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Biology, 6/e
Author Dr. George B. Johnson, Washington University
Author Dr. Peter H. Raven, Missouri Botanical Gardens & Washington University
Contributor Dr. Susan Singer, Carleton College
Contributor Dr. Jonathan Losos, Washington University

The Future of the Biosphere

Multiple Choice Quiz

Please answer all questions



1

The best predictor of future population growth rate is
A)life expectancy
B)age structure
C)mortality
D)undeveloped land
2

The challenges to the promise of plentiful energy produced by nuclear fuel do not include
A)terrorism potential
B)safe operation
C)safe disposal of spent fuel
D)insufficient amount of uranium
3

In the breakdown of the ozone layer, the ozone (O3) directly reacts with
A)ultraviolet light
B)chlorine atoms
C)oxygen atoms
D)CFC molecules
4

Nonreplaceable resources at risk of depletion in the United States are
A)topsoil, biodiversity, lakes and streams
B)ground water, forests, and topsoil
C)ground water, topsoil, and biodiversity
D)forests, topsoil, and biodiversity
5

Tall smokestacks are not a solution to pollution by coal-burning power plants because
A)they are too expensive to build
B)they don't dispense the pollutants
C)they are a hazard to low flying aircraft
D)they only move the acid rain problem farther away
6

At the present rate of growth, the human population is expected to double in size in
A)2 years
B)14 years
C)39 years
D)78 years
E)140 years
7

The single biggest factor contributing to the increase in the human population for the last 300 years has been
A)an increase in the global birth rate
B)a decrease in the global birth rate
C)an increase in the global death rate
D)a decrease in the global death rate
8

Approximately how many people are added to the world's population every minute?
A)64
B)140
C)320
D)1500
E)260,000
9

In the year 2000, approximately what percentage of the world's people lived in the developed (industrialized) countries?
A)5%
B)60%
C)85%
D)40%
E)20%
10

The thinning of the ozone layer is believed to have begun in
A)1890
B)1953
C)1975
D)1981
E)1985
11

During the next 50 years, the greatest population increase will occur in the
A)temperate developed countries
B)temperate developing countries
C)tropical and subtropical developing countries
D)temperate and tropical developed countries
12

How many crop species are responsible for providing over 50% of all human energy requirements?
A)3
B)20
C)78
D)150
E)250,000
13

The current global growth rate of the human population is about
A)1.4% per year
B)2.2% per year
C)18% per year
D)28% per year
E)41% per year
14

When did the reactor at the Chernobyl nuclear power plant blow up?
A)1953
B)1967
C)1974
D)1986
E)1991
15

A potential new food source is the high-protein cyanobacterium
A)winged bean
B)lysine
C)periwinkle
D)vinblastine
E)Spirulina
16

Which of the following countries has the smallest proportion of its population under 15 years of age?
A)Mexico
B)China
C)India
D)United States
E)they all have the same proportion
17

Which of the following is associated with the Green Revolution?
A)increased food production
B)decreased dependence on agricultural chemicals
C)decreased energy costs to produce crops
D)all of the above
E)none of the above
18

Which of the following strategies is least likely to improve the world's food supply?
A)utilizing new foods
B)bringing more land under cultivation
C)using genetic engineering to improve crop species
D)harvesting fish stocks more intelligently
E)none of the above will improve world food supplies
19

Members of which trophic level would suffer the most from biological magnification of harmful substances?
A)first trophic level
B)second tropic level
C)third trophic level
D)fourth trophic level
E)they would all suffer equally
20

The first step in solving an environmental problem should be
A)public education
B)risk analysis
C)political action
D)assessment
E)follow-through
21

The average global temperature is relatively high because carbon dioxide and other gases trap the longer wavelengths of infrared light (heat) and prevent them from radiating back into space. This is known as
A)acid precipitation
B)the ozone effect
C)the Green Revolution
D)hydroponics
E)the greenhouse effect
22

Which of the following is not likely to happen as a result of the rising levels of CO2 in our atmosphere?
A)increased incidence of skin cancer
B)rise in sea levels
C)change in climatic patterns
D)shifts in locations of deserts and fertile regions
E)none of the above is likely to happen
23

DDT and chlordane are agricultural chemicals that were once used widely but have now been banned in the United States. They belong to a class of compounds called
A)chlorofluorocarbons
B)chlorinated hydrocarbons
C)fossil fuels
D)acid precipitation
E)amaranths
24

Acid rain causes:
A)destruction of forests
B)gradual killing of lakes
C)killing fish
D)all of the above
E)none of the above
25

CFCs are:
A)a cause of ozone depletion
B)used as coolants
C)propellants in aerosol dispensers
D)foaming agents in Styrofoam
E)all of the above
26

Which of the following is not a gas that contributes to the greenhouse effect?
A)carbon dioxide
B)methane
C)CFCs
D)nitrous oxides
E)All of the above contribute to the greenhouse effect.
27

Since 1950, the United States has lost ____ of its topsoil.
A)10%
B)20%
C)50%
D)75%
E)90%
28

We presently lack the technology to prevent acid rain.
A)True
B)False
29

Every 1% drop in atmospheric ozone content is estimated to lead to a 6% increase in the incidence of skin cancer.
A)True
B)False
30

Topsoil, groundwater, and biodiversity are nonreplaceable resources.
A)True
B)False
31

The world's overpopulation is mainly due to an increase in the average human birth rate.
A)True
B)False
32

The first stage in addressing an environmental problem is assessing the situation.
A)True
B)False
33

The burning of fossil fuels releases large amounts of methane gas to the atmosphere.
A)True
B)False