Name Class Date. Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.

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1 Skills Worksheet Active Reading Section: Understanding Our Environment Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow. The agricultural revolution allowed human populations to grow at an unprecedented rate. An area of land can support up to 500 times as many people by farming as it can by hunting and gathering. As populations grew, they began to concentrate in smaller areas. These changes placed increased pressure on local environments. The agricultural revolution also changed the food we eat. The plants we grow and eat today are descended from wild plants. During harvest season, farmers collected seeds from plants that exhibited the qualities they desired. The seeds of plants with large kernels or sweet and nutritious flesh were planted and harvested again. Over the course of many generations, the domesticated plants became very different from their wild ancestors. IDENTIFYING MAIN IDEAS One reading skill is the ability to identify the main idea of a passage. The main idea is the main focus or key idea. Frequently a main idea is accompanied by supporting information that offers detailed facts about main ideas. Read the question and write the answer in the space provided. 1. Why did populations concentrate in smaller areas during the agricultural revolution? In the space provided, write the letter of the term or phrase that best answers the question. 2. Which of the following best describes the theme of the passage? a. The agricultural revolution changed human food preferences. b. Some plants today are similar to their ancestors. c. Farming replaced hunting and gathering. d. Agricultural communities developed from hunter-gatherer communities, and the practice of agriculture introduced new environmental problems. Holt Environmental Science 8 Science and the Environment

2 Active Reading continued VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT Read the question and write the answer in the space provided. 3. The root word ager means field, and cultivation means the act of tilling. Using this information, define agriculture. SEQUENCING INFORMATION One reading skill is the ability to sequence information, or to logically place items or events in the order in which they occur. In the space provided, write the term that best completes each sentence in the sequence of statements showing how the food we eat today has changed over time. 4. Step 1: Farmers collected from plants they liked. 5. Step 2: The farmers preferred plants were planted and. 6. Step 3: plants became very different from their ancestors. RECOGNIZING SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES One reading skill is the ability to recognize similarities and differences between two phrases, ideas, or things. This is sometimes known as comparing and contrasting. In the space provided, write the letter of the phrase that best completes the statement. 7. Farms are to hunting and gathering as a. cars are to airplanes. c. fish hatcheries are to fishing. b. anchors are to ships. d. compact discs are to vinyl records. RECOGNIZING CAUSE AND EFFECT One reading skill is the ability to recognize cause and effect. Read each question and write your answer in the space provided. 8. In what two ways did the human population change as a result of the agricultural revolution? 9. What changes did humans make that affected local environments? Holt Environmental Science 9 Science and the Environment

3 Skills Worksheet Active Reading Section: The Environment and Society Read the passage below and answer the questions that follow. The decisions and actions of all people in the world affect our environment. But the unequal distribution of wealth and resources around the world influences the environmental problems that a society faces and the choices it can make. The United Nations generally classifies countries as either developed or developing. Developed countries have higher average incomes, slower population growth, diverse industrial economies, and stronger social support systems. They include the United States, Canada, Japan, and the countries of Western Europe. Developing countries have lower average incomes, simple and agriculturebased economies, and rapid population growth. In between are middle-income countries, such as Mexico, Brazil, and Malaysia. IDENTIFYING MAIN IDEAS One reading skill is the ability to identify the main idea of a passage. The main idea is the main focus or key idea. Frequently a main idea is accompanied by supporting information that offers detailed facts about main ideas. Read each question and write the answer in the space provided. 1. What organization has classified countries as developing or developed? 2. List two developed countries. VOCABULARY DEVELOPMENT In the space provided, write the letter of the phrase that best completes each statement. 3. Developed countries often a. have higher average incomes and faster population growth. b. have higher average incomes and slower population growth. c. have faster population growth and diverse industrial economies. d. eventually become developing countries. 4. Developing countries often a. have lower average incomes and slower population growth. b. have middle incomes. c. include Mexico and Brazil. d. have lower average incomes and faster population growth. Holt Environmental Science 10 Science and the Environment

4 Active Reading continued RECOGNIZING SIMILARITIES AND DIFFERENCES One reading skill is the ability to recognize similarities and differences between two phrases, ideas, or things. This is sometimes known as comparing and contrasting. Read each question and write your answer in the space provided. 5. The suffix -ed forms the past participle of a verb: work becomes worked. The suffix -ing is used to form the present participle of a verb: swim becomes swimming. Using this information, define a developed country. 6. Define a developing country. 7. What type of economy does a developed country have? 8. What type of economy does a developing country have? 9. How do the social support systems of developed countries differ from those of developing countries? RECOGNIZING CAUSE AND EFFECT One reading skill is the ability to recognize cause and effect. Read the question and write your answer in the space provided. 10. What factor affects environmental problems and the number of choices a society can make? Holt Environmental Science 11 Science and the Environment

5 Skills Worksheet Critical Thinking ANALOGIES Mark the letter of the pair of terms that best completes the analogy shown. An analogy is a relationship between two pairs of words or phrases written as a : b :: c : d. The symbol : is read is to, and the symbol :: is read as. 1. Industrial Revolution : Agricultural Revolution :: a. animal muscle : fossil fuels b. hunters : gatherers c. agricultural revolution : hunter-gatherers d. hunter-gatherers : population growth 2. pollution : health effects :: a. industrial : revolution b. cyanide : smog c. extinction : biodiversity d. automobiles : exhaust 3. environmental science : biology :: a. botany : zoology b. biology : zoology c. zoology : geology d. social sciences : chemistry 4. renewable resource : nonrenewable resource :: a. iron : water b. trees : sunlight c. water : trees d. trees : oil 5. ecological footprint : land :: a. developed nation : consumption b. developing nation : consumption c. grazing : forest products d. land : ocean 6. supply : demand :: a. overpopulation : resources b. renewable : nonrenewable c. computer production : sales of computers d. population : consumption 7. commons : overgrazing :: a. Earth : resources b. short-term interests : long-term interests c. individual lands : sustainability d. individuals : society 8. biodegradable : nonbiodegradable :: a. pollutant : toxin b. plastic : newspaper c. cotton : polyester d. mercury : lead Holt Environmental Science 3 Science and the Environment

6 Critical Thinking continued INTERPRETING OBSERVATIONS Read the following scenario, and answer the questions that follow. Four students are given the assignment of classifying countries as developing or developed. Each student gathers the following information for one nation: per-person annual income, population growth rate, and tons of carbon dioxide produced by fossil fuels. The students compile their results in bar graphs. Figure 1 Per-Person Annual Income ($) 35,000 34,000 33,000 32,000 31,000 30,000 5,000 4,000 3,000 2,000 1,000 0 A B C D Population Growth Rate Per Year (%) A B C D Carbon Dioxide Released Annually Per Person (tons) A B C D Countries Countries Countries 9. Which country or countries would you classify as developing? Describe your reasoning. 10. Which country or countries are likely to have the highest rates of energy consumption? Explain your answer. 11. Which country is most likely the United States? How can you tell? Holt Environmental Science 4 Science and the Environment

7 Critical Thinking continued AGREE OR DISAGREE Agree or disagree with the following statements, and support your answers. 12. Because large-scale species extinctions have occurred throughout Earth s history, we should not be concerned by the world s current high extinction rate. 13. Growing populations do not create social or environmental problems in areas where food resources are not limited. 14. Most people from developing countries have values and priorities very different from those of most people from developed countries. Holt Environmental Science 5 Science and the Environment

8 Critical Thinking continued REFINING CONCEPTS The statements below challenge you to refine your understanding of concepts covered in the chapter. Think carefully, and answer the questions that follow. 15. The ecological footprint of a citizen of a developed nation is about four times larger than that of a citizen of a developing nation. Why do you think this is the case? 16. If you could travel in time to a period before the Industrial Revolution, what actions would you initiate to minimize current environmental problems? 17. Solutions to complex environmental problems can be very costly. Communities or other affected groups might perform a cost-benefit analysis to determine whether the benefits of the desired solutions outweigh the financial cost. How might the results of a cost-benefit analysis be interpreted differently by a local citizen, a company CEO, and a city manager who monitors city funds while overseeing major improvement projects? Holt Environmental Science 6 Science and the Environment

9 Critical Thinking continued 18. If Earth is considered a closed system, how does that shape the outcome of environmental problems? How does this relate to local or regional environmental problems? 19. Identify a controversial environmental issue in your community that fits into one of the following three major categories: resource depletion, pollution, or loss of biodiversity. Discuss how the issue is being addressed, and whether or not the conflicts associated with The Tragedy of the Commons are affecting solutions to the problems. Holt Environmental Science 7 Science and the Environment

10 Skills Worksheet Map Skills FOREST LOSS Costa Rica, a country in Central America, was once nearly covered with rain forest. Today, farmers and ranchers have cleared much of the forest, a process called deforestation. Deforestation destroys the homes of thousands of species. Use the map above to answer the questions below. 1. Using a Key In which year did Costa Rica have the most forest cover? The least? 2. Analyzing Data About what fraction of Costa Rica was still covered with forest in 1987? 3. Analyzing Data Was more forest removed between 1947 and 1977 or between 1977 and 1987? 4. Inferring Relationships What is the relationship between the locations of cities and the locations of the remaining forest? 5. Inferring Relationships Why might the decline in deforestation have occurred when it did? Holt Environmental Science 12 Science and the Environment

11 Assessment Chapter Test Science and the Environment MATCHING In the space provided, write the letter of the description that best matches the term or phrase. 1. undesired change in air, water, or soil 2. describes conflicts associated with sharing resources 3. humans lived in tribes, using fires to maintain the prairie 4. characterized by high population growth rate, extreme poverty 5. plants and animals were domesticated, human populations grew 6. natural material formed at a much slower rate than it is depleted 7. characterized by high personal wealth, and high levels of consumption 8. the study of living things and their interaction with their nonliving environment 9. rate of resource use depletes resources and creates pollution and wastes a. hunter-gatherer period b. agricultural revolution c. Industrial Revolution d. nonrenewable resource e. pollution f. resource depletion g. The Tragedy of the Commons h. ecology i. developing country j. developed country 10. society shifted to fossil fuels MULTIPLE CHOICE In the space provided, write the letter of the term or phrase that best completes each statement or best answers each question. 11. All of the following disciplines are major contributors to the field of environmental science except a. biology and earth science. c. social sciences. b. chemistry and physics. d. linguistics and physics. 12. Most of today s environmental problems began during which period(s) in human history? a. hunter-gatherer period c. Industrial Revolution b. agricultural revolution d. both (a) and (c) Holt Environmental Science 15 Science and the Environment

12 Chapter Test continued 13. Environmental science is a study of which types of interactions between humans and the environment? a. how humans use natural resources b. how human beings relate to the nonliving environment c. how human actions alter the environment d. all of the above 14. Which of the following is studied in environmental science? a. interactions between living organisms and their nonliving environment b. impact of humans on the environment c. interactions between organisms d. all of the above 15. Population growth in the 20th century accelerated which environmental stress(es)? a. resource depletion c. habitat destruction b. pollution d. all of the above 16. Why is the world s loss of biodiversity a source of concern? a. Humans depend on other organisms for food and oxygen. b. Species extinctions have been rare throughout history. c. Loss of biodiversity is not a concern because extinctions are common. d. both (a) and (b) 17. Using economic considerations of resource use, the law of supply and demand describes the a. availability of abundant resources. b. relationship between the availability and the worth of resources. c. worth of nonrenewable resources. d. reduced demand resulting from lack of available resources. 18. Listing both the merits and expenses involved in implementing a particular environmental solution is an example of a(n) a. cost-benefit analysis. c. ecological footprint. b. risk assessment. d. market equilibrium. 19. Compared with their counterparts in developed countries, individuals in developing nations typically have a a. higher standard of living. b. larger ecological footprint. c. shorter life span. d. greater dependence on fossil fuels. 20. Achieving a sustainable world is a goal that will depend on a. responsible consumption by developed countries. b. a higher standard of living in developing countries. c. cooperation between governments, industry, and citizens. d. both (a) and (c) Holt Environmental Science 16 Science and the Environment