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Environmental Science: A Global Concern, 7/e

William P. Cunningham, University of Minnesota
Mary Ann Cunningham, Vassar College
Barbara Woodworth Saigo, St. Cloud State University

Human Populations

Practice Quizzing


1	The world’s population increases by about _____ people per year.
		A)	800,000
		B)	8 million
		C)	80 million
		D)	800 million


2	The rapid increase in human numbers after A.D. 1600 resulted from
		A)	increased trading between nations.
		B)	better health care.
		C)	improved agricultural efficiencies.
		D)	all of the above.


3	Malthus contended that
		A)	by providing additional workers human population growth enhanced economic development.
		B)	humans can produce babies faster than they can produce commensurate amounts of food.
		C)	poverty causes resource depletion rather than the reverse.
		D)	all of the above are true.


4	Marx believed that
		A)	excess population growth produces food shortages which produces poverty and misery.
		B)	exploitation of people produces poverty which produces population growth with its attendant miseries.
		C)	technological improvements were the only way to better the human condition.
		D)	aggressive birth control programs were the most important tool to reduce the misery associated with excess population growth.


5	Factors increasing earth's ability to support humans that Malthus did not anticipate include
		A)	dramatic increases in agricultural productivity.
		B)	cheap fuel sources.
		C)	improved efficiency in extraction and use of natural resources.
		D)	all of the above.


6	Current world population is about
		A)	600 million.
		B)	2 billion.
		C)	6 billion.
		D)	10 billion.


7	The greatest future growth in human numbers is expected to occur in the
		A)	rich countries of Europe and North America.
		B)	rich Asian countries including Japan.
		C)	developing nations.


8	Fertility rates have declined in
		A)	all major regions of the world.
		B)	only in Europe, Japan, and the U.S.
		C)	all areas but Africa.
		D)	all areas but Asia.


9	The increase in the U.S. population over the next 50 years is projected to rank
		A)	among the lowest in the world.
		B)	larger than all other nations except China and India.
		C)	about fifteenth in the world.
		D)	about seventy-fifth in the world.


10	The total fertility rate is the
		A)	total number of births in a given time period in a population.
		B)	average number of children born to a woman in a population during her reproductive life.
		C)	total number of births less the deaths in a given time period.
		D)	total number of children produced that survive to reproductive age per year.


11	In general, countries with the highest fertility rates are those
		A)	with the greatest untapped natural resources.
		B)	among the poorest on earth.
		C)	with the highest life expectancies.
		D)	with low infant mortality rates.


12	The main cause of population growth in recent centuries has been
		A)	a drop in mortality rate.
		B)	a drop in mortality rate and a sharp increase in natality rate.
		C)	a progressive increase in birth rate.
		D)	a sharp increase in birth rate.


13	The natural increase of a population is defined as
		A)	the total number of individuals entering a population by birth or immigration per year.
		B)	the crude birth rate less the crude death rate.
		C)	the total number of children added to a population less the number who are adopted.
		D)	the number of additions to a population by any means.


14	It took _________ years for world population to go from 5 billion to 6 billion.
		A)	200
		B)	100
		C)	50
		D)	12


15	In general, life expectancy
		A)	rises with increased annual income.
		B)	rises with increased annual income but only up to about $4000.
		C)	bears no consistent relationship to annual income.
		D)	is greatest among country peasants.


16	Social and economic factors tending to increase the number of children couple plan to have include
		A)	wanting additional workers contributing to family income.
		B)	the joys of parenthood.
		C)	wanting support when in old age.
		D)	all of the above.


17	Factors linked with reduction in the number of children couples plan to have include
		A)	increased educational level of women.
		B)	desire to spend family income on things other than raising children.
		C)	increased earning levels of women.
		D)	all of the above.


18	The demographic transition is the shift in a population over time from having a
		A)	high birth rate and low death rate to low birth rate and high death rate.
		B)	high birth rate and death rate to low birth and death rate.
		C)	low birth and death rate to high birth and death rate.
		D)	low birth and death rate to low birth and high death rate.


19	A belief that many poorer countries will not be able to complete the demographic transition without crash programs to reduce population growth is described as the
		A)	pessimistic view.
		B)	optimistic view.
		C)	social justice view.
		D)	ecojustice view.


20	Views regarding the likelihood of the poor countries passing through the demographic transition include
		A)	the transition is already in progress and intervention is not needed.
		B)	without intensive intervention to reduce birth rates it will not happen.
		C)	the transition in many countries needs to be helped along by redistribution of a portion of resources from richer countries.
		D)	all of the above.


21	An effective birth control option also showing promise in treating several types of cancer and diabetes is
		A)	Norplant.
		B)	RU 486.
		C)	an adhesive patch dispensing progesterone.
		D)	methotrexate.


22	If the percent rate of increase remains constant a population's doubling time will speed up.
		A)	True
		B)	False


23	Neo-Malthusians feel aggressive birth control efforts should be our top priority.
		A)	True
		B)	False


24	Neo-Marxists feel establishing social justice is a high priority.
		A)	True
		B)	False


25	Julian Simon was convinced that without fundamental social and economic changes, environmental damage will accelerate.
		A)	True
		B)	False


26	Worldwide, our population growth curve is taking the shape of the standard S curve.
		A)	True
		B)	False


27	Reductions in death rates in recent centuries are due more to better food and sanitation than modern medicine.
		A)	True
		B)	False


28	The greatest leap in human population is associated with the Industrial Revolution rather than the Agricultural Revolution.
		A)	True
		B)	False


29	The demographic transition generally accompanies economic development.
		A)	True
		B)	False


30	Absent migration, populations of many wealthy countries would actually be declining.
		A)	True
		B)	False

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