BIOLOGY 157 - LIFE SCIENCE: AN ENVIRONEMNTAL APPROACH

SOME EXAMPLES OF TEST QUESTION
TYPES AND OTHER USEFUL
INFORMATION CONCERNING EXAMS

 

The following examples are taken MAINLY from the information that is likely to be in the first exam.  This should give you some idea as to the level of knowledge you should have and the TYPE of questions that could be asked.  Each exam is likely to contain questions of several different types.  Among the types of questions are: multiple choice, matching, fill ins, true-false, modified true-false, definitions, short answer, longer answer, and 'problems'.  Not every type may be in a particular examination.  Do not study for a particular format, rather study to know the material.  If one knows the material then one should be able to answer questions concerning it, no matter what the format.  Some memorization is absolutely necessary.  It is not possible to understand and/or apply something if one does not 'know' the basics.  Each exam will require a grasp of the basic material but each exam will also require that you be able to apply / use the material.  While a reasonable amount of memorization is necessary, memorization alone is not sufficient to do well.


DEFINITIONS
(21 points)  Clearly define or explain what is meant by any 7 (and only 7) of the following terms.  Write each definition in a separate section below.
Deductive Reasoning,  Biogeographic Realm,  Trophic Level,  Science,  Food Web,  Positive Feedback Loop,  Microenvironment,  Model,  Synergy,  Population,  Precision,  Autotroph,
Perfect Nutrient Cycle  (REMEMBER: a definition should not contain extraneous material such as examples, telling what the thing is not, etc.)

TRUE- FALSE
Standard T/F question need no explanation.  The following are examples of MODIFIED T/F.
Modified True-False ----- Place a T (true) or F (false) on the line in front of the statement.  If the statement is false, cross out ONE WORD and replace it with just ONE WORD that will now make the statement read true.  Place this word on the line at the end of the statement.  Contractions cannot be used (they count as two words).  A number (2, 155, etc.) counts as one word.  PLEASE NOTE THE TWO EXAMPLES BELOW and the four sample questions.

 ___F___

 I am now taking a Biology 470 examination.

 _____157______

 ___T___

 An alligator is a large semi-aquatic reptile.

 ______________

 ------------

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

--------------------

 _______

 An organism which is a Decomposer cannot be in trophic level 1.

 ______________

 _______

 The Sustainable Society Ethic holds that we (humans) are above or
 separate from nature.

 ______________

 _______

The unit composed of the populations living in an area plus the abiotic
environmental conditions is known as an autotroph.

 ______________

 _______

The element Nitrogen follows a sedimentary cycle.

 ______________

The first question is True.  The 2nd, 3rd and 4th questions are False. How would you correct these (following the directions).


MULTIPLE CHOICE
A person associated with the Gaia Hypothesis is:
a) William Cunningham
b) Michael McGinnis
c) Charles Darwin
d) Garrett Hardin
e) James Lovelock

The greatest use of water in the U.S. is in:
a) private homes
b) office buildings
c) agriculture
d) factories
e) steel mills

Which of the following elements or list of elements has a sedimentary type cycle?
a) nitrogen
b) carbon
c) calcium
d) a and b
e) none of the above

Which of the following could NOT be in Trophic Level 2:
a) human
b) lion
c) herbivore
d) fungus
e) heterotrophic organism

Which of the following is FALSE regarding the Sustainable Society Ethic?
a) humans are a part of nature
b) resources are unlimited
c) high synergy
d) wasting resources is not O.K.
e) c and d

The area under a log or stone would be an example of a (an):
a) Biome
b) Hypothesis
c) Microhabitat
d) Ozone Layer
e) Stratosphere

Of the numbers listed below for the number of ecosystems on the Earth, which one is the easiest to justify?
a) 1
b) 3
c) 12
d) 42
e) 75

Answers for the Multiple Choice questions (e, c, c, b, c, a)


SHORT ANSWER
(7 points) Explain the difference between a food and a nutrient.

(7 points) Explain the scientific method.

(7 points) Explain the difference between Science and Technology.

(10 points) Explain what limits the number of trophic levels in a food chain.


PROBLEM
If given a certain amount of energy either at the beginning of a food chain or somewhere within the chain, could you trace its path forward or backward and tell how much energy would be present at a particular point? Could you explain how you arrived at that number?

MATCHING
These do not require an explanation or examples.


FILL INS
(1) In the nitrogen cycle the largest amount of nitrogen is in the form of N2 gas which comprises _______ percent of the _________________________.

(2) Presently the U.S. has about _________% of the world's population but uses about _________% of the world's external energy.

(3) Humans, as a species, would be put in trophic level __________ and, as such, function as ______________________.

(ANSWERS: (1) 79, atmosphere (2) 4, 30 (3) 2, herbivore

OTHER
If you were given one of the diagrams of a nutrient cycle we studied (without some of the terms on it) could you answer questions about what was occurring at a particular place in the cycle?


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