Chapter 9 AP® Environmental Science Practice Exam

Section 1: Multiple-Choice Questions

Choose the best answer for questions 1–11.

Question 1

1. What percentage of Earth’s water is fresh water?

  1. 3 percent

  2. 10 percent

  3. 50 percent

  4. 90 percent

  5. 97 percent

Question 2

2. Which of the following contrasts between confined and unconfined aquifers is correct?

  1. Confined aquifers are more rapidly recharged.

  2. Only confined aquifers can produce artesian wells.

  3. Only unconfined aquifers are overlain by a layer of impermeable rock.

  4. Only unconfined aquifers have a water table above them.

  5. Only unconfined aquifers can be drilled for wells to extract water.

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Question 3

3. Which of the following statements about surface waters is NOT correct?

  1. Historically, most rivers regularly spilled over their banks.

  2. The largest river in the world is the Amazon River.

  3. Levees are used to make reservoirs.

  4. Dikes are human-made structures that keep ocean water from moving inland.

  5. Wetlands play an important role in reducing the likelihood of flooding.

Question 4

4. Which of the following statements about dams is NOT correct?

  1. Dams are used to reduce the risk of flooding.

  2. Dams can cause increased water temperatures.

  3. The water held back by a dam is called a reservoir.

  4. Fish ladders allow migrating fish to move past dams.

  5. Most dams are built to generate electricity.

Question 5

5. Which statement about aqueducts is correct?

  1. Aqueducts designed as open canals can lose a lot of water through evaporation.

  2. Aqueducts are a modern invention.

  3. Aqueducts do not divert water from lakes.

  4. Aqueducts do not affect the amount of water remaining in rivers.

  5. Aqueducts move water from locations where the demand for water is high.

Question 6

6. Which of the following statements about desalination is correct?

  1. Distillation requires more energy than reverse osmosis.

  2. The brine left over from desalination is not harmful when returned to the ocean.

  3. Large-scale desalination of water is affordable to all nations.

  4. Desalination of ocean water is not yet a feasible endeavor.

  5. Most desalination occurs in North America.

Question 7

7. Which of the following lists of household water uses is in the correct order, from highest to lowest?

  1. Toilet, laundry, cooking and drinking, bathing

  2. Toilet, bathing, laundry, cooking and drinking

  3. Laundry, bathing, toilet, cooking and drinking

  4. Bathing, toilet, laundry, cooking and drinking

  5. Bathing, toilet, cooking and drinking, laundry

Question 8

8. Which of the following statements about the industrial use of water is NOT correct?

  1. It is used to refine metals.

  2. It is used to create steam.

  3. It is important in generating electricity.

  4. It plays a role in making paper products.

  5. Its use is becoming less efficient.

Question 9

9. Which of the following lists of agricultural irrigation techniques is in the correct order, from least efficient to most efficient?

  1. Drip irrigation, furrow irrigation, flood irrigation, spray irrigation

  2. Spray irrigation, furrow irrigation, flood irrigation, drip irrigation

  3. Furrow irrigation, flood irrigation, spray irrigation, drip irrigation

  4. Furrow irrigation, spray irrigation, drip irrigation, flood irrigation

  5. Furrow irrigation, flood irrigation, drip irrigation, spray irrigation

Question 10

10.Which of the following is NOT a water conservation technique?

  1. Flood irrigation

  2. Reduced-flow showerheads

  3. Recycling of industrial water

  4. Dual-flush toilets

  5. Front-loading washing machines

Question 11

11.Drought conditions

  1. can result in increased nutrient cycling.

  2. decrease the severity of flooding.

  3. are rarely affected by human activities.

  4. cause increased erosion.

  5. are most common in northern latitudes.

Section 2: Free-Response Questions

Write your answer to each part clearly. Support your answers with relevant information and examples. Where calculations are required, show your work.

Question 1

1. An important source of fresh water is groundwater. Answer the following questions about human use of groundwater.

  1. Using a cross section of the ground, draw the water table, an unconfined aquifer, and a confined aquifer. (4 points)

  2. Explain the factors that create an artesian well. (2 points)

  3. Describe the concerns that scientists have regarding the pumping of water from confined aquifers. (2 points)

  4. Explain how cones of depression near the coasts of continents can lead to saltwater intrusion of water wells. (2 points)

Question 2

2. Answer the following questions about the world’s approximately 845,000 dams.

  1. What are the benefits that dams provide to humans? (4 points)

  2. What are the costs of dams to human society? (2 points)

  3. What are the negative impacts of dams on the environment? (2 points)

  4. If dams have both costs and benefits, how should we decide when and where a dam should be built? (2 points)