ANSWER KEY
SC.912.L.17.20 Predict the impact of individuals on environmental systems and examine how
human lifestyles affect sustainability. (Also assesses SC.912.L.17.11, SC.912.L.17.13,
SC.912.N.1.3, and HE.912.C.1.3.)
Multiple Choice (15 POINTS)
Write the letter of the BEST ANSWER beside each number of each the question.
1. A developer wants to build a new housing development in or around a large city. Which of the
following plans would be LEAST harmful to the environment?
A. Clearing a forested area outside of the city to build houses.
B. Building apartments at the site of an abandoned factory in the city.
C. Building a neighborhood in a meadow at the edge of the city.
D. Filling a wetland area and building oceanfront condominiums.
2. Using resources in way that does not cause long-term environmental harm is called
A. sustainable development.
B. monoculture.
C. biological magnification.
D. subsistence hunting.
3. The 1930s Dust Bowl in the Great Plains was caused by
A. deforestation.
B. contour plowing.
C. using renewable resources.
D. poor farming practices.
4. Which of the following is NOT considered a sustainable-development strategy for management
of Earth’s resources?
A. contour plowing
B. desertification
C. crop rotation
D. selective harvesting of trees
5. What was the name of the oil rig that exploded on April 20, 2010?
A. Deep Water Horizon
B. Dark Water Horizon
C. Exxon Valdez
D. Ixtoc I
6. What company owned the oil rig that exploded in April 20, 2010?
A. Exxon
B. BP
C. Transocean
D. Texaco
7.
Eggs from which animal’s nest were relocated from beaches endangered boy oil to clean
beaches?
A. Platypuses
B. Otters
C. Eagles
D. Sea turtles
8.
In which body of water did the oil spill occur?
A. Persian Gulf
B. Gulf of Mexico
C. Bering Sea
D. Panama Canal
About how many barrels of oil have been estimated to have been spilled?
A. 50 thousand
B. 5 million
C. 1 million
D. 5 million
10. As part of the cleanup efforts, oil on the surface of the water was burned.
A. TRUE
B. FALSE
C. I DON’T KNOW
9.
11. Which of the following stated DID NOT have oil from the spill washing up on the beaches?
A. California
B. Florida
C. Louisiana
D. Mississippi
12. There has been no oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico since the well was capped.
A. TRUE
B. FALSE
C. I DON’T KNOW
13. When did the Gulf of Mexico oil spill happen?
A. April 20, 2010
B. May 20, 2010
C. June 20, 2010
D. July 20, 2010
14. Why is the orange color of some of the oil a cause for worry?
A. The oil scatters light and produces the color as it moves close to shore.
B. The oil particles have combined with the chemical dispersant.
C. The oil has emulsified with the water and increased in volume.
D. The color signals that deep plumes are floating beneath the surface.
15. Success at solving an environmental problem is MORE LIKELY when researchers follow the basic
principles of ecology because
A. Ecological solutions to problems are usually very easy to implement and can be done
quickly.
B. Most people in the world are more interested in saving the environment than in their own
comfort and convenience.
C. Ecology uses scientific research to identify the cause of the problem and the best practices
to solve the problem.
D. Ecologists are very good at influencing government officials into changing laws to improve
the environment.
SHORT-CONSTRUCTED RESPONSE (5 POINTS) - FOR THE POST TEST
What is the connection between energy use and carbon dioxide?
Energy made available through the burning of fossil fuels such as coal, results in the production of carbon
dioxide which is released to the atmosphere. This is because the fuel used is made up almost entirely of
carbon and when you burn it, the carbon joins with oxygen in the air to make carbon dioxide. Carbon
dioxide is one of the greenhouse gases responsible for global warming.