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AP Environmental Science Medium practice

15 questions

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Medium practice

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Question 1

Which of the following fishing practices has the MOST indiscriminate impact, capturing and killing non-target species (bycatch)?

A.Fly fishing with hook and lineB.Bottom trawling with large nets dragged across the sea floorC.Trap fishing with species-specific cage designsD.Aquaculture (fish farming) in enclosed pens

Question 2

The oceans have absorbed approximately 25–30% of anthropogenic CO₂ emissions. The primary chemical consequence of this is:

A.Increased ocean productivity because CO₂ fertilizes phytoplankton photosynthesisB.Ocean acidification — lowered pH that reduces carbonate ion availability, threatening calcifying organismsC.Increased ocean oxygen content as dissolved CO₂ displaces nitrogenD.Formation of methane hydrates at the ocean surface from dissolved CO₂

Question 3

Which waste management strategy is HIGHEST on the preferred waste management hierarchy (reduces the most environmental impact)?

A.Landfilling with methane captureB.RecyclingC.Source reduction (preventing waste generation)D.Incineration with energy recovery

Question 4

Which renewable energy source provides the MOST electricity globally and domestically in the United States as of recent years?

A.Solar photovoltaicB.Wind powerC.Hydroelectric powerD.Biomass (wood and waste combustion)

Question 5

At a convergent boundary where an oceanic plate meets a continental plate, which of the following features is most likely to form?

A.A mid-ocean ridgeB.A transform faultC.A subduction zone with a volcanic arcD.A rift valley

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Question 6

Positive feedback loops amplify the initial effect of climate warming. Which of the following is an example of a positive climate feedback?

A.Increased cloud cover reflecting more solar radiation, reducing surface warmingB.Melting Arctic sea ice exposes darker ocean water, absorbing more heat and accelerating warmingC.Ocean absorption of CO₂ from the atmosphere, slowing the greenhouse effectD.Increased vegetation in the Arctic as temperatures rise, absorbing more CO₂

Question 7

Industrial monoculture agriculture maximizes yield per acre by growing a single crop variety across large areas. Which of the following is a significant environmental drawback of this approach?

A.It requires more labor per unit of food produced than traditional polyculture.B.Genetic uniformity increases vulnerability to pests, diseases, and climate variability.C.It produces lower food yields compared to diverse crop systems.D.It relies on traditional organic fertilizers that are difficult to distribute at scale.

Question 8

Ice core data from Antarctica and Greenland are used as evidence for past climate change. What property of ice cores provides the most direct record of past atmospheric CO₂ concentrations?

A.Isotopic ratios of oxygen (¹⁸O/¹⁶O) in the ice crystalsB.Air bubbles trapped in the ice that preserved ancient atmosphere samplesC.Volcanic ash layers that correlate with carbon-rich periodsD.The depth of annual snow layers, which correlates with CO₂ concentration

Question 9

Which of the following actions most directly addresses climate change by reducing atmospheric CO₂ concentrations (mitigation), as opposed to adapting to climate change impacts?

A.Building sea walls to protect coastal cities from rising sea levelsB.Developing drought-resistant crop varieties for farming in hotter, drier conditionsC.Replacing coal power plants with utility-scale solar and wind energyD.Relocating coastal communities threatened by storm surge

Question 10

Photochemical smog forms most intensively on hot, sunny, calm days in urban areas. Which pair of precursor pollutants are MOST directly responsible for initiating the formation of ground-level ozone in smog?

A.Sulfur dioxide (SO₂) and particulate matterB.Nitrogen oxides (NOₓ) and volatile organic compounds (VOCs)C.Carbon monoxide (CO) and carbon dioxide (CO₂)D.Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and nitrogen dioxide (NO₂)

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Question 11

The Montreal Protocol (1987) is widely considered one of the most successful environmental treaties. Its primary achievement was:

A.Reducing greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming below 2°C.B.Phasing out chlorofluorocarbons and other ozone-depleting substances, allowing stratospheric ozone to recover.C.Establishing international standards for acid rain precursor emissions.D.Creating the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) to govern global pollution treaties.

Question 12

During an El Niño event, which of the following patterns is observed in the Pacific Ocean?

A.Strong trade winds push warm water westward, causing upwelling off South America.B.Trade winds weaken, warm water sloshes eastward, suppressing upwelling off Peru.C.Cold water replaces warm water in the central Pacific, causing droughts in Australia.D.The polar jet stream strengthens, driving cold air into North America.

Question 13

The Coriolis effect influences atmospheric circulation by causing winds in the Northern Hemisphere to deflect:

A.To the left (counterclockwise)B.To the right (clockwise in high pressure, counterclockwise in low pressure)C.Straight toward the polesD.Vertically upward in all circulation cells

Question 14

Nuclear fission power plants and coal-fired power plants share which fundamental similarity in how they generate electricity?

A.Both rely on combustion to release energy.B.Both produce electricity directly from their primary energy source without a turbine.C.Both heat water to produce steam that spins a turbine connected to a generator.D.Both produce large quantities of CO₂ as a direct byproduct of energy release.

Question 15

DDT was banned in the United States in 1972 primarily due to evidence that it:

A.Was acutely toxic to humans at typical agricultural application concentrationsB.Bioaccumulated and biomagnified through food chains, causing eggshell thinning in raptors and population crashes in birds of preyC.Directly caused acid rain by reacting with sulfur in the atmosphereD.Destroyed stratospheric ozone by releasing chlorine radicals when photolyzed

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