QUESTION

1. Earth: Our Home 2 (S/E and N(A))
QUESTION BANK Chapter 9
CHAPTER 9: POLLUTION IN THE WORLD
Multiple-choice Questions (15 marks)
1. Which one of the following diagrams shows how one type of pollution
can lead to another?
A B
Pesticides Pollutants
are washed are washed
into the river downstream
Pollutants
Excess Water Sewage is adversely
pesticides becomes dumped into affect
contaminate polluted with a river organisms
soil pesticides downstream
C D
Wind blows Oil spills on
ash and the sea’s
smoke away surface
Places Oil spill
further away An oil tanker covers a
A forest is has an
from burnt large
burnt accident at
forest suffer surface area
from haze sea of the sea
Ans: A
2. How is smog formed?
A Smog is given out when toxic gases are emitted by factories
when fossil fuels are burnt.
B Haze at low atmospheric pressures combines with water vapour
to form smog.
C Dust and smoke particles combine with water vapour and toxic
gases to form smog.
D When sewage and garbage combine, smog is formed.
Ans: C
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2. Earth: Our Home 2 (S/E and N(A))
QUESTION BANK Chapter 9
3. Which one of the following is not an example of a natural cause of air
pollution?
A B
C D
Source: Matthew Tran-Adams Source: Neil Gould
Ans: B
4. How does air pollution affect people?
A Ash from air pollution can be used to fertilise the soil.
B Air pollution may result in increased visibility.
C The wind may dilute air pollution with little impact.
D Air pollution may bring about difficulty in breathing. Ans: D
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3. Earth: Our Home 2 (S/E and N(A))
QUESTION BANK Chapter 9
5. How does acid rain affect the environment?
I. It kills fish.
II. It attacks the roots of trees.
II. It reduces algae growth.
IV. It corrodes buildings.
A I only
B I and III
C I, II and IV
D All of the above Ans: C
6. Why is sewage treated before it is disposed of?
A As substances found in sewage can be recycled, sewage is
treated to remove these substances.
B Human waste and chemicals contained in sewage may harm
living things.
C Sewage is treated to remove the biodegradable substances in it.
D Treating sewage is the responsibility of industries and
governments.
Ans: B
7. Why are oil spills difficult to clean?
A Not much effort is put into cleaning oil spills.
B Substances in oil are not easily broken down.
C Oil tanker companies do not want to clean oil spills.
D Cleaning oil spills requires the help of the government.
Ans: B
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4. Earth: Our Home 2 (S/E and N(A))
QUESTION BANK Chapter 9
8. Study the photograph below. How does this type of pollution affect
animals?
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A This causes animals to freeze to death in the cold.
B As a result of this, animals end up floating in water.
C Many animals experience an increase in body temperature.
D Animals die from the lack of food supply.
Ans: A
9. How does the disposal of household waste into a river affect the food
chain?
A The disposal of household waste into the river causes an
increase in food supply in the river.
B As substances in the waste contaminate the water, they affect
both plants and animals.
C The toxins in household waste cause the animals in the river to
get diseases.
D Increased algal growth causes plants to die and the animals that
feed on these plants to be affected.
Ans: D
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5. Earth: Our Home 2 (S/E and N(A))
QUESTION BANK Chapter 9
10. How does the excessive use of pesticides affect animals in the
environment?
A Some animals have an increased risk of developing lung and
heart diseases.
B Excessive use of pesticides causes the animals to develop
respiratory problems.
C Birds that feed on worms with pesticides stored in their bodies
have defective reproductive systems.
D As the pesticides affect the animals’ ability to keep warm, they
may die of cold.
Ans: C
11. What is ‘sustainable development’?
I. Being able to meet the needs of future generations
II. Meeting the needs of present generations
III. Development that is progressive
IV. Rural and urban development
A I only
B I and II
C I, II and III
D All of the above Ans: B
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6. Earth: Our Home 2 (S/E and N(A))
QUESTION BANK Chapter 9
12. Study the photograph below. How does this reduce pollution?
A This burns solid waste and compacts it before disposal.
B This reduces the emissions of toxic gases from factories.
C This helps people to get energy without burning fossil fuels.
D This is one way in which waste can be recycled and reused.
Ans: C
13. What can an individual person do to reduce pollution?
A Switch the lights off when they are not in use to save electricity
B Use only one side of a piece of paper to reduce wastage
C Buy non-biodegradable products so that they can be recycled
D Throw away items after they have been used once to reduce
waste
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7. Earth: Our Home 2 (S/E and N(A))
QUESTION BANK Chapter 9
Ans: A
14. How can noise pollution affect people’s health?
A It can reduce hearing impairment.
B It can increase immunity to diseases.
C It can decrease the heart rate.
D It can lead to high blood pressure. Ans: D
15. What is one measure that is used by the Singapore government to
reduce air pollution?
A Incineration plants are located in many parts of Singapore for
waste disposal.
B Natural gas instead of petroleum is used to generate electricity.
C People are encouraged to own private vehicles for travel.
D More landfills are built on offshore islands for waste disposal.
Ans: B
Structured Essay Question (10 marks)
1. Read the article below carefully.
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8. Earth: Our Home 2 (S/E and N(A))
QUESTION BANK Chapter 9
Chippewas threatened by toxic sludge
JANUARY 21, 2007
SARNIA, ONTARIO
The Chippewas, a native Canadian tribe, is claiming that the diseases rampaging
its people are the result of industrial pollution. Already, a child has been
stricken with a rare cancer. The incidence of asthma has gone up and locals say
the average life span has also been shortened.
Here in Canada's ‘Chemical Valley’, the Chippewas live alongside a number of
undesirable neighbours — oil refineries, chemical factories, natural gas wells
and toxic cleanup sites. Now they have to contend with the latest addition: a
landfill used for burying toxic waste.
The very worst waste from the Great Lakes region, including waste from oil
refineries, iron and steel industries and chemical makers, finds it way into this
landfill. In 2005, 190 000 tons of hazardous waste were buried there. A further
90 000 tons was burned in the incinerator nearby.
Still, the operators of the landfill do not see it as a threat — even though the
landfill does not have liners or walls to separate the waste from the soil, a
requirement for most dumps in the United States and Canada. The lack of these
liners leads to further damage on the environment.
Ironically, this land — designated the Chippewas' reserve — is meant to be a
safe place for the community, which numbers almost 1 000. Their ancestors
were sustained on the bounty of the land for thousands of years. Sadly, the land
has been so damaged and contaminated that the Chippewas say it is no longer fit
to fish or hunt.
(a) What is the cause of the pollution in the article? [1]
The pollution was caused by the disposal of toxic waste into the
landfill.
(b) Describe the pollutants that are found there. [2]
- The pollutants are toxic or hazardous waste that comes from oil
refineries, iron and steel industries and chemical factories.
- These wastes contain harmful chemicals or poisonous heavy
metals.
(c) Using your own knowledge, explain why the locals complain that the
land they live on is ‘no longer fit to fish or hunt’. [3]
- The people can no longer fish or hunt there because the animals
are not fit for human consumption.
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9. Earth: Our Home 2 (S/E and N(A))
QUESTION BANK Chapter 9
- This is because toxic substances remain in the animals’ bodies
from the food they consume.
- Toxic substances are passed on in the food chain from one
animal to another and keep accumulating.
(d) What are the consequences of this pollution on people’s health? [2]
- People suffer from diseases such as cancer and asthma.
- People’s life spans are also shortened.
(e) Why do you think the absence of liners in the landfills leads to further
damage on the environment? [2]
- The liners prevent any waste from seeping through into the soil.
- Without any liners, toxic waste will seep into the soil and
contaminate it, as well as groundwater or water that returns back
to the rivers or lakes.
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