Exam
Name___________________________________

MULTIPLE CHOICE.  Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question. 

Figure 1.1

Use Figure 1.1 to answer the following questions.

1) 

Refer to Figure 1.1.  How many citizens of Mexico does it take to equal the ecological footprint of the average citizen of Canada? 

1) 

_______ 

A) 

They are essentially equal. 

B) 

It takes slightly more than 2 Mexican citizens to equal the ecological footprint of the average Canadian citizen. 

C) 

Two citizens of Mexico equal the ecological footprint of one average citizen of Canada. 

D) 

It takes just over eight Mexican citizens to equal the ecological footprint of the average Canadian citizen. 

E) 

It takes about 12 Mexican citizens to equal the ecological footprint of the average Canadian citizen. 

2) 

Refer to Figure 1.1. Nearly 50% of the land on our planet is currently used for agriculture. If everyone on the planet had an ecological footprint the size of the average citizen of Canada, then ________. 

2) 

_______ 

A) 

we would be able to provide for everyone without much difficulty, using the other 50% of the land currently not being used 

B) 

we could support 50% more people on our planet 

C) 

we would have 50% more food to go around 

D) 

about 50% of the people would starve 

E) 

we would need at least two more planet Earths to feed and support everyone 

3) 

Refer to Figure 1.1. The world average is about 2..2 hectares per person for an ecological footprint. At that size, we are depleting our renewable resources 30% faster than they can replenish. The Canadian average footprint is 6.4 hectares, which is ________ times larger than the average world footprint.  

3) 

_______ 

A) 

3 

B) 

5 

C) 

2.5  

D) 

2 

E) 

2.85 

MATCHING.  Choose the item in column 2 that best matches each item in column 1. 

Match the following. 

4) 

A scientific field of study 

A) 

prediction 

4) 

_______ 

5) 

Information expressed with numbers 

B) 

hypothesis 

5) 

_______ 

6) 

The variable that is manipulated 

C) 

environmentalism 

6) 

_______ 

7) 

Expectations of experimental outcome 

D) 

dependent variable 

7) 

_______ 

8) 

Numerical expression of the likelihood that a conclusion is true 

E) 

qualitative data 

8) 

_______ 

F) 

probability 

9) 

Type of discipline describing environmental science 

9) 

_______ 

G) 

independent variable  

H) 

Social Science 

I) 

Interdisciplinary science 

J) 

ecology 

K) 

quantitative data 

L) 

paradigm 

SHORT ANSWER.  Write the word or phrase that best completes each statement or answers the question. 

10) 

Differentiate between renewable and nonrenewable natural resources. Give examples of each.  

10)  

_____________ 

11) 

How does the lesson of Easter Island apply to the modern world?  

11)  

_____________ 

12) 

A town has uncovered an environmental problem that involves the local landfill leaching chemicals into the ground water that is used by a neighboring housing development. How will the interdisciplinary nature of environmental science help solve this problem? 

12)  

_____________ 

13) 

What is the relationship between correlation and causation in scientific experimentation? 

13)  

_____________ 

14) 

Discuss the difference between a manipulative experiment and a natural experiment. 

14)  

_____________ 

15) 

A ________ is a widely accepted, well-tested explanation of one or more cause-and-effect relationships that have been rigorously tested. 

15)  

_____________ 

16) 

The field of ________ studies organisms and their interaction with each other and with the abiotic environment. 

16)  

_____________ 

17) 

The process of science, called the ________, is used to develop new information in scientific fields.  

17)  

_____________ 

18) 

The total sum of our surroundings, the ________ is impacted by living and nonliving things. 

18)  

_____________ 

19) 

The systematic process for learning about the world as it appears to our physical senses and testing our understanding of it is called ________. 

19)  

_____________ 

20) 

A(n) ________ is an activity designed to test the validity of a hypothesis; it involves manipulating ________, which are conditions that can change.  

20)  

_____________ 

21) 

Before 1939 malaria was still a disease people in southern Ontario could get and die from. In 1939, DDT became available and by 1950 had completely eliminated the mosquito that carries malaria.  People then learned about its health hazards and by the 1970s was banned. The mosquito that carries malaria is now back. If malaria comes back, people may want to spray again with DDT again because they know it is a less dangerous than malaria. This is an example how a perception can ________. 

21)  

_____________ 

MULTIPLE CHOICE.  Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question. 

22) 

A paradigm ________. 

22) 

______ 

A) 

is synonymous with the scientific method 

B) 

is a group of several hypotheses that can be tested together  

C) 

can only come from quantitative data 

D) 

is a dominant view in science  

E) 

can only come from qualitative data 

23) 

Advances in agriculture ________. 

23) 

______ 

A) 

do not include chemical fertilizers  

B) 

have resulted in alteration and destruction of natural systems  

C) 

have resulted in increased death rates 

D) 

are viewed as one of humanity's greatest failures 

E) 

did not increase the amount of food per person from a global perspective 

24) 

The scientific process and knowledge is based on ________. 

24) 

______ 

A) 

testing hypotheses that are built on observations 

B) 

the fact that hypotheses can be proven 

C) 

observation 

D) 

just quantitative data 

E) 

educated guesses 

25) 

Scientific inquiry is based on ________. 

25) 

______ 

A) 

designing experiments that have never been done before 

B) 

an incremental approach to truth 

C) 

facts that can only be proven by testing hypotheses 

D) 

the production of technological advances  

E) 

making huge leaps with scientific insights 

26) 

A hypothesis is ________. 

26) 

______ 

A) 

a proven scientific fact 

B) 

a testable proposition that explains a phenomenon or answers a question 

C) 

an instrument that is used to examine environmental conditions 

D) 

the design of an experiment that can be used for the process of science 

E) 

a prediction about something that is uncertain 

27) 

Sachiko and Fred are having a discussion about the scientific method. Sachiko makes the comment that every time she sees people carrying open umbrellas, she also sees several small car accidents. This is a(n) ________. 

27) 

______ 

A) 

 observation 

B) 

 theory about car accidents 

C) 

 scientific study 

D) 

 theory about umbrellas 

E) 

 hypothesis	 

28) 

An experiment ________. 

28) 

______ 

A) 

does not need to be repeated  

B) 

is designed to prove a scientific hypothesis 

C) 

often involves manipulating as many variables as possible 

D) 

is an activity designed to test the validity of a hypothesis 

E) 

involves only collection of quantitative data 

29) 

Ecology is ________. 

29) 

______ 

A) 

not a crucial discipline to environmental science 

B) 

the study of animal behaviour 

C) 

concerned only with solving environmental problems 

D) 

the study of organisms and their interactions with each other and with the environment 

E) 

a subfield of environmentalism 

30) 

According to Edward O. Wilson, biodiversity ________. 

30) 

______ 

A) 

cannot be conserved 

B) 

can recover quickly with human intervention 

C) 

will recover over time 

D) 

is a resource that can be used endlessly for human good 

E) 

is a nonrenewable resource 

31) 

In general, natural resources ________. 

31) 

______ 

A) 

should be conserved 

B) 

belong only to those on whose property they exist 

C) 

should be used by everyone equally 

D) 

are evenly divided among all countries 

E) 

should not be used 

32) 

Solutions to environmental problems ________. 

32) 

______ 

A) 

must be on a local scale 

B) 

must be short term 

C) 

must be sustainable 

D) 

can be implemented only by scientists 

E) 

are best discussed in the political arena 

33) 

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

33) 

______ 

A) 

Ruben needs to take careful measurements of the puppy's weight and height at least once a week for it to be a good experiment. 

B) 

This is not an experiment—there are no controls or replicates. 

C) 

This is an example of an excellent, controlled experiment as it is written. 

D) 

Ruben needs to control for the amount of exercise, sunshine, water, and care that the puppy gets each week, so that they are equal from week to week. 

E) 

Ruben needs to use his mother's 6-year-old chocolate Sharpei to feed a standard diet so he can compare his puppy with a control dog. 

34) 

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

34) 

______ 

A) 

investigative inquiry 

B) 

peer review 

C) 

critical analysis 

D) 

quality control  

E) 

scientific community 

35) 

Rocks, wind, water, temperature and solar radiation are all examples of ________. 

35) 

______ 

A) 

non-renewable resources 

B) 

renewable resources 

C) 

biotic environmental factors 

D) 

abiotic environmental factors 

E) 

biodegradable materials 

36) 

Why was human population growth initially regarded as a good thing? 

36) 

______ 

A) 

greater pool of workers and helpers 

B) 

larger armies for conquering new lands 

C) 

to spread religion around the world 

D) 

to spread democracy through all countries 

E) 

fewer children to support folks in old age 

37) 

Malthus was responsible for ________. 

37) 

______ 

A) 

the book The Population Bomb, which described the disastrous effects of human population growth  

B) 

the concept that human population growth would lead to greater industry and prosperity through education 

C) 

the political stance that the environment was important in its own right 

D) 

the idea that, without social strictures, the increase in the human population would lead to famine and war  

E) 

instituting fertilizer use for agriculture 

38) 

Ehrlich's predictions have not come true on the scale he imagined because ________. 

38) 

______ 

A) 

governments controlled birth rates in all countries 

B) 

Malthus was right 

C) 

medicine has not advanced as rapidly as he predicted 

D) 

agricultural advances have been made in recent decades 

E) 

pollution has reduced the birth rate in all countries 

39) 

The cumulative total and kind of living things on Earth is ________. 

39) 

______ 

A) 

its environment 

B) 

an abiotic factor 

C) 

its biodiversity 

D) 

called taxonomy 

E) 

increasing rapidly 

40) 

You have read about the mistakes made on Easter Island. On Tikopia, another small island, 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 practiced contraception. These all indicate that ________. 

40) 

______ 

A) 

they believed in full resource utilization 

B) 

they truly practiced sustainability 

C) 

they were concerned with only one year at a time 

D) 

they felt that everything was a nonrenewable resource 

E) 

they felt that everything was a renewable resource 

41) 

The oceans face pressure from ________. 

41) 

______ 

A) 

the Endangered Species Act (Canada) 

B) 

lack of predators 

C) 

too many preserves 

D) 

overfishing 

E) 

increasing whale populations 

42) 

Sustainable development ________. 

42) 

______ 

A) 

is beyond our current technology and attitudes 

B) 

ensures an economy that will decline over time 

C) 

is possible given our increased use of fertilizers and technology for agriculture 

D) 

means consuming resources without compromising future availability 

E) 

is impossible to accomplish 

43) 

Pesticide use ________. 

43) 

______ 

A) 

can be eliminated by changing the season when crops are planted  

B) 

poses no environmental threat in this country 

C) 

may be a necessary part of modern technological agriculture with monocultures 

D) 

will not be a problem as we learn to genetically modify predators 

E) 

will be eliminated as pests are decreasing as a consequence of years of pesticide use 

44) 

In a controlled experiment, ________. 

44) 

______ 

A) 

the researcher has several hypotheses, one of which will be proven correct 

B) 

you need only a single experimental organism; replicates are not needed 

C) 

the researcher controls for the effects of all variables except one 

D) 

the experimental organisms have all been used before and given good results 

E) 

the researcher knows the outcome before she or he begins 

45) 

Qualitative data ________. 

45) 

______ 

A) 

can be acquired in the detailed examination of personal interviews or observations 

B) 

have variables that may not have been properly manipulated 

C) 

cannot be used to support or disprove hypotheses 

D) 

are data that are expressed as numbers and tested using statistics 

E) 

cannot be replicated 

46) 

A pharmaceutical company wishes to study a possible new headache medicine. They are doing human trials with 1,000 volunteers and need to ________. 

46) 

______ 

A) 

control for the type of headache—stress, migraine, or other causes 

B) 

divide the groups by level of health 

C) 

put all women in the control group and all men in the experimental group 

D) 

give all groups the same amount of the new medication 

E) 

have 10 volunteers in the control group 

47) 

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

47) 

______ 

A) 

charge a high fee for acceptance 

B) 

use the peer review process 

C) 

are funded by corporations funding the research 

D) 

conform to current political and religious views 

E) 

meet guidelines advocated by environmentalists or consumer groups 

TRUE/FALSE.  Write 'T' if the statement is true and 'F' if the statement is false. 

48) 

The primary goal of science is to prove hypotheses. 

48) 

______ 

49) 

Environmentalism is a scientific approach to understanding environmental problems. 

49) 

______ 

50) 

Scientists believe that fossil fuel use is contributing to warming of the lower atmosphere. 

50) 

______ 

51) 

Globalization will have an impact on the development of environmental law as the global community is interconnected by trade, politics, and the movement of people and species. 

51) 

______ 

52) 

Over half of Earth's surface is used for some kind of agriculture. 

52) 

______ 

ESSAY.  Write your answer in the space provided or on a separate sheet of paper. 

53) 

Why is it important to understand our interactions with the environment? What will studying environmental science enable you to do? 

54) 

Define the term environmental problem. Give an example of an environmental problem. Why does the perception of what is an environmental problem differ from time to time and country to country? Give an example of how the perception of an environmental problem may have changed. 

55) 

Differentiate between environmental science and environmentalism. Define each term and explain how they are similar and how they differ. 

56) 

What two transformative events of the past 10,000 years caused human population size to increase?  Describe each, briefly explaining the contributions that each made to human population growth. Include pros and cons of each.  

57) 

Compare and contrast the types of knowledge gained and the research methods of natural and social sciences when considering environmental problems. Why do both types of disciplines need to be a part of environmental science? 

58) 

What qualities are present in an sustainable enterprise? 

MULTIPLE CHOICE.  Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question. 

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.

Pablo and Johanna have to do a year-long study for their biology course. After some discussion, they decide to try comparing their dogs and the diet that they feed them. Each has a dog from the pound, and both dogs are less than one year old. Pablo feeds his shepherd-mix dog a special diet of wet and dry foods from the local vet, while Johanna uses generic dry kibble from the supermarket for her bulldog. They want to see which diet results in bigger, healthier, faster-growing dogs.

59) 

The independent variable in this study will be ________. 

59) 

______ 

A) 

the type of food the dogs receive 

B) 

the breed of the dogs 

C) 

the sex of the dogs 

D) 

the age of the dogs 

E) 

how much the dogs grow 

60) 

According to the information given, one dependent variable in this study will be ________. 

60) 

______ 

A) 

how much the dogs grow 

B) 

the breed of the dogs 

C) 

the age of the dogs 

D) 

the type of food the dogs receive 

E) 

the sex of the dogs 

61) 

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

61) 

______ 

A) 

tell them that the proposal is impossible and that such a study cannot be done at all 

B) 

give them an F and tell them to start over—it would take many years to do such a study 

C) 

tell them they have some serious problems with the proposal, but it is possible to fix 

D) 

tell them that they need at least 100 dogs to do the study 

E) 

give them an A for thoroughness and allow them to proceed with the experiment 

62) 

The reason the instructor gives them will include the fact that they have too many ________. 

62) 

______ 

A) 

variables that they didn't control and not enough replicates 

B) 

independent variables and not enough dependent variables 

C) 

dependent variables and not enough independent variables 

D) 

replicates and not enough variables 

E) 

controlled variables and not enough uncontrolled variables 

Read the following scenario and answer the questions below.

After meeting with their instructor, Pablo and Johanna know that they need to change their experimental design. They contact a local puppy farm and arrange to do their study with 3-month-old litters of pups from four Irish setters, a total of 24 puppies, consisting of 12 females and 12 males.

63) 

In order to have two sets of puppies, one set to be the control group and one set to be the experimental group, Pablo and Johanna should ________. 

63) 

______ 

A) 

put the 12 females in one group and the 12 males in the other group 

B) 

flip a coin for each dog to see which group it will be in 

C) 

put six males and six females in each group, with some from each litter in each group 

D) 

put all the puppies from two of the litters in one group and all of the puppies from the other two litters in the other group 

E) 

randomly choose one dog for the control group and use the other 23 in the experimental group 

64) 

Pablo and Johanna should probably run the experiment ________. 

64) 

______ 

A) 

for several months, weighing and measuring the pups before and after 

B) 

for several months, weighing and measuring the pups twice every day 

C) 

for several months, weighing and measuring the pups every week 

D) 

for at least 3 years, weighing and measuring the pups every week 

E) 

for one month, weighing and measuring the pups before and after 

65) 

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 ________. 

65) 

______ 

A) 

they have proven the veterinary diet is best for all dogs 

B) 

they have proven that the kibble diet is best for female dogs. 

C) 

there is a probability that the kibble is better for puppies 

D) 

there is a probability that the veterinary diet is better than kibble for puppies 

E) 

there is a probability that the veterinary diet is better than kibble for all dogs 

 

1) 

B 

2) 

E 

3) 

A 

4) 

J 

5) 

K 

6) 

G 

7) 

A 

8) 

F 

9) 

I 

10) 

Renewable resources are virtually unlimited (sunlight) or are replenished over short periods of time (plants). Nonrenewable natural resources are limited in supply and are not replenished or are formed much more slowly than we use them. These would include oil and minerals such as gold, copper, and aluminium. 

11) 

On Easter Island, research has provided data supporting the theory that overuse of natural resources led to the collapse of the civilization. Even the cultural move from hunting and gathering to agriculture did not prevent the collapse; it only prolonged the period prior to collapse. The modern world is much like Easter Island with larger resource pools, but the message remains the same. Civilizations can crumble when population pressure overwhelms resource availability, although for the modern world, this collapse will be a long time in arriving due to advances in such fields as technology, engineering, agriculture, and medicine. This will postpone, but not prevent, eventual societal collapse if the way that resources are used is not altered to a more conservationist policy.  

12) 

Various disciplines in the natural sciences will help define the problem, such as the chemicals involved, the size of the underground chemical plume and the rate at which it moves. Social science can assist governmental agencies in understanding human behaviour in devising solutions to the problem.  

13) 

A correlation is a relationship between two variables, and causation exists when it has been understood how a change in one variable causes change in a second variable.  

14) 

The manipulative experiment is one in which the researcher chooses and manipulates the independent variable, and a natural experiment is one in which the researcher records data from variables as they are expressed in the natural environment, such as weights of all of the organisms currently on an island. 

15) 

theory 

16) 

ecology 

17) 

scientific method 

18) 

environment 

19) 

science 

20) 

experiment; variables 

21) 

alter decisions about toxic products 

22) 

D 

23) 

B 

24) 

A 

25) 

B 

26) 

B 

27) 

A 

28) 

D 

29) 

D 

30) 

E 

31) 

A 

32) 

C 

33) 

B 

34) 

B 

35) 

D 

36) 

A 

37) 

D 

38) 

D 

39) 

C 

40) 

B 

41) 

D 

42) 

D 

43) 

C 

44) 

C 

45) 

A 

46) 

A 

47) 

B 

48) 

FALSE 

49) 

FALSE 

50) 

TRUE 

51) 

TRUE 

52) 

TRUE 

53) 

We depend on the environment for air, water, food, shelter, and everything else. We are capable of modifying the environment whether we intend to or not. Understanding our interactions with the environment is the essential first step toward devising positive, sustainable solutions. Studying environmental science will give students the tools that can help them evaluate information on environmental change and to think critically and creatively about possible actions to take in response. 

54) 

An environmental problem is an imbalance or undesirable change in the environment. An example would be decreased air quality caused by pollution in Los Angeles. The perception of a problem changes due to one's definition of the word undesirable and the awareness of the consequences of certain actions. The environmental problems resulting from DDT use are undesirable in this country but are the lesser of two evils in a country with severe malaria problems. Still, we should accept the challenge of trying to control malaria-transmitting mosquitoes without major threat to the environment. 

55) 

Environmental science is the pursuit of knowledge about the workings of the environment and our interactions with it. Environmentalism is a social movement dedicated to protecting the natural environment and, by extension, humans, from undesirable changes brought about by certain human choices. Environmental scientists and environmentalists study the same issues, but environmental scientists use an objective scientific approach to understanding environmental problems. Environmentalists, on the other hand, use dramatic and often emotional approaches to alter the political and social understanding of environmental problems. 

56) 

The neolithic revolution included transition from the hunter-gatherer lifestyle to an agricultural lifestyle. During the industrial revolution, there were shifts from rural life, animal-powered agriculture, and manufacture by craftspeople to an urban society powered by fossil fuels such as coal and oil. Students should describe the benefits and problems associated with each revolution. 

57) 

The natural sciences are made up of disciplines that study the biotic and abiotic facets of the natural world and their interactions with each other. These disciplines rely on all types of studies that generate mainly quantitative data, allowing scientists to acquire and interpret information about the natural world. The social sciences are made up of disciplines that study human attitudes, behaviours, and interactions. The scientists in these disciplines mainly collect qualitative data using a variety of research techniques that are similar to natural scientists. Studies that examine how cultures perceive an environmental concept may be used to implement environmental policy. Because environmental problems involve accurate assessment of the scope of the problem by which policy that affects humans is devised, both types of sciences are needed to be a part of environmental science.  

58) 

A sustainable enterprise is one which allows future generations to carry it on at the same level of productivity that we do at present. Whatever natural capital is required will remain equally available in the future as it is now. The environmental effects of the enterprise will not damage, degrade or deplete the systems with which it interfaces. Materials and energy will be used efficiently, wastes will be minimal and non-toxic, and the ecological footprint of the enterprise will remain unchanged, or may diminish as better technology becomes available. 

59) 

A 

60) 

A 

61) 

C 

62) 

A 

63) 

C 

64) 

C 

65) 

D