Question 1

The point of critical thinking is to learn to

Accepted Answer

A)  weigh all the evidence and draw your own conclusions.
B)  distrust all opinions other than your own.
C)  trust only your own experimental results.
D)  learn to accept the views of real authorities.
E)  identify true experts in a field. A

Question 2

In reading a claim by an atmospheric scientist that ozone depletion is not an actual environmental problem,a critical thinker would

Accepted Answer

A)  ignore the claim because it does not align with his/her opinions.
B)  feel relieved because ozone depletion was such an overwhelming problem.
C)  look for evidence that is in line with past experience.
D)  look for evidence and background of the source's reliability.
E)  acknowledge the claim because an atmospheric scientist is an expert. D

Question 3

Environmental science is a

Accepted Answer

A)  narrowly defined set of physical,life,and social sciences.
B)  theoretical approach in interpreting the environment.
C)  way to see the world in scientific terms.
D)  systematic approach learning about the environment.
E)  special set of problem-solving skills. D

Question 4

What is the probability of getting tails 4 times in a row when you flip a coin?

Accepted Answer

A)  1 in 4
B)  1 in 10
C)  1 in 16
D)  1 in 20
E)  1 in 24

Question 5

Which of the following pioneers in the American conservation movement is most likely to have made the following statement: Keep close to Nature's heart...and break clear away,once in a while,and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods.Wash your spirit clean.

Accepted Answer

A)  John Muir
B)  Gifford Pinchot
C)  Aldo Leopold
D)  President Roosevelt
E)  Rachel Carson

Question 6

Sustainable development differs from traditional economic development in that it emphasizes economic development in the short term.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 7

Although your sister is not a scientist,she says that she uses scientific techniques in her everyday life.You do not believe her but she insists it is true.Which of the following examples could she use to best persuade you that science is used daily?

Accepted Answer

A)  When she cooks,she measures ingredients and puts them together to form something else (e.g. ,a cake) .
B)  When she drives in her car,she hypothesizes about things (e.g. ,when the red light will turn green) .
C)  She put some tomatoes in the sun and some in the shade to see if the sun causes them to ripen faster.
D)  She buys a brand of toothpaste based on statistical data (four out of five dentists recommend it) .
E)  She cannot provide any example that would persuade you of using scientific techniques in her everyday life.

Question 8

Of the following statements and questions,which is the best example of deductive reasoning?

Accepted Answer

A)  If all insects have six legs,then butterflies have six legs.
B)  In repeated tosses of a coin,there is a 50/50 chance of each toss resulting in a "head."
C)  How many times will the toss of coins turn "heads-up" if 100 people each toss a coin?
D)  Since every insect I have examined so far has six legs,I conclude that all insects must have six legs.
E)  All of these are examples of deductive reasoning.

Question 9

The Human Development Index (HDI)is a statistic to compare quality of life in different places.Why do some countries have low HDI values compared to others?

Accepted Answer

A)  People live longer and have greater incomes in these locations.
B)  Poverty,hunger,and health problems are greater in these places.
C)  The majority of the data is collected by U.S.agencies and is biased.
D)  Literacy and education is higher in these locations compared to others.
E)  The quality of life in these places in high.

Question 10

Plants capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere would be an example of

Accepted Answer

A)  sustainable development.
B)  environmentalism.
C)  ecosystem services.
D)  throughput.

Question 11

The statement,"Since every insect I have examined so far has six legs,I conclude that all insects must have six legs." is an example of

Accepted Answer

A)  inductive reasoning.
B)  deductive reasoning.
C)  hypothesis testing.
D)  reductive reasoning.
E)  parsimony.

Question 12

Ideally,science

Accepted Answer

A)  is correct most of the time.
B)  tells us what we expected to find.
C)  uses new technology.
D)  is methodical and logical.
E)  proves that our hypotheses are correct.

Question 13

Utilitarian conservationists,including Gifford Pinchot and Theodore Roosevelt,supported forest conservation in order to provide

Accepted Answer

A)  wildlife habitats in forested areas.
B)  untouched,unvisited wilderness areas.
C)  homes,jobs,and recreation for people.
D)  the scenic beauty found in natural areas.
E)  resources,such as natural habitats,for future generations.

Question 14

Why is world hunger an environmental issue?

Accepted Answer

A)  Food production is global but the resources are unequally distributed.
B)  Agriculture is only possible in developed nations.
C)  There is not enough fresh water for irrigation.
D)  There is not enough fertilizer to provide high yields for crops.

Question 15

Places in the world where indigenous people live tend to have high biodiversity.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 16

Parsimony is one of the basic principles of science.

Accepted Answer

A) True 
 B)False

Question 17

Which of the following is not an example of how statistics are used?

Accepted Answer

A)  assessing the general state of a group
B)  determining the context of how data was gathered
C)  estimating the confidence you can have in the data
D)  determining if your group is unusual
E)  evaluating the relationship between variables

Question 18

At the end of the twentieth century,________ has/have been added to environmental thinking.

Accepted Answer

A)  global concerns
B)  urban problems
C)  water supply and pollution problems
D)  human population growth
E)  air pollution problems

Question 19

The best definition of a hypothesis is a(n)

Accepted Answer

A)  proof of a proposed theory.
B)  proposed theory that has been tested numerous times.
C)  theory based on experiments.
D)  argument based on acute intuition.
E)  proposed explanation based on observation.

Question 20

The concept that a resource that is degraded by the increasing populations that utilize the resource without any regulation of that resource is referred to as

Accepted Answer

A)  the tragedy of the commons.
B)  the population bomb.
C)  the lack of sustainable thinking.
D)  a paradigm shift.

Exam 1: Understanding Our Environment

The point of critical thinking is to learn to

In reading a claim by an atmospheric scientist that ozone depletion is not an actual environmental problem,a critical thinker would

Environmental science is a

What is the probability of getting tails 4 times in a row when you flip a coin?

Which of the following pioneers in the American conservation movement is most likely to have made the following statement: Keep close to Nature's heart...and break clear away,once in a while,and climb a mountain or spend a week in the woods.Wash your spirit clean.

Sustainable development differs from traditional economic development in that it emphasizes economic development in the short term.

Although your sister is not a scientist,she says that she uses scientific techniques in her everyday life.You do not believe her but she insists it is true.Which of the following examples could she use to best persuade you that science is used daily?

Of the following statements and questions,which is the best example of deductive reasoning?

The Human Development Index (HDI) is a statistic to compare quality of life in different places.Why do some countries have low HDI values compared to others?

Plants capturing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere would be an example of

The statement,"Since every insect I have examined so far has six legs,I conclude that all insects must have six legs." is an example of

Ideally,science

Utilitarian conservationists,including Gifford Pinchot and Theodore Roosevelt,supported forest conservation in order to provide

Why is world hunger an environmental issue?

Places in the world where indigenous people live tend to have high biodiversity.

Parsimony is one of the basic principles of science.

Which of the following is not an example of how statistics are used?

At the end of the twentieth century,________ has/have been added to environmental thinking.

The best definition of a hypothesis is a(n)

The concept that a resource that is degraded by the increasing populations that utilize the resource without any regulation of that resource is referred to as