Content Benchmark E.12.C.4
Students know processes of obtaining, using, and recycling of renewable and nonrenewable resources. E/S
Sample Test Questions
1st Item Specification: Identify the differences between renewable and nonrenewable resources.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
1. Which of the following would be classified as a renewable resource?
A. A barrel of oil that would take 8 million years to form.
B. A large piece of coal that would take 4 million years to form.
C. Ethanol fuel made from crops grown every year.
D. Methane gas from the ocean floor that takes 7 thousand years to outgas.
2. Which of the following is a property of ALL nonrenewable resource?
A. They take a long time to reform after they are used.
B. They can be grown with in a short time after they are used.
C. They are recyclable after they are used through a quick and easy process.
D. They release carbon dioxide into the atmosphere after they are used.
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
3. One benefit to using renewable energy resources would be that
A. renewable energy resources are inexpensive.
B. solar power is continuously available everywhere.
C. renewable energy resources require less equipment to operate.
D. they are replenished within a short amount of time.
4. As carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere continue to rise, there is a call to use less
fossil fuels for energy production. Which of the following energy sources would
have the least ecological impact in the production of electricity?
A. A hydroelectric plant that dams a river to produce electricity.
B. A coal power plant to produce electricity.
C. Burning wood to produce electricity.
D. Solar panels on the roof of homes to produce electricity.
2nd Item Specification: Explain how recycling reduces the rate of depletion of
nonrenewable resources.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
5. If the need for copper becomes greater in the future then copper mining will increase.
One way of supplying this possible copper need without further depleting the
resource would be to
A. import copper from other countries.
B. make copper in laboratories.
C. recycle copper that is no longer used.
D. outlaw the use of copper.
6. The graph below shows Nevada’s primary energy consumption during 2004.
(From http://www.swenergy.org/factsheets/NV-factsheet.pdf)
A major renewable resource for energy usage found in Nevada is geothermal energy.
According to the graph what percent of the energy consumed in Nevada during 2004
was renewable?
A. 6.8%
B. 26.6%
C. 30.2%
D. 36.4%
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
7. Geothermal, wind, and solar are some of the energy resources in which Nevada has
an abundant supply. The benefits of their usage compared to other energy sources is
that these resources
A. are relatively cheap to establish.
B. are constantly being replenished.
C. produce large amounts of carbon dioxide.
D. cover relatively small amounts of land.
8. As the population of Nevada increases, the need to conserve and recycle natural
resources and energy becomes more important. What possible reasons would explain
the need to conserve energy and recycle resources?
A. Once the resources we currently have on Earth are gone they will never be
here again.
B. The resources we currently use are the same resources that we will need in the
future.
C. We need to conserve energy and resources because all new technology
requires more natural resources and more energy.
D. We do not need to conserve any resources because they are all recyclable.
3rd Item Specification: Identify the processes used to obtain natural resources (e.g.,
mining, oil production, water, and agriculture).
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
9. Mining is the process of
A. exploration and discovery.
B. removing unwanted material from mountains.
C. extracting valuable material from the Earth.
D. using chemicals to dissolve metals.
10. Growing crops, for feeding people and animals, would best be described as
A. animal husbandry.
B. agriculture.
C. land surveying.
D. crop sharing.
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
11. What can account for the practice of treating water both before and after it is used in
the home?
A. Water needs to be treated before and after use because it dissolves many
materials and it can pick up bad tastes.
B. Water needs to be treated before and after use to remove any harmful
pollutants.
C. Water needs to be treated before it is used for drinking, but not after.
D. Water needs to be treated after it is used in the home, but not after.
12. Agriculture involves the growing of natural, renewable resources often for human
consumption. Infer what may occur as the world population continues to grow.
A. The soil will eventually be depleted of many necessary elements as farmers
grow as many crops as they can.
B. The number of crops per person will gradually increase with the population
because more land will be available for farming.
C. The plants will contain more nutrients from the richer soil because past plants
return nutrients to the soil for future plants.
D. The amount of crops needed for humans will decrease because meat will be
more available for food.
Content Benchmark E.12.C.4
Students know processes of obtaining, using, and recycling of renewable and nonrenewable resources. E/S
Answers to Sample Test Questions
1. C, DOK Level 1
2. A, DOK Level 1
3. D, DOK Level 2
4. D, DOK Level 2
5. C, DOK Level 1
6. A, DOK Level 1
7. B, DOK Level 2
8. A, DOK Level 2
9. C, DOK Level 1
10. B, DOK Level 1
11. B, DOK Level 2
12. A, DOK Level 2