Deck 1: Science and Sustainability: an Introduction to Environmental Science

Question 1

What type of graph would be best for showing the relationship between two quantitative variables?

A) statistics table
B) pie chart
C) data table
D) scatter plot
E) bar graph

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The scientific method .

A) results in conclusions based on speculation
B) involves testing observations to derive a working hypothesis
C) now has been replaced by a widely accepted shortcut that is less time -consuming and less expensive
D) cannot prove a hypothesis to be true
E) results in the proving of a theory

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following BEST embodies the qualities of a scientific theory?

A) Squirrels in central Illinois prefer to build their nests in oak trees instead of hickory trees.
B) Dangerous wildfires in California could be avoided by better fire prevention strategies.
C) All gases, liquids, and solids consist of atoms.
D) Students who study for their environmental science exams will perform better on those exams than those who do not.
E) Prairies that have larges herds of bison show greater plant diversity than prairies without bison.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

To determine your specific impacts on the environment, you can .

A) determine your environmental handprint
B) calculate the biodiversity of your local community
C) calculate your ecological footprint
D) measure local air pollution and its impacts on your health
E) determine your community's impact on water quality in a nearby river

Question 5

The concept of sustainable development includes .

A) convenience and global economic improvements
B) the needs of future generations
C) the importance of developing the arts
D) each nation being sovereign over its own resources, to be used as its citizens deem appropriate
E) growth in profits from international trade

Question 6

A hypothesis is _ .

A) the design of an experiment that can be used in scientific enquiry
B) a prediction about something that has not yet been observed
C) a proven scientific fact
D) a statement that explains an observed phenomenon or answers a question
E) an instrument that is used to examine environmental conditions

Question 7

In a controlled experiment, .

A) the researcher controls for the effects of all variables except one
B) the researcher knows the outcome before beginning the experiment
C) the researcher has several hypotheses, one of which will be proven correct
D) you need only a single experimental organism which is tested again and again
E) the researcher controls for the effects of only one variable

Question 8

Solutions to environmental problems .

A) must work on a global scale
B) must always be designed and discussed in the political arena before implementation
C) should be designed with the goal of sustaining Earth's natural capital
D) must focus on short -term fixes because long -term solutions are generally unattainable
E) can be implemented only by scientists

Question 9

Natural resources are .

A) resources provided by the Earth that are renewable and inexhaustible
B) the substances and energy sources that we take from the environment
C) resources provided by the Earth that are rapidly depleted by human societies
D) services provided by humans to help maintain ecosystems and their vital processes
E) nonrenewable materials provided by the Earth that are formed slowly over millions of years

Question 10

Which of the following terms best describes the practice of environmental science?

A) integrative and interdisciplinary
B) theoretical and controversial
C) elitist and unnecessary
D) highly specialized and focused
E) abstract and theoretical

Question 11

Geothermal energy, wind energy, and solar radiation are all examples of .

A) nonrenewable resources
B) biotic environmental factors
C) renewable environmental resources
D) biodegradable materials
E) biodiversity

Question 12

Ecosystem services .

A) are economically valuable services provided by natural systems
B) are valuable to natural systems but not to human -created systems
C) are required to rebalance natural systems that we have disturbed
D) contribute to keeping ecosystems productive
E) are actions humans must take in order to protect and serve ecological systems

Question 13

Roberto lives near a wind farm and is wondering about the environmental effects of the wind turbines. He that the turbines make a sound like faint airplane engines and also that there
Are far fewer meadowlarks living near the windfarm than lived there before the windfarm was built.

A) observes
B) hypothesizes
C) guesses
D) predicts
E) theorizes

Question 14

Ruben has a new puppy named Paddington and wants to feed him the best possible food. He decides on an experiment where he will feed Paddington the very best canned food plus a dietary supplement of vitamins recommended by a veterinarian. Which of the following best describes Ruben's project?

A) Ruben needs to take careful measurements of Paddington's weight and height at least once a week for it to be a good experiment.
B) This is an example of an excellent, controlled experiment as it is written.
C) Ruben needs to control for the amount of exercise, sunshine, water, and care that Paddington gets each week, so that they are equal from week to week.
D) Ruben needs to feed his mother's 6 -year -old chocolate Shar -Pei named SallyJo a standard diet so that he can compare Paddington to a control.
E) This is a poorly designed experiment, because there are no control dogs and no treatment replicates.

Question 15

You have read about the mistakes made on Easter Island. On Tikopia, a small island in the Solomon Islands, the people acted in other ways. When they realized that the pigs they had imported were damaging the environment, they killed them all. They had to have permission from a chief to fish, which prevented overfishing. They also practiced contraception. These actions all indicate that _.

A) they felt that everything was a nonrenewable resource
B) they believed in full resource utilization
C) they felt that everything was a renewable resource
D) they were concerned with only one year at a time
E) they were attempting to enact sustainability

Question 16

Which of the following actions would increase the size of a person's ecological footprint?

A) turning down the thermostat in the winter
B) planting a vegetable garden
C) moving out of mom and dad's basement into one's own house
D) installing a photovoltaic solar panel on one's roof
E) taking public transportation instead of driving

Question 17

In a manipulative experiment _ .

A) a scientist has been caught manipulating the data for economic gain
B) researchers manipulate as many variables as possible
C) the peer review process is bypassed
D) researchers manipulate the independent variable
E) replication of the experiment is not necessary

Question 18

The process by which several researchers review another researcher's manuscript prior to publication to ensure research quality is referred to as _ .

A) investigative inquiry
B) overkill
C) critical analysis
D) quality control
E) peer review

Question 19

Global population is projected to be about in 2050.

A) 7 billion
B) 8 billion
C) 9 billion
D) 11 billion
E) 13 billion

Question 20

Roberto lives near a wind farm and is wondering about the environmental effects of the wind turbines. He that the turbines, which sound like faint airplane engines, are scaring off
Meadowlarks that used to nest in the area.

A) theorizes
B) hypothesizes
C) hopes
D) predicts
E) observes

Question 21

All of the following are examples of quantitative data EXCEPT .

A) the amount of sleep normally gotten by the students in a class
B) the number of siblings that students have
C) the gender of the students in a class
D) the cholesterol levels of the students in a class
E) the exam scores for the students in a class

Question 22

If the puppies in the experimental group gain, on average, 3 pounds more than those in the control group over a 4 -month period and seem healthier and more energetic, then .

A) there is a high probability that the veterinary diet is better than kibble for all dogs
B) they have proven that the kibble diet is best for female dogs
C) there is a high probability that the kibble is better for puppies
D) there is a high probability that the veterinary diet is better than kibble for puppies
E) they have proven the veterinary diet is best for all dogs

Question 23

Which of the following lists the steps of the scientific method in correct order?

A) Hypothesis -Prediction -Questions -Observations -Test -Results
B) Hypothesis -Prediction -Questions -Test -Observations -Results
C) Observations -Questions -Hypothesis -Prediction -Test -Results
D) Questions -Observations -Prediction -Hypothesis -Test -Results
E) Questions -Prediction -Hypothesis -Observations -Test -Results

Question 24

When they write up their initial proposal, the instructor will probably .

A) tell them that they need at least 100 dogs to do the study
B) tell them they have some serious problems with the proposal, but it is fixable if they are willing to find more dogs for their study
C) tell them that the proposal is impossible and that such a study cannot be done at all
D) give them an F and tell them to start over-it would take many years to do such a study
E) give them an A for thoroughness and allow them to proceed with the experiment

Question 25

One dependent variable in this study will be .

A) the breed of the dogs
B) the sex of the dogs
C) the age of the dogs
D) how much the dogs grow
E) the type of food the dogs receive

Question 26

Pablo and Johanna appear not to have given consideration to the importance of controlling for .

A) possible differences resulting from using two different breeds of dog
B) the age of the dogs
C) the source of the dog food
D) the possibility that one dog food is healthier than the other dog food
E) the food that the dogs are being fed

Question 27

A study's results are deemed worthy of acceptance into the body of scientific knowledge if they are published in journals which .

A) conform to current political and religious views
B) use the peer review process
C) meet guidelines advocated by environmentalists or consumer groups
D) charge a high fee for acceptance
E) are funded by corporations financing the research

Question 28

Pablo and Johanna have too many _.

A) variables that they didn't control and not enough replicates
B) replicates and not enough variables
C) independent variables and not enough dependent variables
D) controlled variables and not enough uncontrolled variables
E) dependent variables and not enough independent variables

Question 29

What type of graph would be best for showing means for several different treatments?

A) line graph
B) pie chart
C) scatter plot
D) bar graph
E) data table

Question 30

When does peer review occur during the scientific process?

A) after the paper (manuscript) is written and before it is published
B) during the statistical analysis of the data collected
C) during the research phase of a project
D) after the research is complete and before the paper (manuscript) is written
E) after the paper (manuscript) is published