, 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
1-1
Copyright © 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill
Education.
,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.
1-2
Copyright © 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill
Education.
, 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
1-3
Copyright © 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill
Education.
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
1-1
Copyright © 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill
Education.
,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.
1-2
Copyright © 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill
Education.
, 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
1-3
Copyright © 2017 McGraw-Hill Education. All rights reserved. No reproduction or distribution without the prior written consent of McGraw-Hill
Education.
