Deck 2: North America

Question 1

A shift toward purchasing locally grown produce was a response to:

A) drought.
B) global climate change.
C) limited availability of California grown crops.
D) the global economic recession.

Answer 1

D

Question 2

The Rocky Mountains were created by the collision of the North American Plate with the:

A) Pacific Plate.
B) Oceanic Plate.
C) Rocky Plate.
D) Atlantic Plate.

Answer 2

A

Question 3

Drug abuse,family violence,and malnutrition are often the result of:

A) migration.
B) education.
C) an uptick in the stock market.
D) unemployment.

Answer 3

D

Question 4

According to the textbook,members of which of the following groups can be properly referred to as North Americans?

A) Canadians
B) Japanese
C) Irish
D) South Africans

Question 5

Which mountain range dominates western North America?

A) White Mountains
B) Rocky Mountains
C) Central Andes
D) Appalachian Mountains

Question 6

The Appalachian Mountains were created when the North American Plate collided with:

A) Europe.
B) Asia.
C) Africa.
D) South America.

Question 7

The Great Lakes were formed by:

A) plate tectonics.
B) melting glaciers.
C) global warming.
D) the Appalachian mountains.

Question 8

Much of the lowland in Louisiana and Mississippi is filled in by:

A) the Mississippi River delta.
B) the Grand Canyon.
C) the Appalachian mountain range.
D) overflow from Canada.

Question 9

Farmers have been forced to remove approximately __________ acres from production.

A) 80,000
B) 1 million
C) 4.7 million
D) 2.2 billion

Question 10

What process resulted in the formation of the North American central lowland that lies in between the two major mountain ranges of the continent?

A) A colossal volcanic eruption split North America in half,and the central lowland,once an intercontinental sea,was filled in by glacial activity.
B) Earthquakes opened and flattened what was once a mountainous area.
C) Material that erodes from the Rocky Mountains has been deposited by wind,rain,and rivers.
D) Early European settlers cleared and flattened a hilly landscape so that they could more easily farm the area.

Question 11

Which term does the text use to refer to all Spanish-speaking people from Middle and South America?

A) Latino
B) Hispanic
C) South American
D) Hispaniola

Question 12

What name is given to the entire mountainous mass in western North America?

A) Canadian Shield
B) Tehuantepec zone
C) the Great Glacial Highlands
D) Rocky Mountain zone

Question 13

All of the following are root causes of high unemployment in California's Central Valley EXCEPT for:

A) anti-immigrant legislation.
B) a long drought.
C) the "eat local" movement.
D) a naturally arid environment.

Question 14

Mendota,a town in California's Central Valley,is known for which of the following industries?

A) mining
B) technology
C) agriculture
D) service

Question 15

Unemployment in Mendota was at __________ percent in 2009.

A) 41
B) 10
C) 85
D) 7

Question 16

"American" is the term used to describe residents of which country?

A) the United States
B) Canada
C) Mexico
D) Peru

Question 17

What population has been most devastated by the troubles in California's Central Valley?

A) affluent Californians who have lost money on property investments
B) U.S.residents who depend on Central Valley produce
C) low-wage Latino male agricultural workers
D) service industry workers

Question 18

The rubbing of the North American Plate against the Pacific Plate causes __________ along the Pacific Coast of North America.

A) volcano eruptions
B) global warming
C) earthquakes
D) mudslides

Question 19

Which geographic phenomenon is most responsible for the constant threat of earthquakes along the Pacific coast?

A) Magma underneath Earth's surface is pressing up on the crust with increasing pressure.
B) The Pacific Plate and the North American Plate are presently rubbing up against each other.
C) Pressure from increased ocean mass caused by global warming is creating structural instability underneath the continent.
D) Great quantities of industrial chemicals have leached into Earth's crust,causing a breakdown in its composition.

Question 20

The people of Canada are content to be called:

A) Canadian.
B) Quebecois.
C) Mounties.
D) Canucks.

Question 21

__________ is a combination of industrial emissions,car exhaust,and water vapor that frequently hovers as a yellow-brown haze over many North American cities.

A) Fracking
B) Acid rain
C) Smog
D) Mineralization

Question 22

In addition to irrigation,farmers on the Great Plains have turned to using fossil water from the Ogallala,the largest of what type of feature in the region?

A) aquifer
B) river
C) crater lake
D) qanat

Question 23

By reversing the flow of the Chicago River,the city of Chicago is now sending its wastewater to which water body?

A) the Hudson River
B) the Atlantic Ocean
C) Lake Michigan
D) the Gulf of Mexico

Question 24

The result of pollutants dissolving in falling precipitation,__________ can kill trees,fish,and wildlife.

A) thermal inversions
B) smog
C) acid rain
D) the introduction of a nonnative species into an area

Question 25

Temperatures in the continental interior of North America are hotter in the summer and colder in the winter than in North American coastal areas because:

A) in coastal areas,temperatures are moderated by the oceans.
B) there is less vegetation in the continental interior.
C) the coasts are less heavily populated than the interior.
D) the coastal interior is closer to the equator.

Question 26

Which of the following is NOT an environmental challenge facing North America?

A) climate stabilization
B) depletion and pollution of water resources
C) habitat loss
D) hazardous waste

Question 27

Which of the following is NOT an effect of massive,interstate,water engineering projects in the Southwest?

A) Water is expensively pumped over mountain ranges.
B) Mexico is deprived of water for irrigation and other purposes.
C) The Colorado River now carries more water than ever.
D) California is able to provide much of the fruit and vegetables consumed in the United States.

Question 28

Which of the following features on the North American physical landscape is the work of glaciers that once covered large parts of the continent as recently as 10,000 years ago?

A) Great Lakes
B) Rocky Mountains
C) Florida Everglades
D) Cascade volcanoes

Question 29

Which of the following mountain chains is the oldest,and hence the most eroded?

A) American Rockies
B) Canadian Rockies
C) Appalachians
D) Sierra Madres

Question 30

The 5 percent of the world's population that lives in North America produces what share of the greenhouse gases released into the atmosphere?

A) 26 percent
B) 2 percent
C) 53 percent
D) 75 percent

Question 31

Southern California's water needs are so intense because:

A) Mexico has illegally diverted California's water supply.
B) nearby Nevada has accessed California's aquifers.
C) the natural state of Southern California is desert.
D) California residents drink more water per capita than residents of any other state.

Question 32

North America is home to __________ percent of the world's population.

A) 5
B) 25
C) 33
D) 50

Question 33

The Mississippi and Ohio rivers meet in:

A) Canton,Ohio.
B) Biloxi,Mississippi.
C) Chicago,Illinois.
D) Cairo,Illinois.

Question 34

The warm ocean current that flows up the eastern seaboard of North America from the tropics is known as:

A) El Niño.
B) La Niña.
C) the Gulf Stream.
D) the jet stream.

Question 35

The main source of moisture east of the Rockies is:

A) the jet stream.
B) Canadian precipitation.
C) evaporation from the Great Lakes.
D) the Gulf of Mexico.

Question 36

Which of the following impact the climate variability found in North America?

A) population growth in South America
B) outsourcing of production operations
C) tectonic plate activity
D) landforms on the continent that influence the movement of air masses

Question 37

What is the main source of moisture east of the Rocky Mountains?

A) the Pacific Ocean
B) the Gulf of Mexico
C) the Atlantic Ocean
D) the Great Lakes

Question 38

Of all the greenhouse emissions produced worldwide,North America accounts for approximately __________.

A) one-tenth
B) one-quarter
C) one-third
D) one-half

Question 39

Central North America is __________ in the eastern and southern parts,and __________ in the northern and western parts.

A) wettest;driest
B) oldest;newest
C) temperate;intemperate
D) overpopulated;underpopulated

Question 40

A climate that is dry and warm in summer,cool and moist in winter is:

A) Mediterranean.
B) Tyrrhenian.
C) American.
D) Pacific.

Question 41

Which of the following statements about Native Americans is INCORRECT?

A) Native Americans on the Great Plains had horses before the Europeans arrived.
B) Lack of immunity to European diseases killed 90 percent of Native Americans within 100 years after contact.
C) Native Americans likely came originally from Asia,over the Bering Strait land bridge.
D) By 1907,only 2 percent of the original Native American population was left.

Question 42

Approximately __________ percent of Native Americans were killed by infectious diseases within 100 years of first European contact.

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

Question 43

A particularly strong threat to the North American environment comes from the mining of __________ in the remote interior.

A) natural gas
B) coal
C) lumber
D) paper

Question 44

All of the following are threats to habitat for people and animals in North America EXCEPT for:

A) logging.
B) urban sprawl.
C) mining.
D) urban renewal.

Question 45

All of the following are results of clear-cutting EXCEPT:

A) the destruction of animal habitats.
B) a reduction in species diversity.
C) the addition of carbon dioxide to the atmosphere.
D) unemployment in the logging industry.

Question 46

A dead zone is:

A) an area near the mouth of a major river system in which there is little to no life.
B) an area that a farmer has allowed to be unproductive in order to raise crop prices.
C) an area in which there is no Internet access.
D) an area in which a species has been permanently lost.

Question 47

Which of these crops is NOT thought to be closely linked to early settled life and population growth in North America?

A) corn
B) beans
C) squash
D) coffee

Question 48

Which of the following environmental disasters occurred in the Gulf of Mexico in 2010?

A) the Deepwater Horizon spill
B) Hurricane Katrina
C) the Love Canal
D) the Exxon Valdez

Question 49

Huge heaps of mining waste are called:

A) scrap metal.
B) pilings.
C) tailings.
D) oxide dregs.

Question 50

Which of the following describes the state of drinking water in North America?

A) It is extremely dangerous to drink water from the tap and should be avoided.
B) Municipalities sell their water to bottling companies to prevent subsidence.
C) Access to tap water is comparatively at a low cost.
D) Bottling companies take extensive precautions to prevent freshwater depletion and pollution.

Question 51

The logging method by which all trees on a given plot of land are cut down,regardless of age,health,or species,is:

A) defoliation.
B) clear-cutting.
C) paper harvesting.
D) logging rotation.

Question 52

The chief source of river pollution in North America is:

A) nuclear waste.
B) storm-water runoff.
C) mudslides.
D) limestone and quartz.

Question 53

Which of the following statements best summarizes the story of how humans first came into North America?

A) Viking explorers came across the North Atlantic Ocean in small sailing vessels.
B) Peoples from the ancient Mayan and Incan civilizations traveled on horse from what is now Mexico.
C) Small bands of hunters came from eastern Siberia by crossing the Bering land bridge.
D) Many of Columbus's first crew remained and established permanent settlements.

Question 54

All of the following are negative impacts associated with logging EXCEPT:

A) loss of habitat and species diversity.
B) forest depletion.
C) erosion.
D) high unemployment rates.

Question 55

The earliest European explorers to come to North America came from all of the following countries EXCEPT:

A) Spain.
B) Greece.
C) Italy.
D) Portugal.

Question 56

Experts estimate that at least __________ nonnative plants and animals have invaded North America.

A) 200
B) 1000
C) 4000
D) 10,000

Question 57

What percentage of riparian areas in North America have been lost or degraded?

A) 10 percent
B) 25 percent
C) 56 percent
D) 90 percent

Question 58

The introduction of which of the following allowed Native Americans to begin building cities by freeing up community members to engage in activities other than agriculture,hunting,and gathering?

A) horses
B) guns
C) cattle
D) corn,squash,and beans

Question 59

The snakehead fish was brought to America from __________.

A) Europe
B) Australia
C) Northern Africa
D) Asia

Question 60

The DeSoto expeditions began in the area now known as:

A) Florida.
B) Louisiana.
C) Virginia.
D) Massachusetts.

Question 61

The occupation of North America by Europeans began in what century?

A) fifteenth (1400s)
B) seventeenth (1600s)
C) sixteenth (1500s)
D) eighteenth (1700s)

Question 62

Which of the following does NOT explain why the mid-Atlantic colonies (New York,New Jersey,and Pennsylvania)surpassed the colonies of New England and southeastern Canada,economically and in population?

A) They had a slightly warmer climate.
B) They possessed multiple deepwater harbors.
C) They received subsidies from the British crown.
D) They had better connections to inland resources.

Question 63

The great drought that affected the Great Plains of North America in the 1930s is known as the:

A) Arid Era.
B) Great Depression.
C) Dust Bowl.
D) Plains Drought.

Question 64

Which of the following is NOT a port city?

A) New York
B) Philadelphia
C) Baltimore
D) Atlanta

Question 65

The heavy migration to California in 1849 was stimulated by news of the discovery of:

A) silver.
B) tobacco.
C) gold.
D) buffalo and other meat-producing animals.

Question 66

European settlement of eastern Northern America began with colonies in areas today known as:

A) Philadelphia and New York.
B) Maryland and Philadelphia.
C) Virginia and Florida.
D) North Carolina and South Carolina.

Question 67

During what century did Euro-American expansion initially reach throughout the entire continental United States such that they occupied most Native American lands?

A) eighteenth (1700s)
B) nineteenth (1800s)
C) seventeenth (1600s)
D) twentieth (1900s)

Question 68

The expansion of railroads across North America in the nineteenth century facilitated the transfer of __________ from the West and __________ from the East.

A) manufactured products;lumber
B) raw materials;manufactured goods
C) animals;agricultural goods
D) water;fertilizers

Question 69

The colonial economies in what region of North America depended on cash crops such as cotton and tobacco?

A) Mid-Atlantic
B) New England
C) Great Lakes
D) Southern

Question 70

Which of the following reasons explains how the plantation system was detrimental to the economic development of the South?

A) Plantations generated a large number of spin-off enterprises that failed due to increased competition and few customers.
B) Elite plantation owners invested more of their money in Europe and the northern colonies than they did in their own local economy.
C) The merging of plantations into huge multi-owner projects put many of the less successful plantations out of business,which led to increased poverty and unemployment.
D) The British government took most of the profits from plantation owners,leaving little for local investment and development.

Question 71

By 1907,what percentage of the Native American population discovered in 1492 was still existent?

A) 2 percent
B) 10 percent
C) 22 percent
D) 55 percent

Question 72

Which of the following is an accurate description of the area of North America in the late nineteenth century known as the economic core?

A) Most other areas of North America depended on its factories for a wide array of manufactured goods.
B) In recent decades,due to strong protective tariffs against foreign imports,the area has continued to prosper as a leading manufacturing region.
C) This area struggled behind the other regions of North America economically and politically during the late nineteenth century and well into the twentieth century.
D) This area produced much of the food for other regions of North America and received manufactured goods from the southern colonies in return.

Question 73

In 1492,roughly __________ Native Americans lived in North America.By 1907,about __________ remained.

A) 10 million;4 million
B) 20 million;10 million
C) 25 million;1 million
D) 18 million;400,000

Question 74

By the mid-nineteenth century,North America's economy was based on which industry?

A) coal
B) steel
C) railroad
D) fishing

Question 75

By 1822 the center of manufacturing in North America had become:

A) Montreal.
B) Boston.
C) New York City.
D) Atlanta.

Question 76

The economic core of North America is located in:

A) New England.
B) the mid-Atlantic states.
C) the Great Plains.
D) the Southwest.

Question 77

What led to the ecological disaster of the 1930s in the Great Plains region?

A) a flood that eroded away all the topsoil in the region
B) a lack of available farm labor caused by the growth of employment on the East Coast during that decade
C) a drought,combined with dust storms that blew away the topsoil
D) Mormon belief systems,which advocate the clear-cutting of all land

Question 78

The Mid-Atlantic region of North America offered all of the following benefits,EXCEPT:

A) more fertile soil than New England.
B) more deep water harbors than New England.
C) a slightly warmer climate than New England.
D) higher rainfall than New England.

Question 79

European settlers began bringing slave labor into North America around:

A) 1500
B) 1573
C) 1619
D) 1735

Question 80

Which statement best summarizes the relationship between the earliest North American settlements in the north and south?

A) Southern settlements were the first to create strong export industries.
B) Southern settlements were primarily rural,while Northern settlements were primarily urban.
C) Northern settlements created strong export industries before Southern settlements did.
D) People in Southern settlements were more community-minded,while people in Northern settlements aimed to be self-sufficient.