Unit 7 Practice Test
1. Approximately what percentage of the water on the Earth is saltwater?
(A) 97%
(B) 93%
(C) 75%
(D) 60%
(E) 45%
2. A drought in the 1930s transformed large parts of the Midwest into a "Dustbowl." This is an example of
(A) invasive species invasion.
(B) flooding.
(C) desertification.
(D) evapotranspiration.
(E) surface runoff.
3. One way to conserve water in agriculture is to employ
(A) dams.
(B) water diversion.
(C) center pivot irrigation.
(D) adiabatic cooling techniques.
(E) drip irrigation.
4. The Ogallala aquifer is an old deposit of water and has such a slow recharge rate. It is
(A) extremely small with. concerns of endangered species.
(B) considered non-renewable.
(C) underutilized.
(D) undergoing severe salinization.
(E) increasing by about 2 feet per year.
5. The Colorado River project is
(A) extremely eutrophic.
(B) an untapped natural resource.
(C) a government subsidized water utility.
(D) a large-scale water diversion project.
(E) a confined aquifer.
Questions 6-9 refer to the following terms:
(A) Aquifer
(B) Surface water
(C) Confined aquifer
(D) Water table
(E) Transpiration
6. The freshwater from precipitation and snowmelt
7. Evaporation from the leaves of plants into the atmosphere
8. Underground caverns and porous layers of sand, gravel or bedrock through which groundwater flows
9. Upper surface of the zone of saturation
10. A forested hillside will help eliminate
(A) overgrazing.
(B) droughts.
(C) pesticide use.
(D) flooding.
(E) unsustainable farming.
11. One method of desalination is
(A) reverse osmosis.
(B) aquifer depletion.
(C) water logging.
(D) acid nitrification.
(E) cellulose framing.
Use the graph below to answer questions 12-14.
12. According to the graph, the flow of the Colorado River has
(A) dropped continually since 1910.
(B) gone up and down but continues to trend downward.
(C) stayed steady over the last 10 years.
(D) dropped steadily from 1935 until 1945.
(E) slowly increased in the last 10 years.
13. What can be inferred about the climate from 1960-1980?
(A) There was excessive rainfall.
(B) Rainfall led to variation in flow.
(C) There were average rates of precipitation.
(D) There was a drought.
(E) Windstorms deposited large amounts of sediment in the reservoir.
14. What best explains the general downward trend in Colorado River flow from 1910 until 1970?
(A) Damming of the Colorado River
(B) Excessive rainfall
(C) Excessive drought
(D) Farmers utilizing drip irrigation
(E) Utilization of an underground aquifer
15. Below are parts of a river associated with a point source pollutant. Which of the below is incorrectly paired?
(A) Clean zone-high levels of dissolved oxygen
(B) Point of input-rapid increase of biological oxygen demand
(C) Decomposition zone-only pollution tolerant fishes found
(D) Septic zone-most fish absent, low levels of dissolved oxygen
(E) Recovery zone-normal levels of dissolved oxygen
16. Frequently, lakes near areas with high human population densities will experience large growths of algae or other
unwanted bacteria and phytoplankton, often due to a lack of secondary waste treatment. This is the result of
(A) power companies dumping heated water from cooling towers.
(B) development of lakefront shorelines with beaches.
(C) sediment runoff from construction site.
(D) nonpoint source pollution runoff from sidewalks and parking lots.
(E) large nutrient influxes from sewage treatment plants,
17. Which of the below water pollutants is incorrectly paired with its source?
(A) Oxygen demanding wastes-sewage
(B) Organic chemicals-industry and farms
(C) Sediments-old unlined landfills (no plastic covering the basin)
(D) Heavy metals-mining refuse
(E) Thermal-electric power plants
18. Which of the below is an example of a point source pollutant?
(A) Ballast water discharge from a ship offshore
(B) Runoff from parking lots
(C) Organic waste from cow feed lots
(D) Sediments form land erosion
(E) Nutrients from golf courses and lawns
19. Which of the below is a common disease through contaminated drinking water?
(A) Chicken pox
(B) Bacterial Dysentery
(C) Flu
(D) Measles
(E) Lead poisoning
20. The natural aging process of a shallow lake as nutrients enrich the water body is called
(A) bioaccumulation.
(B) infiltration.
(C) natural services.
(D) eutrophication.
(E) ecological efficiency.
Questions 21 and 22 refer to the diagram of the Mississippi River drainage basin below.
21. Which letter best shows the location of depleted oxygen caused by the Mississippi River?
22. The depleted oxygen zone caused by the Mississippi River is caused primarily by
(A) sediment runoff from construction sites.
(B) wakes from boats traveling up and down the Mississippi river.
(C) lack of current flow in the main stem of the river.
(D) nitrate runoff from agricultural fields and sewage treatment plants.
(E) freshwater of the river dissolving in the Gulf and organic chemicals precipitating out.
23. Which law sets standards for the allowed levels of key water pollutants and requires polluters to get permits limiting
how much of various pollutants they can discharge into aquatic systems?
(A) National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) 1969
(B) Water Pollution Control Act of 1972
(C) Clean Water Act 1977
(D) Costal Zone Management Act 1980
(E) Water Quality Act 1987
Questions 24-26 are based on the steps of wastewater treatment below.
(A) Primary treatment
(E) Secondary treatment
(C) Disinfection
(D) Advanced treatment
(E) Discharge
24. Water flows slowly through grit chambers allowing sand and small particles to settle out.
25. Not used except when warranted by local regulations.
26. Nitrates and phosphates are removed during this step.
27. Over the 21st century, scientists expect to find ____ to become a major global health problem.
(A) people
(B) carcinogens
(C) solar panels
(D) leaking wastewater pipes
(E) leaking solid waste landfills
28. The only effective way to protect groundwater is to
(A) prevent contamination
(B) use monitoring wells
(C) cover all wells carefully
(D) treat all water from underground sources
(E) use advanced sewage treatment
Answers:
1.A
2.C
3.E
4.B
5.D
6.B
7.E
8.A
9.D
10.D
11.A
12.B
13.D
14.A
15.E
16.E
17.C
18.A
19.B
20.D
21.D
22.D
23.C
24.A
25.D
26.D
27.E
28.A