Friday, May 24, 2013

National Earth Science Olympiad Sample Questions [SET I]

Dhaka Divisional Round 2012

1. Climate change is contributing to which of the following ocean conditions?

A. Acidification
B. Deacidification
C. Ironization
D. Carbonation


2. Which of these atmospheric pollutants is not released by car exhausts?

A. Carbon monoxide
B. Carbon dioxide
C. Magnesium oxide
D. Lead oxide

3. In research published in Nature scientists claim we have a good chance of stabilising global warming below 2°C if the world's total carbon dioxide emissions from 2000 to 2050 don't exceed 1,000 billion tonnes. How much carbon dioxide did we emit between 2000 and 2006?

A. 1000 billion tonnes
B. 234 billion tonnes
C. 146 billion tonnes
D. 94 billion tonnes

4. Which of these countries has the highest per capita carbon dioxide emissions?

A. United States
B. Australia
C. Saudi Arabia
D. China

5. Which of the following light bulb types uses the least energy, and therefore results in fewer greenhouse gas emissions?

A. Incandescent
B. Compact Fluorescent
C. Halogen

6. A scientist has come up with a plan to pump water inside the Earth. He thinks that this is a good idea because:

A. There is too much water on the earth’s surface and we need more land.
B. It will combat the rising sea levels caused by global warming.
C. It will cool down volcanoes which could erupt.
D. Mining has left big holes underground that may unbalance the Earth’s orbit.
 
7. What do scientists study in order to learn more about past climate?
 
A. Sediments
B. Ice
C. Tree rings
D. All of the above
 
8. The amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere has increased in recent years. Environmentalists suggest this change is a direct result of the
 
A. Improper storage of solid and nuclear waste
B. Over cutting of forests and the increased use of fossil fuels
C. Dumping of inorganic material into lakes and rivers
D. Use of herbicides and toxic substances such as asbestos and DDT
 
9. Many scientists believe that the greenhouse effect is the result of:
 
A. Overgrazing on land in developing nations
B. Using large amounts of gasoline, oil, and coal in developed nations
C. Testing nuclear weapons in violation of the Nuclear Test Ban Treaty
D. Using natural fertilizers to increase crop production
 
10. Global warming will not result in:
 
A. Melting of the ice caps
B. Increasing sea levels
C. Increasing the size of the hole in the ozone layer
D. Unpredictable climate patterns
 
11. A major environmental problem affecting Latin America, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia has been-
 
A. Air pollution
B. Deforestation
C. Disposal of nuclear waste
D. Acid rain
 
12. A major factor contributing to the destruction of the Amazon rain forests is the:
 
A. Movement of people from rural to urban areas
B. Attempt of native peoples to end illegal drug traffic
C. Need for more farmland
D. Spread of Christianity
 
13. The treaty was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 September which bans all nuclear explosions in all environments, for military or civilian purposes:
 
A. Anti-Ballistic Missile Treaty (ABMT)
B. Strategic Arms Limitation Talks (SALT)
C. Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty (CTBT)
D. Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty (START)
 
14. Which of the following do you NOT associate with nuclear power in South Africa?
 
A. Koeberg
B. Pelindaba
C. Robben Island
D. Vaalputs
 
15. Wangari Maathai was a-
 
A. Kenyan environmental and political activist
B. South African environmental and political activist
C. Srilankan environmental and political activist
D. Brazilian environmental and political activist
 
16. In 2007, which organization shared Nobel Peace Prize with Al Gore?
 
A. UNFCCC
B. UNEP
C. IPCC
D. WWF
 
17. What is the full form of UNFCCC?
 
A. United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
B. United Nations Framework Conservation of Climate Change
C. United Nations Framework Council on Climate Change
D. United Nations Framework Commission on Climate Change

18. What is BELA?
 
A. Bangladesh Environmental Lawyers Association
B. Bangladesh and Environment Law Association
C. Bangladesh Environment Law Associates
D. Bangladesh Environment Labeling Association
 
19. What is Agenda 21?
 
A. A list of 21 actions that people can take to save the planet
B. A challenge to the government and local communities to prepare for the 21st century
C. The 21st of 27 agendas produced at the Rio Earth Summit in 1992
D. None of the above
 
20. Which scientific intergovernmental body first established in 1988 by two United Nations organizations, the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) in 1988?
 
A. EPA
B. IPCC
C. UNFCC
D. WWF

21. Which of these was an attempt by world governments to specifically address the problem of global warming?
 
A. The CITES Treaty
B. The Kyoto Agreement
C. The Geneva Convention
D. Agenda 21
 
22. The 2009 UN climate summit was organized at
 
A. Dubai
B. Copenhagen
C. New York
D. London
 
23. When was the first United Nations Climate Change Conference held?
 
A. 1992
B. 1993
C. 1994
D. 1995
 
24. Which year has been named International Year of Biodiversity by the United Nations?
 
A. 2011
B. 2010
C. 2005
D. 2008
 
25. Both the Clinton and Bush (the younger) administrations have been unwilling to sign the Kyoto Protocol. What has been their primary objection to the treaty?
A. The target emission levels are not sufficiently low to affect the greenhouse effect.
B. The treaty does not include a provision for trading emission allowances.
C. Developing countries are not required to control greenhouse gas emissions.
D. Enforcement of the treaty will be impossible.
 
26. Which of the following is characteristic of parasitism?
 
A. One organism lives in or on another and benefits.
B. Two organisms nourish each other; both benefit.
C. One organism kills and consumes another.
D. Two organisms live together and neither is harmed.
 
27. In the animal kingdom, a variety of relationships exist among creatures. What type of relationship is seen between the lion and the zebra?
 
A. Host/parasite
B. Mutualism
C. Predator/prey
D. Parasitism
 
28. The sequence of energy flow through a food chain is:
 
A. Primary consumers- producers- higher order consumers.
B. Producers- higher order consumers- primary consumers.
C. Producers- primary consumers- higher order consumers.
D. Primary consumers- higher order consumers- producers.
 
29. For how long has the Earth’s climate been changing?
 
A. 100 years
B. 1 million years
C. 1 billion years
D. 5 billion years
 
30. Sunspots may affect climate by affecting increases in-
 
A. Latitude
B. The amount of energy reaching earth from the sun
C. The shape of earths orbit around the sun
D. Plate tectonic movements.
 
31. Which planet’s poisonous atmosphere has been described as the product of a “runaway greenhouse effect”?
 
A. Earth
B. Mars
C. Venus
D. Jupiter
 
32. Which of these countries is the highest Carbon Dioxide emitter?
 
A. United States
B. Australia
C. Brazil
D. China
 
33. How long does it take for Carbon Dioxide in the atmosphere to disperse?
 
A. 1 Year
B. 10 Years
C. 50 Years
D. 100 Years
 
34. Argon, which comprises almost 1% of the atmosphere, is approximately 27 times more abundant than CO2, but doesn't contribute to global warming. Which explanation accounts for this fact?
 
A. Single atoms do not vibrate.
B. Argon’s vibrational energy is not excited by infrared radiation.
C. The mass of argon does not allow it to reach sufficiently high in the atmosphere to
interact with the earth’s radiant energy.
D. Argon is transparent to UV radiation.
 
35. What is El Nino?
 
A. El Nino occurs when waters in the equatorial Pacific Ocean are warmer than usual. It influences weather around the planet.
B. El Nino is an atmospheric pattern produced by the emission of greenhouse gases.
C. El Nino is a weather pattern with fairly uniform effects around the planet.
 
36. In what layer are light gases, such as helium and hydrogen, found?
 
A. Exosphere
B. Stratosphere
C. Troposphere
D. Thermosphere

37. Ozone layer occurs in?

A. Mesosphere
B. Stratosphere
C. Troposphere
D. Thermosphere
 
38. Oil spills are a source of pollution for:

A. Water
B. Land and water
C. Land and air
D. Air and noise

39. Tsunamis are often called seismic sea waves because they are usually caused by-

A. Earthquake
B. High precipitation
C. Thunder storms
D. None of them
 
40. What area of the ocean is suffering the most from habitat destruction?

A. Coasts
B. Ocean Floor
C. Deep Sea

41. What ocean has the most coral reefs?

A. Indian
B. Atlantic
C. Pacific
D. Arctic

42. Which of the following is a prime health risks associated with greater UV radiation through the atmosphere due to depletion of stratospheric ozone?

A. Damage to digestive system
B. Increased liver cancer
C. Neurological disorder
D. Increased skin cancer
 
43. Which pollutants are responsible for bronchitis?

A. O2, CO2
B. CO, CO2
C. SO2, NO2
D. Cl2, H2S

44. Which of the following are biodegradable waste products?

A. rubber, plastic, manure
B. metal, glass, plastic
C. vegetable peels, garden refuse, paper
D. glass, wood cuttings, batteries
 
45. A hierarchy of waste management strategies to minimize waste is called
‘3R’. 3R means:

A. Reduce, Reuse, Reformat
B. Rebuild, Recover, Recycle
C. Recycle, Repair, Reuse
D. Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
 
Short Questions: 
Marks- 15
 
1. A major United Nations conference was held in Rio de Janeiro from 3 June to 14 June 1992. The official name of the conference is The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development (UNCED). But the conference is commonly known to us as-
 
Answer: Rio Summit.
 
2. In the world’s worst nuclear accident in 1986, 31 people died, 129 others suffered acute radiation and many thousands are expected to die prematurely as a result of exposure to radiation released from the stricken plant. Name the site of this mishap.
 
Answer: Chernobyl, Ukraine.
 
3. Name the famous Info-Documentary on Climate Change produced by Al Gore-
 
Answer: An Inconvenient Truth.
 
4. International Mother Earth Day is observed on which day?
 
Answer: 22nd April.
 
5. The Ramon Magsaysay Award is often considered as Asia's Nobel Prize. In 2012, a Bangladeshi woman is awarded with this prestigious award for her “uncompromising courage and impassioned leadership in a campaign of judicial activism in Bangladesh that affirms the people’s right to a good environment as nothing less than their right to dignity and life” Who is she?
 
Answer: Syeda Rizwana Hasan.




NEO Sample Questions 2014


1. The picture below shows what kind of storm?










a) Tsunami
b) Hurricane
c) Tornado
d) Cyclone

2. Glass is produced from the mineral_______.

a) Zircon
b) Graphite
c) Quartz
d) Mica

3. What is the full form of UNFCCC?

a) United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change
b) United Nations Framework Conservation of Climate Change
c) United Nations Framework Council on Climate Change
d) United Nations Framework Commission on Climate Change

4. Table salt contains which two ions?

a) Calcium and magnesium
b) Sodium and chloride
c) Potassium and sodium
d) Calcium and sodium

5. Which Planet is always closest to the sun?

a) Mercury
b) Venus
c) Earth
d) Mars

6. Why does Mars appear to be red?

a) Due to large amounts of iron in the soil
b) Due to large amounts of chromium in the soil
c) Due to large amounts of Boron in the soil
d) Due to large amounts of Copper in the soil

7. Which type of bond is present in water molecule?

a) Ionic bond
b) Covalent bond
c) Hydrogen bond
d) Both (a) and (c)

8. Small enclosed body of fresh water is called_______

a) Lake
b) Pond
c) Spring
d) Stream

9. Which line is true for energy resources?

a) Renewable resources will run out
b) Nonrenewable resources will never run out
c) Nonrenewable resources are replaced as quickly as they are used
d) Renewable resources are replaced as
quickly as they are used

10. Which type of fossil fuel dominates in Bangladesh?

a) Coal
b) Oil
c) Gas
d) Water

11. Which one has recently been added to the endangered species list as threatened because they need sea ice in order to hunt?

a) Polar bears
b) Penguins
c) Grizzly bear
d) Ice wolf

12. To be called acid rain, rain must have a pH of less than

a) 5
b) 6
c) 7
d) 8