Deck 21: Plants and People

Question 1

Plantains are a ______ variety of ______ first cultivated in tropical Asia.

A) starchy; taro
B) sweet; taro
C) starchy; banana
D) sweet; banana
E) starchy; sorghum

Answer 1

C

Question 2

______ is an herb that is a member of the parsley family.

A) Thyme
B) Oregano
C) Basil
D) Caraway
E) Mint

Answer 2

D

Question 3

Which of the following spices originated in the New World?

A) mace
B) hot peppers
C) cinnamon
D) ginger
E) nutmeg

Answer 3

B

Question 4

Herbs differ from spices in that most herbs are:

A) buds.
B) seeds.
C) roots.
D) leaves.
E) flowers.

Question 5

The domestication of plants in the Fertile Crescent began about ______ years ago.

A) 1100
B) 13,000
C) 22,000
D) 55,000
E) 110,000

Question 6

Tapioca is produced from the roots of ______, also called cassava.

A) quinoa
B) lentils
C) sweet potatoes
D) yams
E) manioc

Question 7

Which of the following crops was NOT initially cultivated in the New World?

A) maize
B) common beans
C) barley
D) lima beans
E) peanuts

Question 8

Legumes have long been important in the human diet because they are:

A) low in fats.
B) low in carbohydrates.
C) high in protein.
D) high in fats.
E) high in carbohydrates.

Question 9

Figs were first cultivated in:

A) Mesoamerica.
B) the Fertile Crescent.
C) South America.
D) North America.
E) tropical Asia.

Question 10

Which of the following statements about cotton is FALSE?

A) It was domesticated independently in the New and in the Old World.
B) It was domesticated earlier in Mexico than in Peru.
C) New World cottons are polyploid.
D) Old World cottons are diploid.
E) New World cottons replaced Old World cottons throughout the world.

Question 11

The distinctive agriculture that developed in the south central Andes of South America was based on:

A) corn and beans.
B) wheat and barley.
C) millet and soybeans.
D) potatoes, quinoa, and lupines.
E) rice, soybeans, and yams.

Question 12

In contrast to wild cereals, domesticated cereals:

A) have smaller grains.
B) have lost their natural seed dispersal.
C) have thinner stalks.
D) release their ripe seeds more readily.
E) have seeds that do not separate as readily from the chaff.

Question 13

Poi is a starchy food made from plants of the genera:

A) Mangifera and Citrus.
B) Citrus and Musa.
C) Musa and Sorghum.
D) Sorghum and Colocasia.
E) Colocasia and Xanthosoma.

Question 14

The ______ was first cultivated in Central and South America then carried to New Zealand, Hawaii, and other Pacific islands.

A) sweet potato
B) white potato
C) sunflower
D) yam
E) pineapple

Question 15

Which of the following crops was NOT first cultivated in the New World and later carried to the Old World?

A) pumpkins
B) peas
C) tobacco
D) maize
E) common beans

Question 16

The first plants cultivated in the Fertile Crescent were:

A) olives and dates.
B) peas and olives.
C) barley and peas.
D) wheat and barley.
E) wheat and lentils.

Question 17

__________ is obtained from bark.

A) Black pepper
B) Cloves
C) Ginger
D) Cinnamon
E) Nutmeg

Question 18

Homo sapiens appeared in Africa about ___________ years ago.

A) 5000
B) 500,000
C) 1.4 million
D) 2.4 million
E) 140 million

Question 19

______ is an herb that is a member of the mint family.

A) Anise
B) Dill
C) Basil
D) Caraway
E) Fennel

Question 20

Which of the following crops was NOT initially cultivated in Africa?

A) sorghum
B) okra
C) yams
D) rice
E) cotton

Question 21

The southern corn leaf blight of 1970 was caused by an organism of the genus:

A) Fusarium.
B) Cochliobolus.
C) Verticillium.
D) Secale.
E) Phytophthora.

Question 22

The most promising approach to solving the world's food problems is:

A) increasing the use of pesticides.
B) increasing the use of fertilizers.
C) increasing the availability of water.
D) cultivating more land.
E) improving the existing crops.

Question 23

It is estimated that in 2008, one in ______ people on Earth will suffer malnutrition.

A) 2
B) 5
C) 7
D) 10
E) 15

Question 24

The growth rate of the human population is about ______ percent per year.

A) 0.2
B) 1.3
C) 5
D) 10
E) 20

Question 25

The great majority of the world's food supply is based on ______ kinds of crop plants.

A) 2
B) 6
C) 8
D) 14
E) 20

Question 26

Crops can be improved by increasing each of the following EXCEPT:

A) the quantity of proteins.
B) the quality of proteins.
C) nitrogen requirements.
D) disease resistance.
E) storage ability.

Question 27

The first significant advance that led to an increase in agricultural productivity was the development of:

A) irrigation.
B) fertilizers.
C) hybrid maize.
D) efficient machinery.
E) pesticides.

Question 28

Which of the following statements about coffee is FALSE?

A) It is now cultivated throughout the warm regions of the world.
B) It was first domesticated in the mountains of subtropical Asia.
C) Its seeds are used in preparing the beverage.
D) A third of the world's supply comes from Brazil.
E) It is a major source of income for many tropical countries.

Question 29

Which of the following was NOT a consequence of the development of agriculture?

A) the development of cities
B) the diversification of lifestyles
C) an increase in the population
D) an increase in the birth rate
E) a decrease in the death rate

Question 30

______ of the 20 amino acids required by human adults must be obtained from food.

A) Two
B) Five
C) Nine
D) Eleven
E) All

Question 31

Which herb consists of the dried stigmas of Crocus sativus?

A) saffron
B) thyme
C) mustard
D) parsley
E) anise

Question 32

The Haber-Bosch process is important in the:

A) reduction of soil erosion.
B) inbreeding of maize.
C) development of pesticides.
D) manufacture of fertilizers.
E) development of efficient irrigation systems.

Question 33

Which of the following is NOT one of the six crop plants that provide more than 80 percent of the total calories consumed by humans?

A) rice
B) wheat
C) potatoes
D) manioc
E) soybeans

Question 34

All of the following are difficulties associated with the Green Revolution in sub-Saharan Africa EXCEPT:

A) the consolidation of farmlands into a few large holdings.
B) the lack of money to buy fertilizer.
C) the lack of money to buy farm machinery.
D) the lack of hybrid varieties of wheat and rice.
E) the lack of an adequate supply of water.

Question 35

By 2050 the global population is expected to reach:

A) 2.5 million.
B) 9 million.
C) 250 million.
D) 9 billion.
E) 250 billion.

Question 36

Which of the following statements concerning hybrid maize is FALSE?

A) They can be selected for cultivation in particular localities.
B) They constitute about 50 percent of all maize grown in the United States today.
C) They can be obtained by crossing strains grown in alternating rows.
D) They produce higher yields than nonhybrid individuals.
E) They are easier to harvest than nonhybrid individuals.

Question 37

It is advantageous to use plants rather than commercial laboratories to produce such commodities as oils, drugs, and perfumes because:

A) commercial laboratories use nonrenewable energy sources.
B) commercial laboratories are less expensive.
C) commercial laboratories are now archaic.
D) plants require no energy other than the sun.
E) plants produce these items more quickly.

Question 38

The Irish potato famine of 1846-1847 and the U.S. epidemic of southern leaf blight of maize in 1970 resulted from:

A) increases in the mutation rate.
B) mistakes in genetic engineering.
C) the overuse of chemical sprays.
D) widespread cultivation of genetically uniform varieties that were susceptible to disease.
E) an unusual abundance of numerous types of plant pathogens.

Question 39

More than half the world's sunflowers are produced in:

A) the United States.
B) Mexico.
C) Thailand.
D) West Africa.
E) Russia.

Question 40

Sugarcane was first domesticated in:

A) Africa.
B) Mexico.
C) New Guinea.
D) Peru.
E) Australia.

Question 41

Wild bananas have large, hard seeds.

Question 42

Plants were first domesticated in Africa.

Question 43

Spices are usually derived from parts of a plant other than the leaves.

Question 44

People living in Europe before the voyages of Columbus could eat a meal that included maize and tomatoes.

Question 45

Manioc was first domesticated in the tropics of Asia.

Question 46

The coconut palm is widespread today because of dispersal by humans.

Question 47

The three centers of agriculture in the New World are Mesoamerica, South America, and North America.

Question 48

______ produces an alternative source of synthetic liquid wax.

A) Dioscorea
B) Elaeis
C) Jojoba
D) Spinacia
E) Solanum

Question 49

______ is a particularly salt-tolerant plant that may prove useful in producing salt-tolerant hybrids.

A) Simmondsia chinensis
B) Parthenium argentatum
C) Amaranthus
D) Solanum lycopersicum
E) Solanum cheesmanii

Question 50

It is advantageous to develop perennial versions of important annual grain crops because perennial crops:

A) have longer growing seasons.
B) have deeper root systems.
C) more effectively maintain topsoil.
D) more efficiently use water and nutrients.
E) store less carbon in the soil.

Question 51

In the Old World, the first cultivated plants were barley and wheat.

Question 52

It is estimated that by 2050, the world will need 70 to 100 percent more food than is now available.

Question 53

Until supplies of the plant were virtually exhausted, birth-control pills and cortisone were manufactured from substances produced by:

A) pigweed.
B) jojoba.
C) wild yams.
D) wild tomatoes.
E) guayule.

Question 54

At the beginning of the twenty-first century there were more than 6 billion people on Earth.

Question 55

Cotton was domesticated independently in the New World and the Old World.

Question 56

The domestication of squash occurred first in North America and later in South America.

Question 57

Coffee was first cultivated in Brazil.

Question 58

In contrast to spices, many herbs originated in Europe and the Mediterranean region.

Question 59

The evidence indicates that herbs and spices were used during the Middle Ages to cover the taste of spoiled meat.

Question 60

Wild species of cereals hold their seeds less tightly than do domesticated species.

Question 61

One effect of the Green Revolution has been to accelerate the consolidation of small farms into a few large holdings.

Question 62

Irrigation was first practiced in Mexico.

Question 63

Up until the 1970s, maize production in the United States increased dramatically as plant breeders made full use of the plant's genetic diversity.

Question 64

During the twentieth century, the two factors that played a major role in increasing crop production were the Haber-Bosch process and the introduction of hybrid maize seeds.

Question 65

About 25 percent of commonly available prescription drugs are derived from plants.

Question 66

Perennial versions of important grain crops have greater root mass than the annual versions.

Question 67

The African Green Revolution now focuses on increasing yields for a wide range of crops instead of wheat and rice.