Question Sheets for Environmentology
(Sample)

　　1. Draw straight lines between each pair of the statements you think match each other in the left and right columns below. ( 15 points )

　　2. Choose the most appropriate answer to each of the following questions. ( 30 points )

(1) Which is not a factor in environmental science?

　　 A) biology
　　 B) religion
　　 C) ethics
　　 D) politics
　　 E) economics

(2) "All environmental responsibility is derived from human interests alone." This defines:

　　 A) environmental ethics
　　 B) anthropocentrism
　　 C) biocentrism
　　 D) ecocentrism

(3) Which is untrue? Poor people often have environmentally hazardous sites near them because:

　　 A) they are poorly represented politically
　　 B) the health risks are less for them
　　 C) land is cheaper near them
　　 D) they need the jobs the sites promise
　　 E) they cannot afford good lawyers

(4) Items considered in risk management do not include:

　　 A) morals
　　 B) costs
　　 C) probability
　　 D) how much risk is acceptable
　　 E) which risk receives priority

(5) Which is untrue? Recycled wood:

　　 A) saves landfill costs
　　 B) is used to make particle board
　　 C) is just at the concept phase
　　 D) reduces pressure on forests

(6) Reducing pollution can be profitable by:
　　 A) reducing landfill costs
　　 B) reducing manufacturing wastes
　　 C) selling former waste products
　　 D) recycling wastes
　　 E) all of the above

(7) Which is incorrect? The scientific method assumes:

　　 A) specific causes for the events
　　 B) identifiable causes
　　 C) repeated events probably have different causes
　　 D) what one sees, another can see
　　 E) the rules apply to all of nature

(8) Compounds:

　　 A) are chemically bonded atoms
　　 B) are pure elements
　　 C) are mixtures
　　 D) are the nucleus
　　 E) lack a nucleus

(9) Carbon dioxide is made into sugar by:

　　 A) Keebler elves
　　 B) photosynthesis
　　 C) respiration
　　 D) using no energy
　　 E) burning

(10) Wind is an example of:

　　 A) kinetic energy
　　 B) potential energy
　　 C) heat energy
　　 D) atomic energy

(11) The Second Law of Thermodynamics helps explain:

　　 A) electricity
　　 B) entropy
　　 C) energy
　　 D) all of the above

(12) In a species:

　　 A) the individuals can mate successfully with one another
　　 B) all live in the same place
　　 C) the individuals make up the whole population of an ecosystem
　　 D) there is only a single individual

(13) The same species using the same resource. This is:

　　 A) predation
　　 B) intraspecific competition
　　 C) interspecific competition
　　 D) commensalism
　　 E) mutation

(14) Which is untrue? Bacteria-plant nitrogen-fixation

　　 A) provides better nitrogen
　　 B) saves energy
　　 C) is cheaper for the farmer
　　 D) enriches the soil

(15) "A stable, long-lasting community" defines a:

　　 A) climax community
　　 B) fixed community
　　 C) pioneer community
　　 D) succession community

(16) In vegetation type:

　　 A) altitude and latitude have no relationship
　　 B) high altitude is like high latitude
　　 C) high altitude is like low latitude
　　 D) low latitude is like high altitude
　　 E) low latitude is always desert

(17) Rainforests have their nutrition:

　　 A) in the soil
　　 B) in the animals
　　 C) in the litter on the ground
　　 D) in the water
　　 E) in the biomass

(18) Phytoplankton in the oceans are:

　　 A) producers
　　 B) secondary consumers
　　 C) carnivores
　　 D) herbivores

(19) BOD indicates:

　　 A) bad odors
　　 B) bodies of dead animals
　　 C) amount of organic matter in the water
　　 D) amount of oxygen in the water

(20) Coral reefs are:

　　 A) produced by living organisms
　　 B) formed by sediments
　　 C) unaffected by the weather
　　 D) are the results of fish wastes
　　 E) have little life around them

3. Fill in the blanket within each statement with the most appropriate expression chosen from the 4 suggestions (A, B, C or D). ( 24 points )

　　(1) Environmental science is an ( ) area of study that includes both applied and theoretical aspects of human impact on the world.

　　　　A) interrelated 　　B) interdisciplinary 　　C) interactive　　D) international

　　(2) Sustainable development is “development that meets the needs of the ( ) without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.”

　　　　A) people 　　B) nature 　　C) old generation 　　D) present

　　(3) Pollution-prevention costs can often be factored into a ( ) analysis.

　　　　A) economic 　　B) environmental　　 C) life cycle　　 D) cost-benefit

　　(4) Risk management is a decision-making process of weighing policy alternatives and selecting the most appropriate regulatory action, integrating the results of risk assessment with engineering data and with social, economic, and political concerns to reach a ( ).

　　　　A) decision 　　B) conclusion 　　C) solution 　　D) goal

　　(5) The scientific method is a way of gaining ( ) about the world by forming possible solutions to questions, followed by rigorous testing to determine if the proposed solutions are valid.

　　　　A) question 　　B) money　　 C) benefit　　 D) information

　　(6) An experiment is a ( ) of an event or occurrence in a way that enables a scientist to support or disprove a hypothesis.

　　　　A) test 　　B) examination 　　C) investigation 　　D) recreation

　　(7) The law of conservation of mass states that ( ) is not gained or lost during a chemical reaction.

　　　　A) reactant 　　B) matter 　　C) resultant 　　D) energy

　　(8) Atoms are ( ) subunits of matter.

　　　　A) fundamental 　　B) small 　　C) little 　　D) functional

　　(9) A catalyst is a substance that alters the rate of a ( ), but the catalyst itself is not consumed or altered in the process.

　　　　A) process 　　B) reaction 　　C) system 　　D) race

　　(10) The energy contained by moving objects is called ( ) energy.

　　　　A) potential 　　B) heat 　　C) kinetic 　　D) active

　　(11) Genes are distinct pieces of DNA that determine the characteristics ( ) displays.

　　　　A) a species 　　B) an individual　　 C) a population 　　D) a family

　　(12) Extinction is the loss of ( ) and is a common feature of the evolution of organisms.

　　　　A) a number of living creatures 　　　　B) animals in one area

　　　　C) everything in one area 　　　　　　D) an entire species

　　(13) A lack of ( ) is the primary factor that determines that an area will be a desert.

　　　　A) water 　　　B) vegetation 　　　C) animal 　　　D) visitors

　　(14) Aquatic ecosystems that have little dissolved ( ) are called freshwater ecosystems.

　　　　A) oxygen 　　　B) organic matter 　　　C) nutrient 　　　D) salt

　　(15) A base is the opposite of an acid in that it accepts ( ) in solution.

　　　　A) hydrogen ions 　　　　B) hydroxides 　　　C) metal ions　　 D) sodium ions

　　(16) An estuary is a special category of aquatic ecosystem, that consist of shallow, partially enclosed areas where ( ) enters the ocean.

　　　　A) polluted water 　　　B) salty water 　　　　C) fresh water 　　D) flooding water

　　4. Write a short article of no more than 100 English words to explain the following figure. ( 16 points )

Elements of the Scientific Method and their Relationships

　　The figure explains the elements of the scientific method and their relationships. Observation of a natural phenomenon is usually the first step. This often leads people to ask questions about the observation. This questioning is followed by formulating a hypothesis that explains why the phenomenon occurred. The hypothesis is then tested by experiments. The hypothesis may need to be revised and tested again. These may finally result in developing new scientific theory or law, or fitting with current scientific theories and laws. Communication with other scientists is very important in all the above mentioned steps.

5. Read the following article and answer questions ( 15 points )

The Greater Yellow stone Ecosystem

　　In 1872 the U. S. government established Yellowstone National Park as the world's first national park. It was an expansive area that protected unique natural features such as geysers, hot springs , rivers, lakes, and mountains. It was also a preserve for many kinds of wildlife such as grizzly bears, elk, moose, and bison. At the time it was established, the park was thought to be of adequate size to protect the scenic resources and the wildlife. Since that time, the lands surrounding the park have been converted to a variety of uses, including cattle grazing, timber production, hunting, and mining.

　　Fortunately, most of the lands surrounding Yellowstone National Park and the adjacent Grant Teton National Park are still under government control as national forest, national wildlife refuges, and other state, local, or federal entities. Some of the park wildlife, particularly the grizzly bear and bison, often wander across the park boundaries. The grizzly in particular needs large regions of wilderness to survive as a species.

　　Many people assert that it is essential that these lands be integrated into a Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem management plan encompassing about 7.3 million hectares (18 million acres). The plan is based on more natural boundaries than the original boundaries established in 1872. This would require changes in the way much of the land surrounding Yellowstone is being used. The trade-offs are significant. Logging, mining, hunting, and grazing would be stopped or significantly reduced. This would result in a loss of jobs in those industries. Proponents argue that additional jobs would be created in the tourist and related service industries. The advantages, they argue, would be equal to or grater than the economic losses caused by stopping current uses. Individual and group decisions result in organizational policies and consumer behavior that support or weaken the ecosystem.

Questions:

　　(1) What are the main natural features of the Yellowstone National Park , and what are the main species of wild animals there? (5 points)

　　The main natural features are geysers, hot springs , rivers, lakes, and mountains. The main species of wild animals there are grizzly bears, elk, moose, and bison.

　　(2) Who is controlling the Yellowstone National Park and its surroundings? Has the wildness been well kept until nowadays? (5 points)

　　The government is controlling the Yellowstone National Park and its surroundings. The wildness has been a little bit disturbed because the lands surrounding the park have been converted to a variety of uses, including cattle grazing, timber production, hunting, and mining.

　　(3) What is the meaning of “trade-offs” in this article? (5 points)

　　Trade-offs in this article means that the economic losses caused by stopping logging, mining, hunting, and grazing can be compensated by the advantage of tourist and related service industries.