Social Sciences Pentathlon (Sections III and IV)

What term was already in use in the 1800s to describe the dramatic changes taking place in society?

• Industrial Revolution

• Renaissance

• Enlightenment

• Information Age

What is considered a landmark moment in the history of humans burning fossil fuels?

• Introduction of the steam engine

• Discovery of electricity

• Invention of the automobile

• Development of nuclear power

Which year is most commonly decided as the starting date of the Anthropocene?

• 1800

• 1850

• 1950

• 2000

What is the term used by environmental historian J. R. McNeill to describe the increase in human activities affecting the Earth System starting around 1950?

• The Great Acceleration

• The Industrial Revolution

• The Anthropocene Shift

• The Global Expansion

What was the approximate global human population at the start of the Industrial Revolution around 1780?

• Less than 1 billion

• 2 billion

• 4 billion

• 8 billion

By what year had the global human population nearly quadrupled to more than 8 billion?

• 2023

• 1950

• 1930

• 1800

What is the significance of the decades since 1950 in human history?

• They are the first decades with recorded history.

• They show the least human impact on the environment.

• They are unique for the rapid transformation of the natural world by humans.

• They are known for the coldest global temperatures.

What is the Anthropocene?

• A new species discovered in the 20th century.

• A geological and climatic epoch influenced by human activity.

• A period of extreme cold temperatures.

• A type of ancient monument.

What have scientists determined about rising carbon dioxide levels?

• They have no effect on the atmosphere.

• They cause uniform changes across all atmospheric layers.

• They cause different changes at different layers of the atmosphere.

• They only affect the earth's surface temperature.

What is happening in the troposphere due to increased carbon dioxide?

• Temperatures are decreasing.

• Temperatures are increasing.

• The air is becoming denser.

• The air is becoming more humid.