Earth History
Based on radioactive dating, about how old have scientists determined Earth to be?
A. 50,000 years
B. 5 million years
C. 4.5 billion years
D. 14 billion years
C. 4.5 billion years
How is an epidemic different from a pandemic?
A. an epidemic involves a less serious disease
B. an epidemic involves a smaller geographic area
C. an epidemic refers to human diseases, and a pandemic refers to nonhuman diseases
D. an epidemic lasts for a longer time than a pandemic
B. an epidemic involves a smaller geographic area
Which term describes the process by which organisms that are best suited to a particular environment survive and reproduce?
A. competition
B. genetic modification
C. natural selection
D. symbiosis
C. natural selection
Freshwater from the Neuse River meets saltwater from the Atlantic Ocean in Pamlico Sound. Which term best describes Pamlico Sound?
A. aquifer
B. estuary
C. ocean
D. tributary
B. estuary
Which problem is most likely to result from the use of wind power?
A. spinning turbine blades kill birds and bats
B. tanker ships leak into the ocean
C. harmful wastes must be stored for a long time
D. carbon dioxide gas is released into the air
A. spinning turbine blades kill birds and bats
Most fossils are formed in sedimentary rock. Which best explains how this type of rock forms?
A. sedimentary rock forms when melted rock cools and hardens
B. sedimentary rock forms when layers of weathered material are pressed and cemented together
C. sedimentary rocks form when existing rock is chemically transformed by heat and pressure
D. sedimentary rock forms when faulting occurs along plate boundaries
B. sedimentary rock forms when layers of weathered material are pressed and cemented together
Which term describes the causes of chicken pox and the common cold?
A. parasites
B. fungi
C. viruses
D. bacteria
C. viruses
Which term describes the process that breaks down sugar to produce energy, water, and carbon dioxide?
A. decomposition
B. photosynthesis
C. cellular respiration
D. symbiosis
C. cellular respiration
Red drum, or redfish, is North Carolina's official state saltwater fish. In which kind of ecosystem are red drum most likely found?
A. river
B. estuary
C. stream
D. lake
B. estuary
Which pure substance is composed of more than one element?
A. Carbon
B. Gold
C. Water
D. Koolaid
D. Water
The Great Smoky Mountains are examples of mountains that were created by folding. What caused the rocks to fold?
A. continents folding
B. the seafloor spreading
C. volcanoes erupting
D. climates changing
A. continents folding
Which of these diseases can be treated with antibiotics?
A. Lyme disease
B. the common cold
C. influenza
D. AIDS
A. Lyme disease
On the Serengeti Plain, zebras eat grass and giraffes eat the leaves at the tops of trees. Which term best describes the relationship between zebras and giraffes?
A. coexistence
B. competition
C. mutualism
D. predation
A. coexistence
Which pair indicates a healthy water source?
A. low turbidity and high pH levels
B. high salinity and an absence of insect larvae
C. high levels of dissolved oxygen and the presence of fish
D. high levels of phosphates and algae
C. high levels of dissolved oxygen and the presence of fish
Proteins are necessary for growth and repair. Where do animals obtain the nitrogen they need for proteins?
A. from nitrogen compounds in the soil
B. from compounds in the food they eat
C. from nitrogen gas in the air they breathe
D. from the energy released by cellular respiration
B. from compounds in the food they eat
What is a scientist most likely to discover by studying ice cores?
A. how Earth's atmosphere changed over time
B. how different types of animals have evolved and become extinct
C. how faulting and folding has built mountains in the area
D. how long ago the rocks in the area were formed
A. how Earth's atmosphere changed over time
Which of the following reproduces by injecting its genetic material into a host cell?
A. parasite
B. virus
C. bacterium
D. microorganism
B. virus
Which biotic factor would have the greatest impact on the number of rabbits in a meadow?
A. water
B. trees
C. squirrels
D. foxes
D. foxes
Which are the main producers in the ocean?
A. algae and other microscopic organisms
B. seaweed growing on the ocean floor
C. sea grasses growing on the ocean floor
D. microorganisms living near vents in the ocean floor
A. algae and other microscopic organisms
The wings of bats and the arms of humans have similar bone structures but different functions. What does that evidence suggest?
A. bats once had arms instead of wings
B. bats are more closely related to birds than to humans
C. bats are classified in the same genus as humans
D. bats and humans evolved from a common ancestor
D. bats and humans evolved from a common ancestor
A rare fossil shell is found in an area where faulting and folding have disturbed the order of rock layers. Which would best determine the approximate age of this fossil?
A. age of the rock layer above the fossil
B. radioactive carbon-14 dating
C. comparison to dinosaur fossils
D. age of index fossils in the same rock layer
D. age of index fossils in the same rock layer
Cholera is a disease caused by bacteria that live in dirty water. Which situation is most likely to result in an epidemic of cholera?
A. people not washing their hands thoroughly
B. an infected person going on a long airplane trip
C. people letting sewage get into drinking water
D. people overusing antibiotics
C. people letting sewage get into drinking water
Which correctly describes an event in the carbon cycle?
A. animals take in carbon through respiration
B. plants release carbon through photosynthesis
C. plants and animals release carbon through decomposition
D. plants and animals take in carbon through combustion
C. plants and animals release carbon through decomposition
What is the most immediate effect of high levels of nitrates and phosphates in a body of water?
A. the fish population decreases
B. the population of algae increases
C. the levels of dissolved oxygen decrease
D. the pH decreases
B. the population of algae increases
Which describes one of the earliest forms of biotechnology?
A. splicing human genes into bacteria to produce insulin
B. selectively breeding dogs to create a new breed
C. producing a clone of a farm animal
D. determining the sequence of genes in DNA fingerprinting
B. selectively breeding dogs to create a new breed