All of the following can become fossils except

Choices:
A. bones.
B. shells.
C. teeth.
D. rocks.

Answer: D


Which source of information will most likely provide a student with the most accurate information about the landforms, natural resources, climate, and precipitation of Nevada?

Choices:
A. the meteorologist from a local television station
B. an Internet article written by university students
C. the Current Events section from a daily newspaper
D. an Internet website developed by the U.S. Geological Survey

Answer: D


Choices:
A. surface winds.
B. radiant heat from stars.
C. Earth's tilt on its axis.
D. the Moon's gravitational pull.

Answer: D


A basketball bounces on the gym floor nine times and finally comes to a rest. Which of these best explains why the basketball rises to a lower height each time it bounces?

Choices:
A. Gravity increases as the basketball bounces.
B. The floor adds energy to the bouncing basketball.
C. Energy is transferred from the basketball to the floor.
D. The air inside the basketball is heavier than the surrounding air.

Answer: C


How does the latitude of a region affect its climate?

Choices:
A. by increasing the length of days throughout the year
B. by increasing the amount of energy the land can absorb
C. by determining the angle of sunlight throughout the year
D. by determining the rate that tectonic plates can move

Answer: C


When notebook paper is folded to make an airplane, what physical property of the paper changes?

Choices:
A. Mass
B. Weight
C. Shape
D. Smell

Answer: C


Don throws a ball in the air. The ball comes back to the ground because

Choices:
A. the wind pushes on the ball with friction.
B. the mass of Earth creates a pull of gravity on the ball.
C. the core of Earth pulls on the ball with a magnetic attraction.
D. the weight of the atmosphere pushes down on the ball.

Answer: B


Which external stimulus causes a plant to bend toward it?

Choices:
A. a light source
B. a magnetic field
C. a spray of water
D. a source of wind

Answer: A


The large-scale development of personal automobiles started in the early 1900s. Which of the following was a major cost associated with the efficient use of these automobiles?

Choices:
A. Road systems had to be expanded.
B. Cities had to be built farther apart.
C. Houses inside cities had to be built farther apart.
D. Vehicle choices available to consumers had to be expanded.

Answer: A


A prairie dog living in a community barks loudly. Other prairie dogs nearby know that danger is near and quickly go underground to hide. Which sense are these prairie dogs using to communicate?

Choices:
A. hearing
B. smelling
C. tasting
D. touching

Answer: A


Choices:
1. magnetism
2. heat
3. water
4. radiation

Answer: 3


Choices:
A. wooden door
B. cardboard box
C. aluminum can
D. glass window

Answer: D


What will happen to a cell that is placed in a hypotonic saline solution?

Choices:
A. Water will exit the cell causing it to shrink.
B. Water will enter the cell causing it to swell.
C. Salt will exit the cell causing it to shrink.
D. Salt will enter the cell causing it to swell.

Answer: B


A butterfly lays an egg. The egg hatches into a larva. The larva becomes a pupa and then changes into a butterfly. This process is called

Choices:
A. an adaptation
B. a habitat
C. a food chain
D. a life cycle

Answer: D


The small stone plant has leaves that look like pebbles or stones. This characteristic helps the plant

Choices:
A. attract insects for pollination.
B. produce a large number of seeds.
C. absorb water and nutrients.
D. avoid being eaten by animals.

Answer: D


Which of these is an example of a non-contact force acting on an object?

Choices:
A. a bat hitting a baseball
B. a paper clip attracted to a magnet
C. a refrigerator pushed across the floor
D. a bicycle tire rubbing against the road

Answer: B


What happens to the chemical energy in methane's bonds when methane reacts with oxygen and forms H_{2}O and CO_{2}?

Choices:
A. It is released as heat.
B. It generates a current.
C. It increases product mass.
D. It is transformed into neutrons.

Answer: A


What is a common use of the mineral graphite?

Choices:
A. to make glass
B. as a source of iron
C. to make pencil leads
D. as a household cleaner

Answer: C


Seafloor spreading provides evidence of which of the following Earth processes?

Choices:
A. erosion of coastlines
B. weathering of mountains
C. movement of crustal plates
D. formation of sedimentary rocks

Answer: C


An object is moving in a straight line at a constant speed. What will happen to the object if no outside force acts on the object?

Choices:
A. The speed and direction of the object will change.
B. The speed and direction of the object will not change.
C. The direction of the object will change; the speed will remain constant.
D. The speed of the object will change; the direction will remain constant.

Answer: B


Mr. Harris mows his lawn twice each month. He claims that it is better to leave the clippings on the ground. Which long term effect will this most likely have on his lawn?

Choices:
A. It will eventually cause the grass to stop growing.
B. It will prevent bacteria from invading the lawn.
C. It will provide the lawn with needed nutrients.
D. It will reduce the insect population.

Answer: C


Some researchers predicted that mice could learn their way around a maze quickly if given a food reward. After many trials, the results came back but differed from the hypothesis. How should the researchers proceed?

Choices:
A. Show some results that agree with the hypothesis.
B. Report the results accurately and then form a new hypothesis.
C. Conduct more trials until the hypothesis is proven.
D. Rewrite the hypothesis to better match the results.

Answer: B


There are many different processes that take place in plant and animal cells. Cellular respiration is one of those processes. What is the purpose of cellular respiration?

Choices:
A. To make and store food
B. To add oxygen to the atmosphere
C. To release energy from stored food
D. To remove carbon dioxide from the atmosphere

Answer: C


Christina kicks a ball. The ball moves faster when she kicks it on the concrete sidewalk than when she kicks it on the grass. Why does the ball travel slower on the grass than the sidewalk?

Choices:
A. The grass has more friction.
B. The grass attracts more wind.
C. The grass has a higher temperature.
D. The grass increases Earth's gravity.

Answer: A


Immediately before and after running a 50 metre race, your pulse and breathing rates are taken. What changes would you expect to find?

Choices:
A. no change in pulse but a decrease in breathing rate
B. an increase in pulse but no change in breathing rate
C. an increase in pulse and breathing rate
D. a decrease in pulse and breathing rate
E. no change in either

Answer: C


Which steps in the water cycle most directly cause floods?

Choices:
A. precipitation and runoff
B. condensation and evaporation
C. runoff and condensation
D. evaporation and precipitation

Answer: A


An engineer tests three new ceramic parts, each of which could potentially replace a steel part inside an automotive engine. The three parts, identical in size, are each made of a different ceramic compound. The parts are heated to the same temperature and placed under the same stress loads. At the end of the test, the engineer concludes Part B is the best for the job. What was the independent variable in this test?

Choices:
A. dimensions of the parts
B. temperatures to which the parts were heated
C. the engine used to test the parts
D. the composition of the parts

Answer: D


Specialized cells protect the human body from disease-causing microbes by

Choices:
1. producing chemicals that destroy the microbes
2. dissolving wastes from the microbes
3. creating recessive genes in the microbes
4. supplying oxygen and nutrients to the microbes

Answer: 1


The frost line of the solar system divides the terrestrial plants from the gas-giant planets. What elements make up most of the core of the planets orbiting outside of the frost line?

Choices:
A. iron and nickel
B. carbon and oxygen
C. nitrogen and sulfur
D. hydrogen and helium

Answer: D


How do warm ocean currents move to cooler ocean regions of Earth?

Choices:
A. by conduction
B. by convection
C. by evaporation
D. by radiation

Answer: B


In order to build a wooden table, which of the following is the best thing to do first?

Choices:
A. Stain the wood.
B. Measure the boards.
C. Saw the wood for the table.
D. Make a drawing of the table.

Answer: D


Which object most likely has magnetic properties?

Choices:
A. iron nail
B. plastic clip
C. rubber eraser
D. wooden spoon

Answer: A


A student is conducting an investigation on static electricity. The student has three balloons and rubs two of them on a piece of wool. The student then touches each balloon to a wall to observe if static electricity would cause the balloon to stick. What is the independent variable in this investigation?

Choices:
A. the height of the wall
B. the number of balloons
C. the attraction to the wall
D. the rubbing action on the wool

Answer: D


The order of the elements in the periodic table is determined by their

Choices:
A. abundance in nature.
B. number of protons.
C. number of isotopes.
D. atomic mass.

Answer: B


An increase in greenhouse gases, which are believed to cause global warming, is due to a change in which occurrence?

Choices:
A. water cycle
B. ocean tides
C. carbon cycle
D. weather patterns

Answer: C


A laser beam is aimed at four different objects. Through which of these objects will the laser beam pass and be refracted?

Choices:
A. a black cloth
B. a piece of aluminum
C. a sheet of paper
D. a glass prism

Answer: D


Scientists track an icy object with an orbit that ranges from the Kuiper Belt to a path between Earth and the Sun. How would this object best be classified?

Choices:
A. an asteroid
B. a comet
C. a meteor
D. a star

Answer: B


A student is given a sample of an unknown liquid to test in the laboratory. The student thinks that the liquid is water. Which of the following physical properties of the sample is most helpful to determine if the liquid is water?

Choices:
A. color of the liquid
B. mass of the liquid
C. volume of the liquid
D. boiling point of the liquid

Answer: D


After a period of steady increase, the rate of coal consumption was 50% higher during 2009 than it was during the year 2000. If this trend continues, which impact will coal consumption most likely have on the environment after the year 2010?

Choices:
A. decreased rates of deforestation
B. decreased atmospheric temperatures
C. increased amounts of radioactive waste
D. increased levels of greenhouse gas emissions

Answer: D


Choices:
A. satellite
B. telescope
C. compass
D. binoculars

Answer: C


Two workers are using a scaffold. One worker weighs 180 lbs. and the other weighs 200 lbs. Impact effects are assumed to increase the live load of the workers' weight by 25 percent. What is the resultant maximum live load, in pounds, that can be expected from the two workers supported by the scaffold?

Choices:
A. 380 lbs.
B. 475 lbs.
C. 625 lbs.
D. 950 lbs.

Answer: B


Some sinkholes and caves are created when water dissolves certain rocks and minerals below ground. Which two parts of the water cycle are most directly responsible for the formation of sinkholes and caves?

Choices:
A. evaporation and infiltration
B. evaporation and transpiration
C. precipitation and infiltration
D. precipitation and transpiration

Answer: C


A longitudinal wave, such as a sound wave, can travel through

Choices:
A. solids only.
B. liquids only.
C. gas, liquids, and solids.
D. gas and a vacuum only.

Answer: C


A student removed a wool hat from her head. Her hair stood up from static electricity. What did her hat do to cause this?

Choices:
A. gave her hair a neutral charge
B. removed protons from her hair
C. gave her hair a negative charge
D. removed electrons from her hair

Answer: D


Which process below is an example of an endothermic process?

Choices:
A. ice melting
B. water freezing
C. food digesting
D. sugar burning

Answer: A


A sodium (Na) atom contains 11 protons, 12 neutrons, and 11 electrons. In order to make the sodium ion Na+, what must occur to the sodium atom?

Choices:
A. It must gain one electron.
B. It must lose one electron.
C. It must gain one proton.
D. It must lose one proton.

Answer: B


Which of these statements best describes the rock cycle?

Choices:
A. Layers of rock are broken by faults.
B. Rocks in the ocean become rocks on land.
C. Lunar rocks change into terrestrial rocks.
D. New rocks form from older rocks.

Answer: D


The disruption of which cell function leads to gene mutations that result in cancer?

Choices:
A. protein synthesis
B. RNA transcription
C. RNA translation
D. DNA replication

Answer: D


In photosynthesis, plants use chlorophyll to produce

Choices:
A. sugar.
B. water.
C. energy.
D. carbon dioxide.

Answer: A


One difference between the Moon and Earth is that the Moon

Choices:
A. has a thick atmosphere.
B. revolves around a planet.
C. has liquid water on the surface.
D. is composed entirely of sedimentary rock.

Answer: B


Choices:
A. orbiting the nucleus.
B. inside the nucleus.
C. bonded to the protons.
D. bonded to the neutrons.

Answer: A


What event is most likely responsible for a rapid change at the surface of Earth?

Choices:
A. an earthquake
B. a cold front
C. a continental glacier
D. a thunderstorm

Answer: A


Biotic nitrogen fixation is performed by certain

Choices:
A. lichens.
B. viruses.
C. bacteria.
D. mammals.

Answer: C


After rubbing a rubber brush on wool, Gilbert is able to use the brush to pick up small strips of paper. What causes the paper to be attracted to the brush?

Choices:
A. gravity
B. electric current
C. static electricity
D. magnetism

Answer: C


The influence of the Moon on the tides on Earth is greater than that of the Sun. Which best explains this?

Choices:
A. The Moon is more similar in composition to Earth than the Sun.
B. The Moon has a smaller mass than Earth and the Sun.
C. The Moon has a higher density than the Sun.
D. The Moon is closer to Earth than the Sun.

Answer: D


If a student wants to measure the efficiency of an incandescent light bulb in a laboratory, which instrument would most likely be used to determine heat loss?

Choices:
A. photocell
B. barometer
C. thermometer
D. decibel meter

Answer: C


What is the most likely reason the giant sloth became extinct in North America and Cuba?

Choices:
A. disease
B. loss of habitat
C. climate change
D. humans as predators

Answer: D


When compared to the Sun, red dwarf stars are

Choices:
A. older.
B. cooler.
C. lower density.
D. larger diameter.

Answer: B


What energy change takes place when a piece of bread is toasted in a toaster?

Choices:
A. chemical energy to light energy
B. electrical energy to heat energy
C. heat energy to chemical energy
D. light energy to electrical energy

Answer: B


In what way can forest fires affect the lithosphere?

Choices:
A. increasing soil erosion
B. causing air pollution
C. increasing seismic activity
D. causing violent dust storms

Answer: A


Which body system is responsible for breaking down food into molecules that it absorbs?

Choices:
A. digestive
B. circulatory
C. respiratory
D. lymphatic

Answer: A


Which object is best used to demonstrate the bending of light as it passes through a substance?

Choices:
A. convex lens
B. flat mirror
C. opaque rod
D. concave mirror

Answer: A


When an earthquake occurs, the speed of the seismic waves changes as they

Choices:
A. move through different materials.
B. are pulled by the force of gravity.
C. lose energy to surrounding rocks.
D. reflect off of boundaries.

Answer: A


What force is needed to help stop a child from slipping on ice?

Choices:
A. gravity
B. friction
C. electric
D. magnetic

Answer: B


Many animals are still being hunted for their fur. Because of this, many of these animals are in danger of

Choices:
A. starvation.
B. extinction.
C. forest fires.
D. overpopulation.

Answer: B


Solar energy is referred to as the energy of the future because

Choices:
A. the atmosphere receives many kinds of rays from the Sun.
B. sunlight offers an unlimited amount of energy for the world.
C. the thinning of the ozone layer is damaging the atmosphere.
D. sunlight will not always be available and should be used now.

Answer: B


Which processes occur in all species of animals?

Choices:
A. breathing and migrating
B. breathing and reproducing
C. eliminating waste and hibernating
D. eliminating waste and shedding fur

Answer: B


What evidence is there that the gravitational pull of the Moon has a direct effect on Earth?

Choices:
A. climate variations
B. change of seasons
C. number of earthquakes
D. changes in tidal ranges

Answer: D


Which structure best protects a cactus from being eaten by animals?

Choices:
A. waxy coating on the stem
B. green pigment in the cells
C. sharp spines as the leaves
D. long roots near the surface

Answer: C


What is the primary function of macrophages?

Choices:
A. absorb oxygen and transfer it to body cells
B. consume pathogens and assist the immune system
C. accumulate at an injury and initiate the clotting process
D. contain metabolites and maintain a balance of fluids

Answer: B


In the heart there is a group of specialized cells that regulates the frequency of the heartbeat. During strenuous exercise, the group of cells will most likely

Choices:
A. cause the arteries to expand.
B. decrease the heart rate.
C. increase the heart rate.
D. send fewer signals.

Answer: C


Which human body systems are most directly involved when a person is walking?

Choices:
A. muscular and nervous
B. excretory and respiratory
C. circulatory and endocrine
D. digestive and reproductive

Answer: A


Calcium carbonate (CaCO_{3}) is considered a compound because it is made up of two or more

Choices:
A. molecules.
B. elements.
C. gases.
D. solids.

Answer: B


Modern factories and industrial plants have filters that remove much of the sulfur from their emissions before it reaches the atmosphere. This design feature helps most in reducing the contribution of factories to which environmental problem?

Choices:
A. acid rain
B. habitat loss
C. coastline erosion
D. algal growth in lakes

Answer: A


Which condition is most likely to cause the formation of a temperature inversion?

Choices:
A. rapid cooling of the ground at night
B. high wind on a sunny morning
C. saturation of soil with warm rain
D. rapid collision of warm and cold fronts

Answer: A


A young boy and his brothers have green eyes. This trait is best described as

Choices:
A. learned.
B. dietary.
C. inherited.
D. environmental.

Answer: C


Which term best describes body system defects that offspring may express when born?

Choices:
A. congenital
B. environmental
C. acquired
D. infectious

Answer: A


Which type of precipitation consists of frozen rain drops?

Choices:
A. sleet
B. hail
C. snow
D. fog

Answer: A


A nuclear reaction, such as those which occur in a nuclear power plant, can be classified as what type of reaction?

Choices:
A. solar
B. chemical
C. exothermic
D. endothermic

Answer: C


The force of gravitational attraction between Earth and any object on Earth is measured as

Choices:
A. mass.
B. weight.
C. volume.
D. density.

Answer: B


Which example shows a chemical change to food during digestion?

Choices:
A. teeth chewing food
B. enzymes breaking down food
C. food moving through the intestines
D. food churning in the stomach

Answer: B


The air in front of a meteor is compressed as it passes through the atmosphere of Earth. This causes the meteor to

Choices:
A. gain mass.
B. gain velocity.
C. increase in temperature.
D. increase in surface area.

Answer: C


Martina only washes her sweater after she has worn it several times. Martina is helping the environment by ___.

Choices:
A. wasting water
B. reusing water
C. recycling water
D. conserving water

Answer: D


Fruit flies reproduce by sexual reproduction. What percent of genes does a fertilized egg of a fruit fly receive from one parent?

Choices:
A. 25%
B. 50%
C. 75%
D. 100%

Answer: B


The forelimb of the monkey, bat, penguin, and alligator look very different on the outside, but their skeletal structures are similar. This evidence suggests that these animals

Choices:
A. may have evolved from a common ancestor.
B. all reproduce in a similar fashion.
C. live in similar environments.
D. should all be able to fly someday.

Answer: A


What allows two students standing ten feet apart to hear each other talk?

Choices:
A. air vibrations
B. electric current
C. solar radiation
D. subatomic particles

Answer: A


What should a student do if he gets a red, itchy rash after a class field trip?

Choices:
A. scratch it
B. wait for it to go away
C. tell the teacher right away
D. tell his best friend after school

Answer: C


The presence of an animal fossil in a rock gives evidence of

Choices:
A. what hunting behaviors the animal used
B. how many babies the animal had
C. exactly when the animal was born
D. the time period the animal lived in

Answer: D


Which action does a kitten learn from its mother?

Choices:
A. how to grow
B. how to meow
C. how to hunt mice
D. how to nurse milk

Answer: C


Support cables in a suspension bridge are most stressed by which of the following forces?

Choices:
A. shear
B. torsion
C. tension
D. compression

Answer: C


Choices:
A. a flat, level surface
B. a high, steep peak
C. a low, shallow basin
D. a gentle, gradual slope

Answer: A


Decomposers are important in the food chain because they

Choices:
A. produce their own food using light from the Sun.
B. stop the flow of energy from one organism to another.
C. break down dead organisms and recycle nutrients into the soil.
D. are microscopic and other organisms cannot consume them.

Answer: C


Bridge inspectors have determined that a bridge is unsafe. Which of the following is the BEST design process the company should use to correct the problem?

Choices:
A. identify the problem-repair the bridge-plan for the repair
B. plan for the repair-repair the bridge-identify the problem
C. plan for the repair-identify the problem-repair the bridge
D. identify the problem-plan for the repair-repair the bridge

Answer: D


Which planet has characteristics that make it the most likely planet for the discovery of extra-terrestrial life?

Choices:
A. Jupiter
B. Venus
C. Saturn
D. Mars

Answer: D


Organisms can be classified according to the flow of energy in a food chain. Which is the correct order of the flow of energy?

Choices:
A. Carnivore -> Producer -> Herbivore
B. Producer -> Herbivore -> Carnivore
C. Herbivore -> Producer -> Carnivore
D. Producer -> Carnivore -> Herbivore

Answer: B


Which of the following can make objects repel each other?

Choices:
A. gravity
B. magnetism
C. both gravity and magnetism
D. neither gravity nor magnetism

Answer: B


Of the choices listed, what is the best way to conserve water in a home?

Choices:
A. take long showers
B. run a half full dishwasher
C. let the water run while washing the dishes
D. turn off the water while brushing your teeth

Answer: D


Martin grew some bean plants. He made a list of what the bean plants needed to survive and grow. Which gas do the plants need when they make their own food?

Choices:
A. oxygen
B. nitrogen
C. hydrogen
D. carbon dioxide

Answer: D


Which factor causes global wind patterns?

Choices:
A. changes in the distance between Earth and the Moon
B. unequal heating of Earth's surface by the Sun
C. daily changes in the tilt of Earth's axis
D. rapid rotation of the Sun on its axis

Answer: B


The statement "gold is more dense than lead" is

Choices:
A. a fact because most people agree.
B. a fact because it has been observed and tested.
C. an opinion because both metals are hard to find.
D. an opinion because more research is needed.

Answer: B


Which process contributes most to the formation of a sinkhole?

Choices:
A. plate movement
B. volcanic eruption
C. wind erosion
D. chemical weathering

Answer: D


Which of these questions is best answered by observing the habitat of an insect?

Choices:
A. How much does an insect weigh?
B. How long does an insect live?
C. When does an insect breed?
D. Where does an insect live?

Answer: D


Which characteristic of frogs is an adaptation to living in water?

Choices:
A. strong legs
B. webbed feet
C. dull colors
D. moist skin

Answer: B


In the construction of a house, the words excavation, slab, and footing are associated with the

Choices:
A. roof.
B. floor.
C. frame.
D. foundation.

Answer: D


Habitat becomes a major factor in the extinction of a species when

Choices:
A. genetic diversity is not achieved.
B. competitive species are introduced.
C. changes in behavior start to develop.
D. smaller populations fail to breed.

Answer: B


Every copy of a particular protein manufactured by a cell shows the same incorrect amino acid at the same point in its structure. According to the central dogma of molecular biology, in which structure does this error originate?

Choices:
A. DNA
B. mRNA
C. tRNA
D. rRNA

Answer: A


Some molecules used to manufacture plastic objects are long and tangled. They straighten when force is applied to them and then return to their shorter, tangled shape. Which common object is most likely made using such molecules?

Choices:
A. helmet shells
B. rubber bands
C. plumbing pipes
D. drinking cups

Answer: B


Water that evaporates from lakes and streams condenses into clouds and later falls as rain. The property of water that is demonstrated is the ability to

Choices:
A. act as a universal solvent.
B. change from a liquid to a gas.
C. boil at a high temperature.
D. absorb large amounts of energy.

Answer: B


The top layers of soil are important because they -

Choices:
A. prevent earthquakes
B. give plants nutrients
C. protect the bedrock
D. make walking easier

Answer: B


A scientific guess about the cause and effect of an event is called

Choices:
A. a variable.
B. a theory.
C. a hypothesis.
D. an observation.

Answer: C


Choices:
A. Number of LEGS 2 Number of BODY PARTS 4
B. Number of LEGS 4 Number of BODY PARTS 2
C. Number of LEGS 6 Number of BODY PARTS 3
D. Number of LEGS 8 Number of BODY PARTS 3

Answer: C


Choices:
A. by attaching to green plants and taking the plants' food
B. by combining carbon dioxide and water to make its own food
C. by absorbing matter from dead organisms to use as food
D. by attacking bacteria and using the bacteria as food

Answer: C


Three main sequence stars are being compared. Which characteristic would these three stars most likely have in common?

Choices:
A. chemical composition
B. distance from Earth
C. temperature
D. brightness

Answer: A


Some natural disasters can have a large effect on the global climate. Which type of natural disaster would produce the greatest decrease in solar radiation reaching the surface of Earth for the longest period of time?

Choices:
A. a giant tsunami
B. a strong earthquake
C. a powerful hurricane
D. a large volcanic eruption

Answer: D


What object is made of hot gas and is the most massive object in our solar system?

Choices:
A. the Sun
B. an asteroid
C. a comet
D. a terrestrial planet

Answer: A


Which of the following is a slow process that changes Earth's surface?

Choices:
A. flooding
B. earthquake
C. wind erosion
D. volcanic eruption

Answer: C


Which of the following is the greatest source of wild fish for human populations?

Choices:
A. ponds
B. lakes
C. rivers
D. oceans

Answer: D


Which best describes the characteristics of a river basin?

Choices:
A. the land drained by a river and its tributaries
B. the land formed when rivers create estuaries and marshes
C. the land at the mouth of a river where water flows into the ocean
D. the land formed as a result of a river flooding

Answer: A


Tides on Earth are influenced more by the Moon than the Sun because the Moon is

Choices:
A. brighter than the Sun.
B. larger than Earth.
C. colder than Earth.
D. closer than the Sun.

Answer: D


When dense, cold air pushes beneath warmer atmospheric air, the lighter, warmer air rises. As this air rises into the atmosphere, it cools and some of the water vapor in it condenses. Which of the following will most likely form as this occurs?

Choices:
A. a cloud
B. a rainbow
C. a sunset
D. a tornado

Answer: A


Herbivores that evolved on grassy plains are likely to naturally select for traits different than herbivores that evolved in rain forests. Which trait is a plains herbivore most likely to develop over thousands of years?

Choices:
A. long legs for running
B. sharp claws for climbing
C. webbed feet for swimming
D. prehensile tail for hanging from trees

Answer: A


A student writes the following statement in a journal: "It was 84°F at 3 p.m. on Tuesday in the schoolyard." This statement best describes which system?

Choices:
A. local weather
B. local climate
C. regional weather
D. regional climate

Answer: A


When using a hot plate, students should not

Choices:
A. leave the hot plate unattended.
B. follow the teacher's instructions.
C. pull back hair or clothing to avoid contact.
D. wear insulated gloves when holding metal materials.

Answer: A


Which subatomic particles are involved in the nuclear fusion that powers the Sun?

Choices:
A. protons and neutrons
B. electrons and protons
C. only protons
D. only electrons

Answer: A


What do all vertebrate animals have in common?

Choices:
A. They all have fur.
B. They all have backbones.
C. They all are warm-blooded.
D. They all have young that look like the adults.

Answer: B


When astronomers want to measure the distance between nearby stars, they often use

Choices:
A. quasars.
B. parallax.
C. visible light.
D. spectrographs.

Answer: B


Which of these is the best evidence that Earth's continental landmasses drifted apart over time?

Choices:
A. the fossil record along the edges of continents
B. the rocky coastlines at the edges of continents
C. the distribution of biomes on all the continents
D. the prevalence of granite on all the continents

Answer: A


In humans, where does the absorption of food into the blood stream mainly take place?

Choices:
A. stomach
B. mouth
C. large intestines
D. small intestines

Answer: D


Which human activity contributes to the formation of acid rain?

Choices:
A. using too much fertilizer in agriculture
B. cutting down large areas of tropical forests
C. burning fossil fuels such as coal and gasoline
D. using chemicals that destroy ozone in the stratosphere

Answer: C


What procedure should be performed after any handling of a plant sample in a lab?

Choices:
A. applying disinfectant to the counters
B. throwing away plant material in the trash
C. washing hands with an antibacterial soap
D. placing hands under an ultraviolet light

Answer: C


In which of the following cases would a decrease in friction be most beneficial?

Choices:
A. the friction between the shoes of a jogger and the jogging track
B. the friction between the wheels of a car and the surface of a road
C. the friction between a rotating pulley and the axle that supports the pulley
D. the friction between a rotating pulley and the rope that is used with the pulley

Answer: C


Decayed prehistoric plants have helped in the formation of

Choices:
A. coal, oil, and gas.
B. coal, shale, and quartz.
C. shale, quartz, and coal.
D. oil, shale, and granite.

Answer: A


Choices:
A. cell division.
B. digestion.
C. photosynthesis.
D. respiration.

Answer: C


Scientists often work together to solve a problem. Sometimes they work in laboratories. Sometimes they are outside doing fieldwork. The chart provides a list of some careers in science. Which scientists might work together to save a polluted wetland?

Choices:
A. chemist, botanist and ecologist
B. astronomer, ecologist and physicist
C. physicist, paleontologist and chemist
D. botanist, astronomer and paleontologist

Answer: A


How many chromosomes are found in a fertilized human egg cell?

Choices:
A. 22
B. 23
C. 44
D. 46

Answer: D


Peptide bonds in proteins can be broken down by the enzyme peptidase. Adrian orders a hamburger and French fries for lunch. He adds cheese and mayonnaise to his hamburger, and then sits down to eat lunch with his friends. Which structure would most likely result from the action of peptidase in Adrian's small intestine?

Choices:
A. lipid
B. glucose
C. amino acid
D. hydrocarbon

Answer: C


Cows are farm animals that eat only plants. Which of these kinds of living things is a cow?

Choices:
A. Decomposer
B. Herbivore
C. Carnivore
D. Producer

Answer: B


Bone cells need nutrients. Which two systems get nutrients to bone cells?

Choices:
A. the digestive system and the circulatory system
B. the circulatory system and the respiratory system
C. the respiratory system and the skeletal system
D. the skeletal system and the digestive system

Answer: A


Which describes a material that is not a food?

Choices:
A. It stores energy but not nutrients.
B. It does not store energy or nutrients.
C. It stores energy and nutrients.
D. It does not store energy but stores nutrients.

Answer: B


An example of a calcium carbonate deposit in the lithosphere is

Choices:
A. limestone.
B. granite.
C. gneiss.
D. shale.

Answer: A


The color in a Tortoiseshell cat can only be produced by two X chromosomes. This would mean that these types of cats are always

Choices:
A. male.
B. female.
C. fertile.
D. aggressive.

Answer: B


Which is the most appropriate SI unit to use for expressing the mass of an automobile?

Choices:
A. millimeter
B. milligram
C. kilometer
D. kilogram

Answer: D


Some scientists think their new car fuel will produce fewer chemicals than burning gasoline. The scientists test their hypothesis by performing several trials to compare the fuels. If the results of the trials agree with their hypothesis, in which area will their research most likely help?

Choices:
A. recycling trash
B. conserving water
C. reducing air pollution
D. protecting endangered species

Answer: C


A student sets up an investigation to test the strength of magnets. He has several magnets of different sizes, shapes, and masses. He uses the magnets to lift metal paper clips. How is the strength of a magnet defined in the investigation?

Choices:
A. by the mass of the magnet lifting the metal paper clips
B. by the size of the magnet lifting the metal paper clips
C. by the number of metal paper clips lifted by the magnet
D. by the time the metal paper clips stay on the magnet

Answer: C


Which of these is the best example of organisms interacting with each other in an ecosystem?

Choices:
A. a buffalo drinking water
B. a bear catching a fish
C. a rabbit running across the sand
D. a pig rolling in the mud

Answer: B


A television commercial claims that an all-natural cereal will provide the daily nutrition needed for adults. Which information on the cereal box best supports this claim?

Choices:
A. the average serving size
B. the list of ingredients in the cereal
C. the number of ounces of cereal in the box
D. the amount of sugar in the cereal

Answer: B


Which process in an apple tree primarily results from cell division?

Choices:
1. growth
2. photosynthesis
3. gas exchange
4. waste removal

Answer: 1


Which of these must be absorbed by animal cells in order to grow?

Choices:
A. genes
B. sunlight
C. nutrients
D. chromosomes

Answer: C


In which type of blood vessel is blood pressure normally monitored?

Choices:
A. capillaries
B. arteries
C. veins
D. cilia

Answer: B


Which of the following correctly explains how atmospheric nitrogen is converted to nitrogen compounds used by living organisms?

Choices:
A. Sunlight converts atmospheric nitrogen to a form usable by protists.
B. Plant leaves convert atmospheric nitrogen to a form usable by animals.
C. Bacteria in soil convert atmospheric nitrogen to a form usable by plants.
D. Invertebrate animals in soil convert atmospheric nitrogen to a form usable by fungi.

Answer: C


A sailboat travels 35 km in 5 hr. Which of the following describes the motion of the sailboat?

Choices:
A. Its momentum is 7 km/hr.
B. Its acceleration is 7 km/hr.
C. Its displacement is 7 km/hr.
D. Its average speed is 7 km/hr.

Answer: D


A movie studio will use two methods of communication, television and the Internet, to advertise a new movie. Which of the following must both methods of communication use in order to show the advertisements to viewers around the world?

Choices:
A. systems to locate viewers
B. networks to transmit signals
C. printing to create the images
D. software to search for images

Answer: B


A medium-sized star in the middle of its life cycle, such as the Sun, is most likely to emit which color of light?

Choices:
A. red
B. blue
C. white
D. yellow

Answer: D


A satellite image can help scientists locate the area where two plates have diverged by showing the existence of

Choices:
A. plateaus.
B. mountains.
C. rift valleys.
D. grassy plains.

Answer: C


Which device would most likely be used to produce light energy?

Choices:
A. a laser
B. a radio
C. a toaster
D. a microwave

Answer: A


Scientists at a local university have been studying the impact that people have on Earth. One of the areas being studied is how the burning of fossil fuels affects the environment. Which effect of fossil fuel burning have the scientists most likely evaluated?

Choices:
A. the production of nitrogen-fixing bacteria
B. the mechanical weathering of roads
C. the formation of acid rain
D. the increase in runoff

Answer: C