dd focus quizzes - sosci

Water's unique structural properties decide the characteristics of the liquid ocean's a. depth b. reactivity c. pH d. turbidity e. salinity

a. The disparity between the structures of frozen and liquid water causes the ocean to be mostly liquid water with some ice. Without this difference, the ocean would be mostly ice.

Around 10,000 years ago, humans settled agricultural communities in present-day a. Egypt b. Iraq c. Greece d. Turkey e. Iran

d. Around 10,000 years ago, humans began to practice settled agriculture in present-day Turkey. Settled agriculture was established after the Neolithic Revolution.

Bedouin tribes agreed to avoid grazing high-altitude pastures between a. February and May b. June and November c. January and March d. April and July e. August and October

a. Bedouin tribes agreed to avoid grazing high- altitude endangered pastures between February and May, when the pastures flower.

In which geographic region did Bedouin tribes agree to protect individual trees? a. Sinai Peninsula b. Golan Heights c. Salt Desert d. Persian Gulf e. Nile Delta

a. Bedouin tribes in the Sinai Peninsula between Africa and Asia maintain agreements to protect pastures and even individual trees.

Bedouins equated nearby water with the presence of all the following animals EXCEPT a. vultures b. doves c. pigeons d. flies e. bees

a. Bedouins looked for flies, bees, doves, and pigeons to indicate the nearby presence of water in the desert.

On which animal did Bedouins rely MOST for transport? a. camels b. oxen c. llamas d. dogs e. horses

a. Bedouins relied on camels for transport, since they are better adapted to live in deserts than horses.

What does the term "Neolithic" mean? a. new stone b. tool-making c. metal-working d. farming revolution e. developed settlement

a. During the Neolithic Age, people began to use stone tools in a new way, so Neolithic means "new stone".

Early representatives of the genus Homo lived a migratory existence between present-day South Africa and a. Ethiopia b. Kenya c. Sudan d. Uganda e. Eritrea

a. Early representatives of the genus Homo lived a migratory existence between present-day South Africa and Ethiopia. They later moved outwards into West Africa and the Middle East.

Environmental history is the study of a. interactions of the human and nonhuman worlds through time b. the distribution of organisms in geographical places c. how organisms relate to each other and their surroundings d. the evolutionary mechanisms that created life on Earth e. anthropogenic effects on the environment and their prevention

a. Environmental history is the study of how humans have interacted with their nonhuman surroundings throughout time. This field includes the belief that to understand history, you must understand its physical settings.

The practice of settled agriculture coincided MOST with the a. Neolithic Revolution b. Chalcolithic Revolution c. Epipaleolithic Revolution d. Mesolithic Revolution e. Paleolithic Revolution

a. Humans began to practice settled agriculture after initiating the Neolithic Revolution. Settled agriculture began around 10,000 years ago in present-day Turkey.

Which of the following charges does the oxygen atom in a water molecule have? a. partially negative b. fully negative c. partially positive d. fully positive e. neutral

a. In covalent compounds like water, electrons are shared between atoms in a compound. However, in water, the electrons are shared unevenly, giving the constituent molecules different charges; the oxygen is partially negative, and the hydrogens are partially positive.

Why did people of early civilization engineer the landscape? a. to provide reliable supplies b. to maximize population density c. to expand their area of cultivation d. to enhance city planning e. to build temples

a. In order to have reliable supplies, as the rivers are always changing, early civilizations started engineering the landscape. To settle, they needed a secure source of water.

Bedouin culture is BEST described as a. itinerant b. unsettled c. semi-pastoral d. delocalized e. agrarian

a. Like the Mongols, the Bedouins are an itinerant pastoral people.

Which of the following explanations BEST represents the paradox of value? a. Non-necessities are valued very highly, whereas necessities have low monetary value. b. As a country gets increasingly wealthy, the value of its currency decreases. c. An increase in individual saving leads to a decrease in aggregate saving. d. Prices of luxuries increase during an inflation, but prices of necessities decrease during inflations. e. Happiness is directly related to income in the short run but does not increase with income in the long run.

a. Non-necessities are valued very highly, whereas necessities have low monetary value.

About what percentage of the human body is water? a. 60% b. 70% c. 90% d. 80% e. 50%

a. On average, a healthy human body is made up of approximately sixty percent water. However, if you lose four percent of your water content, you may be mentally impaired, and losing fifteen percent can kill you.

Water's high specific heat capacity allows it to a. absorb or release energy without huge changes in state b. change form frequently and undergo a water cycle c. have a boiling point that is much lower than that of similar substances d. regulate the amount of freshwater and saltwater in oceans e. easily dissolve a wide array of substances

a. Specific heat capacity is defined as the amount of energy it takes to raise 1 gram of a substance by 1 degree Celsius. Because water has a high specific heat capacity, it can absorb a lot of energy before it changes state.

The Bedouin calendar MOST directly revolves around a. animal herds b. astrological movements c. precipitation levels d. the equinoxes and solstices e. Islamic tradition

a. The Bedouin calendar directly revolves around herding needs. As a result, Bedouins avoid their major pastures until the spring and summer months.

What subset of pastoralism MOST applies to the Maasai? a. transhumance b. seminomadic c. agrarian d. nomadic e. sedentary

a. The Maasai are transhumance pastoralists who move their livestock to different grazing spots each season.

Which Muslim governor did the Mongols kill using molten metal during the Mongol Conquest? a. Inalchuq b. Il-Arslan c. Muhammad II d. Tekish e. Malik-Shah I

a. The Muslim governor of the city of Otrar during the Mongol Conquest was Inalchuq. The Mongols poured molten silver on him to kill him.

In the most recent ice age, surface temperatures were a. a few degrees lower than at present b. the lowest for which scientists have found evidence c. constant year-round d. many degrees lower than at present e. more volatile than at present

a. The most recent ice age saw surface temperatures that were slightly lower than they are now. This temperature decrease caused more water to freeze in glaciers.

Which type of lifestyle is associated with domestic crops? a. sedentary b. sessile c. migratory d. nomadic e. pastoral

a. The sedentary lifestyle is associated with domestic crops. Despite the establishment of settled agriculture after the Neolithic Revolution, most humans did not adopt a sedentary lifestyle.

The steppe stretches from China to a. Hungary b. Romania c. Ukraine d. Poland e. Lithuania

a. The steppe stretches from China to Hungary. It is a broad swathe of grassland.

The study of tree rings is called a. dendrochronology b. biostratigraphy c. carbon dating d. palynology e. dendroclimatology

a. The study of tree rings is called dendrochronology. It was used to prove that there was a pluvial (high-precipitation climate) during the early thirteenth century.

Water's boiling and freezing points are BEST described as being a. high b. widely apart c. close together d. inversely related e. low

a. Water's freezing and boiling points are both higher than those of similar molecules like hydrogen telluride, hydrogen selenide, and hydrogen sulfide.

Why is the heat capacity of water so high? a. Water's bonds are extraordinarily strong. b. Water molecules move very fast. c. Water is extremely reactive. d. Water is an effective solvent. e. Water molecules are negatively charged.

a. Water's heat capacity is extremely high because its bonds are strong. Compounds with strong bonds generally have high heat capacities.

Where population densities increased, clans had to a. break up their clan b. develop multi-level housing c. create a new class system d. monitor time and create a calendar e. intensify their farming

a. When population densities increased, clans had to limit their numbers. They either split up the clan, practiced birth control, or had to increase their cultivation.

The civilization located in modern-day New Guinea may have an agricultural system based on all of the following crops EXCEPT a. sugar cane b. bananas c. taro d. yams e. chickens

a. While it was originally believed that agricultural development was only occurring in the three staple locations, scholars now note that those living in modern-day New Guinea may have developed their own agricultural system. This agricultural system was based on taro, yams, bananas, and chickens.

Environmental historians focus LEAST on a. biology b. climate c. geography d. vegetation e. human influence on Earth's ecology

a. biology

A period of increased rainfall is known as a(n) a. pluvial b. fluvial c. colluvial d. eluvial e. alluvial

a. pluvial

How would water's thermodynamic properties change if the hydrogen bonds among the molecules were weaker? a. Water would only exist in its solid state at temperatures greater than 0 degrees Celsius. b. Water would only exist in its liquid state at temperatures less than 0 degrees Celsius. c. Water would only exist in its solid state at temperatures greater than 100 degrees Celsius. d. Water would only exist in its gaseous state at temperatures less than 0 degrees Celsius. e. Water would exist in its liquid state at temperatures greater than 100 degrees Celsius.

b. A decrease in the strength of water's hydrogen bonds would cause it to only be liquid at temperatures less than 0 degrees Celsius. Compounds with strong intermolecular forces generally have high freezing and boiling points.

An anthropogenic factor is BEST described as something related to a. celestial bodies b. human activity c. the water cycle d. age e. animal reproduction

b. Anthropogenic refers to something caused by or related to human activity, and though some anthropogenic factors dictate human affairs, they are all dependent upon water.

Cellular membranes are also called a. acid bilayers b. lipid bilayers c. cytoplasmic bilayers d. enzyme bilayers e. plasma bilayers

b. Cellular membranes, also called plasma membranes, are made up of two layers of lipids, or a lipid bilayer.

Which of the following food sources does Changes in the Land claim that First Nations people ate in September? a. berries b. eels c. maize d. nuts e. migrating birds

b. First Nations people migrated to take advantage of seasonal bounties, consuming eels in September

The Mongols rose to prominence under the leadership of a. Tolui Khan b. Genghis Khan c. Güyük Khan d. Ögedei Khan e. Dilawar Khan

b. Genghis Kahn was the leader of the Mongols in the thirteenth century. He helped to devise an evolved system of pastoralism.

Which principle of property rights do Bedouin cultures uphold? a. fideicommissum b. usufruct c. leasehold d. commodatum e. riparianism

b. Like the Mongols, Bedouin tribes uphold usufruct, which is the right to enjoy a resource without depleting it.

Why do scholars dispute how agriculture was first developed? a. In most places, agricultural practices left no archaeological record. b. Much of the evidence found is open to interpretation. c. Scholars believe agriculture was not invented but rather had been a part of tradition. d. It is impossible to date the development of agricultural systems. e. Different civilizations created site-specific agriculture systems.

b. Scholars still dispute when ancient civilizations first developed agriculture, mostly due to the lack of unambiguous evidence.

The Maasai people live in a. the Sahara b. the Serengeti c. the Swahili coast d. the Kalahari e. the Ethiopian Highlands

b. The Maasai people occupy the Serengeti of Eastern Africa.

The Mongols lived in a. Southeastern Asia b. Central Asia c. Eastern Europe d. Northern Asia e. the Middle East

b. The Mongols lived in Central Asia. They rose to prominence under the leadership of Genghis Khan.

Which of the following characteristics is NOT common amongst Fertile Crescent crops? a. presence of large seeds b. limited resistance to harmful bacteria c. ability to withstand dry conditions d. tendency to self-pollinate e. relatively short growing period

b. The crops native to the Fertile Crescent shared a number of essential features. Included among these are the ability to survive with limited rainfall, as well as the presence of nutritious seeds that are large, can self-pollinate, and mature rapidly.

The steppe is BEST described as a broad swathe of a. taiga b. grassland c. savanna d. desert e. chaparral

b. The steppe is best described as a broad swathe of grassland. However, rain falls infrequently, thus making it unsuitable for agriculture without the use of irrigation.

Why are traditional attitudes toward nomadism contradictory? a. Nomadic tribes are less resistant to variation in ecology than sedentary cultures. b. Humans were nomads for far longer than they were sedentary. c. Nomadic people historically consumed more calories than sedentary people. d. Agricultural and nomadic civilizations have similar per capita carbon footprints. e. True nomadism is impossible across modern geopolitical barriers.

b. Traditional views of nomadism as unrespectable are contradictory because nomadism sustained humanity for much longer than sedentarism.

Surface temperatures vary within narrow bounds because of water's a. crystal structure b. energy buffering abilities c. acidity d. solvency e. density

b. Water buffers changes in temperature, so surface temperatures undergo less fluctuation. However, slight deviations from the average surface temperatures can greatly affect the environment.

Who wrote Changes in the Land? a. Rachel Carson b. William Cronon c. David Attenborough d. Al Gore e. Thomas Malthus

b. William Cronon's Changes in the Land is considered one of the most significant books about environmental history.

Why did the Mongol Conquest occur, according to recent studies? a. Weather events made the land Mongols inhabited no longer habitable. b. The Mongols began valuing land as a symbol of wealth and nobility. c. Increased availability of water strengthened the Mongols. d. The development of complex weapons made the Mongols more aggressive. e. The Mongols encountered hostile tribes when searching for water.

c. According to recent studies, there was a pluvial during the early thirteenth century. Therefore, the increased availability of water strengthened the Mongols

The hydrogen atoms in water molecules are a. partially negative b. fully positive c. partially positive d. neutral e. fully negative

c. Because oxygen is more electronegative than hydrogen, it attracts more electrons. As hydrogen has lost density of its electron cloud, it becomes partially positive.

Which of the following practices MOST allowed Bedouins to conserve water? a. chewing desert grass b. digging groundwater wells c. living in small cultural units d. passing down extensive knowledge of meteorology e. burying water underground in clay jars

c. Bedouins conserved water by keeping small cultural units and structuring their culture around herding animals.

How did water usage change during the Neolithic age? a. Farmers began storing water to prepare for a potential drought. b. Farmers started transporting water so they could live further inland. c. Farmers would wait for the water to come to them to create a settlement. d. New forms of transportation were invented so farmers could easily move with the water. e. Farmers began to further integrate it into their society, creating decorative fountains.

c. Before settlement, farmers moved with the movement of the river. With the development of settlement, farmers then waited for the water to come to them.

The most recent ice age created a bridge from a. Africa to Europe b. Europe to North America c. Asia to North America d. South America to North America e. Africa to Asia

c. During the most recent ice age, a change in surface temperatures led to the formation of a bridge between Asia and North America. This bridge was called Beringia, and it allowed humans and animals to walk to North America.

What percentage of Earth's water is too saline for consumption? a. 30% b. 54% c. 97% d. 75% e. 60%

c. Only three percent of the Earth's water can be used as drinking water. However, just 0.3 percent of that three percent is accessible to humans.

Present-day Bedouin water conservation agreements originated with a. the Suez Crisis b. a United Nations environmental meeting c. Islamic law d. the Paris Climate Accords e. French and British colonial contracts

c. Some modern Bedouin water conservation agreements originated 1,400 years ago in Islamic law.

When did intensive agriculture arise in Southwest Asia? a. four to six thousand years ago b. six to eight thousand years ago c. ten to twelve thousand years ago d. twelve to fourteen thousand years ago e. eight to ten thousand years ago

c. Southwest Asia was the first region of the world where agriculture arose. This process began somewhere between ten and twelve thousand years ago.

Which biome dominated ancient China? a. rainforest b. savanna c. grassland d. temperate forest e. taiga

c. The grasslands of ancient China served as the birthplace of agriculture in East Asia. In particular, the dry north became the cradle of farming in the region.

The leader of the Mongols in the thirteenth century devised a highly evolved system of a. horticulture b. ranching c. pastoralism d. irrigation e. agronomy

c. The leader of the Mongols in the thirteenth century was Genghis Khan. He developed a highly evolved system of pastoralism that accounted for natural landscapes.

Which of the following compounds is the MOST promising replacement for water? a. CH4 b. NH3 c. CH3NO d. CO2 e. CH2O2

c. The most promising replacement for water is formamide, CH3NO, because it is liquid in many conditions, and it is a good solvent.

The species of modern humans is a. Homo habilis b. Homo naledi c. Homo sapiens d. Homo erectus e. Homo neanderthalensis

c. The species of modern humans in Homo sapiens. They first appeared around 315,000 to 200,000 BCE.

The Maasai MOST differ from both the Mongols and the Bedouins in their view of a. tribal warfare b. water allocation c. private property d. hunting techniques e. gender differences

c. Unlike Mongols and Bedouins, the Maasai view property as communal resource stockpiles rather than as stores of wealth.

Why is water's heat of vaporization important biologically? a. It transports nutrients throughout the body. b. It keeps the pH of blood regulated. c. It facilitates evaporative cooling. d. It maintains the structural integrity of cells. e. It allows animals to survive for long periods without water.

c. Water's heat of vaporization is high, meaning that when sweat evaporates, some energy of the surroundings is lost. This loss of energy helps cool you down.

Which of the following compounds is NOT involved in the photosynthesis chemical reaction? a. H2O b. O2 c. CH3NO d. C6H12O6 e. CO2

c. Which of the following compounds is NOT involved in the photosynthesis chemical reaction? a. H2O b. O2 c. CH3NO d. C6H12O6 e. CO2

What was the one benefit of farming over hunting and gathering? a. Farmers only had to work during one season. b. Farmers were less susceptible to disease. c. Farmers had a more reliable source of food. d. Farming had a higher per unit area yield. e. Farmers could be self-reliant.

c. While there were many negative downsides to farming, the one apparent perk was that farmers were able to produce much more food per unit area.

What was one outcome of proto-farming? a. new species of plants b. a wider array of crops c. increase in population densities d. larger livestock populations e. less conflict between groups

c. With the development of proto-farming, all the resources were in closer proximity. This allowed for population density to increase as well.

Which metal did the Mongols use to kill the Muslim governor of the city of Otrar during the Mongol Conquest? a. lead b. gold c. silver d. platinum e. mercury

c. silver

Many modern Bedouins reject the authority of a. clan agreements b. patriarchal heads c. Islamic law d. national governments e. long-standing traditions

d. Modern Bedouins reject government authority to ban smuggling, gun-running, and human trafficking. As a result, imprisonment has little stigma in Bedouin society.

Why do modern pastoral groups scatter seeds along their routes? a. to mark their path b. to notify similar groups of their presence c. to increase their yields d. to provide fodder for livestock when they return e. to help the groups following them

d. Modern pastoral groups scatter seeds along their routes so when they return, their livestock has grass to graze on. This modern evidence is used to argue that the Neolithic Revolution was not exactly a revolution.

All of the following instances are reasons hunting and gathering are superior to farming EXCEPT a. Farmers had to work many more hours than hunters and gatherers. b. Farmed crops were much more likely to fail. c. Hunters and gatherers are healthier than farmers. d. Farming led to increased resource instability. e. Settled people are far easier to raid.

d. Scholars still wonder why people started farming because hunters and gatherers had many advantages. They were healthier, worked less, were less easy to raid, and had a more reliable source of food.

Which of the following terms refers to the act of clearing an ethnic group from its native lands? a. eviction b. Apartheid c. defenestration d. dispossession e. genocide

d. Sedentary groups have traditionally either dispossessed nomadic peoples or attempted to sedentarize them.

The abundance of salt water on Earth provides a. nutrients for ocean organisms b. power for water currents c. minerals for creating carbonate shells d. fuel for chemical reactions e. acidity for pH regulation

d. Since a large portion of the water on earth is saltwater, much of the oceans contain particles that are used in chemical reactions.

Why do scientists describe water as possibly "inherently biophilic"? a. Organisms are always composed of at least 50% water. b. Chemical reactions routinely take place in water. c. Life first appeared near water. d. Life exists wherever water is bountiful. e. All living things need water to survive.

d. Something that is biophilic will stimulate life anywhere it exists in large amounts. Scientists describe water as "inherently biophilic" because life will appear wherever there is a lot of water.

The northern edge of the Fertile Crescent is located in a. Syria b. Greece c. Palestine d. Anatolia e. Persia

d. The Fertile Crescent extends from the eastern Mediterranean to southern Anatolia in the north.

How do the Maasai account for future hardship? a. They extract water from cow blood in times of drought. b. They rotate between pastures for livestock grazing. c. They maintain strong relationships between neighboring tribes. d. They keep larger herds than other pastoral cultures. e. They store drinking water in underground wells.

d. The Maasai prepare for future droughts by keeping large herds. These large herds also allow the Maasai to maintain greater diversity in the animals they consume.

Why did Mongols have no concept of drought? a. Irrigation methods were consistent and effective. b. Their homeland was on the shores of a vast lake. c. Rain was plentiful on the Central Asian steppe. d. Water was always available somewhere for a nomadic people. e. They had methods of storing and transporting water.

d. The Mongols had no concept of drought as they lived a pastoral lifestyle. Thus, water was always available somewhere as long as people were mobile enough to find it.

Why might the term "Neolithic Revolution" be innacurate? a. Agricultural techniques pre-dated the Neolithic by tens of thousands of years. b. Agricultural systems were not established until the Bronze Age. c. Only a few key locations have evidence of early agriculture. d. The development of agriculture occurred over hundreds of years. e. The techniques developed during the Neolithic Revolution were widely rejected soon after.

d. The Neolithic Revolution was a gradual adaptation of new agricultural techniques and took place over centuries.

Which of the following crops is NOT native to Southwest Asia? a. barley b. lentils c. wheat d. rice e. chickpeas

d. The crops that are native to Southwest Asia include barley, lentils, wheat, chickpeas, peas, and vetch.

The trade routes connecting China and the Levant, Europe, and Manchuria created a(n) a. "Jade Route" b. "Spice Road" c. "Incense Route" d. "Silk Road" e. "Tea Trail"

d. The trade routes connecting China and the Levant, Europe, and Manchuria created a Silk Road. Trade along these routes likely contributed to the spread of the plague.

When other compounds are placed in water, they tend to a. solidify b. decompose c. react d. dissociate e. acidify

d. Water forms attractive forces with molecules surrounding it. These attractive forces are often strong enough to break bonds within other compounds, causing them to dissociate.

What type of structure do frozen water molecules exhibit? a. octagonal b. bipyramidal c. pyramidal d. hexagonal e. tetrahedral

d. While water molecules in the liquid phase arrange into tetrahedral structures, when frozen, they arrange into hexagonal structures.

Changes in the Land discusses America's First Nations of the a. Southern Rockies b. Midwestern plains c. Southwestern deserts d. Northeastern forests e. Pacific Northwest

d. William Cronon's Changes in the Land discusses the First Nations people of what is now New England in America's Northeast.

Which bacterium caused the Black Death? a. C. vibrio b. S. pneumoniae c. E. coli d. Y. pestis e. B. anthracis

d. Yersinia pestis is the bacterium that caused the Black Death. It is estimated that the Black Death killed between seventy-five and two hundred million people in Eurasia.

Who was the FIRST person to note the paradox of values in writing? a. Milton Friedman b. Karl Wittfogel c. Hippocrates d. Plato e. Adam Smith

d. plato

Why is water considered a greenhouse gas? a. It does not react with other gasses in the atmosphere. b. Its temperature decreases as altitude increases. c. It reflects and scatters infrared radiation. d. It creates holes in the ozone layer. e. It traps and stores energy.

e. A greenhouse gas is a gas that traps heat and stores it in the atmosphere. The most prevalent greenhouse gasses on Earth include water vapor, carbon dioxide, ozone, nitrous oxide, and methane.

The membranes of all living cells on Earth are a. salinized b. hydrolyzed c. ionized d. acidified e. polarized

e. All living cell membranes are polarized. Because of this polarization, water can travel in and out of cells, occasionally bringing other molecules with it.

Locations with ample water cycling will be a. basic b. clean c. salinized d. barren e. nutrient-rich

e. As water wears down rocks, it is enriched with nutrients. Then this enriched water goes through the water cycle, depositing nutrients where water cycles most.

Which property of water causes compounds to change their behavior when immersed? a. acidity b. magnetism c. electricity d. cohesion e. polarity

e. Atoms in compounds are attracted to the oppositely charged parts of the water molecule, and these forces cause changes in the other compound.

Water's density properties cause seasonal temperatures in wet areas to be a. tropical b. temperate c. continental d. equatorial e. variable

e. Because of water's density properties, in wet areas, daily temperature fluctuations are subtle, but seasonal fluctuations are more extreme.

Life first evolved in a a. basic solution b. sodic solution c. brackish solution d. freshwater solution e. briny solution

e. Briny solutions refer to highly saturated salt solutions. Life first evolved in these solutions, and they continue to contain much marine life to this day.

How did Native American land use MOST contribute to colonization? a. Lack of land property rights caused tribal infighting that colonizers exploited. b. Settlers tricked natives into underselling their most valuable lands. c. Native fertilization methods produced rich agricultural land that attracted colonizers. d. Nomadic native tribes could not unite against British imperial forces. e. Colonists justified their actions by labeling native land use as inefficient.

e. British colonists justified their seizure of native lands by arguing that native land use was inefficient and improper.

Cellular respiration produces a. protein b. oxygen c. sugar d. enzymes e. energy

e. Cellular respiration is the process of using sugar to create energy in the form of adenosine triphosphate. This process also requires oxygen and produces water as a byproduct.

Water's chemical formula is a. H2O2 b. C6H12O6 c. H2CO d. CH3NO e. H2O

e. H2O

Which of the following locations is NOT associated with the earliest agricultural systems? a. western South America b. East Africa c. West Africa d. eastern North America e. western Europe

e. In addition to Southwest Asia, China, and Mesoamerica, scholars now believe other locations may have developed agricultural traditions as well. These locations include New Guinea, eastern North America, extreme western South America, West Africa, and Ethiopia.

Which of the following statements BEST summarizes why water has shaped human history so extensively? a. It is a major source of power. b. It facilitates civilization growth. c. It carries diseases. d. It is very widespread. e. It has no substitute.

e. It has no substitute.

What did Jarod Diamond claim was "the worst mistake in the history of the human race"? a. creating city-states b. using stone tools c. inhabiting Mesopotamia d. ending pastoral traditions e. starting to farm

e. Jarod Diamond expresses that the engineering of landscapes was "the worst mistake in the history of the human race" due to the long-term environmental costs.

Which development did NOT mark the shift from nomadic to settled lifestyles? a. urbanization b. social stratification c. development of metallurgy d. new writing systems e. decreased invasions

e. New writing systems, metallurgy, social stratification, and urbanization, are all ways society was altered. However, those who settled became more susceptible to invasions.

Historians estimate that the Bubonic Plague killed half the population of a. London b. Cairo c. Rome d. Prague e. Paris

e. Paris

What modern instance demonstrates that agriculture may have been less of an invention and rather a longtime tradition? a. Many modern pastoral agricultural techniques used date to ancient times. b. Pastoral groups have agricultural systems set in place over their route. c. Some smaller groups make camp for the summers and use agricultural systems. d. Modern pastoral groups worship gods of agriculture and farming. e. Modern pastoral groups leave plants behind for when they return.

e. Scholars note that some modern pastoral groups will scatter seeds along their routes. They use this as evidence that agriculture may have been a part of tradition already before the Neolithic Revolution.

Which type of bond binds the atoms in a water molecule? a. ion-dipole b. hydrogen c. nonpolar covalent d. ionic e. polar covalent

e. The atoms in water molecules are connected by polar covalent bonds. Polar covalent means that atoms are sharing electrons, albeit unevenly.

Why can steppes not naturally support agriculture? a. Temperature is too high. b. Extreme weather is too common. c. Soil is too infertile. d. Elevation is too high. e. Rain falls too rarely.

e. The steppe is unable to naturally support agriculture since rain falls too rarely. Thus, the Mongols lived a pastoral existence instead of relying on growing crops.

Why can ammonia NOT replace water? a. It is not as polar as water. b. Its specific heat is not as high as water's. c. It is mostly gaseous at common temperatures. d. It must be very pressurized to support life. e. It is not as abundant as water.

e. Though ammonia is polar and somewhat common, it is not a fitting water replacement because it has not been observed in large quantities throughout the universe.

Which of the following traits is one of water's unique properties? a. its reactivity b. its absorptivity c. its viscosity d. its solubility e. its density

e. Water has many unique properties, and one of them is its density profile. While most substances get denser when changing from liquid to solid, water is less dense in its solid phase than its liquid phase.

The climates of dry areas are BEST described as a. hot b. equatorial c. temperate d. noxious e. erratic

e. While areas near water have moderate temperature fluctuations, areas lacking water have less regular and more erratic temperatures.

Adam Smith made important contributions in a. physics b. environmental history c. chemistry d. mathematics e. economics

e. economics

Water is the only compound that a. can exist in many types of geometrical structures b. is less dense when in its solid state than in its liquid state c. can be classified as both a basic substance and an acidic substance d. can dissolve both polar and nonpolar substances e. exists in all three states of matter in common temperatures on Earth

e. exists in all three states of matter in common temperatures on Earth