The Environment and Society Unit Test 96%

Which of the following statements about human society and limiting factors is true? a. Modifications made to the environment to reduce the impact of limiting factors can cause disruption to the natural balance of an ecosystem. b. Humans cannot modify their environment to adapt it to their needs. c. Humans can completely overcome the factors that limit population size. d. Limiting factors are of no concern to human society, because they do not affect human populations.

a. Modifications made to the environment to reduce the impact of limiting factors can cause disruption to the natural balance of an ecosystem.

How have scientific advancements helped reduce the impact of hazardous events on society? a. Scientific advancements have led to the ability to detect some hazardous events before they occur, allowing society to plan for them, mitigating their damage. b. Scientific advancements have led to the ability to prevent hazardous events. c. Scientific advancements have led to the ability to detect all hazardous events, preventing damage to society. d. Scientific advancements have not reduced the impact of hazardous events on society.

a. Scientific advancements have led to the ability to detect some hazardous events before they occur, allowing society to plan for them, mitigating their damage.

Which of the following is a likely reason for the decrease in stability for societies that rely on external control? a. Societies that rely on external control are less likely to maintain sustainable practices, due to their larger size. b. Societies that rely on external control are more likely to be self-regulating. c. Societies that rely on external control are less likely to have low unemployment rates. d. Societies that rely on external control are more likely to be independent of water and biomass resources.

a. Societies that rely on external control are less likely to maintain sustainable practices, due to their larger size.

How can the arrangement of furniture in a room influence an individual's behavior? a. The arrangement of furniture in a public room can either encourage or discourage social interaction. b. The arrangement of furniture in a room can influence an individual's attitude toward survival. c. An individual's overall mental health can be severely negatively impacted by the arrangement of furniture in a room. d. An individual's behavior cannot be influenced by the arrangement of furniture in a room.

a. The arrangement of furniture in a public room can either encourage or discourage social interaction.

The percentage of a hunter-gatherer society's diet provided by hunting versus gathering was mostly determined by _______. a. the climate b. the types of prey c. hunting skill d. the size of the human population

a. the climate

Humans living in highly populated areas are more inclined to _______. a. violence b. socially isolate c. appetite loss d. all of the above

a. violence

Which of the following statements about the impact of biotechnology on the environment is not true? a. Biotechnology can positively impact the environment through the use of organisms that degrade pollutants. b. Biotechnology use can lead to an increase in soil erosion and pollution runoff through decreased pesticide use. c. The use of biotechnology in agriculture can lead to a decrease in pesticide use, positively impacting the environment. d. Biotechnology can lead to greater competition among natural and genetically engineered organisms in an ecosystem.

b. Biotechnology use can lead to an increase in soil erosion and pollution runoff through decreased pesticide use.

Why does culture establish the standard by which quality of life is measured? a. Cultures are defined by the demographics of their populations. b. Culture establishes the framework by which individuals judge their environment. c. Culture defines the domains of family and health that define quality of life. d. A society's culture defines its socioeconomic conditions.

b. Culture establishes the framework by which individuals judge their environment.

Which of the following is not true concerning the energy harnessed by humans throughout history? a. Early hominids harnessed the least energy, just that of their own bodies. b. Fire let humans increase their energy use tenfold. c. Neolithic farmers were able to harness the energy of animals. d. Modern humans use more than a hundred times the energy of early humans.

b. Fire let humans increase their energy use tenfold.

How many kilocalories of energy would you expect a person in contemporary England to consume daily (including food, transportation, household use, etc.)? a. millions b. hundreds of thousands c. tens of thousands d. thousands

b. hundreds of thousands

Over the years, scientific advancements have brought both benefits and disadvantages to society. Which of the following is an area which has been both positively and negatively affected by scientific advancements? a. food safety b. waste production c. climate d. all of the above

b. waste production

Why is there a natural limit to human population growth? a. Humans cannot impact limiting factors, so population growth must be limited. b. Human population growth is limited solely by human activity, such as war. c. Humans can reduce the effect of certain limiting factors in the short term, but in the long term resource limitations will impact human population growth. d. There is a natural limit to population growth, because human reproduction occurs at a very slow rate.

c. Humans can reduce the effect of certain limiting factors in the short term, but in the long term resource limitations will impact human population growth.

Which of the following is not a reason that small societies can maintain stability in the long term better than larger societies? a. Smaller societies have a smaller demand for resources. b. Smaller societies can be governed by internal controls more effectively than larger societies. c. Smaller societies rely more heavily on legislation and military forces. d. None of the above

c. Smaller societies rely more heavily on legislation and military forces.

The best determinant of how an individual measures their quality of life is _______. a. family and friends b. education c. culture d. demographics

c. culture

Which of the following is a disadvantage associated with scientific advances? a. decreased urbanization b. increased energy efficiency c. increased waste production d. increased renewable resource use

c. increased waste production

Which of the following is not true concerning the elements of a quality life? a. It might include financial and physical security. b. They are considered stable over a lifetime. c. It is highly individualized. d. It depends upon personal environment and relationships.

d. It depends upon personal environment and relationships.

Which of the following is the most widely accepted method for limiting human population size? a. war b. famine c. disease d. birth control

d. birth control

Which of the following is a risk associated with the application of biotechnology? a. decreased pesticide use b. decreased erosion c. increased agricultural yield d. potential for the exchange of genetic material

d. potential for the exchange of genetic material

Which of the following is not characteristic of a behavior? a. It can be observed. b. It can be recorded. c. It can be influenced by the environment. d. It can include a person's thoughts.

d. It can include a person's thoughts.

Which of the following statement about energy and nutrients in an ecosystem is true? a. Energy and nutrients flow in one direction through an ecosystem. b. Energy and nutrients cycle through an ecosystem. c. Energy cycles through an ecosystem, while nutrients flow in one direction. d. Nutrients cycle through an ecosystem, while energy flows in one direction

d. Nutrients cycle through an ecosystem, while energy flows in one direction

Which of the following factors would contribute to the human population reaching its carrying capacity? a. food availability b. freshwater availability c. living space availability d. all of the above

d. all of the above

A population is a collection of all the types of organisms in an area. Please select the best answer from the choices provided T F

false

Advances in medical technology have had no impact on the environment. Please select the best answer from the choices provided T F

false

Communication and transportation have improved as a result of scientific advancements. Please select the best answer from the choices provided T F

true

The USDA has approved over 10,000 genetically engineered crops. Please select the best answer from the choices provided T F

true