Name: _________________________
PRACTICE TEST – Unit 2: Geology, Mineral Resources & Mining
AP Environmental Science – October 1, 2013
Directions: Choose the letter of the best answer and darken its bubble.
Questions 1-4 refer to the following answers. Select the one
lettered choice that best fits each statement.
(A) Igneous rocks
(B) Metamorphic rocks
(C) Sedimentary rocks
(D) All of the above
(E) None of the above
1. This type of rock is susceptible to chemical and
mechanical weathering.
2. This type of rock is created by the cooling of magma
within the lithosphere.
3. This type of rock is produced when small particles,
transported by erosion, settle on top of each other and
become compressed.
4. Marble is an example of this type of rock.
Questions 5-8 refer to the following answers: Select the one
lettered choice that best fits each statement.
(A) Divergent boundary
(B) Convergent boundary with oceanic and continental
plates
(C) Convergent boundary with two oceanic plates
(D) Convergent boundary with two continental plates
(E) Transform boundary
5. The San Andreas Fault between the Pacific Plate and the
North American Plate in California is an example.
6. The Himalayas were formed from this type of boundary.
7. This type of boundary created the Marianas Trench.
8. The mid-Atlantic rift forms this type of boundary.
10. Which of the following set of characteristics would best
characterize a continental-oceanic convergent plate
boundary?
(A) island arc, earthquakes, mountain ranges
(B) offshore trench, coastal volcanic mountain range
(C) broad, gently sloping continental shelf with sporadic
volcanoes
(D) visible fault in the ocean floor, earthquakes,
relatively new sea floor becoming older farther
offshore
(E) deep marine sediments located at the high altitudes in
on shore mountain ranges, small, frequent
earthquakes
11. Heap leach extraction is the process that is used to
refine which of the following from ore?
(A) Uranium
(B) Gold
(C) Aluminum
(D) Halite
(E) Gravel
12. Which of the following is an example of an extrusive
igneous rock?
(A) limestone
(B) sandstone
(C) granite
(D) basalt
(E) shale
13. When a continental plate collides with another
continental plate,…
(A) a subduction zone will be created.
(B) the two plates will push each other up into a
mountain range.
(C) an island arc will be formed.
(D) a rift valley will be formed.
(E) a deep submarine trench will be formed.
14. The evidence that Alfred Wegner cited when he
originally proposed the theory of continental drift was…
9. Which of the following layers of the Earth would be the
warmest solid layer?
(A)
(B)
(C)
(D)
(E)
crust
upper mantle
lower mantle
outer core
inner core
(A) the changes in magnetic polarity within iron ore that
occurred equidistant from the mid-Atlantic rift
(B) the earthquakes that occurred along the edges of
tectonic plates
(C) the subduction zones, where one plate dives
underneath another
(D) the way coastlines fit together like a puzzle and
similar fossils occur on both sides of an ocean.
(E) the location of mountain ranges, which occur where
continental plates collide.
15. Which of the following would NOT occur as part of the
rock cycle?
(A) Extrusive igneous rocks could be converted into
sediments.
(B) Compressed sediments subjected to intense heat and
pressures become metamorphic rocks.
(C) Metamorphic rocks are subducted, melted, and
returned to the lithosphere as intrusive igneous rocks.
(D) Intrusive igneous rocks are converted into extrusive
igneous rocks by weathering processes.
(E) Sedimentary rocks are weathered and eroded to form
different sedimentary rocks.
16. A seismically active arc of islands, such as Alaska’s
Aleutian Island chain, is an indicator of…
(A) the convergence of oceanic and continental plates.
(B) a mid-plate hotspot.
(C) the convergence of two oceanic plates.
(D) a divergent boundary.
(E) a mid-oceanic rift.
17. Most volcanism in the world is associated with
(A) plate boundaries
(B) midcontinental hot spots
(C) faulting
(D) aquifer depletion
(E) desertification
18. Which of the following elements constitutes the highest
percentage of mass in the Earth’s crust?
(A) Oxygen
(B) Aluminum
(C) Carbon
(D) Potassium
(E) Nitrogen
19. Radioisotopes decay at different rates than
nonradioactive isotopes primarily because they have
differing numbers of
(A) protons
(B) neutrons
(C) electrons
(D) quarks
(E) atoms
20. Which of the following is NOT a unique property of
water that supports life?
(A) Cohesion
(B) High heat capacity for its molecular size
(C) Very low melting point
(D) Universal solvent
(E) Becomes less dense as it freezes
21. Which of the following substances would have a pH
greater than 7?
(A) Seawater
(B) Lemon juice
(C) Battery acid
(D) Normal rainwater
(E) Acid rain
22. Which of the following organic compounds is
responsible for conveying an organism’s hereditary
information?
(A) carbohydrates
(B) proteins
(C) phospholipids
(D) nucleic acids
(E) hydrocarbon
23. Which of the following possesses the highest kinetic
energy?
(A) superheated water trapped under the Earth’s crust
(B) a geyser
(C) a large high-altitude lake
(D) a raindrop hanging from a leaf tip
(E) an aquifer
24. Which of the follow represents the summary equation
for the process of photosynthesis?
(A) C6H12O6 + 6 O2 + sunlight  6H2O + 6CO2
(B) C6H12O6 + 6 O2  6H2O + 6CO2 + energy
(C) CO2 + 4H2S + O2 -> CH20 + 4S + 3H2O
(D) 6H2O + 6CO2 + sunlight  C6H12O6 + 6 O2
(E) 6CO2 + 6 H2O + 3H2S  C6H12O6 + 3H2SO4
25. Of the following, the most common fuel for nuclear
fission is…
(A) radium.
(B) magnesium.
(C) hydrogen.
(D) sodium.
(E) uranium.
26. Which of the following natural hazards is least
associated with the ‘Ring of Fire?’
(A) active volcanoes
(B) earthquakes
(C) tsunamis
(D) landslides
(E) wildfires
27. A resource that is too expensive to extract is said to be
(A) perpetual.
(B) economically depleted.
(C) ecologically depleted.
(D) environmentally depleted.
(E) limited.
28. Which of the following is NOT a method for extracting
coal?
(A) Contour strip mining
(B) Subsurface mining
(C) Area strip mining
(D) In situ leach mining/injection wells
(E) Mountain top removal
29. Coal continues to be used in the United States partially
because…
(A) the country has large reserves of coal.
(B) the quality of coal in the United States is very
consistent from deposit to deposit.
(C) coal causes almost no air pollution when burned.
(D) coal deposits in the United States lie very close to
the surface and are easily extracted.
(E) coal contains very few impurities, which cause
problems in petroleum and natural gas.
30. Which of the following is NOT an environmental
hazard of coal use?
(A) leaching of acid materials into waterways
(B) lung disease and high accident rates in mine workers
(C) widespread scarring of the landscape
(D) high CO2 and other air pollutants such as soot,
mercury, and radioactive particles
(E) all of the above are environmental hazards of coal
use
31. The theory of plate tectonics suggests that Earth’s crust
is made up of a series of plates that float on a more fluid
layer of the upper mantle called the…
(A) lithosphere
(B) mesosphere
(C) asthenosphere
(D) hydrosphere
(E) core
32. Which of the following terms refers to the desired
material in a mining operation?
(A) tailings
(B) ore
(C) spoils
(D) overburden
(E) gangue
33. Which of these is a non-metallic mineral resource?
(A) aluminum
(B) gold
(C) sand
(D) oil
(E) copper
34. Which of the following is NOT a provision of the
Surface Mining Control and Reclamation Act of 1977?
(A) Companies are required to obtain a permit before
they can begin surface mining operations.
(B) Government is given the authority to inspect mining
operations and levy fines for unsafe or polluting
practices.
(C) Companies must restore the land when they are
finished mining, often referred to as reclamation.
(D) A bond must be posted by the company which is
held by the government until it is satisfied that
reclamation has been completed.
(E) Surface mining is permitted on certain lands such as
national parks and wilderness areas.
35. When it comes to nonrenewable mineral resources
recycling is a sustainable option because it reduces all of
the following except:
(A) air pollution
(B) water pollution
(C) toxics released to the environment
(D) energy consumption
(E) demand for mineral resources
ANSWER KEY
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D
A
C
B
E
D
B
A
E
B
B
D
B
D
D
C
A
A
B
C
21.
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35.
A
D
B
D
E
E
B
D
A
E
C
B
C
E
E