Study Guide: Resources
Short-Answer Quiz
Instructions: Answer the following questions in 2-3 complete sentences based on the provided
source material.
1. What is the definition of a resource?
2. What two qualities make an object or substance a resource?
3. Explain the role that time and technology play in changing substances into resources.
4. Differentiate between renewable and non-renewable resources, providing an example
for each category.
5. Define human-made resources and give two examples.
6. Why are human beings considered a special and important resource?
7. What is human resource development?
8. Define the concept of sustainable development.
9. According to the text, why are natural resources distributed unequally across the Earth?
10. What is productivity, and what five factors does it depend upon?
Answer Key
1. A resource is anything that can be used to satisfy a need. It is also defined as any
physical material on Earth that is useful and satisfies individual or social requirements.
Examples include water, electricity, textbooks, and clothes.
2. An object or substance becomes a resource based on its utility and value. Utility, or
usability, is the quality that allows it to satisfy a need. This utility, in turn, gives the
substance a value, which means worth.
3. Time and technology are two crucial factors that can transform substances into
resources. For example, a traditional home remedy has no commercial value until time
passes and it is patented and sold by a medical firm. Similarly, technology can harness
the energy in fast-flowing water, turning it into the important resource of hydroelectricity.
4. Renewable resources are those that get renewed or replenished quickly, such as solar
and wind energy. In contrast, non-renewable resources have a limited stock and can
take thousands of years to be replenished once exhausted, such as coal and petroleum.
5. Human-made resources are created when people use natural substances, often
changing their original form, to make things. Examples include buildings, bridges, roads,
machinery, and vehicles. Technology itself is also considered a human-made resource.
6. Human beings are a special resource because it is their knowledge, skills, ideas,
inventions, and discoveries that enable the creation of more resources. Humans make
the best use of nature and transfer physical materials into valuable resources through
their mental and physical abilities.
7. Human resource development is the process of improving the quality of people's skills so
they are able to create more resources. Education and health are key factors that help in
this process, making people a more valuable resource.
8. Sustainable development is the careful utilization of resources in a way that meets the
needs of the present without destroying the ability of future generations to meet their
own needs. It involves ensuring the future availability of resources for continuous
economic development.
9. The distribution of natural resources is unequal because it depends on various physical
factors that differ greatly across the planet. These factors include terrain, climate, and
altitude.
10. Productivity is the rate at which resources are produced. It depends on several
conditions, including the level of technology used, the law-and-order situation, political
and social institutions, and the available infrastructure (such as banking facilities,
electricity, and transport).
Essay Questions
Instructions: Consider the following questions for longer, more detailed responses. Answers are
not provided.
1. Discuss the statement: "People themselves are the most important resource." How do
human knowledge, skill, and technology interact to transform physical materials into
valuable resources?
2. Explain the concept of sustainable development in detail. What are its core principles,
and why is it described as crucial for the future of the planet and its people?
3. Compare and contrast the three primary types of resources: natural, human-made, and
human. Provide examples for each and analyze how they are interdependent.
4. Analyze the difference between economic and non-economic value in resources. Using
examples from the text, such as metals and a beautiful landscape, explain why both
types of value are important for satisfying human needs.
5. Define resource conservation and explain its importance. Describe the challenges
associated with conserving both renewable and non-renewable resources, and outline
the key duties humans have to preserve the planet's life support system.
Glossary of Key Terms
Term,Definition
Agenda-21,"A program of action from the 1992 Earth Summit calling for new strategies in
education, natural resource preservation, and economic participation."
Conservation,Protecting resources from getting polluted or depleted so that they can be used in
the future.
Earth Summit,"The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development, held in Rio
de Janeiro, Brazil, from June 3-14, 1992."
Human-made Resources,"Resources created by people using natural resources. Examples
include buildings, bridges, roads, machinery, and technology."
Human Resource Development,The process of improving the quality of people's skills so that
they are able to create more resources.
Human Resources,The number (quantity) and the mental and physical abilities of people.
People themselves are considered human resources.
Natural Resources,"Resources that are drawn from nature and used without much modification,
such as air, water in rivers, soils, and minerals."
Non-renewable Resources,"Resources that have a limited stock and, once exhausted, may take
thousands of years to be renewed or replenished. Examples include coal, petroleum, and
natural gas."
Patent,The exclusive right over any idea or invention.
Productivity,The rate at which resources are produced.
Renewable Resources,"Resources that get renewed or replenished quickly. Some, like solar
and wind energy, are unlimited and not affected by human activities."
Resource,Anything that can be used to satisfy a need; any physical material on earth that is of
use and satisfies individual or social needs.
Stock,The amount of resources available for use.
Sustainable Development,Carefully utilizing resources to meet the requirements of the present
while also taking care of the needs of future generations.
Technology,The application of the latest knowledge and skill in doing or making things.
Utility,The want-satisfying power of anything. It is the usability that makes an object or
substance a resource.
Value,"The worth of a resource, which is given by its use or utility. Some resources have
economic value, while others may not."