Human Changes to the Environment worksheet - Free Printable

Here is the solution to the worksheet, based on the provided text "Human Changes to the Environment".

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1. Join the correct answers with arrows:

This question asks you to match the vocabulary words from the left column with their correct definitions from the right column.

* a. Ecosystem → 2. a system formed by the interaction of organisms with their environment.
* *Explanation:* The text begins by discussing how plants and animals in a "natural ecosystem" depend on each other. This definition perfectly describes that interconnected system.
* b. Survival → 4. the act of staying alive
* *Explanation:* The text mentions early humans used what they needed for "basic survival" and that every plant and animal depends on others for its "survival". This is the most direct definition.
* c. Gather → 1. collect
* *Explanation:* The text states early humans "gathered plants for food" and later learned to "grow their own crops" instead of gathering nuts, berries, and roots. "Gather" means to collect or pick up.
* d. Soil → 3. the ground or earth
* *Explanation:* The text mentions that "Insects and other organisms still live in the soil" of the wheat field. Soil is the top layer of the earth where plants grow.

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2. Are these sentences true or false?

This question requires you to evaluate statements based on the information in the text.

* a. Nowadays plants and animals don't need each other to stay alive.
* Answer: False
* *Explanation:* The very first sentence of the text states, "Every plant and animal in a natural ecosystem depends on other plants or animals for its survival." While humans have changed the environment, this fundamental ecological principle still applies to the natural world. The text doesn't suggest this dependency has ended.

* b. In the past, humans were part of the food chain.
* Answer: True
* *Explanation:* The text explicitly says, "Thousands of years ago, early humans were like all other living things in nature. They were just another part of the natural food chain." They hunted animals and gathered plants, placing them within the ecosystem's food web.

* c. People cannot control the environment with technology.
* Answer: False
* *Explanation:* The text directly contradicts this. It states, "With technology, humans were able to change the environment," and gives examples like turning forests into wheat fields and building cities. It also says humans "learned to change and control some parts of nature."

* d. People still need nature to survive.
* Answer: True
* *Explanation:* The text concludes by warning that it's easy to forget we are part of nature, implying that we still rely on it. Even though we use technology, we still need resources (like food grown from the land) and a functioning environment to live. The text mentions that even in cities, some nature exists because people want it, highlighting our continued connection and need.

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