Environmental Issues
Exam Bank
Course Introduction
This course provides an in-depth exploration of the major environmental challenges facing the world today, such as climate change, pollution, loss of biodiversity, resource depletion, and sustainable development. Students will examine the scientific, social, economic, and political dimensions of these issues while considering both local and global perspectives. Through case studies and critical analysis, the course encourages students to investigate the causes and consequences of environmental problems and to evaluate alternative solutions aimed at promoting a healthier and more sustainable future for generations to come.
Recommended Textbook
Principles of Environmental Science Companion Site 6th Edition by William P. Cunningham
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15 Chapters
464 Verified Questions
464 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/study-set/2069
Page 2
Chapter 1: Understanding Our Environment
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33 Verified Questions
33 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/41174
Sample Questions
Q1) The world's poorest people _______________ environmental degradation.
A) cause the most
B) both cause and suffer from C) are unaffected by
D) don't really care about
E) are ignorant of
Answer: B
Q2) Places in the world where indigenous people live tend to have high biodiversity.
A)True
B)False
Answer: True
Q3) Ideally, science
A) is correct most of the time.
B) tells us what we expected to find.
C) uses new technology.
D) is methodical and logical.
E) proves that our hypotheses are correct.
Answer: D
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Chapter 2: Environmental Systems: Connections, Cycles,
Flows and Feedback Loops
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34 Verified Questions
34 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/41173
Sample Questions
Q1) All members of a species that live in the same area at the same time make up a(an)
A) species.
B) ecosystem.
C) community.
D) population.
E) biome.
Answer: D
Q2) Which of the following is not a molecule?
A) O<sub>3</sub>
B) O<sub>2</sub>
C) C
D) DNA
E) H<sub>2</sub>O
Answer: C
Q3) Photosynthesis is a step in the global nitrogen cycle.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
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Chapter 3: Evolution, Species Interactions, and Biological Communities
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30 Verified Questions
30 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/41172
Sample Questions
Q1) A dieback, or population crash, often occurs after a species ________ its environmental carrying capacity.
A) meets
B) overshoots
C) undershoots
D) oscillates around
E) decreases
Answer: B
Q2) Complexity in an ecological community has to do with the number of A) species in the population.
B) species at each trophic level.
C) genetic variations within a species.
D) primary producers available.
E) primary producers relative to the number of consumers.
Answer: B
Q3) The most common reason that introduced species cause trouble is because they are larger than native species.
A)True
B)False
Answer: False
Page 5
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Chapter 4: Human Populations
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30 Verified Questions
30 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/41171
Sample Questions
Q1) Which of the following is a mechanical barrier to conception?
A) abortion
B) condoms
C) birth control pills
D) vasectomies
E) IUD
Q2) Which of the following is a pronatalist pressure?
A) male pride
B) social status of large families
C) need for additional family income
D) social taboos regarding birth control
E) all of these are sources of pronatalist pressure
Q3) Technological optimists argue that technological advances have
A) led to the increase in human population but whether we can continue is of great concern.
B) proven Marx wrong in his predictions of famine and disaster.
C) proven Malthus wrong in his predictions of famine and disaster.
D) been developed because there are more people, supporting the view that more people are the "ultimate resource."
E) been a neutral factor in the issue of population growth.
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Chapter 5: Biomes and Biodiversity
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32 Verified Questions
32 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/41170
Sample Questions
Q1) The area marked "A" has a
A) wide precipitation range and narrow temperature range.
B) narrow precipitation and temperature range.
C) wide precipitation and temperature range.
D) wide temperature range and narrow precipitation range.
E) varying temperature and narrow precipitation range.
Q2) Which of the following is true?
A) Humans may have been causing extinctions thousands of years ago, but our impact has recently increased.
B) Humans are responsible for many of the mass extinctions in the geologic record.
C) Humans only began causing extinctions in the past 150 years.
D) Humans have never had significant impact on species extinctions until the past four decades.
E) Humans have been causing extinctions for thousands of years and we are still causing extinctions at about the same rate.
Q3) Estuaries contain a mix of fresh and salt water.
A)True
B)False
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Chapter 6: Environmental Conservation: Forests Grasslands
Parks and Nature Preserves
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30 Verified Questions
30 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) What technique might you use to determine size and location of a preserve to protect grizzly bears?
A) GIS.
B) REDD.
C) Adaptive management.
D) PVA.
E) MAB.
Q2) An increased number of cowbirds (a species that likes areas where grassland and forests meet) would be an indicator of
A) overharvest of timber.
B) overgrazing of grasslands.
C) increased edge habitat.
D) decreased biodiversity.
E) lack of proper habitat management.
Q3) Which nation listed below has the highest deforestation rate?
A) Brazil
B) Russia
C) Japan
D) India
E) Canada
Page 8
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Chapter 7: Food and Agriculture
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31 Verified Questions
31 Flashcards
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Sample Questions
Q1) What is the advantage of genetically modified crops?
A) they can be designed to resist drought
B) they offer improved resistance to pests and diseases
C) they can be engineered to improve yield
D) they can be altered to produce vaccines
E) All of these are benefits to GMOs.
Q2) Soil organisms usually stay __________ the soil.
A) deep below the surface of B) near the middle of C) close to the surface of D) spread uniformly throughout E) About half stay close to the surface and the other half stay deep below the surface of the soil.
Q3) The USDA estimates ______ percent of conventionally grown foods are contaminated with pesticide residue.
A) 11
B) 23
C) 34
D) 58
E) 73
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Chapter 8: Environmental Health and Toxicology
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32 Verified Questions
32 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/41167
Sample Questions
Q1) An advantage of testing for toxicity by exposing animals to chemicals is that using animals is
A) cheaper than other methods.
B) faster than other methods.
C) usually quite humane.
D) easier than using computer models.
E) a trusted and usually reliable way to get results.
Q2) SARS and Ebola fever are examples of emergent diseases.
A)True
B)False
Q3) SARS is thought to have been spread to 160 people in seven countries by a single flight attendant.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Most people do their own personal risk assessments based upon A) scientific data.
B) whimsical preference devoid of logic.
C) logical reasoning about relative risks.
D) personal biases and preferences as well as logic.
E) statistical probabilities.
Page 10
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Chapter 9: Air: Climate and Pollution
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30 Verified Questions
30 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/41166
Sample Questions
Q1) When cool, dry air sinks from the upper atmosphere toward the Earth's surface, it is
A) compressed and cooled further.
B) allowed to expand and become warmer.
C) compressed and becomes warmer.
D) forced to release any remaining moisture.
E) going to hold more water because there is more water vapor closer to the Earth's surface.
Q2) The "ozone hole" is a depletion currently most serious
A) at the most populated latitudes.
B) over North America.
C) in tropical latitudes.
D) near the Hadley cells.
E) near the poles.
Q3) The atmospheric zone where most weather events occur is the A) stratosphere.
B) thermosphere.
C) troposphere.
D) mesosphere.
E) stratopause.
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Chapter 10: Water: Resources and Pollution
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30 Verified Questions
30 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/41165
Sample Questions
Q1) The National Pollution Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) was established as a part of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA).
A)True
B)False
Q2) On the graph of clean drinking water per person, each letter represents a country.
Which of the following is most likely?
A) A is the United States; B is India.
B) B is the United States; A is India.
C) A is the United States; B is Canada.
D) B is India; A is China.
E) A is India; B is China
Q3) In general, water use in poor countries is dominated by A) agricultural use.
B) domestic needs.
C) industrial activities.
D) use as drinking water.
E) All of these are correct.
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Chapter 11: Environmental Geology and Earth Resources
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30 Verified Questions
30 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/41164
Sample Questions
Q1) Why would the environmental degradation associated with mining be a low priority for a less-developed country?
A) The country relies on the export of a mineral for the majority of their foreign exchange.
B) Both consumers and producers depend on the minerals so much that environmental consequences are of less importance.
C) Less-developed countries are more likely to import minerals so environmental degradation is not as important to them.
D) The environmental impact of mining is low.
E) Environmental degradation is usually not a priority for less-developed countries.
Q2) __________ rocks are often the source of metal ores such as gold, silver, and copper.
A) Igneous
B) Metamorphic
C) Sedimentary
D) Weathered
E) All of these are sources of metal ores.
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13
Chapter 12: Energy
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31 Verified Questions
31 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/41163
Sample Questions
Q1) Biofuels can be produced commercially using all of the following except A) corn.
B) sugarcane.
C) algae.
D) soybeans.
E) palm oils.
Q2) Transportation consumes about ______ percent of all energy used in the US each year.
A) 13
B) 20
C) 27
D) 33
E) 39
Q3) Tidal power stations operate by using the energy from waves as they crash on the shore.
A)True
B)False
Q4) Energy is the capacity to do work.
A)True
B)False
Page 14
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Chapter 13: Solid and Hazardous Waste
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30 Verified Questions
30 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/41162
Sample Questions
Q1) The questions of ____ and _________ are among the biggest problems in cleaning up hazardous waste sites.
A) liability; degree of purity required
B) appropriate technology; location
C) appropriate technology; liability
D) degree of purity required; appropriate technology
E) location; cost
Q2) Illegal dumping and storage of hazardous waste
A) continues to threaten public health.
B) has completely stopped since the Superfund Act.
C) has not stopped completely but is rare.
D) has become a problem mainly since the Superfund Act.
E) will always be present because people are not concerned about toxic wastes.
Q3) In the case of sanitary landfills, the cost of disposing of wastes is _____ as technology provides safer alternatives.
A) slowly increasing
B) slowly decreasing
C) staying relatively stable
D) sharply increasing
E) sharply decreasing
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Chapter 14: Economics and Urbanization
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31 Verified Questions
31 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/41161
Sample Questions
Q1) An example of an intangible resource, or one that is difficult to place a monetary value on, is
A) solar energy.
B) satisfaction.
C) human labor.
D) capital.
E) extinct species.
Q2) Which of the following is not a major criticism of this type of analysis?
A) People are willing to answer questions about how much they would spend to save the Amazon rainforest.
B) The quantification process compares the value of the lives of indigenous people's lives with the lives of people in the city who would be receiving the electricity.
C) The focus of this type of analysis would be mainly on the hydroelectric project rather than alternatives.
D) Monetary values are placed on intangible things like the river running freely.
E) These are all criticisms of this type of analysis.
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16
Chapter 15: Environmental Policy and Sustainability
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30 Verified Questions
30 Flashcards
Source URL: https://quizplus.com/quiz/41160
Sample Questions
Q1) Who normally identifies the problem in the policy cycle?
A) The government normally identifies issues for groups who do not recognize problems themselves.
B) The government normally identifies issues for groups who do not have a voice (such as children) in the issue.
C) The public identifies a problem and insists on help in correcting the problem.
D) Either the public or the government identifies issues, depending on the problem.
E) None of these are correct.
Q2) An environmental impact statement (EIS) is required for any significant federal action as a part of ______________________.
A) the Clean Water Act
B) the Clean Air Act
C) the Endangered Species Act
D) the National Environmental Policy Act
E) none of these are correct.
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