Earth and Marine Science Unit 1 Test
1. Students sorted through the solid trash in the school garbage cans. They collected the items and
placed them into groups based on the most ecological means of disposal. Which processes are most
appropriate for aluminum cans and foam food containers respectively? (3 points)
A.composting and recycling
B.incineration and landfills
C.landfills and composting
D.recycling and landfills
2. Use the information to answer the question.
Which statement best summarizes this information? (4 points)
A.Almost all aluminum produced and used in the United States is recycled, which saves energy
and reduces pollution.
B.The United States could meet all of its aluminum needs by doing an even better job recycling
existing aluminum car parts and cans.
C.The amount of energy it takes to produce new aluminum has been steadily declining, so soon
it will become less important whether we use aluminum from new or recycled sources.
D.Significant progress has been made in producing and recycling aluminum, which has
dramatically reduced energy use and emissions, but there is still room for improvement.
3. Derek has a plastic container that once held food. He has garbage service but no recycling service. He
lives thirty kilometers from the nearest recycling center. The most environmentally friendly thing Derek
could do with the container would be to (3 points)
A.drive to the recycling center to recycle the container.
B.clean the container and reuse it for another purpose.
C.throw the container in the trash for disposal in a landfill.
D.burn the container to reduce the amount of trash disposed of in landfills.
4, Sustainable development is affected by economic, social, political, and environmental factors. Which
factor affecting sustainable development is an environmental factor? (3 points)
A.how much it costs to mine a resource
B.whether a resource is renewable
C.the income levels for residents in a particular area
D.the type of government in a particular area
5. A town is located in the midst of a hardwood forest. Which option is best for long-term sustainable
development for the forest? (3 points)
A.cutting the forest for timber and then replanting
B.clearing the forest for grazing
C.burning the forest
D.promoting recreational activities in the forest
6. Which statement accurately describes how an environmental problem can affect a person’s quality
of life? (3 points)
A.A woman who has lost her job cannot afford to buy organic food.
B.A man with asthma cannot go outside because of high smog (air pollution) levels.
C.A girl with a flat tire on her bicycle must take the bus to school rather than bike.
D.A boy with a broken arm can no longer climb trees in the park.
7. Use the table to answer the question.
Disposable vs. Reusable Shopping Bags
Advantages of Disposable
Shopping Bags
provide more manufacturing
jobs
Advantages of Reusable
Shopping Bags
require less energy to
produce
?
Delise started a table to compare the advantages of disposable and reusable shopping bags. Which item
is the best choice for the Reusable Shopping Bags column? (3 points)
A.require more raw resources to produce
B.increase the volume of materials in landfills
C.reduce the amount of plastic litter
D.reduce the amount of groceries purchased
8. Denzel recently bought a digital camera. He decides to compare the advantages of disposable and
rechargeable batteries for the camera. Which statement correctly names an advantage of disposable
batteries over rechargeable batteries? (3 points)
A.Disposable batteries are renewable.
B.Disposable batteries are less expensive.
C.Disposable batteries cause little pollution.
D.Disposable batteries save resources.
9. A city wants to implement environmentally friendly policies to promote sustainability. Which policy
would best ensure that accountability toward the environment is part of the plan? (3 points)
A.Department supervisors must report on the amount of money spent each week.
B.Department supervisors must report on the amount of paper recycled each week.
C.Department supervisors must report on the number of interoffice e-mails sent each week.
D.Department supervisors must report on the number of complaints from residents addressed
each week.
10. One of the first laboratory activities in a particular Physical Science class was to observe a burning
candle. Which two safety practices are most important for this activity? (3 points)
A.Wear closed-toe shoes and use an insulated glove.
B.Tie back long hair and fasten loose clothing.
C.Have a beaker of water to put out fires and use safety tongs.
D.Use paper towels to catch wax drips and use a gas lighter to ignite candles.
11. A student collects soil samples from different areas in Louisiana and brings them to school. Using
these samples, which question could the student answer by means of a scientific investigation?
(3 points)
A.Were soils in the past better than those collected today?
B.Should the soil samples be placed in the school yard?
C.Which soil looks the best when it is dry?
D.How well does each soil retain water?
12. A group of students is measuring current as a function of resistance in several circuits while a
constant voltage is applied from a power supply. Which safety measure should be taken during the
experiment? (3 points)
A.Wire the terminals of the power source in series to each other.
B.Wire the ammeter in parallel with the voltage source.
C.Measure the current while no voltage is applied to the circuit.
D.Turn off the power supply before making changes to the apparatus.
14. Students followed these steps in an experiment that uses a light microscope to study cells.
Light Microscope Procedure
1. Use a razor to scrape cells from a potato.
2. Place the cells on a slide.
3. Look at the cells through the microscope.
4. Add iodine to the slide to stain the starch grains
in the potato cells.
5. Make drawings to compare the slides before and
after the iodine was added.
Which safety measures apply to this experiment? (4 points)
A.thermal safety, fume safety, and electrical safety
B.thermal safety, open flame alert, and eye safety
C.sharp object, clothing stain, and electrical safety
D.sharp object, plant, and chemical hazard safety
15. Joey found these four items in a container, which one is not recyclable? (2 points)
a.
b.
c.
d.
Gatorade bottle
Styrofoam cup
Aluminum can
A piece of paper
16. From the following items, which would take the longest to decompose? (2 points)
a.
b.
c.
d.
paper bag
newspaper
food items
plastic bottle
17. Which is not a reason that landfills are covered with soil at the end of each day? (2 points)
a.
b.
c.
d.
To reduce odors
To keep litter from blowing away
to keep the groundwater from bring contaminated
To deters scavengers/animals/rodents
18. Which of the following cannot be disposed of in a landfill? (2 points)
a.
b.
c.
d.
Car batteries
Food waste
Paper products
Electronics
For the following statements (31-36), determine whether it follows the sustainable ethic or frontier
ethic. Defend your answer. (15 points; 3 points each)
19.______________ Everybody lives downstream.
20.______________ The person who dies with the most toys wins.
21._______________. For every major decision made to the environment you need to think about the
next seven generations that come after you.
22.______________ Earth first; we will destroy the other planets later.
23._______________ In the 21st century, I think the heroes will be the people who will improve the
quality of life, fight poverty and introduce more sustainability.
For questions 36-41, pick 3 out of the 6 and answer them. For the numbers that you choose not to
answer, write the number and your paper and place a dash next to the number. ( 15 points; 5 points
each)
24. From the ecofootprint quiz list two ways you could reduce your carbon footprint. (this only applies if
you have taken the quiz)
25. What is the purpose of the plastic liner and clay layer in a landfill?
26. If 1000 years from now, people were short on natural resources and they decided to start mining
landfills, what items from the landfills will they be looking for?
27. List are two ways that you could promote sustainability in your community.
28. Some states, including North Carolina, have banned the disposal of plastic bottles and aluminum
cans in landfills. Why is this a sustainable decision?
Passage I
Eutrophication is a phenomenon where excessive amounts of nutrients are added to a
marine ecosystem. These nutrients cause plant life like algae to multiply rapidly, leading to
very high population densities. In freshwater ecosystems, the algae can become so dense
that it can turn ponds, lakes or even smaller rivers green. The algae grows to an
unreasonable level at a very fast rate. The algae are known as phytoplankton and are
microscopic, single-celled organisms.
A body of water that is experiencing eutrophication and a resulting bloom can be quickly
devastated. Eutrophication affects all living organisms in the area including fish, birds and
mammals. The top layer of phytoplankton causes such a build-up on the surface that they
accumulate sediment. When this occurs the sunlight is blocked and it will choke off the plant
life below the surface. The phytoplankton will also cause less surface area for the water to
interface with air. As a result, there will be less oxygen available in the water. As oxygen
continues to deplete, the depletion can have a negative effect on life as there will be less
oxygen to support the organisms below the surface that depend on the oxygen from plants
that diffuses into the water.
Scientist 1
The root cause of eutrophication is not known. However, the frequency and increasing
incidents of eutrophication point to human farming activity as the potential cause. The
growth of the phytoplankton is caused by runoff that contains multiple sources of nitrates
that are also found in fertilizer. The nitrates allow for the phytoplankton to grow rapidly. The
solution to the problem is to either move the drainage so the runoff from the human farming
activity cannot reach the water source or move the farms.
Scientist 2
Sometimes eutrophication can happen naturally without any real cause. Sometimes when
there are periods of heavy rain, the increase in rain water leads to an imbalance in the pH of
the water. This in turn creates favorable conditions for the phytoplankton to grow and
proliferate. This is a natural cycle that also ensures that too many fish and other animals do
not build up in a freshwater source. This type of bloom is nature’s way of eliminating
overpopulation with an abiotic factor. Although many organisms will die as a result, it will
help to thin the numbers of organisms and ensure a healthier freshwater source.
Question 29
According to Scientist 1, which of the following is the cause of the eutrophication? (4 points)
A
A change in the pH of the water.
B
The increasing changes in phytoplankton.
C
Agricultural run-off from human activity.
D
The build-up of phosphates in the body of water.
30. Complete 8 connections in the ess analysis below. The event to discuss is a forest fire.
(16 points total)