Chapter 10 Pest Control
1. DDT accumulation in North American eagles, pelicans, and other birds disrupted birds’ calcium metabolism, causing A. infertility. B. thin eggshells. C. severe nerve damage. D. adult deformities. E. All of these. Answer: B Question Classification: Knowledge
2. DDT is A. equally toxic to mammals and insects. B. soluble only in water. C. cheap to produce and easy to apply. D. highly biodegradable. E. All of these. Answer: C Question Classification: Knowledge
3. Pest organisms tend to be A. specialist species. B. generalist species. C. migratory species. D. endemic species. E. consumers. Answer: B Question Classification: Knowledge
4. Which of the following is not true of pesticides? A. They are expensive and difficult to use. B. They have been used to save human lives. C. They can be found in most American homes. D. They are used to kill animals and plants. E. All of these are true. Answer: A Question Classification: Knowledge
5. Of the millions of living species, about ____ cause 90 percent of the worldwide crop damage. A. 100 B. 1000 C. 10 D. 500 E. 50 Answer: A
Question Classification: Knowledge
6. A broad-spectrum biocide is designed to kill A. a wide range of plants. B. microbes that are neither plant nor animal. C. all living organisms. D. specifically multicellular organisms. E. specifically unicellular organisms. Answer: C Question Classification: Knowledge
7. Alcohol and pickling solutions were probably widely developed because they A. neutralize toxins in foods. B. preserve food due to their pesticidal properties. C. have more interesting flavors than other solutions for seasoning. D. are effective insecticides in the home. E. All of these are good reasons why alcohol and pickling solutions were used. Answer: B Question Classification: Comprehension
8. A goose is used in pest control to A. control weeds. B. catch insects. C. eat grass. D. All of the above (A, B, & C). E. None of these – geese are not pest control agents. Answer: D Question Classification: Knowledge
9. Which of the following usually has the most intensive use of pesticides? A. a soybean field B. a golf course C. an average US kitchen D. a corn field E. All of these are comparable. Answer: B Question Classification: Knowledge
10. The population growth curve of a pest organism would probably be ___________ because they are _________ species in ecological succession. A. exponential, pioneer C. stable, pioneer B. arithmetic, pioneer D. stable, climax E. exponential, climax Answer: A
Question Classification: Application
11. Most of the pesticides applied in the United States are used in A. landscaping for private homes. B. agriculture. C. controlling pests in private homes. D. landscaping for both private homes and businesses. E. controlling pests in businesses (e.g., restaurants). Answer: B Question Classification: Knowledge
12. Why is it useful to classify pesticides by their chemical structure? A. It is easier to keep them organized by type. B. Scientists have done this for years and it would be inefficient to change it now. C. Similar chemical structures often relate to similar toxicological characteristics. D. This is how they are named and looking them up for reference is easier. E. This is how they are named and the regulations use these names. Answer: C Question Classification: Comprehension
13. Which of the following are inorganic pesticides? A. rotenone and nicotine B. arsenic, copper, and mercury C. carbon tetrachloride and ethylene dibromide D. DDT and mothballs E. a complex of chemicals from the Chrysanthemum Answer: B Question Classification: Knowledge
14. Inorganic pesticides are generally A. highly toxic and remain in the soil for a long time. B. highly toxic and break down soon in the environment. C. moderately toxic and remain in the soil for a long time. D. moderately toxic and break down soon in the environment. E. toxic to insects but safe for humans. Answer: A Question Classification: Knowledge
15. Natural organic pesticides are not A. extracted from plants. B. toxic to humans. C. safe for all animals. D. stable in their natural form. E. All of these are characteristics of natural organic pesticides. Answer: C Question Classification: Knowledge
16. Which of the following pesticide types is extremely toxic to workers who apply them? A. chlorinated hydrocarbons B. carbamates C. inorganic pesticides D. fumigants E. natural organic pesticides Answer: D Question Classification: Knowledge
17. Chlorinated hydrocarbons have ____ toxicity for humans and remain in the soil for a _______ time. A. high; long B. high; short C. low; short D. low; long E. medium, long Answer: D Question Classification: Knowledge
18. DDT is a A. chlorinated hydrocarbon (organochloride). B. natural organic pesticide. C. chlorinated inorganic pesticide. D. organophosphate. E. carbamate. Answer: A Question Classification: Knowledge
19. Organophosphates operate by attacking an organism’s ________ system. A. muscular B. blood C. immune D. nervous E. skeletal Answer: D Question Classification: Knowledge
20. Organophosphates and _________ are similar in that they lack environmental persistence and have low bioaccumulation. A. chlorinated hydrocarbons B. carbamates C. inorganic pesticides D. fumigants E. natural organic pesticides Answer: B Question Classification: Comprehension
21. Which of the following pesticide types is extremely toxic to bees? A. chlorinated hydrocarbons B. carbamates C. inorganic pesticides D. fumigants E. natural organic pesticides Answer: B Question Classification: Knowledge
22. In general, microbial agents are A. wide spectrum agents. B. used in place of chemical pesticides. C. small molecules that gasify easily. D. small molecules that penetrate rapidly into a variety of materials. E. persistent in the soil for a long time. Answer: B Question Classification: Knowledge
23. Which of the following diseases cannot be decreased with insecticides? A. malaria B. sleeping sickness C. bronchitis D. plague E. guinea worm Answer: C Question Classification: Comprehension
24. In of agriculture, pesticides have lead to _____ for consumers. A. lower monetary costs C. more attractive produce B. better produce quality D. more availability of produce E. All of these. Answer: E Question Classification: Comprehension
25. Significant agricultural monetary losses are due to the destruction of _____ through pesticide spray drift and residues on flowers. A. ladybird beetles B. honeybees C. praying mantises D. Monarch butterflies E. Bacillus thuringiensis Answer: B Question Classification: Knowledge
26. What types of symptoms are possibly caused by exposure to DDE? A. skin lesions B. brain tumors C. kidney failure D. nerve damage E. decreased sperm counts Answer: E Question Classification: Knowledge
27. Which of the following is not a result of the DDT spill in the Florida Lake Apopka population of alligators? A. Alligator eggs were infertile. B. Male hatchlings had smaller penises. C. Female alligators had elevated estrogen levels. D. All alligator hatchlings were males. E. Male hatchlings had lower testosterone levels. Answer: D Question Classification: Knowledge
28. In the Florida Lake Apopka population of alligators, DDE seemed to interfere with ______ because of a ______. A. sex hormones; similarity in chemical structure B. egg development; similarity in chemical structure C. kidney function; toxic reaction in the body D. nerve development; toxic reaction in the body E. growth hormones, similarity in chemical structure Answer: A Question Classification: Comprehension
29. When a new pesticide is developed the best thing to do is to use it A. sparingly so pests will not develop a resistance. B. widely and liberally, to knock out pests. C. widely and liberally, so pests will not develop a resistance. D. liberally then sparingly to prevent resistance and knock out pests. E. sparingly then liberally to prevent resistance and knock out pests. Answer: A Question Classification: Comprehension
30. Approximately what percentages of the pesticides we use never reach the intended target? A. 15 B. 20 C. 75 D. 50 E. 90 Answer: E
Question Classification: Knowledge
31. Pesticide resurgence is part of the problem of pesticide resistance and happens when a pest organism A. that was dormant during pesticide application becomes active and produces offspring. B. adapts to the pesticide and produces tolerant offspring. C. adapts to the pesticide and produces even more pesticide-tolerant offspring. D. that is tolerant to the pesticide survives and produces tolerant offspring. E. receives a gene for pesticide tolerance through a virus infection. Answer: D Question Classification: Comprehension
32. Pesticide resistance occurs when a population of pests A. becomes too numerous for chemicals to control. B. genetically changes (through natural selection) and is no longer affected by the chemicals. C. grows extremely large because of chemical misapplications. D. is not affected by chemicals because the pesticide chemicals do not break down in the environment. E. is completely wiped out by the pesticide chemicals. Answer: B Question Classification: Knowledge
33. Can an organism be resistant to a chemical that it has never been exposed to? If so, how? A. Yes, genes for pesticide resistance can be transferred through vectors such as viruses. B. Yes, pesticide resistance does not require chemical exposure and eventually all organisms become resistant. C. Yes, the pesticide treill causes pesticide resistance. D. No, there is probably some exposure that we are not aware of. E. No, it is not possible for an organism be resistant to a chemical that it has never been exposed to. Answer: A Question Classification: Knowledge
34. The pesticide treill occurs when A. a virus transfers pesticide resistance to a new species. B. constantly decreasing doses of pesticides are needed to control pests. C. nontarget agricultural species are destroyed by insecticides. D. predators of the pest species are killed by broadcast spraying. E. constantly increasing doses of pesticides are needed to control pests. Answer: E Question Classification: Knowledge
35. Pesticide resistance only occurs in __________ species. A. weed B. insect C. plant pathogen D. vertebrate E. All of these. Answer: E
Question Classification: Knowledge
a Nu mb er of Sp eci es
b c d Year
36. In the graph above, which of the populations first began to show pesticide resistance? A. a B. b C. c D. d E. It is impossible to answer the question with the provided data. Answer: A Question Classification: Analysis
37. Looking at the graph above, and given what you know about pesticide resistance, what do you think will probably happen to Curve “b” in the future? A. It will level off. B. It will continue to increase. C. It will decrease. D. It will increase a small amount and then level off. E. It is impossible to answer the question with the provided data. Answer: B Question Classification: Application
38. Why are pest predator populations so adversely affected by broad-spectrum pesticides? A. In general, predators are more susceptible to the pesticides. B. There is less food for the predators when the pest species is destroyed. C. Predators in higher trophic levels are more likely to be wiped out than lower trophic levels. D. Broad-spectrum pesticides leave more residues than other pesticides and these kill the predators. E. Predator populations are not more likely to be adversely affected. Answer: C Question Classification: Comprehension
39. When pesticide residues are found in such remote areas as the St. Lawrence estuary, which of the following is probably not responsible? A. bioaccumulation B. pesticide rain
C. the grasshopper effect D. pesticide persistence and mobility E. All of these could be responsible. Answer: E Question Classification: Comprehension
40. The process that happens when pesticide residues evaporate from soil and water in warm areas and then condense in and precipitate in colder regions is called A. bioaccumulation. B. pesticide rain. C. the grasshopper effect. D. pesticide persistence and mobility. E. the pesticide treill. Answer: C Question Classification: Knowledge
41. Organic pollutants called ________________ are showing up in many different places worldwide, far from their original source. This has led to a widespread movement to ________________. A. persistent organic pollutants, ban twelve of them worldwide B. mobile organic pollutants, ban twelve of them worldwide C. persistent organic pollutants, reduce the use of twelve of them D. mobile organic pollutants, reduce the use of twelve of them E. persistent organic pollutants, make them less persistent Answer: A Question Classification: Comprehension
42. Which of the following is a chronic effect of pesticides on humans? A. cancer C. fetal deformities B. an allergic response D. Parkinson’s disease E. breathing difficulties like an asthma attack Answer: A Question Classification: Knowledge
43. In the US the farm workers who are exposed to the highest doses of the most toxic agricultural chemicals are usually A. the workers who apply the pesticide. B. migrant workers who use machines to harvest grains. C. the workers who transport the chemicals. D. migrant workers who handpick fruits and vegetables. E. the workers who plow the fields because the pesticide residues are in the dust that can be inhaled. Answer: D Question Classification: Knowledge
44. The scientific and legal proof of pesticide effects on humans is generally
A. obvious and quickly established. B. clear and therefore easy to put into policy. C. impossible to establish. D. difficult to establish. E. easy to establish. Answer: D Question Classification: Knowledge
45. Behavioral changes as an alternative to current pesticide use would not include A. switching from monoculture fields to mixed polyculture fields. B. rotating crops. C. flooding fields before planting. D. making sure the soil in row crops is weed free. E. All of these are behavioral changes as alternatives to current pesticide use. Answer: E Question Classification: Comprehension
46. Knowledge of the life cycle of an insect population enables biological controls to be used in place of current pesticide use. Examples include the use of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) which affects _______ stage(s) of moths and the use of predators to attack _____________ of the pests. A. all; all stages B. all; the larval stage C. the larva; all stages D. the pupa; the adult stage E. the adult; the pupa stage Answer: C Question Classification: Comprehension
47. In order to institute an integrated pest management program, it is necessary to A. have large amounts of money. B. use large amounts of space. C. have many different kinds of crops. D. burn all fields to eliminate biological elements. E. understand local plants and animals. Answer: E Question Classification: Knowledge
48. With respect to chemical pest controls, integrated pest management (IPM) uses A. none. B. the maximum amount as determined by economic thresholds. C. broad-spectrum products. D. the minimum amount necessary as a last resort. E. the maximum amount as determined by organic standards. Answer: D Question Classification: Knowledge
49. What is the main reason a conversion from conventional agriculture to organic farming occurred in Cuba? A. The demands of consumers. B. The collapse of the socialist bloc. C. The high rate of deaths from heavy pesticide use. D. The change to a main crop of sugarcane. E. All of these factors led to the conversion in Cuba. Answer: B Question Classification: Comprehension
50. What is one method that Cubans use on the large scale to fertilize their soil? A. They compost kitchen scraps. B. They use imported synthetic organic fertilizers. C. They use synthetic organic fertilizers produced in Cuba. D. They import organic fertilizers. E. They use humus from earthworm farms. Answer: E Question Classification: Knowledge
51. Which of the following things that can you do to reduce pesticide residues in your diet is related to bioaccumulation? A. Peel fruits and vegetables when possible. B. Trim the fat from meat, chicken, and fish. C. Cook foods that you think have been exposed to chemicals. D. Ask for organically grown produce at a farmer’s market. E. All of these are related to bioaccumulation. Answer: B Question Classification: Application
52. Which of the following alternative methods is not helpful in reducing your exposure to pesticides? A. Accept slightly blemished fruits and vegetables. B. Purchase praying mantises and ladybugs to protect garden plants. C. Use only natural chemicals as pesticides. D. Wash aphid-infested vegetation with pure water. E. Keep wood piles away from the outside of the house. Answer: C Question Classification: Comprehension
53. Pesticides based on a naturally occurring microbial toxin have been shown to decrease egg laying in ducks. A. True B. False Answer: A Question Classification: Knowledge
54. Children are more susceptible to pesticides because they spend more time in direct with places that pesticides may accumulate (e.g., carpet, grass, etc.). A. True B. False Answer: A Question Classification: Knowledge
Short Answer/EssayQuestions 55. Compare and contrast industrial farming with organic farming in of food production and pesticide use. Answer: For a total of 20 points (Note: The numbers can be changed to fit your assessment needs.) 20 = Provided at least three accurate comparisons; ed the comparisons with accurate evidence; Provided at least three accurate contrasts; ed the contrasts with accurate evidence; Communicated effectively with a well written summary 15 = Provided at least two accurate comparisons; ed the comparisons with accurate evidence; Provided at least two accurate contrasts; ed the contrasts with accurate evidence; Communicated with a fairly well written summary 10 = Provided at least one accurate comparison; ed the comparison with accurate evidence; Provided at least one contrast; ed the contrast with evidence; Communicated with a fairly well written summary 5= Provided at least one accurate comparison; ed the comparison with accurate evidence OR Provided at least one accurate contrast; ed the contrast with accurate evidence AND Communicated with a poorly written summary 0= Provided at least one comparison; Did not the comparison with accurate evidence OR Provided at least one contrast; Did not the contrast with accurate evidence AND Communicated with a very poorly written summary
56. You have decided that you want to reduce the amount of pesticides you encounter. Describe at least ten actions that you can take to reduce your exposure to pesticides (2 points for each accurately described action). Note: For questions that are objective with definite right or wrong answers rather than develop a scoring guide it is much more direct and simple to assign points for each component.