Loading...

Lesson 2: A Case Study in Water Use: The Colorado River — Practice Questions

  1. 1. How did early Native American groups in the Southwest move water from the Colorado River to their farms?

    • A. They used large buckets to carry it back and forth.
    • B. They waited for the river to flood their fields each year.
    • C. They dug long channels called canals.
    • D. They built simple machines to pump the water.
  2. 2. What is the name for the method of supplying water to dry land in order to grow crops?

    • A. Conservation
    • B. Irrigation
    • C. Drought
    • D. Cultivation
  3. 3. The use of irrigation allowed the Hohokam and Ancestral Pueblo to successfully grow which group of crops?

    • A. Rice, wheat, and potatoes
    • B. Oranges, lemons, and grapes
    • C. Corn, beans, and squash
    • D. Cotton and tobacco
  4. 4. The Hohokam people are considered expert farmers of the desert primarily because they were able to do what?

    • A. Find small, hidden areas that received much more rainfall than the surrounding desert.
    • B. Develop an advanced system of canals to bring water to their fields.
    • C. Use special natural fertilizers to make the desert soil extremely rich for planting.
    • D. Grow unique crops that needed almost no water to survive.
  5. 5. Why were canals so essential for the Ancestral Pueblo to be able to farm?

    • A. They used the canals for traveling quickly in small boats between their villages.
    • B. The canals were dug deep to provide a powerful defense against their enemies.
    • C. They brought river water to farms in an area with very little rain.
    • D. They were used to drain away extra floodwater during the rainy season.
  6. 6. In the context of the Colorado River, what is the best definition of 'conservation'?

    • A. Building new dams
    • B. Finding new rivers
    • C. The careful use of water
    • D. Selling water to other areas
  7. 7. What is one way that cities are able to reuse water that goes down the drain?

    • A. By collecting and treating wastewater.
    • B. By pumping it back to the river's source.
    • C. By letting it evaporate to form clouds.
    • D. By storing it in large, open ponds.
  8. 8. What was the main reason that water from the Colorado River became scarce, or hard to get?

    • A. A long-term drought dried up the river's source in the mountains.
    • B. The growing number of cities and farms needed more water than the river could supply.
    • C. Dams blocked too much water from flowing downstream into Mexico.
    • D. The river's path changed, and it began flowing away from major cities.
  9. 9. Which of these is an example of a water conservation method used by farmers in the Colorado River basin?

    • A. Watering their crops in the middle of the day when the sun is hottest.
    • B. Planting crops that are known to require very large amounts of water.
    • C. Using sprinkler systems that lose a lot of water to evaporation.
    • D. Using drip irrigation to deliver water directly to the soil and reduce water loss.
  10. 10. How are cities in the Southwest helping to conserve water from the Colorado River?

    • A. By encouraging residents to wash their cars every week.
    • B. By building large new fountains in every city park.
    • C. By planting native plants that are adapted to the dry climate and need less water.
    • D. By replacing all grass with concrete to eliminate the need for watering.