Question

section: how we use land
read the passage below and answer the questions that follow.
we use land for many purposes, including farming, mining, build-
ing cities and highways, and recreation. land cover is what you
find on a patch of land, and it often depends on how the land is
used. for example, land cover might be a forest, a field of grain,
or a parking lot. there are different types of land cover and differ-
ent human uses for each cover type.
land that is covered mainly with buildings and roads is called
urban land. for the purposes of determining land use and resi-
dence trends, the u.s. census bureau defines an urban area as an
area that contains 2,500 or more people and usually has a govern-
ing body, such as a city council. any population not classified as
urban is considered rural. land that contains relatively few people
and large areas of open space are rural areas. most land provides
one or more resources that humans consume. these resources
include wood in forests, crops in farmland, and mineral resources.
identifying main ideas
one reading skill is the ability to identify the main idea of a passage. the main
idea is the main focus or key idea. frequently, a main idea is accompanied by
supporting information that offers detailed facts about the main idea.
read each question and write the answer in the space provided.

1. what is land cover?

________________________

1. list three examples of land cover.

________________________

1. according to the u.s. census bureau, how many people must an urban area

contain?
________________________

1. what else must an urban area have?

________________________

1. name three consumable resources that land may provide.

________________________
________________________
________________________
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holt environmental science
7
land

Explanation:

1. The passage clearly states that "Land cover is what you find on a patch of land, and it often depends on how the land is used."
2. The text gives examples like "a forest, a field of grain, or a parking lot" as land cover.
3. It mentions "the U.S. Census Bureau defines an urban area as an area that contains 2,500 or more people".
4. The passage says "usually has a governing body, such as a city council".
5. The text lists "wood in forests, crops in farmland, and mineral resources" as consumable resources from land.

Answer:

1. Land cover is what you find on a patch of land, and it often depends on how the land is used.
2. A forest, a field of grain, a parking lot.
3. 2,500 or more people.
4. A governing body (such as a city council).
5. Wood in forests, crops in farmland, mineral resources.