Answer these each 1. The spring sun shines down on a snow-covered mountain. The frozen world begins to thaw. The snow turns into a cold liquid and flows down the mountain. Soon it will join larger bodies of water. It may join a roaring river or a peaceful lake. A watershed is all the land that drains into a river. This includes the mountain, hillsides, and valleys.
2. Only 3% of Earth's water is fresh water. Fresh water is the water that we can drink and use. Unfortunately, less than 1% of the fresh water is in liquid form. Liquid fresh water can be found on the surface of Earth. It can also be found as groundwater in aquifers. Groundwater is the water stored in the pores of rocks and soil. Watersheds are very important! They collect rain and melting snow. Watersheds drain into larger bodies of water, such as rivers, lakes, oceans, and aquifers.
3. A healthy watershed gives us clean water to drink and pollution-free lakes, rivers, oceans, and aquifers. Unfortunately, human actions can contaminate water. There are two types of human water pollution: point source and non-point source.
4. Point source pollution happens when pollutants from one source enter bodies of water. Point source pollutants are often caused by factories that use harmful materials. Farms can also be a source of the pollution. Pollutants can come from pesticides and fertilizers used on crops. Pollutants can also come from animal waste storage facilities on farms. All of these types of point source pollution can contaminate surface and groundwater. Point source pollution of aquifers can be almost impossible to treat. Point source pollution of groundwater is often caused by paint and oil. Bacteria, fertilizers, and detergents can also contaminate surface water. These can come from sites that are not careful with their storage or disposal activities. Pollution can kill aquatic life. Pollution makes a river or lake unusable for human activities, such as fishing or skiing.
5. The second type of water pollution is called non-point source pollution. Non-point source pollution happens as water flows over the watershed. As it moves, the water can pick up natural and human-made pollutants. The water carries these pollutants with it to contaminate the body of water it drains into. Your actions may add to non-point source water pollution. You may not even be aware of it. Have you ever washed a car or fertilized the yard? Do you own a dog or cat? If you answered yes to one of these questions, you may have caused pollution. Soap suds from a car can flow down the street and enter a storm drain. The storm drain usually leads to a lake or river. Soap suds can kill fish and other aquatic life. Do you have a nice, green yard? Lawn fertilizers can be washed into a storm drain just like the soap suds. Perhaps you have a pet. Taking the dog for a walk can lead to pollution. You must use one of those dog waste bags for proper disposal of your pets waste. Animal waste has harmful bacteria in it.
6. Once people know that there are pollutants in their water supply, scientists can figure out what type. Point source pollution comes from just one location. Thus, the source of this type of pollution can often be found quickly. A point source just adds one or two pollutants to the water. They also have a steady, predictable flow. People can often find a point source by observation. You can often see clues around the place where the pollutant is entering the watershed. Water samples from different locations can be tested. As the samples get closer to the point source, the amount of pollutant found will increase.
7. Non-point source pollution comes from all over the watershed. There is no individual source. Pollutants come from multiple places. Only small amounts come from each place. A scientist can tell that pollution has come from a non-point source. There will be a large number of different pollutants found in the water. Usually, there is just a small concentration of each pollutant. The amount can rise right after a large rain.
8. The next time you wash a car or walk the dog, think about the risk of adding pollutants to the water supply. It is important to limit the amount of pollutants that enter rivers, lakes, oceans, and aquifers. This gives us clean water to drink and use. Pollution-free surface water also gives fish and other aquatic life a clean and healthy place to live.
QUESTION 1
What is the most likely meaning of concentration in paragraph 7?
OPTIONS
thinking about one thing in a focused way
amount of a substance found in water
area where something comes from
chance to be found
QUESTION 2
How could point source pollution best be described?
OPTIONS
Soap suds from washing a car flow into a storm drain.
Water moves across the watershed, picking up natural or human-made pollutants.
Chemicals or other contaminants flow into the streams from an obvious and identifiable source.
Bacteria enters the water from animal waste that is left behind when someone is walking a dog.
QUESTION 3
What could be an easy way to prevent non-point source pollution?
OPTIONS
Let someone else wash your car.
Keep businesses and industries from disposing of hazardous chemicals.
Farmers can make sure that waste treatment tanks do not spill or leak into the groundwater.
Don’t use too much fertilizer on your yard. When it rains, there won’t be any excess to run off into a storm drain.
QUESTION 4
What percentage of Earth’s water is NOT liquid, fresh water that is available for us to drink and use.
OPTIONS
99%
97%
3%
1%
QUESTION 5
The lake near a small city has become polluted. One group blames the local factory for the pollution. The factory claims that non-point source pollution from the growing city population is to blame. Which of these tests would NOT help local citizens figure out if the pollution was from a point source or non-point source?
OPTIONS
Compare samples from different places around the lake.
Observe the areas where water leaves the factory.
Laboratory analysis to find out what pollutants are in the water.
Examine the wildlife of the lake to see how it is affected by the pollution.
QUESTION 6
A community is concerned that its river has become polluted. Analysis of water samples shows small amounts of over 20 different chemicals. Which of the following is the most likely cause for the increase in pollution?
OPTIONS
The increase is due to agricultural point source pollution.
The increase is due to industrial point source pollution.
The increase is due to residential non-point source pollution.
It is impossible to determine.
© 2024, Accele
ANSWER 1: amount of a substance found in water
ANSWER 2: Chemicals or other contaminants flow into the streams from an obvious and identifiable source.
ANSWER 3: Don’t use too much fertilizer on your yard. When it rains, there won’t be any excess to run off into a storm drain.
ANSWER 4: 97%
ANSWER 5: Examine the wildlife of the lake to see how it is affected by the pollution.
ANSWER 6: The increase is due to residential non-point source pollution.