Question: On Mount Everest the temperature decreases as the altitude increases. The summit of this mountain is in which atmospheric layer?

Choices:
A. mesosphere
B. stratosphere
C. thermosphere
D. troposphere

Answer: D


Question: Which energy source is considered nonrenewable?

Choices:
1. moving water
2. fossil fuel
3. wind
4. biomass

Answer: 2


Question: A renewable energy source is a source that will not run out. Which is an example of the use of such a source?

Choices:
A. A coal furnace heating a house
B. a windmill pumping water on a farm
C. a kerosene lamp lighting a room
D. a diesel truck traveling along a road

Answer: B


Question: Which statement best describes why the Moon is visible from Earth?

Choices:
A. The Moon reflects light from other planets.
B. The Moon reflects light from the Sun.
C. Light is produced by the Moon.
D. Light from Earth illuminates the Moon.

Answer: B


Question: Which statement best explains the reason that electrical wires are made of copper?

Choices:
A. Copper is strong.
B. Copper is flexible.
C. Copper is a conductor.
D. Copper is an insulator.

Answer: C


Question: Which of these is a natural resource of Virginia?

Choices:
A. A dam
B. A glacier
C. A river
D. A power plant

Answer: C


Question: Insulin is a chemical that is released by the endocrine system to increase the absorption of glucose by the body's cells. After which activity would insulin levels in a healthy body increase?

Choices:
A. drinking water
B. taking a nap
C. swimming
D. eating

Answer: D


Question: An engineer was given an assignment to build a model rocket. The main requirement was that it had to build it out of a metal that could release the energy that built up when reentering the atmosphere of Earth. What property should the engineer concentrate on the most when designing the rocket?

Choices:
A. density
B. ductility
C. specific heat
D. boiling point

Answer: C


Question: Which color of light is produced when all of the colors of visible light in the electromagnetic spectrum are combined?

Choices:
A. gray
B. white
C. black
D. brown

Answer: B


Question: A company is making prototypes for a new computer system. Which of the following statements best describes an advantage of making several different prototypes?

Choices:
A. They can be tested at the same time.
B. They can be produced in large numbers.
C. They will be bought by many different users.
D. They will be sold for more than they cost to build.

Answer: A


Question: What is the function of the nucleus in a cell?

Choices:
A. provides energy
B. provides nutrients
C. controls activity
D. controls movement

Answer: C


Question: A tree is a renewable resource because it can be

Choices:
A. burned in a fire.
B. made into lumber.
C. eaten by some organisms.
D. replaced with a newly planted tree.

Answer: D


Question: How does the presence of organic matter contribute to good soil?

Choices:
A. It adds nutrients to the soil.
B. It helps the soil to dry out.
C. It keeps the soil cool.
D. It destroys bacteria in the soil.

Answer: A


Question: A wild turkey's forest community includes

Choices:
A. insects
B. rainfall
C. soil
D. wind

Answer: A


Question: Which of the following travels from neuron to neuron as information is transmitted?

Choices:
A. electrochemical impulses
B. RNA strands
C. transport vesicles high in ATP
D. mechanical forces

Answer: A


Question: During which process do cells use oxygen to release stored energy?

Choices:
1. photosynthesis
2. respiration
3. circulation
4. digestion

Answer: 2


Question: Which of the following has the ability to change the state of matter?

Choices:
A. heat
B. wind
C. light
D. sound

Answer: A


Question: Many things can contribute to the development of a theory. A student made a list of some things that might help scientists develop a theory. Observations Calculations Conversations Publications From the student's list, which must be used in the development of every theory?

Choices:
A. Observations
B. Conversations
C. Publications and calculations
D. Calculations and conversations

Answer: A


Question: Ben has a snack with a combination of raisins, chocolate pieces, and nuts. As he eats the snack, Ben picks out all of the raisins. Which best describes the snack Ben is eating?

Choices:
A. a compound
B. an element
C. a solution
D. a mixture

Answer: D


Question: Capillary walls are only one layer of cells thick. Passage of oxygen into and out of the capillaries is controlled most by which process?

Choices:
A. collection of waste material
B. breakdown of materials
C. diffusion of material
D. storage of materials

Answer: C


Question: The average car uses about 25% of the available energy in each gallon of gasoline. The energy not used to run the car is released as heat and sound. Which statement best describes this occurrence?

Choices:
A. Energy conversion reduces efficiency.
B. Energy is destroyed at high temperatures.
C. Energy loss increases the order in a system.
D. Energy levels increase as conversions take place.

Answer: A


Question: How long does it take light from the nearest star other than the Sun to reach Earth?

Choices:
A. Less than 1 second
B. About 1 hour
C. About 1 month
D. About 4 years

Answer: D


Question: Spider webs help spiders

Choices:
A. avoid predators.
B. capture food.
C. stay dry.
D. keep warm.

Answer: B


Question: Pouring water over a sloping tray of soil demonstrates how

Choices:
A. soil can be washed away.
B. soil creation may take years.
C. river sediment forms a delta.
D. planting grass protects the soil.

Answer: A


Question: Which layer of Earth is divided into plates?

Choices:
A. Mantle
B. Crust
C. Inner core
D. Outer core

Answer: B


Question: The breakdown of ozone into oxygen results from the electromagnetic absorption spectrum of ozone. This production of oxygen in the ozone layer is caused by exposing ozone to a strong source of which type of electromagnetic radiation?

Choices:
A. radio waves
B. microwaves
C. infrared light
D. ultraviolet light

Answer: D


Question: Which best describes what keeps the Moon orbiting around Earth?

Choices:
A. speed
B. gravity
C. weight
D. friction

Answer: B


Question: The hypothesis of an expanding universe required which type of validation before being accepted as a significant part of scientific theory?

Choices:
A. a controlled single-variable laboratory test
B. support through evidence from numerous observations
C. proposal of alternative explanations with predictive value
D. a full-scale replication of each event in the proper sequence

Answer: B


Question: In which type of rock is the fossil imprint of a fern leaf most likely to be found?

Choices:
1. igneous
2. metamorphic
3. sedimentary
4. volcanic

Answer: 3


Question: At certain times of the year, meteor showers can be observed from Earth. Why are these objects from space usually harmless?

Choices:
A. They are always microscopic.
B. They are closer to the sun than to Earth.
C. They are made of soft, spongy materials.
D. They burn up high in Earth's atmosphere

Answer: D


Question: Which group of animals contains ONLY reptiles?

Choices:
A. lizard, frog, snake
B. turtle, lizard, crocodile
C. octopus, snail, turtle
D. crab, earthworm, snake

Answer: B


Question: Why is the particular sequence of bases in a segment of DNA important to cells?

Choices:
A. Some base sequences code for protein production.
B. Some base sequences cause the release of lipids from the nucleus.
C. Some base sequences contain the order of sugars in polysaccharides.
D. Some base sequences produce electrical signals sent to the cytoplasm.

Answer: A


Question: A meteorologist announces that the barometer reading is dropping. What does a barometer measure?

Choices:
A. wind speed
B. air pressure
C. air temperature
D. ground temperature

Answer: B


Question: A cricket population includes approximately the same number of black and light-brown crickets. Black crickets are easier for birds to locate and eat. Over time, the population begins to consist of only light-brown crickets. The change in the color of the cricket population is a result of

Choices:
A. limited resources.
B. natural selection.
C. geographic isolation.
D. climate change.

Answer: B


Question: When nearly vertical rays of solar energy strike a region of the Earth, that area has warm temperatures. What region of the Earth gets nearly vertical rays of solar energy year around?

Choices:
A. Equator
B. Australia
C. United States
D. North and South Poles

Answer: A


Question: Scientists from around the world would most likely meet at a conference held in Paris, France, to

Choices:
A. learn how to speak the same language.
B. work together on scientific research.
C. teach students the importance of education.
D. show other scientists the scientific method.

Answer: B


Question: Ferns belong to any one of about 12,000 species of plants grouped in their own division within the plant kingdom. Ferns are vascular, seedless, flowerless, and reproduce by spores. To which plant group do ferns belong?

Choices:
A. Bryophyta
B. Gymnosperm
C. Angiosperm
D. Pteridophyta

Answer: D


Question: A student ties a string around a weight and swings the weight in a circle around her body. If the student represents the Sun and the weight represents Earth, what does the string represent?

Choices:
A. gravity
B. radiation
C. electricity
D. magnetism

Answer: A


Question: Scientists have studied the specific stages in the life cycle of stars. In which stage do stars spend most of their lifetime?

Choices:
A. red giant
B. black dwarf
C. white dwarf
D. main sequence

Answer: D


Question: How does the energy in each trophic level of an energy pyramid compare to the energy in the preceding level?

Choices:
A. It has about 5% of the energy from the level below it.
B. It has about 10% of the energy from the level below it.
C. It has about 15% of the energy from the level below it.
D. It has about 20% of the energy from the level below it.

Answer: B


Question: The texture of soil depends primarily on the

Choices:
A. mass of the soil.
B. water in the soil.
C. composition of the soil.
D. vegetation growing in the soil.

Answer: C


Question: As children grow, their body height usually

Choices:
A. decreases
B. increases
C. remains the same

Answer: B


Question: Which is a force that keeps the planets in orbit around the Sun?

Choices:
A. inertia
B. gravity
C. magnetism
D. solar energy

Answer: B


Question: What is the role of the kidneys in the excretory system?

Choices:
A. to digest food
B. to remove toxins
C. to produce bile
D. to oxygenate blood

Answer: B


Question: Which number is closest to the estimated number of stars in the Milky Way galaxy?

Choices:
A. 200 thousand
B. 200 million
C. 200 billion
D. 200 trillion

Answer: C


Question: Which statement best describes how a mountain range changes over time from wind and water erosion?

Choices:
A. The mountain range will become faulted.
B. The mountain range will be lifted up.
C. The mountain range will form craters.
D. The mountain range will become rounded.

Answer: D


Question: In a cell, a newly synthesized protein requires modification by the addition of a carbohydrate. Which structure will transport the protein from the site of synthesis to the site of modification?

Choices:
A. a ribosome
B. the endoplasmic reticulum
C. the Golgi apparatus
D. a vacuole

Answer: B


Question: Students notice that in the fall leaves of sugar maple trees turn red, but the leaves of black oak trees turn brown. The students are making

Choices:
A. an observation
B. a conclusion
C. a prediction
D. an inference

Answer: A


Question: What instrument should be used to monitor atmospheric pressure changes as a weather system approaches?

Choices:
A. psychrometer
B. thermometer
C. anemometer
D. barometer

Answer: D


Question: Which of the following is responsible for determining the traits of an organism?

Choices:
A. number of phosphates
B. amount of thymine
C. sequence of nucleotides
D. type of bond between bases

Answer: C


Question: In which organism can cell walls be found?

Choices:
A. moth
B. grass
C. snake
D. hawk

Answer: B


Question: Isaac Newton is best known for his study of

Choices:
A. motion.
B. weather.
C. body systems.
D. the history of Earth.

Answer: A


Question: Some objects are attracted by magnets. Which object is attracted by a magnet?

Choices:
A. an iron nail
B. an ice cube
C. a plastic knife
D. a wooden ruler

Answer: A


Question: Which action represents the use of technology to solve a problem?

Choices:
A. reducing the amount of heartburn with the use of herbal teas
B. answering mathematical equations with the use of computers
C. bringing down body temperature with the use of a hand fan
D. increasing the supply of fish with the use of fish farms

Answer: B


Question: When a guitar string is strummed, it produces sound by making

Choices:
A. heat.
B. electricity.
C. vibrations.
D. light.

Answer: C


Question: The meanings of mass and weight can often be confused. Which is an example of a change in both mass and weight?

Choices:
A. visiting the Moon
B. a stone eroding in a river
C. living on the space station
D. a ship floating on the ocean

Answer: B


Question: Which of these are scientific classifications for galaxies in the universe?

Choices:
A. dust, gas, ice
B. small, medium, large
C. spiral, elliptical, irregular
D. red giant, white dwarf, supernova

Answer: C


Question: A scientist was observing a unicellular organism over a period of time. He noticed that vacuoles kept moving to the same place in the plasma membrane to empty their contents outside the cell. Which organism was he observing?

Choices:
A. amoeba
B. euglena
C. paramecium
D. volvox

Answer: C


Question: Which form of precipitation is most likely to cause damage when hitting the roof of a car?

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

Answer: A


Question: Which tool is best to use when comparing an animal cell to a plant cell?

Choices:
A. balance
B. compass
C. microscope
D. thermometer

Answer: C


Question: The density of 200 mL of water was determined, and then 20 grams of sugar was dissolved in the water. The student determined the density of the sugar-water solution and recorded the collected data in a table. The sugar in this investigation is

Choices:
A. the solute.
B. undergoing chemical change.
C. the solvent.
D. changing from a solid to a gas.

Answer: A


Question: During the year, the angle at which the path of the Sun appears in the sky varies. In the Northern Hemisphere, the path of the Sun appears higher on the horizon during the summer and lower on the horizon during the winter. Which factor most contributes to the variation in the path of the Sun across the sky?

Choices:
A. the rotation of Earth
B. the tilted axis of Earth
C. the flattening of Earth at the poles
D. the elliptical shape of the orbit of Earth

Answer: B


Question: Which is the best way to show the percent gas composition in Earth's atmosphere?

Choices:
A. bar graph
B. line graph
C. pie chart
D. scatterplot

Answer: C


Question: For the reaction between silver nitrate and sodium chloride, which of the following would be a product? AgNo_{3} + NaCl ->

Choices:
A. AgNa
B. ClNO_{3}
C. Na_{3}NO
D. AgCl

Answer: D


Question: Which invention has done the most to help predict weather and warn people of approaching storms?

Choices:
A. satellites
B. airplanes
C. barometers
D. maps

Answer: A


Question: During the Siberian summer, reindeer graze on young roots, fungi, grass, and other vegetation. In the cold winter months, they migrate south and rely on available, but less nutritious food, such as lichen. Increased snowfall during the entire winter in southern areas would result in reindeer having to

Choices:
A. return to their summer feeding area.
B. hibernate until the snows have stopped.
C. hunt for organisms such as small rodents.
D. move to other areas to compete for resources.

Answer: D


Question: Sir Isaac Newton stated that every object in the universe attracts matter. The attraction depends on the mass of an object and the distance between the objects. What type of force did Newton describe?

Choices:
A. centripetal force
B. generalized force
C. centrifugal force
D. gravitational force

Answer: D


Question: What season is the Northern Hemisphere experiencing when it is tilted away from the Sun?

Choices:
A. spring
B. summer
C. autumn
D. winter

Answer: D


Question: Heat is applied to a beaker of water, raising the water temperature a few degrees. What happens to the water molecules after heat is applied?

Choices:
A. The molecules spread apart and move more slowly.
B. The molecules spread apart and move more quickly.
C. The molecules come together and move more slowly.
D. The molecules come together and move more quickly.

Answer: B


Question: Which feature is most likely the result of a flowing river?

Choices:
A. a sand dune
B. a volcano
C. a canyon
D. a glacier

Answer: C


Question: Which organ is the site of gas exchange between the body and the environment?

Choices:
A. spleen
B. liver
C. lungs
D. pancreas

Answer: C


Question: A positively-charged hydrogen ion has a much smaller radius than a neutral hydrogen atom. Which best explains this difference?

Choices:
A. The nucleus is the least dense region of an atom.
B. Electrons are located far from the nuclei of their atoms.
C. Most of the volume of atoms is filled with the particles they contain.
D. The repulsion of protons and neutrons keeps them on opposite ends of atoms.

Answer: B


Question: How are dormancy and hibernation similar in animals?

Choices:
A. metabolic rate and body temperature both increase
B. metabolic rate and body temperature both decrease
C. metabolic rate increases and body temperature decreases
D. metabolic rate decreases and body temperature increases

Answer: B


Question: A small aluminum cube is dropped into a beaker of water to determine the buoyancy. Which of these is not necessary in determining the buoyant force acting on the cube?

Choices:
A. density of water
B. displaced volume
C. gravitational pull on Earth
D. density of the aluminum cube

Answer: D


Question: Before concrete has hardened, it exhibits plasticity. This is an advantage because it allows the concrete to

Choices:
A. become strong as it cures.
B. withstand compression.
C. remain pliable after hardening.
D. be molded into almost any shape.

Answer: D


Question: Which event is an example of inherited behavior?

Choices:
A. a dog sitting on command
B. a parrot repeating a phrase
C. a bird flying south for the winter
D. a horse competing in a horse show

Answer: C


Question: A student must explain the role of dead leaves in the ecosystem. Which statement will the student most likely provide to explain the importance of these leaves?

Choices:
A. The leaves provide shelter to growing seeds.
B. The decay of the leaves provides nutrients to other plants.
C. The leaves release chlorophyll into the grass as they decay.
D. The leaves prevent fungus from growing at the base of the tree.

Answer: B


Question: Which of the following statements is true about organisms that are producers?

Choices:
A. They use energy from the sun to make food.
B. They absorb energy from a host animal.
C. They get energy from eating living animals.
D. They get energy by breaking down dead plants and animals.

Answer: A


Question: If Earth revolved at a faster rate, what would most likely occur?

Choices:
A. Annual rainfall would increase.
B. Daylight hours would decrease.
C. Seasons would be shorter.
D. Annual temperature variation would be greater.

Answer: C


Question: The distance from Earth to the Sun is one astronomical unit. Which unit best describes how many astronomical units it is from Earth to the far end of the Milky Way Galaxy?

Choices:
A. hundreds
B. thousands
C. millions
D. billions

Answer: D


Question: Which is most likely to cause an organism to become endangered or extinct?

Choices:
A. habitat loss
B. behavioral changes
C. increased reproduction rate
D. altered migration patterns

Answer: A


Question: What are the characteristics of maritime polar air masses?

Choices:
A. cool and dry
B. warm and dry
C. cool and humid
D. warm and humid

Answer: C


Question: In an ecosystem, which list of organisms is in the correct order from producer to top-level consumer?

Choices:
A. field mouse, grass, hawk snake
B. snake, field mouse, hawk, grass
C. grass, field mouse, snake, hawk
D. snake, grass, field mouse, hawk

Answer: C


Question: What is a true statement about all foods?

Choices:
A. All foods are solid.
B. All foods taste good.
C. All foods provide nutrients.
D. All foods should be cooked.

Answer: C


Question: Which of the following is an example of an acidic solution?

Choices:
A. bleach
B. vinegar
C. sugar water
D. salt water

Answer: B


Question: When rock particles settle at the bottom of the ocean, they can continue to be buried by other particles. The process of cementation of these particles forms

Choices:
A. molten rocks.
B. igneous rocks.
C. sedimentary rocks.
D. metamorphic rocks.

Answer: C


Question: Which of these is part of the description of protein?

Choices:
A. a folded chain of amino acids
B. a folded chain of carbohydrates
C. a branched chain of fatty acids
D. a branched chain of nucleic acids

Answer: A


Question: Lightning from a thunderstorm strikes a 21 tree that falls to the forest floor and dies. During the next few years the dead tree undergoes many changes. What organisms are most likely responsible for the biological and chemical changes to the tree?

Choices:
A. consumers
B. decomposers
C. predators
D. producers

Answer: B


Question: Sodium chloride is formed when sodium and chlorine chemically combine. Which term best describes sodium chloride?

Choices:
A. mixture
B. element
C. solution
D. compound

Answer: D


Question: Which three things do animals need from their environment in order to survive?

Choices:
A. soil, water, and food
B. soil, light, and water
C. air, food, and water
D. air, water, and light

Answer: C


Question: Most electricity in the United States is generated using coal, natural gas, nuclear energy, or hydropower. Which of these add carbon dioxide to the atmosphere?

Choices:
A. coal and natural gas
B. natural gas and nuclear energy
C. nuclear energy and hydropower
D. hydropower and coal

Answer: A


Question: A student has recorded rainfall amounts for 28 days and uses a calculator to determine the total rainfall. What does the student calculate when she divides the total rainfall by 28?

Choices:
A. mean rainfall
B. rainfall mode
C. median rainfall
D. percentage of rainfall

Answer: A


Question: Which of the following was most likely the cause of the extinction of 60-100 species of native birds in Hawaii since the arrival of colonists?

Choices:
A. habitat destruction
B. volcanic eruptions
C. increased salinity
D. tidal waves

Answer: A


Question: Which is the correct sequence for the stages in the life cycle of a butterfly?

Choices:
A. larva; pupa; egg; adult
B. egg; pupa; larva; adult
C. adult; larva; pupa; egg
D. egg; larva; pupa; adult

Answer: D


Question: Oil is an example of a natural resource that is not renewable. Which is another example of an nonrenewable resource?

Choices:
A. Wood
B. Seawater
C. Sunlight
D. Coal

Answer: D


Question: Students are using hammers to break apart rocks as part of an investigation. The students MUST wear goggles to

Choices:
A. magnify the work.
B. keep hair out of their faces.
C. protect their eyes from debris.
D. prevent glare from the light.

Answer: C


Question: How would the Sun appear to an astronaut on Pluto compared with how it looks from Earth?

Choices:
A. The Sun would appear larger and brighter.
B. The Sun would appear smaller and brighter.
C. The Sun would appear larger and dimmer.
D. The Sun would appear smaller and dimmer.

Answer: D


Question: When using a microscope, it is best to use a wet mount to

Choices:
A. observe live organisms.
B. show the interior of sliced objects.
C. highlight objects with chemical dyes.
D. remove debris that is obscuring the object.

Answer: A


Question: A power plant uses chemical energy to produce electricity. What source of energy does the power plant most likely use?

Choices:
A. wind
B. sunlight
C. fossil fuel
D. tidal waves

Answer: C


Question: Which subatomic particle has a negative charge?

Choices:
A. proton
B. neutron
C. electron
D. quark

Answer: C


Question: Which list gives the correct order of food traveling through the digestive system after it is swallowed?

Choices:
A. stomach, esophagus, large intestine, small intestine.
B. small intestine, large intestine, esophagus, stomach.
C. esophagus, stomach, large intestine, small intestine.
D. esophagus, stomach, small intestine, large intestine.

Answer: D


Question: Parakeets are birds whose basic plumage color is green. However, parakeets exhibit a wide range of color both in the wild and in captivity. Which process is the source of the wide color variation observed in parakeet populations?

Choices:
A. speciation
B. adaptation
C. natural selection
D. genetic mutation

Answer: D


Question: In science, old ideas can be changed when new discoveries alter existing information. Which situation is most likely an example of a rethinking of an existing idea?

Choices:
A. using coal to generate electricity
B. discovering a new species of snake
C. developing an antibiotic to treat infections
D. changing the definition of the term planet

Answer: D


Question: How does sweat on the skin help the body?

Choices:
A. Sweat stops sunburn.
B. Sweat cools the body.
C. Sweat feeds the skin.
D. Sweat heals cuts.

Answer: B


Question: How does the Sun power the water cycle?

Choices:
A. Energy from the Sun evaporates water.
B. Energy from the Sun condenses water.
C. Energy from the Sun precipitates water.
D. Energy from the Sun collects water.

Answer: A


Question: In order to maintain good health, humans should

Choices:
A. eat foods high in fat
B. exercise regularly
C. drink alcohol often
D. smoke tobacco occasionally

Answer: B


Question: Which of the following is an abiotic factor in a river ecosystem?

Choices:
A. dragonfly
B. trout
C. water
D. frog

Answer: C


Question: When a conclusion is reached after an experiment, which is most likely the first step other scientists might take when checking the conclusion?

Choices:
A. propose different conclusions from the same data
B. study the data to evaluate the conclusion
C. change current models to fit the conclusion
D. develop new technologies based on the conclusion

Answer: B


Question: What allows for some organisms in a population to have an increased survival rate over other organisms of the same species?

Choices:
A. genetic mutation
B. species competition
C. asexual reproduction
D. genetic variation

Answer: D


Question: Which environment is best for an organism that sleeps during the day and digs holes in the ground for shelter?

Choices:
A. wetland
B. rainforest
C. tundra
D. desert

Answer: D


Question: One difference between a chemical formula and a chemical equation is that the chemical equation shows

Choices:
A. abbreviations for each element.
B. the number of atoms per element.
C. what elements are in each molecule.
D. the chemical reaction that takes place.

Answer: D


Question: Plants that have stems that store water and no leaves would most likely live in a

Choices:
A. pine forest.
B. grassland.
C. desert.
D. rainforest.

Answer: C


Question: Fossil fuels are considered nonrenewable because they

Choices:
1. produce pollution
2. are no longer used by humans
3. often contain microscopic animals
4. take millions of years to form

Answer: 4


Question: A baby bird must eat a lot of food to grow. During which stage of its life cycle is a butterfly most similar to a baby bird?

Choices:
A. egg
B. larva
C. pupa
D. adult

Answer: B


Question: Which feature results when plates of different densities converge and one plate slips under the other?

Choices:
A. a fault
B. a ridge
C. a trench
D. a rift zone

Answer: C


Question: Which of these is the BEST sign that the fall season has begun?

Choices:
A. Plants forming new buds
B. Sun shining on flowers
C. Grass being wet in the morning
D. Leaves changing color on trees

Answer: D


Question: Rheumatoid arthritis is an autoimmune disease that affects the joints. Which of these events causes the symptoms of this disease?

Choices:
A. The body's immune system attacks specific tissues.
B. The cells of the immune system begin to grow rapidly.
C. The body's immune system fails to fight off infections.
D. The cells of the immune system are absorbed by antigens.

Answer: A


Question: Chris stirs a cup of hot chocolate. He uses a wooden stick thinking it will stay cooler than a metal spoon. Which activity best describes the student's action?

Choices:
A. comparing data
B. asking a question
C. making a prediction
D. forming a conclusion

Answer: C


Question: Which would be best seen through a telescope?

Choices:
A. a moon
B. a cell
C. a light ray
D. a molecule

Answer: A


Question: A student conducts an investigation testing a material's effectiveness as a heat insulator. Which tool will help the student conduct this investigation safely?

Choices:
A. a face mask
B. plastic gloves
C. a ventilator hood
D. insulated gloves

Answer: D


Question: Which equipment would best be used for an activity on a biochemistry unit?

Choices:
A. meter stick, microscope, and test tubes
B. test tube, hot plate, and safety goggles
C. balance, telescope, and graduated cylinder
D. Petri dish, dissecting equipment, and spring scale

Answer: B


Question: When the fuel in a gasoline engine is burned, the energy conversion is from

Choices:
A. chemical to thermal.
B. potential to nuclear.
C. thermal to potential.
D. electrical to kinetic.

Answer: A


Question: Some prokaryotes once classified in the domain Bacteria are now classified as

Choices:
A. Fungi.
B. Plantae.
C. Archaea.
D. Protista.

Answer: C


Question: Which of these is the primary source of energy in food webs?

Choices:
A. soil
B. sunlight
C. producer
D. consumer

Answer: B


Question: An unusual type of fossil clam is found in rock layers high in the Swiss Alps. The same type of fossil clam is also found in the Rocky Mountains of North America. From this, scientists conclude that

Choices:
A. glaciers carried the fossils up the mountains
B. the Rocky Mountains and the Swiss Alps are both volcanic in origin
C. clams once lived in mountains, but have since evolved into sea-dwelling creatures
D. the layers of rocks in which the fossils were found are from the same geologic age

Answer: D


Question: The layered mixture of gases surrounding Earth is called the

Choices:
1. atmosphere
2. hydrosphere
3. lithosphere
4. hemisphere

Answer: 1


Question: Paul listens to music through his radio. Which best explains the sound Paul hears?

Choices:
A. Sounds are fluids that travel through air.
B. Sounds are waves that travel through matter.
C. Sounds are gases that transform into vibrations.
D. Sounds are forms of energy that are converted from light.

Answer: B


Question: Plants are producers because they

Choices:
A. make their own food
B. can grow in soil
C. need water to grow
D. take in nutrients

Answer: A


Question: A water hose was left running on a pile of dirt. What feature of stream erosion was most likely being demonstrated?

Choices:
A. the rate of water flow in a stream
B. the time it takes for deposition to occur along a stream
C. how layers of rocks and soil are formed along a stream
D. how water shapes a stream over time

Answer: D


Question: The best soil mixture for plant growth and drainage is

Choices:
A. silt, pebbles, and clay.
B. sand, rocks, and clay.
C. humus, clay, and sand.
D. clay, silt, and rocks.

Answer: C


Question: Which of these technologies helps a power company use renewable energy for the production of electricity?

Choices:
A. hydroelectric power
B. nuclear power plants
C. natural gas generators
D. coal-fired power plants

Answer: A


Question: Windmills are used to obtain usable energy from wind. Which would be an advantage of using a windmill?

Choices:
A. Windmills are expensive to build.
B. The wind does not blow all the time.
C. Pollution is not created by windmills.
D. Populations of birds can be reduced by windmills.

Answer: C


Question: Which of these is an example of a new substance being formed?

Choices:
A. a nail rusting
B. a wall being painted
C. water changing to steam
D. paper being folded

Answer: A


Question: Which of these can make a shadow on the ground during the day?

Choices:
A. River
B. Air
C. Thunder
D. Cloud

Answer: D


Question: Which system protects the body by responding to the presence of a virus?

Choices:
A. respiratory system
B. skeletal system
C. immune system
D. excretory system

Answer: C


Question: The symptoms of influenza infection are partly caused by the

Choices:
A. rapid genetic mutation in infected cells.
B. consumption of the body's energy resources by viruses.
C. release of toxins by viral particles.
D. body's inflammatory response to infected cells.

Answer: D


Question: Which cellular organelle modifies fatty acids?

Choices:
A. chloroplast
B. mitochondrion
C. Golgi complex
D. endoplasmic reticulum

Answer: D


Question: Which part of Earth's structure exists in the solid phase due to low temperatures?

Choices:
A. the inner core
B. the outer core
C. the lithosphere
D. the asthenosphere

Answer: C


Question: Which sea otter behavior is learned?

Choices:
A. using fur to trap air for warmth
B. cracking open clams with a rock
C. nursing its young for six months
D. closing its ears under water

Answer: B


Question: The magnetic poles of Earth frequently change location. What is the direct cause of this change in magnetic pole location?

Choices:
A. molten rock flowing in the asthenosphere
B. convection cells in the lower mantle
C. turbulence in the liquid outer core
D. radioactive decay in the solid inner core

Answer: C


Question: Years ago, most family members lived near one another. Today, family members often live all over the country. People are able to live far from their loved ones because of the technologies of

Choices:
A. medicine and computers.
B. manufacturing and home entertainment.
C. refrigeration and heating systems.
D. communication and transportation.

Answer: D


Question: Which two body systems would most directly remove extra fluid from a person's lungs?

Choices:
A. nervous and digestive
B. nervous and circulatory
C. respiratory and digestive
D. respiratory and circulatory

Answer: D


Question: Sedimentary rock helps scientists piece together the history of Earth most likely using clues from

Choices:
A. humus.
B. soil.
C. gravel.
D. fossils.

Answer: D


Question: The energy that is stored in food originally comes from

Choices:
A. air
B. soil
C. sunlight
D. water

Answer: C


Question: Which of these shows how frozen water changes as the temperature of the air increases?

Choices:
A. Gas -> liquid -> solid
B. Solid -> gas -> liquid
C. Liquid -> gas -> solid
D. Solid -> liquid -> gas

Answer: D


Question: Which of the following properties best describes a material's ability to resist scratching?

Choices:
A. weight
B. flexibility
C. length
D. hardness

Answer: D


Question: Scientists noted that muscles and bones would need physical stress to remain healthy during manned space flights. Which of these had to be planned for because of this need?

Choices:
A. practicing space walking
B. counseling activities for tension
C. exercising to maintain strength
D. monitoring circadian rhythms

Answer: C


Question: If a species of bird stopped reproducing, which of these would happen?

Choices:
A. The bird's prey species would decrease in number.
B. The food web that the bird belongs to would collapse.
C. Trees where these birds build nests would grow taller.
D. This bird species would eventually disappear from nature.

Answer: D


Question: When performing a new experiment for the first time, a scientist reaches an unexpected conclusion. What must the scientist do in order to have the conclusion accepted by other scientists?

Choices:
A. write a brief report
B. repeat the experiment
C. purchase new equipment
D. make a data chart

Answer: B


Question: Which system produces most of the hormones in the human body?

Choices:
1. circulatory
2. digestive
3. endocrine
4. respiratory

Answer: 3


Question: Which tool should a student use to see the patterns on a small object?

Choices:
A. balance
B. hand lens
C. thermometer
D. graduated cylinder

Answer: B


Question: Robots are used to help manufacture cars. One problem with this is

Choices:
A. less waste.
B. lower cost.
C. fewer jobs.
D. more mistakes.

Answer: C


Question: Which two body systems interact to produce antibodies that require essential amino acids?

Choices:
A. integumentary and circulatory systems
B. digestive and reproductive systems
C. endocrine and respiratory systems
D. digestive and immune systems

Answer: D


Question: Which chemical is a compound?

Choices:
A. helium (He)
B. hydrochloric acid (HCl)
C. hydrogen (H2)
D. nitrogen (N2)

Answer: B


Question: Two spotted leopards produce a litter of four cubs. Three of the cubs are spotted and one is solid black. The black coat is probably what type of trait?

Choices:
A. dominant
B. recessive
C. polygenic
D. sex-linked

Answer: B


Question: Which physical property is used to identify a mineral based on its resistance to being scratched?

Choices:
1. hardness
2. density
3. color
4. streak

Answer: 1


Question: A negatively charged rubber rod was brought near some small pieces of paper. The rod's charges repelled the negative charges in the pieces. Which of the following caused the repulsion of the negative charges?

Choices:
A. conduction
B. gravitation
C. induction
D. insulation

Answer: C


Question: Mangrove trees are affected by several factors. Which is an abiotic factor contributing to the energy cycle of a mangrove ecosystem?

Choices:
A. bacteria
B. climate
C. fungi
D. rocks

Answer: B


Question: What does a light-year measure?

Choices:
A. time
B. mass
C. distance
D. brightness

Answer: C


Question: Which of these structures in a plant cell allows a plant to make food?

Choices:
A. cell wall
B. cytoplasm
C. chloroplast
D. chromosomes

Answer: C


Question: Patricia and her classmates are visiting different rocky areas in the city. They want to know what kind of rocks can be found in each area. If the investigation is done correctly, what will Patricia and her classmates do each time they visit an area?

Choices:
A. draw the rock shapes
B. count the rock numbers
C. record the rock types and locations
D. measure the rock masses and lengths

Answer: C


Question: The electrical charge of the nucleus of an atom is +12. How many electrons does the atom have in its neutral state?

Choices:
A. 6
B. 12
C. 18
D. 24

Answer: B


Question: Which of these is a reason that scientists revise theories?

Choices:
A. public opinion in favor of a revised theory
B. corporate sponsorship of a revised theory
C. government policy based on a revised theory
D. experimental results that support a revised theory

Answer: D


Question: Which of the following results when hydrogen and chlorine chemically bond to form hydrogen chloride?

Choices:
A. a mixture
B. a solution
C. a compound
D. a precipitate

Answer: C


Question: Scientists are able to conclude that a forested ecosystem existed in Antarctica millions of years ago by studying

Choices:
A. the current climate.
B. the fossil record.
C. glacial movement.
D. seafloor spreading.

Answer: B


Question: Which Earth movement results in day and night?

Choices:
A. erosion
B. deposition
C. revolution
D. rotation

Answer: D


Question: Upwelling moves the water of the deep ocean to the ocean's surface. What else does upwelling move to the surface?

Choices:
A. fish
B. nutrients
C. phytoplankton
D. dissolved gases

Answer: B


Question: Which body system functions by bringing in oxygen and removing carbon dioxide?

Choices:
A. endocrine
B. respiratory
C. digestive
D. urinary

Answer: B


Question: A topographic map is primarily used to determine the

Choices:
A. number of continents in the world.
B. location of major cities in the country.
C. elevation of an area.
D. rainfall of desert regions.

Answer: C


Question: A change in the pattern of warm ocean currents can cause a climate change by

Choices:
A. releasing thermal energy in irregular spurts.
B. absorbing thermal energy from the Sun's rays.
C. moving thermal energy from one place to another.
D. increasing the ocean's capacity for absorbing thermal energy.

Answer: C


Question: Which part of digestion is mainly a chemical change?

Choices:
A. Teeth break food into small pieces.
B. Throat muscles push food toward the stomach.
C. Stomach acids dissolve food into nutrients.
D. Intestinal cells transport nutrients into the blood.

Answer: C


Question: Which object is best seen with a microscope?

Choices:
A. human cell
B. cow heart
C. oak leaf
D. chicken leg

Answer: A


Question: In which example does an object move because of the force of gravity?

Choices:
A. a girl hitting a ball with a bat
B. a boy pushing a box across the floor
C. a girl hammering a nail into a wall
D. a boy falling from a tree onto the ground

Answer: D


Question: The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) was established in 1970 to address problems that existed in the environment. Which is the EPA most likely interested in reducing?

Choices:
A. the emissions from volcanic activity
B. the level of pollution caused by people
C. the amount of ozone in the stratosphere
D. the amount of oxygen produced by trees

Answer: B


Question: In order for plants to grow, the cells require nutrients in the form of minerals. The minerals come from

Choices:
A. soil.
B. air.
C. water.
D. pollen.

Answer: A


Question: HIV makes the body vulnerable to secondary infections by targeting

Choices:
A. macrophages.
B. helper T-cells.
C. cells.
D. killer T-cells.

Answer: B


Question: A student is investigating the properties of a mineral. The student tests the mineral by putting it under an ultraviolet light. Which property of the mineral can be identified using this test?

Choices:
A. color
B. streak
C. luster
D. fluorescence

Answer: D


Question: A student plans to grow algal colonies in solutions with different concentrations of liquid fertilizer. Which is a clear and testable hypothesis to guide this investigation?

Choices:
A. Algae like fertilizer.
B. Fertilizer is good for algae.
C. Fertilizer improves the genetic traits of algae.
D. Algal growth rate increases with fertilizer concentration.

Answer: D


Question: Which process is taking place when water freezes between cracks in rocks?

Choices:
A. deposition
B. weathering
C. sedimentation
D. crystallization

Answer: B


Question: The human body temperature is normally 98.6°F. As a person exercises, the body temperature starts to increase. As a result of the increased body temperature, the perspiration process begins to cool the body. Which best describes what the body is doing when it perspires?

Choices:
A. increasing osmosis
B. reducing transpiration
C. controlling metabolism
D. maintaining homeostasis

Answer: D


Question: In living organisms, the level of organization from least complex to most complex is

Choices:
A. cell, tissue, organ, organism
B. cell, organ, tissue, organism
C. tissue, cell, organ, organism
D. tissue, organ, cell, organism

Answer: A


Question: Which type of model best shows the location of underwater ocean ridges?

Choices:
A. world globe
B. satellite map
C. topographic map
D. nautical chart

Answer: C


Question: A student put a metal pot on the stove to boil some water. The metal transferred heat to the water through

Choices:
A. radiation.
B. insulation.
C. convection.
D. conduction.

Answer: D


Question: Which feature is a kitten most likely to inherit from its parents?

Choices:
A. diet
B. color
C. health
D. independence

Answer: B


Question: Proteins are compounds formed in the cells of plants and animals. Which element is included in every protein molecule?

Choices:
A. calcium
B. carbon
C. fluorine
D. sodium

Answer: B


Question: A rocket is traveling toward space. What force must the rocket act against as it moves away from Earth?

Choices:
A. inertia
B. gravity
C. magnetism
D. momentum

Answer: B


Question: A group of workers needs to move a piano from the second floor of a building. The piano is too wide to fit through the door, so they will lower the piano to the ground through a window. Which tool would be best to help the workers lower the piano from the window?

Choices:
A. wheel and axle
B. inclined plane
C. pulley
D. wedge

Answer: C


Question: Why is a spacesuit inflated like a balloon?

Choices:
A. to simulate the air pressure of Earth
B. to help astronauts float in outer space
C. to protect astronauts from solar radiation
D. to provide an oxygen supply for breathing

Answer: A


Question: Which term best describes the process responsible for cave formation that results from rock being dissolved by groundwater?

Choices:
A. chemical weathering
B. glacial movement
C. sedimentation
D. abrasion

Answer: A


Question: What happens to colored sugar when it is added to water?

Choices:
A. The sugar reacts and colors the water.
B. The sugar becomes white and the water changes color.
C. The sugar evaporates and the water changes color.
D. The sugar dissolves and colors the water.

Answer: D


Question: Which statement about plant and animals cells is true?

Choices:
A. Both have a cell wall to give them support.
B. Both have a large vacuole to store water.
C. Both use mitochondria to produce energy.
D. Both use chloroplasts to store energy.

Answer: C


Question: Farm fertilizers are often carried by runoff into the Mississippi River and down to the Gulf of Mexico, resulting in algae blooms. Which of these results from the decomposition of the algae blooms?

Choices:
A. an abundance of dissolved oxygen
B. dead zones where there are no fish
C. a reduction in atmospheric carbon dioxide
D. food webs with rapidly growing populations

Answer: B


Question: Jennifer is jumping rope. Which type of characteristic is she most likely demonstrating?

Choices:
A. learned
B. recessive
C. inherited
D. instinctive

Answer: A


Question: A teacher breaks a bar of pure copper into two different sized pieces. Which is the most likely difference between the two pieces?

Choices:
A. mass
B. texture
C. boiling point
D. melting point

Answer: A


Question: Blood is a fluid made up of several different parts. What level of structural organization best describes blood?

Choices:
A. a cell
B. a tissue
C. an organ
D. a system

Answer: B


Question: Scientists found large areas of fossilized wood in a desert in Arizona. The fossilized wood is evidence of the ancient environment. Based on the evidence, what was the ancient environment in this area?

Choices:
A. forest
B. desert
C. glacier
D. grasslands

Answer: A


Question: Ruben is using a compass to find out which direction the wind is blowing. Which of the following would be best for him to observe to help him find the direction of the wind?

Choices:
A. a flag on a pole
B. the temperature on a thermometer
C. birds flying above the trees
D. the shadow of a building

Answer: A


Question: A farmer predicts a new sprinkler will keep water from being wasted. What term best describes this prediction?

Choices:
A. experiment
B. hypothesis
C. observation
D. variable

Answer: B


Question: Tides on Earth are mostly caused by the gravitational pull of

Choices:
A. the Sun.
B. stars.
C. the Moon.
D. asteroids.

Answer: C


Question: When rain falls on the land, some of it is absorbed by surface sediment. How porous the surface sediments are controls how much water is absorbed. Which of the following will most likely result in an area where surface sediment is NOT porous?

Choices:
A. flooding
B. droughts
C. tornadoes
D. spring formation

Answer: A


Question: Which of the following parts of a car belongs to its control system?

Choices:
A. fuel tank
B. hydraulic jack
C. steering wheel
D. windshield wipers

Answer: C


Question: Which substance can be used to conduct electricity in a circuit?

Choices:
A. metal
B. wood
C. rubber
D. plastic

Answer: A


Question: Which unit is used to express the amount of energy in food?

Choices:
1. Calorie
2. degree Celsius
3. milliliter
4. gram

Answer: 1


Question: A student measured how quickly a car rolled down a hill. Which tool should the student have used to measure how quickly the car rolled down the hill?

Choices:
A. a hand lens
B. a stopwatch
C. a thermometer
D. a centimeter ruler

Answer: B


Question: Water at 20 degrees Celsius is placed on a stove. As the water is heated, thermal energy is absorbed by the water. If the water is heated to a maximum temperature of 80 degrees Celsius, what happens as a result of the increased temperature?

Choices:
A. The potential energy increases.
B. The evaporation decreases.
C. The disorder decreases.
D. The entropy increases.

Answer: D


Question: The electromagnetic spectrum is described as a

Choices:
A. series of colors of the rainbow.
B. list of radioactive elements.
C. band of frequencies of light waves.
D. range of conductivity of metals.

Answer: C


Question: Which of the following is most important in producing the seasons on Earth?

Choices:
A. Earth's gravitational attraction to the Sun
B. the Moon's revolution around Earth
C. the distance of Earth from the Sun
D. the tilt of Earth's axis as it revolves around the Sun

Answer: D


Question: Which of the following is designed to convert energy into mechanical work?

Choices:
A. Electric fan
B. Kerosene heater
C. Flashlight
D. Baking oven

Answer: A


Question: A student hears the sound of a bell. Which of the following carries the sound of the bell to the student?

Choices:
A. electrical currents
B. magnetic signals
C. radio waves
D. vibrating air

Answer: D


Question: The first stage of soil formation is the weathering of rock into fine particles. To make a good soil for growing plants, which would be best to add to the rock particles?

Choices:
A. minerals
B. sand
C. organic matter
D. silt

Answer: C


Question: Which best describes a scientific theory?

Choices:
A. It is still being tested.
B. It is true, once written.
C. It is different for each continent.
D. It is determined in a court of law.

Answer: A


Question: Scientists are studying the factors that influence the climate of a region. In attempts to gather accurate data, the scientists should use data that includes the

Choices:
A. number of earthquakes that occur each year.
B. types of organisms in the environment.
C. number of people living in the area.
D. type of weather that has occurred.

Answer: D


Question: Why do two surfaces get warm when they are rubbed together?

Choices:
A. The surfaces absorb energy from the air.
B. Friction changes energy of motion to heat energy.
C. Moving objects produce heat energy.
D. Energy is transferred between the two surfaces.

Answer: B


Question: Two high tides and two low tides occur on Earth every

Choices:
A. day.
B. hour.
C. week.
D. month.

Answer: A


Question: A book placed on a table is observed to remain stationary. Which statement about the observation would be considered a fact rather than an opinion?

Choices:
A. The book is not very heavy.
B. The table pushes up on the book.
C. The book probably has a sticky cover.
D. The table is composed of a stronger material than the book.

Answer: B


Question: Having students wash their hands frequently with soap and water will limit the spread of infectious disease by

Choices:
A. protecting harmless bacterial cells.
B. changing viral and bacterial nucleic acids.
C. releasing mutated cells from pores.
D. removing viruses and bacteria from the skin.

Answer: D


Question: Which object helps people understand what makes up white light?

Choices:
A. Barometer
B. Prism
C. Microscope
D. Thermometer

Answer: B


Question: Water vapor sometimes condenses into stratus clouds that are in contact with the ground. What forms as a result of this process?

Choices:
A. ozone
B. methane
C. fog
D. smoke

Answer: C


Question: One of the main causes of acid rain is

Choices:
A. Waste from nuclear power plants
B. Spills from chemical manufacturing plants
C. Gases from burning fossil fuels
D. Gases from aerosol spray cans

Answer: C


Question: Which of these activities makes the MOST air pollution?

Choices:
A. Storing trash bags
B. Reusing trash bags
C. Burning trash bags
D. Recycling trash bags

Answer: C


Question: The Hardy-Weinberg law is only valid when

Choices:
A. the population is small.
B. migration into the population is occurring.
C. immigration into the population is occurring.
D. the population is large.

Answer: D


Question: Deposition of sediment during floods makes the land near some rivers

Choices:
A. acidic.
B. fertile.
C. hilly.
D. unstable.

Answer: B


Question: Old, worn-out rubber tires are called scrap tires. Which way of disposing of scrap tires is best for the environment?

Choices:
A. burning the tires
B. dumping the tires in a lake
C. burying the tires in a landfill
D. taking the tires to a recycling center

Answer: D


Question: Which material is the best conductor of heat at room temperature?

Choices:
A. air
B. water
C. sulfur
D. copper

Answer: D


Question: A student drops a white tablet into a glass of water, producing carbon dioxide gas. This is a demonstration of

Choices:
A. a change of state.
B. a chemical reaction.
C. the creation of matter.
D. the movement of electricity.

Answer: B


Question: Which of these is a structure that is present in all organisms?

Choices:
A. a tissue
B. a cell
C. a stomach
D. a brain

Answer: B


Question: Which set of conditions will produce an electric current in a closed loop of wire?

Choices:
A. a magnet touching the loop of wire
B. a magnet at rest inside the loop of wire
C. a magnet at rest outside the loop of wire
D. a magnet passing through the loop of wire

Answer: D


Question: Extensive folding of sedimentary rock layers on Earth provides indirect evidence of certain processes occurring throughout Earth's history. Which of these is most likely one of these processes?

Choices:
A. convective heat loss from Earth's mantle
B. slowing of the rotation of Earth's core
C. increase in the density of Earth's atmosphere
D. slow increase in the distance of Earth's orbit

Answer: A


Question: An ice cube melts on a hot summer day because the energy of the particles

Choices:
A. decreases over a period of time and is lost.
B. increases and the particles move apart.
C. causes the particles to move closer together.
D. is converted into potential energy.

Answer: B


Question: The relationship between ticks and a dog can best be described as

Choices:
A. mutualism.
B. competition.
C. parasitism.
D. commensalism.

Answer: C


Question: Small grasshoppers shed their outer covering as they grow larger. Which animal also sheds its outer covering as it grows larger?

Choices:
A. frog
B. snake
C. fish
D. human

Answer: B


Question: Two atoms of oxygen combine to form pure oxygen gas. What is the electrical charge of the O_{2} molecules?

Choices:
A. positive
B. negative
C. neutral
D. variable

Answer: C


Question: Which is not a type of electromagnetic wave?

Choices:
A. sound wave
B. x-ray
C. microwave
D. radio wave

Answer: A


Question: What is one way to help slow down or stop the greenhouse effect?

Choices:
A. find new coal resources in the earth
B. clean up the litter in neighborhoods
C. clean up the water pollution in local lakes
D. walk or ride a bike instead of driving a car

Answer: D


Question: Great distances in space are measured in

Choices:
A. kilometers.
B. light years.
C. megameters.
D. astronomical units.

Answer: B


Question: Which of the following gives a plant cell its rigid structure?

Choices:
A. cell membrane
B. nucleus
C. cell wall
D. chloroplast

Answer: C


Question: Which alternative energy resource changes part of a river into a lake?

Choices:
A. solar energy
B. geothermal energy
C. hydropower
D. biofuel energy

Answer: C


Question: A student in a laboratory transfers a beaker containing a hot solution from the lab table to a cool water bath. Which of the following parts of the system experiences an increase in heat energy?

Choices:
A. beaker
B. lab table
C. solution
D. water bath

Answer: D


Question: Which example best illustrates kinetic energy?

Choices:
A. a light bulb that is turned on
B. a car that is parked on top of a hill
C. a comet that is flying through space
D. a battery that is connected to a circuit

Answer: C


Question: Which theory about the origin of the universe states that a densely packed sphere exploded, forming clouds that condensed into galaxies?

Choices:
A. the Galaxy theory
B. the Big Bang theory
C. the Steady State theory
D. the Oscillating theory

Answer: B


Question: Which characteristic is shared by all members of Arthropoda and Chordata phyla?

Choices:
A. mandibles
B. simple eyes
C. jointed limbs
D. one pair of wings

Answer: C


Question: Which of the following is certain to change as a ball accelerates?

Choices:
A. mass of the ball
B. inertia of the ball
C. velocity of the ball
D. force acting on the ball

Answer: C


Question: One year a farmer decided not to plant crops in one of his fields. During that year his farm received a greater amount of precipitation than normal. Which will most likely occur in that unplanted field as a result of the greater precipitation?

Choices:
A. more carbon dioxide will be trapped in the field
B. erosion of topsoil will increase in the field
C. invasive species will inhabit the field
D. animals will dig burrows in the field

Answer: B


Question: Which group of energy sources are ALL renewable?

Choices:
A. coal, oil, and natural gas
B. solar, oil, and geothermal
C. wind, solar, and tidal
D. natural gas, solar, and tidal

Answer: C


Question: What happens to the molecules of a liquid when the liquid cools?

Choices:
A. They slow down.
B. They speed up.
C. They decrease in number
D. They decrease in size

Answer: A


Question: Some individuals are unable to digest the lactose found in the milk of cows. The digestive systems of these individuals most likely lack which?

Choices:
A. a lipid that coats lactose molecules
B. an ability to produce lactose internally
C. an enzyme that catalyzes lactose breakdown
D. a tolerance to lactose developed during childhood

Answer: C


Question: Use the information below to answer the question. The human body is composed of different systems made of specialized cells, tissues, and organs. Each of these structures has a specific function that aids in the survival of the human species. Which organs are used in reproduction?

Choices:
A. brain, spinal cord, and eyes
B. lungs, esophagus, and heart
C. mouth, stomach, and gallbladder
D. ovaries, uterus, and fallopian tubes

Answer: D


Question: Which of the following best describes the relationship between frequency and wavelength of electromagnetic waves?

Choices:
A. If the frequency remains constant, the wavelength increases.
B. The wavelength decreases as the frequency decreases.
C. The frequency increases as the wavelength decreases.
D. If the wavelength remains constant, the frequency increases.

Answer: C


Question: Which pair would be most necessary for life to develop on another planet?

Choices:
A. sulfur and nitrogen
B. helium and hydrogen
C. liquid water and carbon
D. chlorophyll and oxygen

Answer: C


Question: How are light and sound similar?

Choices:
A. They both travel at the same speed.
B. They are both waves.
C. They are both electromagnetic.
D. They both travel through a vacuum.

Answer: B


Question: When heated, mercuric oxide decomposes to form liquid mercury and oxygen. A scientist heated 10 grams (g) of mercuric oxide and formed 9.3 grams of liquid mercury. How many grams of oxygen were formed?

Choices:
A. 0.7 g
B. 9.3 g
C. 10.0 g
D. 19.3 g

Answer: A


Question: When chlorine gas reacts with sodium metal, what type of substance is formed?

Choices:
A. A mixture
B. A compound
C. An element
D. An alloy
E. A solution

Answer: B


Question: A structure that carries a single unit of hereditary information is a

Choices:
1. gene
2. tissue
3. sex cell
4. pedigree chart

Answer: 1


Question: Muscle cells need to quickly convert energy from food molecules into a usable form. For this reason, which of the following do muscle cells have in greater numbers than most other types of cells?

Choices:
A. chromosomes
B. mitochondria
C. nuclei
D. vacuoles

Answer: B


Question: Which would help conserve water?

Choices:
A. Turn off water while brushing teeth
B. Wash the car every day
C. Water the lawn every day
D. Run the dishwasher after each meal

Answer: A


Question: Which of these are both supplied to Earth by the Sun?

Choices:
A. coal and oil
B. heat and light
C. friction and electricity
D. gravity and magnetism

Answer: B


Question: A red flowered plant (RR) is crossed with a white flowered plant (WW) and produces plants with pink flowers (RW). If two pink flowered plants are crossed, what color offspring could be produced?

Choices:
A. red, white, and pink
B. red and white
C. pink and red
D. pink and white

Answer: A


Question: Which is the most accurate model to show how amino acids form proteins?

Choices:
A. bees in a hive
B. cars on a train
C. petals on a flower
D. pieces in a jigsaw puzzle

Answer: B


Question: What is the main function of the chloroplasts in plant cells?

Choices:
A. to produce glucose
B. to keep the cell rigid
C. to make the cell divide
D. to allow the plant to reproduce

Answer: A


Question: Gravity can be defined as a force of attraction between objects. The effects of gravity can be witnessed in many systems. Which of these actions is an example of gravity influencing other systems?

Choices:
A. surface water evaporating into the atmosphere
B. planets moving around the Sun in an elliptical pattern
C. glaciers melting because of increasing temperatures
D. groundwater moving to the surface in an artesian well

Answer: B


Question: Which characteristic of a cold-water upwelling near the coast of Northern California results in a large concentration of marine organisms?

Choices:
A. loss of thermal stability
B. high nutrient concentration
C. consistent surface-current flow rate
D. increased availability of dissolved oxygen

Answer: B


Question: When mountains are formed, there is an interaction between areas of Earth. Which two will interact and result in the formation of mountains?

Choices:
A. hydrosphere and biosphere
B. troposphere and ionosphere
C. hydrosphere and lithosphere
D. asthenosphere and lithosphere

Answer: D


Question: A model of the Moon would be different from a model of Earth in that the Moon should

Choices:
A. be smaller than Earth.
B. have a source of light inside.
C. have a smoother surface than Earth.
D. have fewer impact craters on the surface.

Answer: A


Question: Which of the following correctly lists the structures in space from smallest to largest?

Choices:
A. star, galaxy, solar system, universe
B. star, solar system, galaxy, universe
C. star, solar system, universe, galaxy
D. star, universe, solar system, galaxy

Answer: B


Question: Some changes are fast. Some changes are slow. Which of these changes is most likely the slowest?

Choices:
A. fire
B. flood
C. landslide
D. drought

Answer: D


Question: Which of these diseases is caused by a bacterium?

Choices:
A. rabies
B. influenza
C. strep throat
D. chicken pox

Answer: C


Question: When is the most energy transferred from the Sun to water in the water cycle?

Choices:
A. during collection
B. during evaporation
C. during condensation
D. during precipitation

Answer: B


Question: Which of the following shows the correct sequence of inventions?

Choices:
A. printing press -> microscope -> telephone
B. television -> automobile -> microwave
C. airplane -> microphone -> radio
D. Doppler radar -> microphone -> telescope

Answer: A


Question: When two animals live in the same area and depend on the same organism for food, they are

Choices:
A. competing
B. decomposing
C. germinating
D. hibernating

Answer: A


Question: Which statement describes a primary function of the cell wall of a plant cell?

Choices:
A. The cell wall performs photosynthesis.
B. The cell wall stores DNA.
C. The cell wall provides structural support.
D. The cell wall manufactures proteins.

Answer: C


Question: Which metric units should be used to describe the mass of an object?

Choices:
A. centimeters
B. liters
C. grams
D. degrees Celsius

Answer: C


Question: Which form of energy is produced when a guitar string vibrates?

Choices:
A. chemical
B. light
C. magnetic
D. sound

Answer: D


Question: Andre learned that plants survive through a process called photosynthesis. Which substance do plants produce during photosynthesis?

Choices:
A. minerals
B. nitrogen
C. soil
D. sugar

Answer: D


Question: For years, scientists have classified plants according to their characteristics. Which most likely has led scientists to better identify and discover new species of plants?

Choices:
A. construction of 3-D models
B. advances in the study of DNA
C. understanding the process of mitosis
D. development of the scientific method

Answer: B


Question: Which material best conducts heat and electricity?

Choices:
A. metal
B. plastic
C. rubber
D. wood

Answer: A


Question: Which two characteristics affect a planet's gravitational attraction to the Sun?

Choices:
A. mass and volume
B. volume and length of day
C. distance from the Sun and mass
D. length of day and distance from the Sun

Answer: C


Question: When a prairie ecosystem was disturbed, an invasive grass species outcompeted the native grass. The new grass had less nutritional value for the organisms living in the area. Which category of organism will be affected by this change first?

Choices:
A. predators
B. herbivores
C. scavengers
D. decomposers

Answer: B


Question: In the 1970s, the pesticide DDT was used to kill insects that damaged fruit and vegetable crops. Most insects died from being exposed to DDT, but some survived. These surviving insects contributed to an increase in their population by

Choices:
A. migrating to habitats that had different types of crops.
B. learning how to avoid being exposed to DDT.
C. passing the gene for DDT resistance to their offspring.
D. competing with other types of insects for food.

Answer: C


Question: Binary stars orbit around the center of mass of the two stars. What causes the stars to remain together?

Choices:
A. gravity between the stars
B. energy released from the stars
C. nuclear reactions in the stars
D. magnetic attraction between the stars

Answer: A


Question: After a star runs out of most of its hydrogen fuel, it becomes hotter and more luminous. What stage does this represent in the life cycle of a star?

Choices:
A. quasar
B. protostar
C. red giant
D. white dwarf

Answer: C


Question: How does no-till farming help the environment?

Choices:
A. It decreases soil erosion.
B. It increases soil removal.
C. It increases fertilizer use.
D. It decreases crop yield.

Answer: A


Question: In a laboratory, a sealed container with 100 g of steam is cooled until all the steam becomes a liquid. The container is then cooled further until all the water becomes a solid. Which of the following remains constant during both of these changes?

Choices:
A. the mass of the water
B. the pressure in the container
C. the total energy of the water
D. the position of the atoms in the container

Answer: A


Question: A student has decided to investigate whether the number of flowers on a plant will increase if the water supply to the plant is increased. She has five pots of geranium plants to use in her experiment. What factor in the experiment should be varied for the five plants in order to answer the student's question?

Choices:
A. age of seedlings
B. temperature of water
C. volume of water
D. number of hours in sunlight

Answer: C


Question: The energy that allows the water cycle to occur comes from

Choices:
A. friction.
B. electricity.
C. the Sun.
D. radioactive decay.

Answer: C


Question: Organisms that are classified as multicellular must have

Choices:
A. only one cell.
B. large cells.
C. more than one cell.
D. identical cells.

Answer: C


Question: Where does air go when a person breathes in?

Choices:
A. Into the heart
B. Into the stomach
C. Into the lungs
D. Into the liver

Answer: C


Question: Kudzu vines grow by climbing and wrapping around trees. Trees covered by kudzu can die because they are starved of sunlight. What type of relationship exists between the trees and the kudzu growing on them?

Choices:
A. competition
B. mutualism
C. parasitism
D. predator-prey

Answer: A


Question: In the United States, which is responsible for ensuring the safety of the country's drinking water?

Choices:
A. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA)
B. Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
C. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA)
D. Center for Disease Control (CDC)

Answer: A


Question: A student makes a fruit drink by stirring a powdered mix into cold water. Why is the fruit drink a solution?

Choices:
A. The powder dissolves in the water.
B. The water changes color.
C. The student stirs the water.
D. The water is the proper temperature.

Answer: A


Question: Which life function is the same for an amoeba as for other freshwater protists?

Choices:
A. the method used to obtain nutrients and energy
B. the process used to constantly remove excess water
C. the method used to detect changes in their environment
D. the process used to remove waste products from their cytoplasm

Answer: B


Question: Proxima Centauri is the closest star to the Sun. Which units do astronomers most often use for the distance between Earth and Proxima Centauri?

Choices:
A. miles
B. meters
C. light years
D. astronomical units

Answer: C


Question: One positive effect of recycling aluminum cans to manufacture new beverage containers is

Choices:
1. conserving Earth's resources
2. creating acid rain
3. warming Earth's atmosphere
4. increasing the ozone layer

Answer: 1


Question: Students are conducting an investigation to see how sunlight affects the speed of plant growth. They measure the growth of the plant at the end of two weeks. What would be the best way to communicate the results of this investigation?

Choices:
A. draw a picture
B. make some notes
C. make a chart or graph
D. tell the science teacher

Answer: C


Question: The conservation of matter can be demonstrated by using chemical equations. Which chemical equation demonstrates the conservation of matter?

Choices:
A. 2Sn + 4HNO_{3} -> SnO_{2} + 4NO_{2} + H_{2}O
B. I_{2} + 5Cl_{2} + 6H_{2}O -> 2HIO_{3} + 10HCl
C. Cl + 4Na -> 4NaCl
D. 4P + 5HNO_{3} -> 5NO + 3H_{3}PO_{4}

Answer: B


Question: As the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere increases, which occurrence is most likely a long-term result?

Choices:
A. The polar ice caps will melt.
B. Volcanoes will erupt more often.
C. The number of earthquakes will decrease.
D. Rainforests will be unable to support animal life.

Answer: A


Question: Which mineral, found in Arkansas, is an ore that can be used to produce aluminum?

Choices:
A. quartz
B. galena
C. bauxite
D. diamond

Answer: C


Question: A summer day begins with a clear, sunny sky. Then, dark clouds form in the afternoon. What type of weather will MOST likely happen next?

Choices:
A. Sleet and snow
B. Rain and thunder
C. Wind and snow
D. Fog and wind

Answer: B


Question: Eagles have strong, sharp beaks that are most likely adapted for the eagle to eat

Choices:
A. fish.
B. eggs.
C. worms.
D. flowers.

Answer: A


Question: When a spoon hits a table, it makes a loud sound. When the spoon hits a soft cushion, it does not make a sound. What is the difference between the table and the cushion that accounts for the sound?

Choices:
A. The table is more reactive than the cushion.
B. The table vibrates more than the cushion.
C. The table is more insulated than the cushion.
D. The table has more potential energy than the cushion.

Answer: B


Question: When Dennis operates his lawnmower, he notices the engine makes a lot of noise. He also notices that the engine gets very hot. Which best describes the heat and noise generated from the lawnmower?

Choices:
A. a change in phase
B. thermal expansion
C. an increase in entropy
D. mechanical advantage

Answer: C


Question: What objects are affected by Earth's gravity?

Choices:
A. only objects that have mass
B. only objects that sink in water
C. only objects that are made of metal
D. only objects that are heavier than air

Answer: A


Question: Abnormal cell division in humans may result in

Choices:
1. cancer
2. fertilization
3. asexual reproduction
4. dynamic equilibrium

Answer: 1


Question: A donkey and a horse can be bred to produce a mule. Which observation is evidence that donkeys and horses are two different species?

Choices:
A. They have different body sizes.
B. A mule is not able to reproduce.
C. They are found in different environments.
D. A mule does not resemble either parent.

Answer: B


Question: What should students use to identify the percent chance of a trait being passed down from a parent to its offspring?

Choices:
A. a graph
B. a flow chart
C. a data table
D. a Punnett square

Answer: D


Question: Which rankings of trees would most likely useful in a scientific study of fruit production in apple trees?

Choices:
A. date of flowering and the fruit yield
B. fruit yield and taste of the fruit
C. taste of the fruit and smell of the flower
D. date of flowering and smell of the flower

Answer: A


Question: Which of the following characteristics is an acquired trait?

Choices:
A. height
B. hair color
C. language
D. eye shape

Answer: C


Question: Which stimulus causes a responding plant to demonstrate phototropism?

Choices:
A. intensity of light
B. direction of light
C. length of day
D. time of day

Answer: B


Question: Estuaries are marine environments located in areas where fresh water from rivers flow into the ocean. Estuaries are one of the most biologically productive ecosystems. Birds, fish, turtles and many other organisms inhabit these ecosystems. Which will most likely cause changes to estuary habitats on a global scale?

Choices:
A. decreases in powerful hurricanes
B. decreases in volcanic eruptions
C. increases in earthquakes
D. increases in sea level

Answer: D


Question: The trunk of a pine tree supports the tree. Which part of a daisy supports the plant the same way?

Choices:
A. stem
B. flower
C. root
D. leaf

Answer: A


Question: What property of electromagnetic waves makes it possible to use these waves to transmit information between a space shuttle and NASA mission control centers on the ground?

Choices:
A. Electromagnetic waves are transverse waves.
B. Electromagnetic waves have very low velocity.
C. Electromagnetic waves are all visible to human eyes.
D. Electromagnetic waves can travel through a vacuum.

Answer: D


Question: A student is investigating solar energy by cooking food in an oven powered by the Sun. On which of the following days will the food cook most quickly?

Choices:
A. a warm, rainy day
B. a warm, sunny day
C. a warm, cloudy day
D. a hot, cloudy day

Answer: B


Question: Which is the correct order of the planets from the Sun?

Choices:
A. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Saturn, Uranus, Jupiter, Mars, Neptune
B. Mercury, Earth, Mars, Venus, Saturn, Jupiter, Neptune, Uranus
C. Mercury, Venus, Mars, Earth, Jupiter, Uranus, Saturn, Neptune
D. Mercury, Venus, Earth, Mars, Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, Neptune

Answer: D


Question: Which of these is the basic building block of complex organisms?

Choices:
A. a cell
B. a tissue
C. an organ
D. an organ system

Answer: A


Question: Which human response is most likely to occur because the air temperature is 90°F?

Choices:
A. blinking
B. salivating
C. shivering
D. sweating

Answer: D


Question: What are the properties of the Earth's crust and mantle that are most responsible for Earth's tectonic activity?

Choices:
A. They are in different states and have different temperatures.
B. They are in the same state but have different temperatures.
C. They are in different states but have the same temperature.
D. They are the same state and have the same temperature.

Answer: A


Question: When a butterfly emerges from its chrysalis, its wings are crumpled. In order to expand its wings, the butterfly hangs upside down, causing fluid to be pumped into the veins of its wings. This pumping most likely expands the wings by

Choices:
A. increasing the pressure inside the wings
B. decreasing the density of the wings
C. increasing the temperature inside the wings
D. decreasing the mass of the wings

Answer: A


Question: Which of the following characteristics will best prevent a tree from being blown over by high winds during a storm?

Choices:
A. deep roots
B. long branches
C. thick bark
D. wide leaves

Answer: A


Question: Both prokaryotes and eukaryotes have small, free-floating organelles. The cell makes these organelles from nucleic acids and amino acids found in food. Without these organelles, the cell could not make proteins. What are these organelles called?

Choices:
A. chloroplasts
B. mitochondria
C. ribosomes
D. vesicles

Answer: C


Question: Which temperature is the freezing point of water?

Choices:
A. 0°F
B. 32°F
C. 50°F
D. 100°F

Answer: B


Question: Which statement best describes the molecules in a sample of water that was heated from a liquid to a gas?

Choices:
A. The average size of the molecules decreased.
B. The average size of the molecules increased.
C. The average kinetic energy of the molecules decreased.
D. The average kinetic energy of the molecules increased.

Answer: D


Question: Constellations are patterns of objects seen in the night sky from Earth. How are the objects in constellations like the Sun?

Choices:
A. The objects are stars.
B. The objects are planets.
C. The objects are located in this solar system.
D. The objects heat the atmosphere of Earth.

Answer: A


Question: Which is a trait a human most directly inherits from its parents?

Choices:
A. eye color
B. musical taste
C. career choice
D. interest in reading

Answer: A


Question: When observing a very small piece of dust in a liquid under a microscope, the dust appears to jiggle slightly. This movement results from the dust interacting with the molecules in the liquid. What property of the molecules in the liquid causes this effect?

Choices:
A. The molecules briefly form chemical bonds with nearby objects.
B. The molecules are always in random motion.
C. The molecules transfer an electric charge to the dust particles.
D. The molecules frequently change shape.

Answer: B


Question: Which of the following happens in our solar system?

Choices:
A. Earth revolves around the sun once per day.
B. The moon revolves around Earth once per day.
C. Earth revolves around the sun once per year.
D. The moon revolves around Earth once per year.

Answer: C


Question: On a cold day, a student felt the tires of her bike before riding it to the store. When she arrived at the store, she felt the tires again and noticed that they were warmer. What caused the temperature of the bicycle tires to change?

Choices:
A. the wind blowing against the tires
B. the air escaping from the spinning tires
C. the rubbing between the ground and the tires
D. the heat transferring from the rider's hands to the tire

Answer: C


Question: Chloroplasts in cells make it possible for the cells to

Choices:
A. reproduce.
B. hold their rigid shape.
C. absorb and excrete materials.
D. carry out photosynthesis.

Answer: D


Question: Which of these is the most important product of Virginia forests?

Choices:
A. Pecan trees
B. Pine cones
C. Hardwood lumber
D. Maple leaves

Answer: C


Question: Research in which of these areas has the greatest impact on the environment?

Choices:
A. irradiating food
B. organic fertilizers
C. bacteria to clean up oil spills
D. developing larger, sweeter strawberries

Answer: C


Question: The surface of Earth is covered mostly by

Choices:
1. solid rock
2. molten rock
3. ice
4. water

Answer: 4


Question: Which pair of systems is responsible for the flow of blood in the human body?

Choices:
A. circulatory and skeletal systems
B. skeletal and excretory systems
C. muscular and circulatory systems
D. respiratory and muscular systems

Answer: C


Question: Where are the most reactive metals located on the periodic table?

Choices:
A. the uppermost complete row of the table
B. the rows at the bottom of the table connecting two section
C. the column at the far left side of the table
D. the second column from the right side of the table

Answer: C


Question: What major and potentially catastrophic events can be predicted to occur in the Northern Hemisphere between the months of June and November?

Choices:
A. tsunamis
B. hurricanes
C. asteroid impacts
D. volcanic eruptions

Answer: B


Question: The pull of gravity from Earth has the greatest effect on

Choices:
A. comets.
B. the Sun.
C. asteroids.
D. the Moon.

Answer: D


Question: What is the main advantage of making a laptop computer light in weight?

Choices:
A. to make it easy to carry
B. to keep it simple to build
C. to make the screen easy to read
D. to provide storage for an electrical cord

Answer: A


Question: It takes 365 days for

Choices:
A. Earth to travel halfway around the Sun.
B. the Moon to travel halfway around Earth.
C. Earth to complete one orbit around the Sun.
D. the Moon to complete one orbit around Earth.

Answer: C


Question: Some scientists once believed that Earth was solid like a marble. Which of these has been most responsible for changes in the scientific view of the structure of Earth?

Choices:
A. discussions among earth scientists about new data
B. scientific books defining the layers of Earth
C. a lead scientist explaining the structure of Earth
D. a physical model of Earth showing its layers

Answer: A


Question: A student wants to organize a group of animals into two categories based on observable external features. Which display will most appropriately show the two categories of animals?

Choices:
A. a timeline
B. a pie chart
C. a data table
D. a line graph

Answer: C


Question: Ribosomes present in a particular cell are smaller than those found in plants. In which taxonomic group or groups could the cell be classified?

Choices:
A. fungi only
B. archaea only
C. bacteria or archaea
D. bacteria or fungi

Answer: C


Question: What happens to the path of a light ray as it passes from air into water at an angle?

Choices:
A. Its path widens.
B. Its path bends.
C. Its path becomes shorter.
D. Its path continues in a straight line.

Answer: B


Question: Vibrations in the air caused by hitting a drum form

Choices:
A. radiation.
B. light.
C. electricity.
D. sound.

Answer: D


Question: As humans grow, their bodies change. Which of these statements explains how humans grow?

Choices:
A. Cells form a cell wall.
B. Cells increase in size.
C. Cells undergo cell division.
D. Cells merge to become larger.

Answer: C


Question: Which event below involves a constructive force?

Choices:
A. earthquake
B. volcanic eruption
C. flood
D. wind storm

Answer: B


Question: Which of the following are formed when two crustal plates collide with one another?

Choices:
A. hot spots
B. rift valleys
C. mountain ranges
D. mid-ocean ridges

Answer: C


Question: The nucleus contains DNA. Which statement best describes how DNA controls the working of the cell?

Choices:
A. It codes for proteins.
B. It inhibits division of cells.
C. It helps in energy transformation.
D. It regulates traffic in and out of the cell.

Answer: A


Question: Which of the following provides the best evidence that Earth has evolved over geologic time?

Choices:
A. coral reefs that slowly changed size
B. desert sand dunes that were shaped by winds
C. deposits of sediment found at the mouth of a river
D. rock containing fossilized seashells found on a mountaintop

Answer: D


Question: The best explanation of why carnivores are dependent on plants is because they

Choices:
A. need to consume plant matter.
B. use plants for shelter.
C. need carbon dioxide released by plants.
D. consume other animals that eat plants.

Answer: D


Question: In the late 1600s, Anton van Leeuwenhoek began making observations with simple magnifying lenses that he constructed. To which scientific field is Leeuwenhoek credited with the most contributions?

Choices:
A. plant genetics
B. disease control
C. DNA sequencing
D. microbiology

Answer: D


Question: Which section of Earth is composed primarily of liquid metal?

Choices:
A. crust
B. mantle
C. outer core
D. inner core

Answer: C


Question: One way humans store energy is by making the molecule glycogen. Clusters of which atoms are rearranged when the body digests plant sugars to make glycogen?

Choices:
A. hydrogen, nitrogen, carbon
B. oxygen, sulfur, carbon
C. carbon, hydrogen, oxygen
D. nitrogen, carbon, sulfur

Answer: C


Question: The number of stars in the Milky Way Galaxy is best estimated as

Choices:
A. one hundred thousand.
B. one hundred million.
C. one hundred billion.
D. one hundred trillion.

Answer: C


Question: Which type of substances serves as a catalyst for reactions that break large food molecules into smaller useful molecules?

Choices:
A. enzymes
B. vitamins
C. lipids
D. nucleotides

Answer: A


Question: What effect does gravity always have on an object on Earth?

Choices:
A. makes the object move
B. makes the object stay still
C. pushes the object upward
D. pulls the object downward

Answer: D


Question: Which is the best example of a chemical reaction?

Choices:
A. blocked sunlight casts a shadow
B. sunlight evaporates water from a lake
C. oxygen absorbs sunlight forming ozone molecules
D. a prism refracts sunlight into light of different wavelengths

Answer: C


Question: Some one-celled organisms can reproduce by the process of

Choices:
1. hormone secretion
2. metamorphosis
3. fertilization
4. cell division

Answer: 4


Question: One important use of coal is to produce energy for homes. Coal can be burned and converted to

Choices:
A. wind energy.
B. nuclear energy.
C. electrical energy.
D. solar energy.

Answer: C


Question: Which of the following is NOT a mixture?

Choices:
A. Air
B. Blood
C. Orange juice
D. Salt

Answer: D


Question: What kind of energy do all moving objects have?

Choices:
A. Light energy
B. Solar energy
C. Kinetic energy
D. Renewable energy

Answer: C


Question: In a forest ecosystem, the squirrels eat seeds from trees. The squirrels are then eaten by hawks, owls, and foxes. If there were no more owls present in this ecosystem, which would most likely happen in the forest?

Choices:
A. The squirrel population would increase.
B. The hawk population would decrease.
C. The fox population would decrease.
D. The tree population would increase.

Answer: A


Question: Which of the following has the greatest direct influence on movement of the lithosphere?

Choices:
A. the Sun
B. the Moon
C. Earth's core
D. Earth's mantle

Answer: D


Question: When humans first began to grow crops, which of these most likely contributed to the extinction of native animal species?

Choices:
A. pollution
B. climate change
C. habitat destruction
D. tectonic plate motion

Answer: C


Question: Which of these does the MOST harm to the air?

Choices:
A. Chopping down trees with an ax in the backyard
B. Collecting fall leaves
C. Cutting grass with a gas-powered lawnmower
D. Picking colorful wildflowers along the highway

Answer: C


Question: A scanning electron microscope is best suited for observing

Choices:
A. diffraction of light.
B. tectonic features on planets.
C. the surfaces of small objects.
D. topographical features on the ocean floor.

Answer: C


Question: A bird eats a brightly-colored insect that tastes bad. The bird avoids preying on this type of insect again. This example is best described as

Choices:
A. a physical characteristic.
B. a learned behavior.
C. an inherited behavior.
D. an adaptation.

Answer: B


Question: In winter, the arctic fox has white fur. In summer, its fur changes color to brown and gray. The change in fur color helps the arctic fox to ___.

Choices:
A. run
B. mate
C. hide
D. hibernate

Answer: C


Question: In which ways are hills most different from mountains?

Choices:
A. Hills are smaller and more rounded.
B. Hills are deeper and more level.
C. Hills are steeper and rockier.
D. Hills are taller and snowy.

Answer: A


Question: A bird builds a nest to

Choices:
A. hibernate in winter
B. shelter its offspring
C. produce more feathers
D. eliminate waste

Answer: B


Question: Which statement best describes the motion of the molecules of a solid object?

Choices:
A. They vibrate in place within a fixed volume.
B. They move around freely within a fixed volume.
C. They vibrate in place and take the shape of a container.
D. They move around freely and take the shape of a container.

Answer: A


Question: What happens when salt water is boiled?

Choices:
A. The water evaporates and the salt remains in the beaker.
B. Both the salt and the water evaporate and leave the beaker.
C. The salt becomes a new compound.
D. The salt will evaporate from the water and disperse into the environment.

Answer: A


Question: Which set of elements has similar bonding properties?

Choices:
A. Cl, Br, and F
B. K, Ca, and Sc
C. Kr, Cl, and O
D. Be, C, and O

Answer: A


Question: Which body system processes foods into a useable source of energy?

Choices:
A. circulatory
B. digestive
C. nervous
D. skeletal

Answer: B


Question: What is the best way for a scientist to begin an investigation on a population of deer?

Choices:
A. typing results into a computer
B. intuition
C. writing facts in a field notebook
D. observing the deer in their own habitat

Answer: D


Question: Which property of an object describes how easily electricity travels through it?

Choices:
A. color
B. temperature
C. reflectivity
D. conductivity

Answer: D


Question: Which is a statement of fact?

Choices:
A. The Sun is very pretty.
B. The Sun is fun to study.
C. The Sun is larger than Earth.
D. The Sun is more interesting than the Moon.

Answer: C


Question: Sydney is learning about the sources of energy that can run out. Which energy source will run out the fastest?

Choices:
A. flowing water
B. natural gas
C. sunlight
D. wind

Answer: B


Question: The first organisms to occupy an area after a prairie fire are known as

Choices:
A. primary species.
B. secondary species.
C. succession species.
D. pioneer species.

Answer: D


Question: Which of the following is caused by a virus?

Choices:
A. ulcer
B. malaria
C. tuberculosis
D. influenza

Answer: D


Question: When a beam of light passes through a clear, convex lens, the light will mostly

Choices:
A. diffract and spread out.
B. diffract and come to a focal point.
C. refract and come to a focal point.
D. refract and spread out.

Answer: C


Question: The symptoms of strep throat infection are a red and swollen throat. What is the most likely cause of strep throat?

Choices:
A. eating raw vegetables
B. drinking lemonade
C. invading bacteria
D. running in cold weather

Answer: C


Question: Compared to the particles in a hardened lava sample, the particles in a liquid lava sample

Choices:
1. have a lower temperature
2. have less kinetic energy
3. are moving faster
4. are closer together

Answer: 3


Question: Which characteristic do both the Moon and Earth share?

Choices:
A. They both have rocky surfaces.
B. They both have active volcanoes.
C. They both have similar atmospheres.
D. They both have the same gravitational pull.

Answer: A


Question: Which would be the most likely effect of a large decrease in the number of woodpeckers in a forest?

Choices:
A. Temperatures would increase.
B. Precipitation would increase.
C. The number of trees in the forest would increase.
D. The insect population in the forest would increase.

Answer: D


Question: Which two life processes occur in both plants and humans?

Choices:
A. growing and reproducing
B. germinating and making food
C. growing and making food
D. germinating and reproducing

Answer: A


Question: In order for Galileo to build a telescope, he needed to know about

Choices:
A. lenses.
B. metals.
C. chemical mixtures.
D. the making of leather.

Answer: A


Question: A birdwatcher wants to identify an eastern bluebird. What feature of a bird should the birdwatcher evaluate first to identify an eastern bluebird?

Choices:
A. beak shape
B. eye position
C. feather pattern
D. tail-feather length

Answer: C


Question: When a neutral atom gains or loses electrons, it becomes

Choices:
A. more stable.
B. an isotope.
C. an ion.
D. less charged.

Answer: C


Question: Which is an effect of regular exercise?

Choices:
A. weaker bones
B. less energy
C. better hearing
D. stronger heart

Answer: D


Question: A light year is used to measure

Choices:
A. time.
B. distance.
C. luminosity.
D. temperature.

Answer: B


Question: As an object falls, air resistance gradually increases until it is equal with the pull of gravity. This effect is called

Choices:
A. final velocity.
B. initial velocity.
C. escape velocity.
D. terminal velocity.

Answer: D


Question: All of these elements are metals except

Choices:
A. gold.
B. helium.
C. sodium.
D. aluminum.

Answer: B


Question: Observation and measurement are important to scientific investigations because

Choices:
A. they are part of the instructions.
B. they are used to test a hypothesis.
C. they are required to make a hypothesis.
D. they keep you safe during an investigation.

Answer: B


Question: When air rises over the open ocean, a low pressure system is formed. Which factor increases the potential of a low pressure system developing into a hurricane in the Northern Hemisphere?

Choices:
A. cool ocean currents circulating towards the equator
B. increased volcanic activity in the upper latitudes
C. cold air moving south from the North Pole
D. warm water temperatures in the tropics

Answer: D


Question: Imprints of the shells of ocean clams are often found in the rocks of the Appalachian Mountains. What do these imprint fossils most likely indicate?

Choices:
A. These mountains were once under the ocean.
B. These mountains once had a more rainy climate.
C. Mountain river clams evolved from ocean clams.
D. Ocean clams evolved from mountain river clams.

Answer: A


Question: A population of ground squirrels has established a community in the grasslands of the Great Plains. Temperatures often reach -15°C for most of the winter. What is the most likely behavior the ground squirrels use to survive these winter temperatures?

Choices:
A. burrowing below the frost point of the soil surface
B. burrowing in tree trunks above the soil surface
C. consuming roots found under the soil surface
D. consuming organisms found in the soil surface

Answer: A


Question: Which is the lowest level of environmental organization that would include the water quality and air temperature in an area?

Choices:
A. biome
B. ecosystem
C. community
D. population

Answer: B


Question: When you bend your arm at the elbow, the bones and muscles in your arm are acting as a system. What simple machine does this system represent?

Choices:
A. Inclined plane
B. Pulley
C. Wedge
D. Lever

Answer: D


Question: A student places a pan of water on the stove. What happens to some of the water as it is heated to a boil?

Choices:
A. It becomes a gas.
B. It becomes a solid.
C. It gets new atomic bonds.
D. It gets destroyed.

Answer: A


Question: What are the parts that make up an atom?

Choices:
A. electrons, neutrons, and protons
B. electrons, protons, and gamma rays
C. neutrons, photons, and beta particles
D. neutrons, protons, and alpha particles

Answer: A


Question: One end of a metal rod is placed over a flame during an investigation. A thermometer is touching the opposite end of the metal rod. Which best describes what is happening during this investigation?

Choices:
A. Convection carries heat to the thermometer.
B. Radiant energy warms the thermometer.
C. Mechanical energy from the flame carries heat to the thermometer.
D. Heat from the flame is conducted through the metal rod to the thermometer.

Answer: D


Question: Mountains are most likely formed

Choices:
A. when glaciers melt.
B. from earthquakes.
C. when land sinks.
D. along tectonic plates.

Answer: D


Question: Read the information about Alice's science project then answer the question. Alice needed to design a science project. She decided that she wanted to focus her project on how an earthworm's behavior helps it survive. Alice wrote down four ideas about earthworm behavior that she wanted to test. Which idea can be tested experimentally?

Choices:
A. Earthworms like the taste of dirt better than sand.
B. Earthworms are happier in black dirt than red dirt.
C. Earthworms exist to decompose decaying materials.
D. Earthworms will move away from direct light sources.

Answer: D


Question: What do the elements sulfur (S), nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), and bromine (Br) have in common?

Choices:
A. They are noble (inert) gases.
B. They are nonmetals.
C. They have the same thermal conductivity.
D. They have the same number of protons.

Answer: B


Question: Tissue plasminogen activator is a natural blood thinner. The coded sequence for the blood thinner is called PLAT , found on chromosome 8. It is used to treat people who have heart attacks and strokes. Tissue plasminogen activator can be made through genetic engineering. What is tissue plasminogen activator?

Choices:
A. a gene
B. a protein
C. a platelet
D. a DNA molecule

Answer: B


Question: Which of these groups contains only metric measurements?

Choices:
A. inches, grams, ounces
B. inches, pounds, ounces
C. centimeters, grams, milliliters
D. centimeters, pounds, milliliters

Answer: C


Question: Scientists use large optical telescopes to obtain information about the planets in the solar system. What wavelengths of electromagnetic radiation provide this information?

Choices:
A. gamma radiation
B. infrared radiation
C. radio waves
D. visible light

Answer: D


Question: Which scientist is credited for the development of the polio vaccine?

Choices:
A. Jonas Salk
B. Neil Armstrong
C. Albert Einstein
D. Jacques Cousteau

Answer: A


Question: When a volcano erupts, new lava is deposited on the slopes of the volcano. After the lava cools and hardens, which types of organisms will most likely be the first to live on the new material?

Choices:
A. large reptiles and amphibians
B. small birds and mammals
C. mosses and lichens
D. bushes and vines

Answer: C


Question: Ella waves good-bye from the bus. What body system pulls on bones to let Ella wave her arm?

Choices:
A. muscular system
B. nervous system
C. digestive system
D. circulatory system

Answer: A