Question 1

Why do the deciduous leaves on temperate forest trees turn from green to orange, red, and/or yellow before falling?

Accepted Answer

A)  The chlorophyll changes color as it's broken down. 
B)  The chlorophyll is absorbed by the tree, leaving the other pigments visible. 
C)  New photosynthetic pigments are created as the amount of daylight becomes limited. 
D)  New pigments are created in response to colder temperatures. 
A)  The chlorophyll changes color as it's broken down. 
B)  The chlorophyll is absorbed by the tree, leaving the other pigments visible. 
C)  New photosynthetic pigments are created as the amount of daylight becomes limited. 
D)  New pigments are created in response to colder temperatures. B

Question 2

The temperature of a city is often warmer than the temperature in its surrounding suburbs. This is the result of an urban heat island effect. What is one reason why this effect occurs?

Accepted Answer

A)  The pavement and buildings absorb heat. 
B)  There are more parks in the city. 
C)  Fewer people drive in the suburbs. 
D)  Fewer buildings use air conditioning in the suburbs. 
A)  The pavement and buildings absorb heat. 
B)  There are more parks in the city. 
C)  Fewer people drive in the suburbs. 
D)  Fewer buildings use air conditioning in the suburbs. A

Question 3

Both tropical and temperate forests have

Accepted Answer

A)  rainy and dry seasons. 
B)  seasonal changes in temperature. 
C)  enough precipitation to support large trees. 
D)  the same species of trees. 
A)  rainy and dry seasons. 
B)  seasonal changes in temperature. 
C)  enough precipitation to support large trees. 
D)  the same species of trees. C

Question 4

Plants that are adapted to frequent fires are part of the

Accepted Answer

A)  boreal forest. 
B)  temperate forest. 
C)  chaparral. 
D)  desert. 
A)  boreal forest. 
B)  temperate forest. 
C)  chaparral. 
D)  desert.

Question 5

How can the amount of yard waste produced by people be reduced?

Accepted Answer

A)  through recycling 
B)  through composting 
C)  by having people bring their own waste to dumps 
D)  through burning. 
A)  through recycling 
B)  through composting 
C)  by having people bring their own waste to dumps 
D)  through burning.

Question 6

The length of day is always greatest at the

Accepted Answer

A)  equator. 
B)  south pole. 
C)  winter solstice. 
D)  summer solstice. 
A)  equator. 
B)  south pole. 
C)  winter solstice. 
D)  summer solstice.

Question 7

"Swidden" is another term for

Accepted Answer

A)  tundra. 
B)  slash-and-burn agriculture. 
C)  the boreal forest. 
D)  biome. 
A)  tundra. 
B)  slash-and-burn agriculture. 
C)  the boreal forest. 
D)  biome.

Question 8

Hot-air balloons are able to fly for the same reason that

Accepted Answer

A)  precipitation falls on the leeward side of a mountain. 
B)  water droplets can freeze inside clouds. 
C)  very little rain falls at 30° north and south of the equator. 
D)  the tops of hills are warmer than the valleys below. 
A)  precipitation falls on the leeward side of a mountain. 
B)  water droplets can freeze inside clouds. 
C)  very little rain falls at 30° north and south of the equator. 
D)  the tops of hills are warmer than the valleys below.

Question 9

Which of the following is one evolutionary adaptation of a typical desert plant?

Accepted Answer

A)  shallow roots to quickly capture water 
B)  broad leaves to capture the bright sunlight 
C)  long-blooming flowers to attract pollinators 
D)  deep roots to capture all available moisture 
A)  shallow roots to quickly capture water 
B)  broad leaves to capture the bright sunlight 
C)  long-blooming flowers to attract pollinators 
D)  deep roots to capture all available moisture

Question 10

During the last few years, scientists have observed that caribou have had difficulty migrating due to the melting of the ________, creating impassable wetlands where there was once solid ground.

Accepted Answer

A)  glaciers 
B)  ice caps 
C)  icebergs 
D)  permafrost 
A)  glaciers 
B)  ice caps 
C)  icebergs 
D)  permafrost

Question 11

Coniferous trees are most abundant in

Accepted Answer

A)  tropical forests. 
B)  temperate forests. 
C)  deciduous forests. 
D)  boreal forests. 
A)  tropical forests. 
B)  temperate forests. 
C)  deciduous forests. 
D)  boreal forests.

Question 12

What is generally the warmest time of day in Houston, Texas?

Accepted Answer

A)  10 a.m. 
B)  noon 
C)  2 p.m. 
D)  5 p.m. 
A)  10 a.m. 
B)  noon 
C)  2 p.m. 
D)  5 p.m.

Question 13

On August 8, 2005, the temperature in New Haven, Connecticut, was 82° F with partly cloudy skies. This is a description of New Haven's

Accepted Answer

A)  climate. 
B)  weather. 
C)  biome. 
D)  ecosystem. 
A)  climate. 
B)  weather. 
C)  biome. 
D)  ecosystem.

Question 14

The moist air of tropical rainforests is due to

Accepted Answer

A)  warm air rising at the equator, cooling and condensing, and falling to Earth. 
B)  warm air sinking, moving to the equator, and raining. 
C)  cool air rising, evaporating, and forming cloud cover. 
D)  cool air sinking, condensing, and falling as rain. 
A)  warm air rising at the equator, cooling and condensing, and falling to Earth. 
B)  warm air sinking, moving to the equator, and raining. 
C)  cool air rising, evaporating, and forming cloud cover. 
D)  cool air sinking, condensing, and falling as rain.

Question 15

Regions that have ________ levels of solar irradiance have ________ average temperatures.

Accepted Answer

A)  low; varying 
B)  high; low 
C)  low; low 
D)  high; varying 
A)  low; varying 
B)  high; low 
C)  low; low 
D)  high; varying

Question 16

Rainfall in a desert is

Accepted Answer

A)  negligible (essentially 0 inches per year). 
B)  less than 1 inch per year. 
C)  less than 20 inches per year. 
D)  more than 20 inches per year. 
A)  negligible (essentially 0 inches per year). 
B)  less than 1 inch per year. 
C)  less than 20 inches per year. 
D)  more than 20 inches per year.

Question 17

In New York, the warmest days of the year usually occur

Accepted Answer

A)  around the summer solstice. 
B)  about one month after the summer solstice. 
C)  about one month before the summer solstice. 
D)  in mid-September. 
A)  around the summer solstice. 
B)  about one month after the summer solstice. 
C)  about one month before the summer solstice. 
D)  in mid-September.

Question 18

Which city would have the largest variation in daylight hours between the summer solstice and the winter solstice?

Accepted Answer

A)  New York, New York 
B)  Los Angeles, California 
C)  Miami, Florida 
D)  Montreal, Canada 
A)  New York, New York 
B)  Los Angeles, California 
C)  Miami, Florida 
D)  Montreal, Canada

Question 19

Prevailing winds coming from the north and south collide

Accepted Answer

A)  at the intertropical convergence zone. 
B)  on the leeward side of a mountain. 
C)  on the windward side of a mountain. 
D)  within hurricanes. 
A)  at the intertropical convergence zone. 
B)  on the leeward side of a mountain. 
C)  on the windward side of a mountain. 
D)  within hurricanes.

Question 20

Introducing large numbers of grazing livestock to a savanna in the Sahel region of Africa has led to

Accepted Answer

A)  an increase in the savanna. 
B)  the destruction of the biome. 
C)  more food in times of famine. 
D)  another form of sustainable agriculture. 
A)  an increase in the savanna. 
B)  the destruction of the biome. 
C)  more food in times of famine. 
D)  another form of sustainable agriculture.

Exam 16: Where Do You Live? Climate and Biomes

Why do the deciduous leaves on temperate forest trees turn from green to orange, red, and/or yellow before falling?

The temperature of a city is often warmer than the temperature in its surrounding suburbs. This is the result of an urban heat island effect. What is one reason why this effect occurs?

Both tropical and temperate forests have

Plants that are adapted to frequent fires are part of the

How can the amount of yard waste produced by people be reduced?

The length of day is always greatest at the

"Swidden" is another term for

Hot-air balloons are able to fly for the same reason that

Which of the following is one evolutionary adaptation of a typical desert plant?

During the last few years, scientists have observed that caribou have had difficulty migrating due to the melting of the ________, creating impassable wetlands where there was once solid ground.

Coniferous trees are most abundant in

What is generally the warmest time of day in Houston, Texas?

On August 8, 2005, the temperature in New Haven, Connecticut, was 82° F with partly cloudy skies. This is a description of New Haven's

The moist air of tropical rainforests is due to

Regions that have ________ levels of solar irradiance have ________ average temperatures.

Rainfall in a desert is

In New York, the warmest days of the year usually occur

Which city would have the largest variation in daylight hours between the summer solstice and the winter solstice?

Prevailing winds coming from the north and south collide

Introducing large numbers of grazing livestock to a savanna in the Sahel region of Africa has led to

Can Science Cure the Common Cold? Introduction to the Scientific Method

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Life in the Greenhouse: Photosynthesis and Global Warming

Cancer: DNA Synthesis, Mitosis, and Meiosis

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DNA Detective: Complex Patterns of Inheritance and DNA Fingerprinting

Genetically Modified Organisms: Gene Expression, Mutation, and Cloning

Where Did We Come From? The Evidence for Evolution

An Evolving Enemy: Natural Selection

Who Am I? Species and Races

Prospecting for Biological Gold: Biodiversity and Classification

Is the Human Population Too Large? Population Ecology

Conserving Biodiversity: Community and Ecosystem Ecology

Organ Donation: Tissues Organs and Organ Systems

Clearing the Air: Respiratory Cardiovascular and Excretory Systems

Vaccinations: Protection and Prevention or Peril? Immune System

Sex Differences and Athleticism: Endocrine Skeletal and Muscular Systems

Is There Something in the Water? Reproductive and Developmental Biology

Attention Deficit Disorder: Brain Structure and Function

Feeding the World: Plant Structure and Growth

Growing a Green Thumb: Plant Physiology

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Regions that have levels of solar irradiance have average temperatures.