Skills Worksheet Critical Thinking ANALOGIES In the space provided, write the letter of the pair of terms or phrases that best complete the analogy. 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. scrubber : smokestack :: a. ZEV : smog b. catalytic converter : tailpipe c. VOCs : gasoline pumps d. car seats : vinyl chloride 2. particulate matter : primary pollutant :: a. asbestos : radon b. ground-level ozone : secondary pollutant c. sulfur dioxide : fossil fuels d. VOC : smog 3. temperature inversion : smog :: a. sick-building syndrome : indoor air pollution b. ZEV : emissions c. catalytic converter : emissions d. carpets : formaldehyde 4. radon : lung cancer :: a. ozone : VOCs b. ventilation : indoor pollution c. asbestos : fire retardant d. noise pollution : hearing loss 5. shielding : light pollution :: a. mold: indoor pollution b. scrubber : noise pollution c. SO 2 : acid precipitation d. ZEV : air pollution 6. acid precipitation : Canada- U.S. Air Quality Agreement :: a. sick building syndrome : ZEV b. air pollution : Clean Air Act c. ventilation : sick-building syndrome d. sea-coal : medieval air pollution 7. bronchitis : emphysema :: a. fossil fuel : nuclear power b. ZEV : VOC c. pneumonia : lung cancer d. lumens : light pollution 8. 10 db : 40 db :: a. ph 2 : ph 5 b. ph 7 : ph 5.6 c. 40 db : 50 db d. ph 1 : ph 10 9. acid precipitation : sulfur oxides, nitrogen oxides, water :: a. air pollution : dust, pollen, spores b. ozone : vehicle emissions, sunlight, oxygen c. VOCs : smog d. light pollution : sodium lamps 10. vehicles, industry : outdoor air pollution :: a. nitrogen, oxygen : volcanoes b. farming, fires : construction c. ear protection : noise pollution d. plastics, building materials : indoor air pollution Holt Environmental Science 3 Air
Critical Thinking continued INTERPRETING OBSERVATIONS Read the following passage, and answer the questions that follow. Lake Sulfox is having some problems with its fish population. Commercial fishermen are claiming that their catches have declined, and they are blaming the decline on the supposed acidification of the lake by a local coal-fired power plant. The Lake Sulfox Advisory Board has the following data on file. Higher sulfate levels in the lake mean greater acidity. Assume that the size of the fish harvest is a good indicator of the size of the fish population. Annual Fish Harvest (metric tons) 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 7500 6924 6322 5412 5503 5113 Mean Sulfate Levels (ppm) 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 41.07 51.34 54.89 57.46 58.76 59.65 11. What is the apparent relationship between the size of the fish harvest and the sulfate levels in the lake? 12. Do the data prove that acidification of the lake by sulfates is responsible for the decline in the lake s fish population? Provide at least two reasons to support your viewpoint. Holt Environmental Science 4 Air
Critical Thinking continued AGREE OR DISAGREE Agree or disagree with the following statements, and support your answers. 13. It is lifestyle choices, such as smoking tobacco, rather than air pollution that causes the large number of respiratory diseases found in today s society. 14. Mass transit in cities could go a long way to reduce urban air pollution. 15. Air pollution is an international problem that can only be solved through global treaties. 16. Noise pollution does not lead to long-term health effects on the human body. Holt Environmental Science 5 Air
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. 17. A company plans to correct sick-building syndrome in its headquarters. The company will remove moldy carpeting, install brand-new carpeting, and seal up all cracks in the building in order to keep out new mold and fungus spores. The air ducts will be left alone because they have worked fine for years without any cleaning. Suggest any ways that the company should change its plans, and explain the reason for each change. 18. The wind blows across Country A and into Country B. Country A has electric power plants that burn fossil fuels, and lakes with a ph of 5.1. Country B has power plants run by moving water (hydroelectric), and lakes with a ph of 4.2. Explain how this can be. What could the two countries do to correct the situation? 19. Manufacturing is often blamed for producing air pollution. However, according to economic theory, it is neither technologically feasible nor economically efficient to completely eliminate pollution. What do you think? Explain your reasoning. Holt Environmental Science 6 Air
TEACHER RESOURCE PAGE Answer Key Concept Review MATCHING MULTIPLE CHOICE 1. b 11. b 2. d 12. c 3. c 13. d 4. a 14. d 5. e 15. a 6. g 16. d 7. i 17. b 8. f 18. c 9. j 19. b 10. h 20. a Critical Thinking ANALOGIES 1. b 6. b 2. b 7. c 3. a 8. a 4. d 9. b 5. d 10. d INTERPRETING OBSERVATIONS 11. The higher the sulfate levels in the lake, the lower the size of the fish harvest. 12. No, the tests do not prove that acidification is causing the decline of the fish population for two reasons. First, there is no proof that sulfate levels affect fish populations. Second, there is no way to know that the fish harvest would not have declined without the addition of sulfates to the lake. In other words, without more data it is impossible to know if the fish harvest was already declining, presumably for other reasons. AGREE OR DISAGREE 13. Answers may vary. Sample answer: Disagree. While lifestyle choices do lead to serious respiratory diseases, environmental factors such as air pollution costs Americans around tens of billions of dollars a year in health care costs. 14. Answers may vary. Sample answer: Agree. Mass transportation would help to decrease the amount of automobiles used, leading to a decrease in the amount of carbon dioxide released. Carbon dioxide released by motorized vehicles is one of the largest primary sources of air pollution in the world. 15. Answers may vary. Sample answer: Agree. The atmosphere is in constant circulation. That means that pollution released into the air over one country will eventually move over another country. Therefore, countries should work together to solve global air pollution concerns. 16. Answers may vary. Sample answer: Disagree. Noise pollution can lead to permanent deafness and high blood pressure, which can cause serious damage to the cardiovascular system. Furthermore, noise pollution leads to stress, which has been linked to many chronic diseases. REFINING CONCEPTS 17. Accept any reasonable response. Sample answer: Instead of new carpeting, they should install a hard-surfaced floor that can be cleaned easily; new carpeting may encourage the growth of new mold, plus it may give off indoor air pollutants such as formaldehyde. They must clean the air ducts because those may be the source of mold and fungus spores, and they must check that the air ducts are bringing in outside air. They should take care of the air ducts first to make sure that ventilation during renovations is adequate. In addition, sealing up all the cracks in the building may aggravate the air-quality problem. Holt Environmental Science 93 Air
TEACHER RESOURCE PAGE 18. Accept any reasonable response. Sample answer: The power plants in Country A give off oxides of sulfur and nitrogen that combine with water in the air to make acid precipitation. The wind carries the acid precipitation over the border away from Country A, and it falls into Country B, where it acidifies the lake water. The two countries could reach an agreement for Country A to install scrubbers in the power plants, or take other measures to reduce emissions. 19. Accept any reasonable response. Sample answers: Agree. It would be impossible to maintain our society without any pollution. Many businesses would fail, and many people would lose their jobs if businesses were banned from producing any pollution. Even non-industrialized societies produce pollution in the form of smoke from fires. It makes more sense for our society to work toward drastically reducing pollution rather than completely eliminating it. Active Reading SECTION: WHAT CAUSES AIR POLLUTION? 1. d 2. d 3. a 4. c 5. a 6. chemical compounds that form toxic fumes 7. Harmful; they pollute the air. 8. They burn fossil fuels, which releases huge amounts of sulfur dioxide and nitrogen oxides into the air. 9. oil refineries, chemical manufacturing plants, furniture refinishers, and automobile repair shops 10. two-thirds of all sulfur dioxide and more than one-third of all nitrogen oxides that pollute the air 11. use fewer products that contain VOCs SECTION: AIR, NOISE, AND LIGHT POLLUTION 1. c 2. d 3. b 4. a 5. long, thin fibers that are valued for their strength and resistance to heat 6. a potentially fatal disease that arises from exposure to asbestos 7. 2 8. 1 9. 5 10. 3 11. 6 12. 4 13. Asbestos is a good insulator and fire retardant. 14. Exposure to asbestos can lead to the disease asbestosis, which can be fatal. School officials don t want to take the chance that a child might inhale asbestos fibers. SECTION: ACID PRECIPITATION 1. c 2. d 3. c 4. rain, sleet, and snow 5. The author writes power of hydrogen in parentheses to explain what the letters in ph stand for. 6. how acidic or basic a substance is 7. 2 8. 4 9. 3 10. 6 11. 1 12. 5 13. It is more basic; it is more acidic. 14. the burning of fossil fuels; decline or loss of plant and animal populations Map Skills 1. low 2. Barnstable 3. over cities, especially over Boston 4. Answers may vary but should mention that air pollution concentrations are higher over cities. 5. Answers will vary. Holt Environmental Science 94 Air