Deck 12: The Geography of Natural Resources

Question 1

Which of the following is NOT an advantage of solar power?

A)As a source of energy,it is inexhaustible.
B)It can be used to generate electricity.
C)Photovoltaic systems are competitive with fossil fuels on price.
D)It can be used for both space heating and cooling.

Answer 1

C

Question 2

Which of the following is a potentially renewable resource?

A)groundwater
B)crude oil
C)coal
D)wind energy

Answer 2

A

Question 3

All of the following statements about biomass are true EXCEPT

A)biomass can be converted into solid,liquid,and gaseous fuels.
B)most of the energy that is produced from biomass comes from wood.
C)there is a decreasing demand and an increasing supply of wood in developing countries.
D)it supplies an insignificant amount of energy in developed countries.

Answer 3

C

Question 4

Energy is

A)the random motion of molecules.
B)either potential or thermodynamic.
C)a force that is exerted over some distance.
D)the ability to do work.

Question 5

Expanding the amount of land devoted to food production

A)has the greatest potential for increasing world food supplies.
B)is most likely to occur in Europe and North America.
C)may do irreparable damage to the land.
D)was one of the chief benefits of the Green Revolution.

Question 6

Coal differs from oil or natural gas as an energy source,in that coal

A)cannot be liquefied or moved by pipeline.
B)is generally clean,efficient,and nonpolluting.
C)exists in quantities that will last for centuries.
D)is uniform in thermal value wherever found commercially.

Question 7

The value of a given coal deposit depends on all of the following EXCEPT

A)its accessibility.
B)its potential for liquefaction.
C)its sulfur content.
D)the thickness of the coal seam.

Question 8

The Industrial Revolution was characterized by the

A)shift from renewable energy to fossil fuels.
B)invention of the internal combustion engine.
C)use of electricity to power trains and streetcars.
D)efficient use of metallic minerals for the first time in human history.

Question 9

Which of the following statements is NOT true?

A)Energy consumption and industrialization are highly correlated.
B)Some countries have a rich resource base but a population that is poor.
C)Per capita energy production is correlated with national energy consumption.
D)Industrialized countries can compensate for a lack of resources by importing raw materials.

Question 10

The renewable energy source that is LEAST affected by local site considerations is

A)geothermal power.
B)biomass.
C)large-scale hydropower.
D)tidal power.

Question 11

The region of the United States that relies most heavily upon hydropower is the

A)Midwest.
B)Southeast.
C)Pacific Northwest.
D)Great Plains.

Question 12

The percentage of the world's original tropical rain forest that has already been either cleared or degraded is approximately

A)90%.
B)75%.
C)50%.
D)25%.

Question 13

Renewable energy resources include all of the following EXCEPT

A)crop residues and animal and human wastes.
B)wood.
C)wind energy.
D)tar sands.

Question 14

Conventional nuclear power stations

A)develop thermal electricity through nuclear fusion.
B)use plutonium as a raw material.
C)are called "breeder" reactors.
D)produce steam that drives turbines to generate electricity.

Question 15

The evaporation of irrigation water from farm fields can damage soil fertility through

A)soil erosion.
B)deforestation.
C)desertification.
D)salinization.

Question 16

Vast quantities of oil,enough to supply domestic needs for another century,are contained in U.S.deposits of

A)biomass.
B)crude oil.
C)oil shale.
D)uranium.

Question 17

Most petroleum is used for

A)tars.
B)plastics.
C)waxes.
D)fuels.

Question 18

Reliance on the world's oceans and seas to provide larger amounts of protein for the human population is

A)possible only if overfishing can be controlled and replacement occurs.
B)unrealistic because most of the annual fish supply comes from inland waters.
C)most likely to occur in tropical waters.
D)realistic because the average fish catch per person has increased steadily since 1970.

Question 19

All of the following statements regarding tar sands are true EXCEPT

A)the bitumen in tar sands can be converted to gasoline,jet fuel,and other fuels.
B)the largest tar sands deposits are located in Alberta,Canada.
C)tar sands are an environmentally friendly source of energy.
D)tar sands exist in vast quantities.

Question 20

The region that contains about 60% of the proven oil reserves in the world is

A)the Middle East.
B)Russia.
C)Western Europe.
D)South America.

Question 21

The United States imports oil from other countries to meet about _______________ of its crude oil needs.

A)10%
B)25%
C)66%
D)80%

Question 22

Of the following fossil fuels,the one with the least adverse impact on the environment is

A)natural gas.
B)crude oil.
C)coal.
D)oil shale.

Question 23

Commercial forests can be considered a renewable resource if _______________ techniques are practiced.

A)selective cutting
B)sustained yield
C)clear cutting
D)multiple use

Question 24

Globally,commercial fishing is chiefly concentrated

A)in the deepest areas of oceans far away from coasts.
B)in freshwater lakes.
C)in tropical areas where waters are comparably stagnant.
D)on continental shelf areas where cold and warm waters mix.

Question 25

All of the following statements about copper are true EXCEPT

A)price increases have spurred the adoption of substitutes.
B)as supplies have decreased we are now mining lower grade ores.
C)recycled copper now accounts for about one-third of copper used in the United States.
D)copper ore is evenly spread around the earth's crust.

Question 26

What is the coastal zone of wetlands where salt water and fresh water mix called?

A)zone of aeration
B)continental shelf
C)phreatic zone
D)estuarine zone

Question 27

What parts of the world receive the largest shipments of crude oil from the Middle East?

A)United States and Latin America
B)Europe and Japan
C)India and China
D)Australia and New Zealand

Question 28

An environmentally sustainable economy is best defined as one that

A)balances the rate of species extinction with that of species evolution.
B)controls the production of pollutants.
C)reduces the consumption of energy resources.
D)satisfies current needs without jeopardizing the prospects of future generations.

Question 29

North America's largest temperate rain forest is located in

A)Florida.
B)Oregon.
C)Alaska.
D)California.

Question 30

All of the following statements about wind power are true EXCEPT

A)wind turbines do not use any fuel.
B)the wind is a renewable resource.
C)once built,wind turbines do not pollute air or water.
D)Florida contains most of the installed U.S.wind power generating capacity.

Question 31

The "oil shocks" of 1973-74 and 1979-80 had all of the following effects EXCEPT

A)a decline in the power of OPEC.
B)a worldwide recession.
C)a decrease in the demand for oil.
D)large net trade deficits in oil-importing countries.

Question 32

All of the following statements regarding tropical forests are true EXCEPT

A)tropical forests replenish oxygen and remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere.
B)clearing and burning of tropical forests causes air pollution.
C)clearing of tropical forests is mostly taking place in roadless wilderness areas.
D)cutting tropical forests has caused the extinction of thousands of plant and animal species.

Question 33

Which of the following statements about nuclear energy is NOT true?

A)Some countries depend much more than others on nuclear power.
B)In theory,nuclear fuels could provide a virtually inexhaustible source of energy.
C)Nuclear fission plants produce large amounts of radioactive waste.
D)Environmental opposition has stopped all consideration of constructing new plants.

Question 34

Electricity generated from heat energy beneath the earth's surface is called

A)hydroelectric power.
B)geothermal power.
C)tidal power.
D)biomass power.

Question 35

All of the following statements about hydropower are true EXCEPT

A)it is generated when water falls from one level to another.
B)it is generally used in the region where it is produced.
C)it is a major supplier of electricity in many developed and developing countries.
D)the cost of transmitting hydroelectricity is negligible.

Question 36

Which of the following is NOT an example of a perpetual renewable resource?

A)solar energy
B)wind power
C)geothermal energy
D)fish

Question 37

Destruction of the tropical rain forests is a matter of concern for all of the following reasons EXCEPT

A)deforestation by burning contributes to air pollution and climate change.
B)it causes the yearly extinction of thousands of plant and animal species that exist nowhere else.
C)the forests are oxygen "sinks" and carbon-replenishers.
D)forest clearance accelerates soil erosion.

Question 38

Geothermal energy resources are most often found

A)in deserts.
B)in polar latitudes.
C)in tropical latitudes.
D)along plate boundaries or at hot spots.

Question 39

The part of a mineral reserve that can be profitably exploited is called the

A)potential reserves.
B)proved reserves.
C)renewable reserves.
D)recognized reserves.

Question 40

The part of the world most at risk from desertification is

A)China.
B)Africa.
C)India.
D)Central America.

Question 41

The widespread adoption of soil conservation practices such as strip cropping and no-till farming have reduced soil erosion rates in the United States to all time lows.

Question 42

Transoceanic shipment of natural gas is less difficult than transoceanic shipment of crude oil.

Question 43

Because of its high ecological integrity,logging is not allowed in Alaska's Tongass National Forest.

Question 44

Recreation and wildlife habitat are two of the goals in the management of U.S.National Forest lands.

Question 45

The largest of the commercial forest belts in the world includes

A)most of Australia,Africa,and South America.
B)the upper-middle latitudes of the Northern Hemisphere.
C)the Arctic region of Russia and Canada.
D)the western interiors of continents in subtropical latitudes.

Question 46

The more resources a country has,the higher its level of technology and quality of life.

Question 47

The current estimate of proved oil reserves in the world is about _____ billion barrels.

A)1,200
B)2,300
C)5,000
D)4,300

Question 48

In contrast to Canada and Mexico,the United States consumes far more oil than it produces.

Question 49

The rise in oil prices during the 1970s was due chiefly to a cutback in production by industrialized countries.

Question 50

Which of the following is not one of the designated purposes for which the U.S National Forests are managed?

A)recreation
B)timber production
C)wildlife habitat
D)all of the above are purposes for which they are managed

Question 51

Russia was the second largest producer of oil in the world in 2008.

Question 52

Which statement regarding wind power is NOT true?

A)A problem is the intermittent nature of wind.
B)Off-shore locations are popular locations for installations.
C)The best locations are often close to where power is needed.
D)It is a renewable energy source comparable in price to conventional fossil fuel power plants.

Question 53

Modern technology has reduced to 10% or less the proportion of the world's people largely dependent on wood for cooking and heating.

Question 54

Hydropower is the one energy source that comes without any environmental costs.

Question 55

Some renewable resources can be depleted.

Question 56

All European countries rely heavily on nuclear power.

Question 57

A commodity is a resource only when a culture recognizes it as such.

Question 58

Solar energy availability is a variable controlled by climate and latitude.

Question 59

Brazil is a world leader in producing ethanol from sugarcane for blending with gasoline as an automobile fuel.

Question 60

Proved or usable reserves are deposits that have been identified and are economically recoverable with current technology.

Question 61

Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of hydropower dams.

Question 62

What is the term that refers to plant and animal material used as fuel?

Question 63

The average fuel economy of new cars in the U.S.is now higher than it was in 1988.

Question 64

Discuss the strengths and weaknesses of sugarcane versus corn for producing ethanol for vehicle fuel.

Question 65

Describe the association between energy production,energy consumption,and economic development.

Question 66

The U.S.consumes approximately 22.5% of world oil production.

Question 67

What is the category of natural resources that can be used over and over again?

Question 68

Why should North Americans be concerned about the destruction of the tropical rain forests?

Question 69

What is the term that refers to the prudent use of natural resources such that they are never depleted?

Question 70

What are some examples of renewable resources?

Question 71

Explain why average gas mileage of new automobiles in the U.S.is now lower than it was in the late 1980s.

Question 72

Using data on proved oil reserves,oil consumption,and oil imports,explain why the United States faces significant challenges with regard to its use of oil.

Question 73

Discuss three methods of using other nonrenewable resources to augment declining supplies of oil and natural gas.For each method,make reference to potential environmental or cost considerations.

Question 74

Explain the concept of sustainable development.