion

C. 95 billion

D. 950 billion

38. Why didn't human population collapse as predicted by Malthus?

A. His mathematical model was flawed

B. The rate of population growth unexpectedly decreased

C. Food production increased at an exponential rate

D. Food production increased at a linear rate

39. Why is infinite population growth not possible?

A. Topsoils are being lost at an alarming rate.

B. Water supplies are stretched to the limit in many places.

C. Supplies of crude oil and gas are in decline.

D. All of these choices are correct.

40. What is meant by the term sustainability?

A. Food production is sustained by fertilizers.

B. A system or process can be maintained for an indefinite period of time.

C. Soils are sustained by conservation measures.

D. Resources are replenished by geological processes.

41. What is meant by demographic transition?

A. Populations stabilize when birth and death rates are equal.

B. Populations increase when birth rates exceed death rates.

C. Populations decrease when death rates exceed birth rates.

D. Populations decrease as food production is diminished.