Multiple Choice
Identify the
choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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1.
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Which of the following statements does not describe a problem associated
with modern landfills?
a. | Chemicals leaking out of the waste stored there may pollute wells or groundwater
supplies. | b. | Materials buried in landfills decompose in three years. | c. | Explosive gases can
be produced by landfills and may build up in the basements of nearby buildings. | d. | All of the
above |
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2.
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According to the text, what is the most helpful thing that a consumer can do to
make sure that more materials are recycled?
a. | Encourage friends and neighbors to recycle their newspapers. | b. | Carefully wash and
sort all materials put out for recycling. | c. | Write letters to legislators asking that
recycling be made mandatory. | d. | Make an effort to buy products made from
recycled materials whenever possible. |
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3.
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Which of the following produces the most solid waste?
a. | manufacturing | c. | agriculture | b. | plastic packaging | d. | nuclear power
plants |
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4.
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Which items make up the largest percentage of waste produced by households and
businesses?
a. | aluminum cans | b. | plastic bottles and
packaging | c. | paper products | d. | yard waste, such as grass clippings and tree
limbs |
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5.
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What percentage of the energy needed to make aluminum cans from ore is needed to
make recycled aluminum cans from used aluminum cans?
a. | 95 percent | c. | 5 percent | b. | 60 percent | d. | None of the
above |
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6.
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Which of the following correctly describes the disposal of waste by
composting?
a. | Composting is a good way for individuals to reduce the amount of garbage they send to
landfills, but large-scale composting is impractical. | b. | Composting could reduce the amount of waste
that restaurants, food-processing plants, and animal feedlots send to landfills. | c. | Compost made from
glass and plastics can be recycled and used as building materials. | d. | Yard wastes, such as
grass clippings, are not suitable for composting because they contain low levels of
nutrients. |
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7.
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Which of the following correctly describes biodegradable plastics?
a. | Some plastics are designed to deteriorate when exposed to
sunlight. | b. | Plastic that contains sugars can be broken down by soil bacteria. | c. | Degradable plastics
usually break down into smaller pieces of plastic. | d. | All of the
above |
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8.
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Which of the following is not considered hazardous waste?
a. | dead batteries such as those used in flashlights and radios | b. | rotting meat and
other food waste | c. | metals such as lead and mercury | d. | Both (a) and
(c) |
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9.
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Under the Superfund Act,
a. | the EPA may sue companies that dump hazardous waste illegally. | b. | most of the
dangerous toxic dump sites in the United States have been cleaned up. | c. | companies that
cannot afford to clean up their hazardous wastes can have the government pay for the
cleanup. | d. | All of the above |
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10.
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Some hazardous waste is disposed of by deep-well injection. This
procedure
a. | pollutes the wells and water supplies of nearby residents. | b. | stores wastes in
layers of dry rock below the water table. | c. | violates federal law. | d. | All of the
above |
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11.
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The methane found in landfills is a gas that
a. | is produced when wastes react with oxygen. | b. | must be pumped to
the surface in leachate pipes. | c. | is a major contaminant of groundwater
supplies. | d. | may be captured and used to produce energy. |
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12.
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Which of the following is a true statement about recycling?
a. | It takes more energy to make steel from scrap than from newly mined
ore. | b. | Cities have never had trouble finding buyers for their recycled
materials. | c. | After they are collected, recyclable materials are cleaned and
processed. | d. | All of the above |
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13.
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The process of composting
a. | uses synthetic materials. | b. | has little potential to conserve landfill
space. | c. | is always carried out in city-run facilities. | d. | could effectively
handle a variety of wastes. |
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14.
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The main problem with so-called biodegradable plastic is that
a. | only its organic portion actually decomposes. | b. | animals often choke
on the plastic litter that forms. | c. | it releases toxic compounds as it breaks
apart. | d. | it includes a chemical made by a rare bacterium. |
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15.
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Which of the following is not a method of reducing hazardous
waste?
a. | allowing fungi to break down petroleum sludge | b. | burning toxic
substances in specially designed incinerators | c. | using nontoxic beads instead of solvents to
clean metal parts | d. | All of the
above |
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16.
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A common characteristic of all hazardous-waste land-disposal facilities is that
they
a. | are long-term storage sites. | b. | make use of deep-well
injection. | c. | pose no threat to the environment. | d. | are not regulated by state or federal
laws. |
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17.
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From 1970 to the present, the percentage of waste that is recycled has
a. | increased from 6.6 percent to 30 percent. | b. | decreased from 30
percent to 6.6 percent. | c. | decreased from 35 percent to 19.6
percent. | d. | remained the same. |
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18.
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An example of source reduction is
a. | composting. | c. | using canvas shopping bags. | b. | recycling. | d. | All of the above |
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19.
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Making products from recycled materials
a. | is limited to metals. | b. | often saves energy and other resources during
the manufacturing process. | c. | uses so much energy that it is not economically
workable. | d. | None of the above |
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20.
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Which regulation requires producers of hazardous wastes to document how their
wastes are handled?
a. | the Superfund Act | b. | the Resource Conservation and Recovery
Act | c. | the Landfill Act | d. | the Hazardous Waste
Act |
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21.
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According to the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), what
percentage of the approved or proposed Superfund sites have been cleaned up?
a. | 400 out of 1,200 | c. | 1,175 out of 1,200 | b. | 341 out of 1,620 | d. | None of the
above |
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22.
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An example of something that is biodegradable is
a. | a leaf in a compost pile. | b. | a plastic milk jug in a
landfill. | c. | a polystyrene burger container in a trash can. | d. | All of the
above |
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23.
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Which of the following is not a requirement for a landfill built
today?
a. | It must be lined with clay and plastic. | b. | It must be a
specified distance from a city or other populated area. | c. | It must have systems
for collecting and treating leachate. | d. | Vent pipes must be installed for removing
methane. |
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24.
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Which of the following are problems associated with landfills?
a. | source reduction and composting | c. | surface impoundment and
leachate | b. | leachate and methane production | d. | All of the
above |
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25.
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A material is biodegradable if
a. | it is made of synthetic material. | b. | it is made from petroleum or natural
gas. | c. | it can be broken down by biological processes. | d. | if can be disposed
of in a landfill. |
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