Section 1: Multiple-Choice Questions

Choose the best answer for questions 1–16.

Question 1

1. The cost of labor varies from country to country.

2. Small farms are usually more profitable than large farms.

3. Irrigation contributes to greater crop yields.

4. Fertilizers improve crop yields and are easy to apply.

5. Mechanization facilitates monocropping and improves profits.

Question 2

1. Reduction of evaporation rates

2. Accumulation of salts in soil

3. Waterlogging of soil and plant roots

1. I only

2. II only

3. III only

4. I and II

5. II and III

Question 3

1. destroys the nitrifying bacteria in the soil.

2. increases fish populations in nearby streams.

3. decreases phosphorus concentrations in the atmosphere.

4. increases nutrient runoff into bordering surface waters.

5. slows the release of organic nutrients from compost.

Question 4

1. Broad-spectrum pesticides degrade into selective pesticides, thereby killing a wide range of insect pests over a long period.

2. Pesticides accumulate in the fatty tissues of consumers and increase in concentration as they move up the food chain.

3. Some pest populations evolve resistance to pesticides, which become less effective over time so that new pesticides must be developed.

4. Beneficial insects and natural predators are killed at a faster rate than the pest insects.

5. Testing of the toxicity of pesticides to humans cannot keep pace with the discovery and production of new pesticides.

Question 5

1. The development of disease-resistant and high-yielding crop plants

2. Monocropping and the widespread use of machinery

3. The application of fertilizers and the use of irrigation techniques

1. I only

2. II only

3. III only

4. I and III

5. I, II, and III

Question 6

1. Nomadic herding

2. Intercropping

3. Crop rotation

4. Agroforestry

5. Contour plowing

Question 7

1. The use of herbicides improves the stability of the soil.

2. Migratory bird populations are reduced.

3. The undisturbed soil is less susceptible to erosion.

4. The crop residues reduce the soil profile.

5. The concentration of CO₂ in the fields is increased.

Question 8

1. Crop rotation

2. Elimination of pesticides

3. Use of pest-resistant crops

4. Introduction of predators

5. Frequent inspection of crops

Question 9

1. use no-till agriculture exclusively.

2. import soil to maintain soil fertility.

3. maintain large farms with a single crop.

4. avoid pesticides and synthetic fertilizers.

5. have lower labor costs.

Question 10

1. Introduction of new allergens into the food supply

2. Loss of genetic diversity in food crops

3. Decreases in food production worldwide

1. I only

2. II only

3. III only

4. I and II

5. I and III

Question 11

1. facilities where a large number of animals are housed and fed in a confined space.

2. a method of producing more meat at a higher cost.

3. a means of producing great quantities of manure to fertilize fields organically.

4. an experimental plan to test the effectiveness of antibiotics.

5. the storing and compacting of grain for use as a nutrient supplement for cattle.

Question 12

1. The increase of antibiotic-resistant bacteria potentially harmful to humans

2. The overgrazing of large tracts of land

3. The runoff of animal wastes into natural waters

4. The production of huge quantities of manure, creating a waste disposal problem

5. The use of grain as feed, reducing the food supply available to humans

Question 13

1. The U.S. Sustainable Fisheries Act of 1996 has successfully banned the catch of threatened fish species.

2. The use of individual transferrable quotas (ITQs) has led to the overfishing of wild species.

3. Fish production through aquaculture exceeds fish production in the ocean.

4. As the human population continues to increase, the per capita wild catch also continues to increase.

5. As the human population continues to increase, per capita farmed fish production also continues to increase.

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Question 14

1. Juvenile fish are too small and slip through the nets, thereby ensuring the next generation of commercial fish.

2. Predators caught in the nets feed on the commercially important fish also caught, thereby reducing the total catch.

3. Nontarget fish populations have declined.

4. Cod populations have increased due to the removal of competitor species.

5. Endangered species, such as sea turtles, are being marketed through the ITQ system.

Question 15

1. concentrated waste from aquaculture facilities contaminates rivers and oceans.

2. raising fish in a protected environment could lead to a fish population overshoot.

3. the economies of developing countries would be negatively affected.

4. ocean fishing operations would go out of business.

5. the ITQ system would prohibit their expansion.

Question 16

1. Increased crop yields

2. Decreased pesticide use

3. Increased nitrogen fixing

4. Easy integration of crop rotation

5. Decreased erosion

Question 1

1. According to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the average dairy cow can consume up to 200 L of water daily. An additional 120 L per cow per day is required to wash the milking equipment and milking area. How many liters of water are required to operate this dairy daily? (2 points)

2. According to the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, the average dairy cow produces 55 kg of wet manure daily. How many metric tons would this dairy produce each day (1,000 kg = 1 metric ton)? (2 points)

Question 2

1. Considering the “very” and “somewhat” responses as one group and the “not too” and “not at all” responses as another group, what percentage of the survey respondents would probably purchase GM foods? What percentage would not? (1 point)

2. Referring to the second survey question, identify and explain two possible benefits of the inclusion of GM foods in the diet that might convince people to purchase these products. (4 points)

3. Referring to the third survey question, identify and explain two possible dangers of the use of GM foods that might convince people not to purchase these products. (4 points)

4. Identify one U.S. federal agency that is responsible for the regulation of GMOs. (1 point)