Use and Conservation of
Resources
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Printed: October 20, 2014
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C HAPTER
Chapter 1. Use and Conservation of Resources
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Use and Conservation of
Resources
Lesson 20.1: True or False
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Write true if the statement is true or false if the statement is false.
_____ 1. All renewable natural resources are living things.
_____ 2. Plant nutrients may be lost from soil because of air pollution.
_____ 3. Forests may be either renewable or non-renewable resources.
_____ 4. Fossil fuels can be renewable resources if we conserve them.
_____ 5. Electricity can be generated only from non-renewable resources.
_____ 6. Non-renewable resources may be very abundant or very rare.
_____ 7. Nearly 80 percent of the world’s oil is found in Japan, China, and the U.S.
_____ 8. Much of the electronic waste from the U.S. ends up in developing countries.
_____ 9. More natural resources are wasted in developing than developed countries.
_____ 10. Recycling is the only way to conserve non-renewable natural resources.
Lesson 20.1: Critical Reading
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Read this passage based on the text and answer the questions that follow.
Resource Availability
Many of the resources we depend on are non-renewable. Non-renewable resources vary in their availability. Some
are very abundant, whereas others are very rare. Resources such as gravel and sand are technically non-renewable
but are so abundant that running out is not an issue. Other resources are truly limited in quantity, including many
minerals. When they are gone, they are gone, and something must be found to replace them. Some non-renewable
resources, such as diamonds and rubies, are costly in part because they are very rare.
Besides abundance, the cost of a resource is determined by how easy it is to locate and extract. If a resource is
difficult to find or obtain, it may go unused unless there are no other cheaper alternatives. For example, the oceans
are filled with an abundant supply of water, but removing salt from ocean water (desalination) is very costly, so this
source of water mainly goes unused. However, if the cost of desalination were to decrease, more ocean water would
likely be used.
Politics may also affect resource availability and cost. Nations that have a desired resource in abundance will often
export that resource to other countries. Countries that need the resource must import it from one of the countries
that produces it. This situation is a potential source of political conflict. Oil is a good example of this. Only 11
countries have nearly 80 percent of all of the world’s oil. They are Algeria, Indonesia, Iran, Iraq, Kuwait, Libya,
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Nigeria, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, and Venezuela. However, the biggest users of oil are the
United States, China, and Japan. This leads to a situation in which the availability and price of oil is determined
largely by oil-producing countries, which have their own interests to look out for. They may raise the price of oil for
reasons that have nothing to do with the cost of obtaining it. Wars may even be fought over oil or other resources
that are not evenly distributed.
Questions
1. Describe variability in the abundance of non-renewable resources.
2. Besides abundance, what factors determine the cost of natural resources?
3. Which countries have the most oil reserves, and which countries use the most oil? Why is this situation a
potential source of political conflict?
Lesson 20.1: Multiple Choice
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Circle the letter of the correct choice.
1. Forests are natural resources that may be used for
a.
b.
c.
d.
timber.
habitat.
recreation.
all of the above
2. Examples of potentially renewable resources include all of the following except
a.
b.
c.
d.
soil.
water.
wildlife.
fossil fuels.
3. Which of the following items is made only from renewable resources?
a.
b.
c.
d.
cotton tee shirt
bottled water
wood house
cell phone
4. The cost of non-renewable resources depends on how
a.
b.
c.
d.
abundant they are.
easy it is to find them.
difficult it is to extract them.
all of the above
5. The biggest users of oil in the world include
a.
b.
c.
d.
the United Arab Emirates.
the United States.
Saudi Arabia.
all of the above
6. Electronic wastes such as old computers
a. are hazardous wastes.
b. contain only harmless materials.
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Chapter 1. Use and Conservation of Resources
c. can be disposed of safely in landfills.
d. two of the above
7. Which of the following non-renewable resources is least likely to run out?
a.
b.
c.
d.
coal
gravel
diamond
petroleum
Lesson 20.1: Matching
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Match each definition with the correct term.
Definitions
_____ 1. any natural resource that is limitless or can be regenerated as quickly as it is used
_____ 2. to obtain a resource or other product from another country
_____ 3. trees that are cut for wood to use for building or other purposes
_____ 4. anything useful to people that comes from the natural environment
_____ 5. to reduce the use of a natural resource so it will last longer
_____ 6. any natural resource that cannot be regenerated at all or not as quickly as it is used
_____ 7. to send a resource or other product to another country
Terms
a. timber
b. conserve
c. renewable resource
d. non-renewable resource
e. export
f. natural resource
g. import
Lesson 20.1: Fill in the Blank
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Fill in the blank with the appropriate term.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
When we practice __________, we make sure that natural resources will be available in the future.
Natural resources are usually classified as either renewable or __________.
A forest is an a example of a(n) __________ resource if it is used wisely.
Minerals are examples of __________ resources.
__________ is the use of more resources than people actually need.
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6. Discarded materials produce __________ that degrades the environment.
7. __________ is the process of collecting and processing of used materials and turning them into new products.
Lesson 20.1: Critical Writing
Name___________________ Class______________ Date________
Thoroughly answer the question below. Use appropriate academic vocabulary and clear and complete sentences.
For many natural resources, the categories of renewable and non-renewable are not completely separate. Instead,
they are more like two ends of a continuum. Explain why, and illustrate your answer with examples.
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