Question 1 of 40
All of the following have been linked to damage caused by UVB radiation EXCEPT:
A. destruction of DNA.
B. melanoma and premature aging.
C. basal cell and squamous cell carcinomas.
D. severe sunburn.
Question 2 of 40
Which of the following is a biotic as opposed to an abiotic factor in an ecological system?
A. Local climate
B. Physical and chemical properties of an environment
C. Sunlight
D. Decomposers
Question 3 of 40
The foremost emitters of methane, a greenhouse gas, are:
A. swamps and wetlands.
B. oil and gas industries.
C. landfills.
D. cattle ranches.
Question 4 of 40
As demonstrated by the Keeling curve, carbon dioxide concentration in the atmosphere was expected to reach __________ ppm by 2010. But, in fact, carbon concentration exceeded that level in 2013 and is still rising.
A. 250
B. 300
C. 350
D. 400
Question 5 of 40
Which of these planets is in the so-called "Goldilocks Zone"?
A. Earth
B. Mars
C. Jupiter
D. Venus
Question 6 of 40
When carbon dioxide is dissolved in water it produces __________ acid.
A. carbolic
B. carbonaceous
C. carbonic
D. corrosive
Question 7 of 40
Discussing causes of desertification in semi-arid locales, Allen maintains that overcultivation of soils depletes them of vital nutrients. Audrey argues that stripping away vegetation through overgrazing leads to soil erosion and deforestation. Who is correct?
A. Neither Allen nor Audrey is correct.
B. Both are correct.
C. Only Allen is correct.
D. Only Audrey is correct.
Question 8 of 40
According to the EPA, the second most significant factor in human-caused global warming and climate change is:
A. deforestation.
B. the burning of fossil fuels.
C. desertification.
D. that species die off.
Question 9 of 40
Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), the main culprit in the depletion of atmospheric ozone, are being replaced with hydrofluorocarbons (HFCs), thus greatly reducing ozone layer depletion. What is the only drawback to this strategy?
A. HFCs give off an unpleasant odor.
B. HFCs are potent greenhouse gases.
C. HFCs are more expensive to produce than CFCs.
D. HFCs are toxic to wildlife.
Question 10 of 40
When ecologists are examining, for example, the ways that energy is distributed over a food chain or the rate at which nutrients are recycled, they are engaged in __________ in order to understand how the whole system works.
A. habitat ecology
B. systemic analysis
C. ecosystem ecology
D. biosphere studies.
Question 11 of 40
Disruption of the __________ cycle will lead to unpredictable impacts on human well-being because of this cycle's vital role in regulating global climate patterns.
A. nitrogen
B. carbon
C. phosphorous
D. water
Question 12 of 40
Which of these atmospheric layers enables radio transmissions?
A. Troposphere
B. Stratosphere
C. Ionosphere
D. Thermosphere
Question 13 of 40
The __________ harbors the largest tropical forest on the planet.
A. Amazon basin
B. Indian subcontinent
C. Congo basin
D. Indonesian archipelago
Question 14 of 40
Which of the following statements characterizes temperate grasslands?
A. The rainy season lasts for six to eight months.
B. During the parched dry season, fires, intended and natural, turn vegetation to ash.
C. We find perennial grasses as well as flowering plants called forbs.
D. We find stands of trees separated by grasses.
Question 15 of 40
Which of these global regions produces the highest level of waste per capita?
A. China
B. India
C. United States
D. Europe
Question 16 of 40
Which of these side effects of urban sprawl is mainly related to driving time spent commuting from the "burbs" to urban workplaces?
A. Excessive use of water resources
B. Increased risk of obesity
C. Destruction of wildlife habitats
D. Increased air pollution
Question 17 of 40
__________ is both our planet's thermostat and the world's chief greenhouse gas.
A. Water vapor
B. The sum of all atmospheric pollutants
C. Carbon dioxide
D. Ozone
Question 18 of 40
Most of our weather takes place in the:
A. geosphere.
B. mesosphere.
C. troposphere.
D. thermosphere.
Question 19 of 40
On the pH scale ranging from 1 to 14, 7 is neutral. Any number greater than 7 is alkaline; any number lower than 7 is acidic. With that in mind, in turns out that the oceans are serving as a carbon sink. About __________ percent of current carbon dioxide emissions have been absorbed into the oceans.
A. 30
B. 40
C. 50
D. 60
Question 20 of 40
As the Arctic permafrost melts, the proportion of __________ to all the other greenhouse gases is rising. That's significant since, among all greenhouse gases, that gas is eight times more potent than carbon dioxide.
A. nitrous oxides
B. methane
C. water vapor
D. ozone
Question 21 of 40
From the perspective of Marx and Engels, the political and economic theories of Adam Smith, John Locke, and others are mainly a/an __________ of the capitalist system.
A. ideological critique
B. rationalization
C. criminal indictment
D. radicalization
Question 22 of 40
In the 13th and 14th centuries, Europe's population was decimated by:
A. famine.
B. constant wars.
C. the Plague.
D. an unexplained rise in infant mortality.
Question 23 of 40
Marge maintains that there is no direct correlation between population density and poverty. Mason argues that population density is normally associated with poverty and political instability. Who is correct?
A. Marge and Mason are both incorrect.
B. Marge and Mason are both partially correct.
C. Marge is correct.
D. Mason is correct.
Question 24 of 40
Biological demographers have determined that, under ideal conditions, life span can average __________ years.
A. 90
B. 95
C. 110
D. 120
Question 25 of 40
The proportion of males to females in a given population is referred to as the __________ ratio.
A. fertility
B. sex
C. population
D. gender
Question 26 of 40
As a demographer, you'll know that the __________ death rate equals the total deaths per year divided by the midyear population, which is normally expressed as the number of deaths per 1,000 people per year.
A. estimated
B. projected
C. approximate
D. crude
Question 27 of 40
According to your reading, factors bearing on population dynamics that may be at the root of social problems include all of the following EXCEPT:
A. economic.
B. spiritual.
C. cultural.
D. political.
Question 28 of 40
Ehrlich's dire projections differed from those of Malthus in that he applied the principle of geometric progression to:
A. vital resources such as oil, copper, and top soils.
B. significant climate change variables.
C. increasing species die-off.
D. the comparison of birth rates according to social class.
Question 29 of 40
As a demographer, within a specific population I compare the number of economically productive people between the ages of 15 and 64 with the number of people younger than 15 and older than 64 who, in general, rely on the productive people for sustenance. The measure I'm calculating is normally referred to as the:
A. dependency ratio.
B. productivity ratio.
C. producer-consumer ratio.
D. age to productivity ratio.
Question 30 of 40
In developed countries, if we find a fertility rate of 2.1 live births per 1000 births per year, we are witnessing __________ fertility.
A. stabilized
B. replacement
C. declining
D. increasing
Question 31 of 40
The global region or country with the highest population growth rate is:
A. China.
B. Africa.
C. Mideast.
D. Mexico.
Question 32 of 40
Infant mortality is defined as the percentage of infants who die within __________ after birth in a given population per 1,000 live births per year.
A. 1 month
B. 3 months
C. 6 months
D. 12 months
Question 33 of 40
In the United States, demographically speaking, the rate of natural increase is currently below replacement but the population is growing due to:
A. net immigration.
B. net emigration.
C. net trans-migration
D. net migration.
Question 34 of 40
Regarding global population growth trends, which statement is TRUE?
A. Over the last 10,000 years, the human population climbed steadily but slowly.
B. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, by the year 2010, then total human population was just short of 9 billion people.
C. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, by the year 2010, the growth rate percentage was just slightly over 1 percent.
D. By the year 1,000 CE, Earth's total human population had nearly doubled.
Question 35 of 40
Paul Ehrlich has had to modify his prognostications due to underestimating human resilience. However, all of the following have drifted toward basic agreement with neo-Malthusian conclusions EXCEPT:
A. NSA scientists.
B. EPA and NOAA scientists.
C. economist Julian Simon.
D. the Department of Defense.
Question 36 of 40
In the United States, in the decades following World War II, birth rates increased enormously. This is an example of __________ effects that may impact population growth.
A. periodic
B. short-term
C. period
D. long-term
Question 37 of 40
Demographers are beginning to add a Stage 5 to the classic four-stage transition theory. Namely, when birth rates fall below replacement and death rates exceed birth rates, a country can be said to have entered stage 5. As mentioned in your reading, all of these countries are now considered to be at stage 5 EXCEPT:
A. Argentina.
B. Greece.
C. Germany.
D. Portugal.
Question 38 of 40
In a growing population, the rate of natural increase equals the birth rate minus the death rate in addition to net:
A. migration.
B. immigration.
C. emigration.
D. immigration plus net emigration.
Question 39 of 40
In the four-stage model of transition theory, where do we find declining death rates and continuing high birth rates?
A. Stage 1
B. Stage 2
C. Stage 3
D. Stage 4
Question 40 of 40
Our brief discussion of China during Mao Zedong's Great Leap Forward in 1959 to 1960 was meant to illustrate the:
A. fact that population growth does not necessarily proceed at a steady rate.
B. importance of economic policies in sustaining population growth.
C. irrelevance of political and economic factors in regard to population growth.
D. ever-present danger of unrestrained population growth.
