Test Bank For Geology and the Environment
1. Which item listed below has not helped to increase the carrying
capacity of the Earth?
a. the development of nitrogen-based fertilizers
b. the development and application of chemical pesticides
c. the development and application of chemical herbicides
d. genetic modification of grains and other crops
*e. the development of a vaccine for polio
2. What is the population of the world likely to be by the year 2050?
a. 5 billion
b. 7 billion
*c. 9 billion
d. 11 billion
e. 13 billion
3. Which of the following statements is true regarding the world
population growth rate since 1965?
a. It has been increasing at an alarming rate.
b. It has been decreasing at an alarming rate.
*c. It has been decreasing slowly.
d. It has been increasing slowly.
e. It has stayed the same.
4. The IPAT equation is about which of the following?
a. earthquake prediction
b. global warming trends
c. inflation
*d. environmental impact
e. slope stability
5. Which of the following is not true of environmental geology?
a. It is concerned with how natural geological processes affect
man.
b. It is concerned largely with surface geologic processes.
c. It applies the science of geology to problems arising from the
complex interactions of water, soil, air, solid earth, and life.
d. It seeks ways for the Earth's inhabitants to interact safely
with their geological surroundings.
*e. It is concerned with developing methods to prevent natural
disasters from occurring.
6. The number of people or animals that can be supported indefinitely
by a given area of land is called ____.
1
,Test Bank For Geology and the Environment
*a. carrying capacity
b. growth rate
c. doubling time
d. population dynamics
e. critical mass
7. A lack of understanding of which of the following phenomena will
make things harder on the entire population of your country – no matter
where people live?
a. Earthquakes
b. Landslides
c. Volcanic eruptions.
*d. Climate change
e. Tsunamis.
8. Which of the following is NOT a variable in the IPAT equation?
a. impact
b. technology
*c. natural resources
d. affluence
e. population
9. A population exceeding its carrying capacity is referred to as ____.
a. population dynamics
*b. ecological overshoot
c. involutional melancholia
d. diminishing returns
e. negative feedback
10. ____ are far more readily modified and overturned than ____.
a. Hypotheses; laws
b. Laws; hypotheses
c. Theories; hypotheses
*d. Hypotheses; theories
e. Laws; theories
11. Which of the following would be the first step in applying the
scientific method to an environmental geological problem?
a. formulate a hypothesis
b. create a map
*c. pose a question
d. draw a conclusion
e. analyze data
2
,Test Bank For Geology and the Environment
12. Which of the following is NOT something that is included on
derivative maps?
a. landslide hazards zones
b. depth to underground water
c. areas susceptible to flooding
d. seismic hazard zones
*e. All are included.
13. What is the computer system that assembles, stores, manipulates,
and displays geographic data according to location?
a. GPS
b. GOP
c. GSA
*d. GIS
e. GPA
14. What are lines of equal elevation called on topographic maps?
a. isotherms
*b. contours
c. geological contacts
d. lineations
e. grid lines
15. How much greater are population growth rates in poorer countries
than in richer countries?
a. two times
b. four times
*c. six times
d. eight times
e. ten times
16. An environmental geologist could be expected to apply the
scientific method to all of the following questions EXCEPT:
*a. Which public policy can best lower population growth rate?
b. Which regions in the United States have the lowest seismic
risk?
c. How did the water supply to a community get contaminated?
d. Are the soils in a sub-development safe to build on?
e. What is the landslide potential of building a shopping mall
outside a city?
17. Which of the following sustainable factors helped to save America's
forests from destruction during the 20th century?
3
, Test Bank For Geology and the Environment
*a. conservation of forests by creation of the National Forest
Service
b. technology driven mass production of construction materials
from plastics
c. economic policies that allowed the importation of wood from
tropical rainforests
d. conservation efforts that resulted in a reduction in the
demand for wood products
e. overall decline in the United States population
18. In poorer countries, which part of the IPAT equation has the
greatest impact?
*a. population
b. affluence
c. technology
d. pollution
e. energy
19. Read carefully through the following sentence and decide which of
the options is correct: In industrialized countries, personal
perspectives of environmental issues are realistic because
environmental problems develop close to home as resources are collected
and used locally.
a. The word "realistic" should be replaced by "warped."
*b. The word "industrialized" should be replaced by "developing."
c. The word "resources" should be replaced by "wastes."
d. The word "environmental" should be replaced by "geological."
e. The word "home" should be replaced by "rivers."
20. Judge the following sentence according to the criteria given below:
The IPAT equation of human environmental impact is a quantitative
expression BECAUSE no one can put exact numbers to P, A, and T.
a. The assertion and the reason are both correct, and the reason
is valid.
b. The assertion and the reason are both correct, but the reason
is invalid.
c. The assertion is correct, but the reason is incorrect.
*d. The assertion is incorrect, but the reason is correct.
e. Both the assertion and the reason are incorrect.
21. The large agricultural yields obtained today are fundamentally
dependent upon fossil fuels.
*a. True
b. False
4
1. Which item listed below has not helped to increase the carrying
capacity of the Earth?
a. the development of nitrogen-based fertilizers
b. the development and application of chemical pesticides
c. the development and application of chemical herbicides
d. genetic modification of grains and other crops
*e. the development of a vaccine for polio
2. What is the population of the world likely to be by the year 2050?
a. 5 billion
b. 7 billion
*c. 9 billion
d. 11 billion
e. 13 billion
3. Which of the following statements is true regarding the world
population growth rate since 1965?
a. It has been increasing at an alarming rate.
b. It has been decreasing at an alarming rate.
*c. It has been decreasing slowly.
d. It has been increasing slowly.
e. It has stayed the same.
4. The IPAT equation is about which of the following?
a. earthquake prediction
b. global warming trends
c. inflation
*d. environmental impact
e. slope stability
5. Which of the following is not true of environmental geology?
a. It is concerned with how natural geological processes affect
man.
b. It is concerned largely with surface geologic processes.
c. It applies the science of geology to problems arising from the
complex interactions of water, soil, air, solid earth, and life.
d. It seeks ways for the Earth's inhabitants to interact safely
with their geological surroundings.
*e. It is concerned with developing methods to prevent natural
disasters from occurring.
6. The number of people or animals that can be supported indefinitely
by a given area of land is called ____.
1
,Test Bank For Geology and the Environment
*a. carrying capacity
b. growth rate
c. doubling time
d. population dynamics
e. critical mass
7. A lack of understanding of which of the following phenomena will
make things harder on the entire population of your country – no matter
where people live?
a. Earthquakes
b. Landslides
c. Volcanic eruptions.
*d. Climate change
e. Tsunamis.
8. Which of the following is NOT a variable in the IPAT equation?
a. impact
b. technology
*c. natural resources
d. affluence
e. population
9. A population exceeding its carrying capacity is referred to as ____.
a. population dynamics
*b. ecological overshoot
c. involutional melancholia
d. diminishing returns
e. negative feedback
10. ____ are far more readily modified and overturned than ____.
a. Hypotheses; laws
b. Laws; hypotheses
c. Theories; hypotheses
*d. Hypotheses; theories
e. Laws; theories
11. Which of the following would be the first step in applying the
scientific method to an environmental geological problem?
a. formulate a hypothesis
b. create a map
*c. pose a question
d. draw a conclusion
e. analyze data
2
,Test Bank For Geology and the Environment
12. Which of the following is NOT something that is included on
derivative maps?
a. landslide hazards zones
b. depth to underground water
c. areas susceptible to flooding
d. seismic hazard zones
*e. All are included.
13. What is the computer system that assembles, stores, manipulates,
and displays geographic data according to location?
a. GPS
b. GOP
c. GSA
*d. GIS
e. GPA
14. What are lines of equal elevation called on topographic maps?
a. isotherms
*b. contours
c. geological contacts
d. lineations
e. grid lines
15. How much greater are population growth rates in poorer countries
than in richer countries?
a. two times
b. four times
*c. six times
d. eight times
e. ten times
16. An environmental geologist could be expected to apply the
scientific method to all of the following questions EXCEPT:
*a. Which public policy can best lower population growth rate?
b. Which regions in the United States have the lowest seismic
risk?
c. How did the water supply to a community get contaminated?
d. Are the soils in a sub-development safe to build on?
e. What is the landslide potential of building a shopping mall
outside a city?
17. Which of the following sustainable factors helped to save America's
forests from destruction during the 20th century?
3
, Test Bank For Geology and the Environment
*a. conservation of forests by creation of the National Forest
Service
b. technology driven mass production of construction materials
from plastics
c. economic policies that allowed the importation of wood from
tropical rainforests
d. conservation efforts that resulted in a reduction in the
demand for wood products
e. overall decline in the United States population
18. In poorer countries, which part of the IPAT equation has the
greatest impact?
*a. population
b. affluence
c. technology
d. pollution
e. energy
19. Read carefully through the following sentence and decide which of
the options is correct: In industrialized countries, personal
perspectives of environmental issues are realistic because
environmental problems develop close to home as resources are collected
and used locally.
a. The word "realistic" should be replaced by "warped."
*b. The word "industrialized" should be replaced by "developing."
c. The word "resources" should be replaced by "wastes."
d. The word "environmental" should be replaced by "geological."
e. The word "home" should be replaced by "rivers."
20. Judge the following sentence according to the criteria given below:
The IPAT equation of human environmental impact is a quantitative
expression BECAUSE no one can put exact numbers to P, A, and T.
a. The assertion and the reason are both correct, and the reason
is valid.
b. The assertion and the reason are both correct, but the reason
is invalid.
c. The assertion is correct, but the reason is incorrect.
*d. The assertion is incorrect, but the reason is correct.
e. Both the assertion and the reason are incorrect.
21. The large agricultural yields obtained today are fundamentally
dependent upon fossil fuels.
*a. True
b. False
4
