Midterm II
30 Multiple Choice Questions
1. The unit that contains all of the earth's water is called
A. the hydrological cycle
B. the evapo-transpiration cycle
C. the water quality cycle
D. all of the above
2. In order to design a fully integrated water conserving building, a designer must consider
A. the roof
B. the pavement
C. the plantings
D. all of the above
3. A design strategy that improves water quality is
A. recycling gray water
B. minimizing surface run-off
C. capturing rainwater in a cistern
D. all of the above
4. In the western United States water conservation is an important issue because
A. the region is draught-prone
B. the population is rapidly increasing
C. the era of reservoir building is practically over
D. all of the above
5. The western city that best demonstrates the two principal attributes of water availability is
A. Denver, Colorado
B. Portland, Oregon
C. Los Angeles, California
D. Phoenix, Arizona
6. The human activity that does not contribute to water pollution is
A. farming
B. forestry
C. subdivision building
D. all of the above do
7. Water quality in Moscow, Idaho is potentially quite high because
A. Moscow is near the top of its drainage
B. Moscow has a small aquifer that underlies few industrial sites
C. both A and B
D. none of the above
8. Acid rain is caused by
A. gaseous emissions from combustion
B. evaporation from industrial sludge ponds
C. greenhouse gasses
D. all of the above
9. Subsidence of an urban area is a symptom of
A. a dangerously high ground water removal rate
B. increased runoff caused by paving and roofs
C. A and/or B above
D. none of the above
10. In California a designer can have a positive effect on water supply by
A. specifying low-flow fixtures
B. calling for xeriscaping
C. designing a system for recycling gray water
D. all of the above
11. The lowest cost sewage treatment system for a small urban area is
A. conventional sewage treatment (like Moscow's)
B. constructed wetlands
C. individual septic/leach field systems
D. composting toilets in all buildings
12. Waste water from a domestic clothes washer is classified as
A. white water
B. gray water
C. brown water
D. black water
13. The toilet choice that produces significant water conservation results (as compared to standard practice in 1970) without significant first cost increases is
A. composting toilets
B. ultra low-flush (0.5 gal)
C. low-flush (1.6 gal)
D. low-flush (3.5 gal)
14. The material that is extracted from a low-tech composting toilet is
A. sludge which can be used as fertilizer in farm fields
B. a toxic waste that must be incinerated
C. compost that can be used to enrich soil
D. ash that can be recycled in a lawn
15. At Notre Dame du Haut in Ronchamps Corbu uses the roof as a rainwater collector with a high-style scupper and cistern because
A. it's the only reliable local source of potable water on the mountain top
B. the large, sculptured concrete roof suggested an aesthetic resolution in a water feature
C. as the ECS instructor at l'École de Beaux Arts he was compelled to use both daylighting and water conservation in his design
D. none of the above
16. The harmful effects of creating dammed reservoirs in the west include
A. climate change
B. ecological system imbalance
C. landscape changes
D. all of the above
17. The most integrated design solutions for waste water treatment
A. send all wastes off-site to be centrally treated
B. recharge ground water with storm water
C. treat gray and storm water on-site
D. treat black water, recycle gray water, and use storm water on-site
18. Solar water heating is a viable idea because
A. it can provide a majority of the hot water needed in a residence
B. it matches low-grade energy with a low-grade task
C. it saves a significant amount of the energy associated with water supply
D. all of the above
19. Water conservation is an important design parameter when
A. a building is located in a desert area
B. a building must use a septic field
C. a building is located in a fast-growing urban area
D. all of the above
20. A fully integrated waste and water supply system recognizes that
A. everything is connected to everything else
B. everything has to go somewhere
C. nature knows best
D. all of the above
21. A system that accounts for environmental costs is
A. the GNP
B. gasoline prices
C. first law efficiency
D. none of the above
22. In dealing with energy costs an economic cost analysis system is fallible because
A. it doesn't include environmental, health, and social costs
B. it doesn't include future capital investments caused by an expanding market
C. it doesn't predict future scarcities
D. all of the above
23. You can answer the question "Is this device most appropriate for the given task?" by
A. applying the first law of efficiency
B. applying the second law of efficiency
C. checking for a match of energy grade to task grade
D. researching embedded energies
24. Recycled aluminum is environmentally less expensive than new aluminum because
A. it requires fewer BTUs to produce
B. its use reduces landfill requirements
C. its use avoids mining and associated health costs
D. all of the above
25. The proper units for measuring environmental costs are
A. dollars
B. BTUs
C. human lives
D. none of the above
26. The least significant cost for a building is
A. construction
B. designer's fee
C. operation and maintenance
D. occupants' salaries and benefits
27. The most convincing way to demonstrate the economic cost effectiveness of energy saving design is to apply
A. Keynesian economics
B. Life-cycle cost analysis
C. the Sales-Expenses = Profit formula
D. none of the above
28. The factor that indicates an individual's time preference for money is
A. uniform present worth
B. uniform annual value
C. discount rate
D. inflation
29. The government manipulates investment in energy conservation by
A. offering tax credits
B. allowing depreciation
C. allowing deduction for interest on mortgages
D. all of the above
30. The life-cycle cost of a sustainable building design will be most favorable when
A. fuel cost inflation is used in the formula
B. the building's economic life is close to its expected life
C. tax credits are considered
D. a loan is used to finance the building