Life Science
Life Science
Earth Science
Earth Science
Physical Science
100
While studying about reproduction in organisms, a student made the following list.
Title?
• produces genetic diversity
• allows for disease resistance
• offers a chance to reduce or remove undesirable traits from a species
Which title for the list is most accurate?
A. Advantages of Sexual Reproduction
B. Advantages of Asexual Reproduction
C. Disadvantages of Sexual Reproduction
D. Disadvantages of Asexual Reproduction
A. Advantages of Sexual Reproduction
100
Circle a word or phrase in each set of options to correctly describe the process of meiosis.
A single cell divides ( once / twice ) to produce ( two / four / eight ) cells that contain ( the same / half the ) number of chromosomes as the original cell.
twice
four
half the
100
Students are studying fossilized animals from the bottom of an ancient lake. The students make drawings of the fossilized animals.
One student claims that the fossilized animals are related to living animals. Which statement best supports the student’s claim?
A. The fossilized animals have body sizes that are similar to the body sizes of living animals.
B. The fossilized animals are made of rocky materials that are similar to those in the bones of living animals.
C. The fossilized animals have body shapes and parts that are similar to the body shapes and parts of living animals.
D. The fossilized animals show signs of having once lived in habitats that are similar to the habitats of living animals.
C. The fossilized animals have body shapes and parts that are similar to the body shapes and parts of living animals.
100
The Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-Pg) event occurred about 65.5 million years ago. The causes are not completely known, but over fifty percent of all plants and animals went extinct. Evidence shows that Earth experienced a massive heat event that triggered fires, volcanic eruptions, and earthquakes. These activities released large amounts of debris into the air. The debris blocked the sunlight and caused Earth’s surface temperature to become much cooler.Which type of organisms would have most likely survived this event?
A. Organisms that were able to eat only plants on land survived over time.
B. Organisms that were able to grow very large on land survived over time.
C. Organisms that were able to use sunlight to heat their bodies survived over time.
D. Organisms that were able to hide and to store energy to keep warm survived over time.
D. Organisms that were able to hide and to store energy to keep warm survived over time.
100
A student is investigating the transmission of sound waves and light waves through different mediums. The student tests sound wave and light wave transmission within a glass jar with air, without air, and with water.
Select the boxes to represent the mediums that will transmit sound waves and light waves.
Sound - with air, with water
Light - all
200
Planaria are flatworms that reproduce asexually. Catfish reproduce sexually. Which statement best compares planaria and catfish?
A. Planaria have offspring that are genetically different, and catfish have offspring that are identical.
B. Planaria require less time to produce offspring, and catfish require more time to produce offspring.
C. Planaria produce offspring one at a time, and catfish produce large numbers of offspring at one time.
D. Planaria require large amounts of energy to produce offspring and catfish require little energy to produce offspring.
B. Planaria require less time to produce offspring, and catfish require more time to produce offspring.
200
The development of a city has drastically reduced the number of milkweed plants in the area. Monarch butterflies lay their eggs on milkweed plants. Milkweed plants then act as the primary food source for the monarch butterfly caterpillar. These caterpillars eat the milkweed plant to protect themselves from predators.
Which effect will most likely be observed in this city due to the decrease in the number of milkweed plants?
A. Monarch butterfly populations will increase due to a lack of food resources.
B. Monarch butterfly populations will increase in the area so that some individuals survive.
C. Due to a lack of habitat, the monarch butterflies will find other plants to lay their eggs on.
D. Due to a lack of food resources and habitat, the population of monarch butterflies will decrease.
D. Due to a lack of food resources and habitat, the population of monarch butterflies will decrease.
200
For much of its history, Mississippi was covered by an inland sea. Which evidence would best support this geologic claim?
A. fossils of both marine and land organisms found mixed in several rock layers and no fossils of organisms located beneath those layers
B. fossils of both marine and land organisms located in surface rock layers and fossils of land organisms located beneath those surface layers
C. fossils of land organisms located in surface rock layers and fossils of marine organisms located in several layers beneath those surface layers
D. fossils of marine organisms located in a single surface rock layer and fossils of land organisms located in multiple layers beneath that surface layer
C. fossils of land organisms located in surface rock layers and fossils of marine organisms located in several layers beneath those surface layers
200
The map shows the movement of the Indian landmass over the past 71 million years.
Which observation would provide the best evidence of the northward movement of India?
A. a change in water level in the Indian Ocean
B. a large rift between the Indian plate and the Eurasian plate
C. the formation of the island of Sri Lanka in the Indian Ocean
D. the presence of a mountain range where the Indian plate meets the Eurasian plate
D. the presence of a mountain range where the Indian plate meets the Eurasian plate
200
The energy of a single wave could power an electric car for hundreds of miles if its energy were converted into electrical energy in a wave energy converter. Which statement correctly describes the energy in ocean waves?
A. Ocean waves interact with other waves, diminishing in energy as the waves reach the shore.
B. Ocean waves travel thousands of miles before reaching the shore, losing energy as they travel.
C. Ocean waves move in different directions, making it difficult to harness energy for conversion into electrical energy.
D. Ocean waves carry energy originating from the Sun, which unevenly heats the air and produces winds that transfer energy to the water surface.
D. Ocean waves carry energy originating from the Sun, which unevenly heats the air and produces winds that transfer energy to the water surface.
300
The diagram shows a change to a mouse population in an area with dark-colored rocks.
Which statement best explains the change between generation 1 and generation 2?
A. Natural selection favored the light-colored mice in generation 1, which resulted in more dark-colored mice in generation 2.
B. Natural selection favored the dark-colored mice in generation 1, which resulted in more light-colored mice in generation 2.
C. Natural selection favored the light-colored mice in generation 1, which resulted in fewer dark-colored mice in generation 2.
D. Natural selection favored the dark-colored mice in generation 1, which resulted in fewer light-colored mice in generation 2.
D. Natural selection favored the dark-colored mice in generation 1, which resulted in fewer light-colored mice in generation 2.
300
A population of birds lives in an ecosystem containing plants that produce different-sized seeds. There is genetic diversity among the individual birds in the population. The table shows the different genetic combinations determining sizes of bird beaks.
After a long drought (period without rain) in the ecosystem, only plants with small-sized seeds are able to produce seeds. Which statement describes the effect that the drought would most likely have on the genetic diversity in the bird population?
A. Individuals with BB would be less likely to survive because their food source would be less available.
B. Individuals with BB would be more likely to survive because they can fill their beaks with many small seeds.
C. Individuals with Bb would be more likely to survive because they can consume large-sized and small-sized seeds.
D. Individuals with bb would be less likely to survive because their food source has less energy than large-size seeds.
A. Individuals with BB would be less likely to survive because their food source would be less available.
300
A student is comparing features of different instruments that can help predict volcanic eruptions. Which instrument could be used most safely when a volcano is showing an increase in activity?
thermal imaging
300
A student observes the map showing the tornadoes that were reported in April of 2019.
Which impact would the student most likely observe in locations with reported tornadoes?
A. increased soil loss and desertification
B. increased damage to buildings, structures, and trees
C. decreased access to water storage and water bodies
D. decreased amount of dry land near rivers and streams
B. increased damage to buildings, structures, and trees
300
15. A student is using an instrument to produce the following sound differences.
Sound Differences
1. one loud sound and one quiet sound of the same pitch
2. two sounds of different pitches
Which statement best describes the sound differences produced by the student?
A. Both sound difference 1 and sound difference 2 are caused by the amplitude of the sound waves.
B. Both sound difference 1 and sound difference 2 are caused by the frequency of the sound waves.
C. Sound difference 1 is caused by the amplitude of the sound waves, and sound difference 2 is caused by the frequency of the sound waves.
D. Sound difference 1 is caused by the frequency of the sound waves, and sound difference 2 is caused by the amplitude of the sound waves.
C. Sound difference 1 is caused by the amplitude of the sound waves, and sound difference 2 is caused by the frequency of the sound waves.
400
Cacti are plants that live in desert habitats. The drawing shows a prickly pear cactus and its spines.
The number of spines varies among a population of prickly pear cacti. A hoofed mammal called a javelina feeds on prickly pear cacti. Javelinas can be harmed by the spines on the cactus plants, so they are selective about which plants they feed on. The graph represents the number of cacti with different numbers of spines before the javelinas moved into the area.
Circle one word or set of words in each pair of parentheses to provide an argument and supporting evidence about the effect of the javelinas on the prickly pear cactus population after they are introduced to this area.
Argument: The number of cacti with ( fewer than 90 spines / more than 90 spines )would ( decrease / increase ).
Evidence: As javelinas start feeding on the cacti, they will select the cacti with (fewer spines /more spines ) first, leaving cacti with (fewer spines / more spines ) to survive and reproduce
more than 90 spines, increase
fewer spines, more spines
400
The graph shows the distribution of plant heights in an original population and also in the population after natural selection.
The plant population grew in an area with high winds and many organisms that feed on short vegetation. Which statement best explains the change in the plant population after selection?
A. Plants with narrow stems were more likely to survive than plants with wide stems.
B. Medium-height plants were favored by conditions that harmed tall and short plants.
C. Ground-feeding organisms favored short plants, resulting in a taller plant population overall.
D. High winds reduced the survival rate of tall plants, resulting in a greater range of plant heights.
B. Medium-height plants were favored by conditions that harmed tall and short plants.
400
Standard solar cells use a thick layer of silicon, an abundant metalloid in Earth’s crust. Engineers are developing new solar cells using perovskite—a mineral-based material. The Chart shows some advantages and disadvantages of the use of perovskite solar cells.
A community in Albuquerque, New Mexico, is considering installing perovskite solar cells on the rooftops of 1,000 homes. On average the area has 280 sunny days per year; the U.S. average is 205 sunny days per year. Albuquerque averages 11 inches of rain per year. The U.S. average is 39 inches of rain per year.
Which decision about whether to install perovskite solar cells is best supported by this evidence?
A. Because the climate of the area is wet and hot, perovskite should not be used.
B. Because the material is unlikely to harm the environment, perovskite should be used.
C. Because the product cannot be immediately mass-produced, perovskite should not be used.
D. Because the area has fewer sunny days than the U.S. average, perovskite should be used.
C. Because the product cannot be immediately mass-produced, perovskite should not be used.
400
Mississippi depends on groundwater for over 75% of its freshwater needs. The table lists some factors that affect the amount of groundwater in Mississippi.
Record an “X” in each row to describe each factor as beneficial to groundwater supplies or harmful to groundwater supplies.
Beneficial - 1
Harmful - 2,3,4
400
A light source sends light waves through a small opening in a piece of paper to a screen. The diagram shows the setup.
Circle a word or phrase in each set of parentheses to describe the most likely effect that the opening in the paper will have on the light waves.
The light waves will be diffracted by the opening in the paper, causing the light waves to (cancel out / come together / spread out ) and appear ( brighter / dimmer / equally bright ).
spread out
dimmer
500
Part A: Circle a word or phrase in each set of parentheses to correctly complete the statement about the process of mitosis.
Mitosis is a form of ( sexual / asexual ) reproduction that produces daughter cells with genetic information that is ( identical to / modified by / different from ) the parent cell.
Part B: A model of mitosis is shown beginning with the prophase stage. Record the letter of a cell stage in each circle to correctly complete the model of mitosis. Some cell stages may be used more than once and some may not be used at all.
Part A : asexual, identical to
Part B: YVWZZ
500
The cladogram shows the evolutionary relationships and physical changes among five animals.
Based on the cladogram, which statement identifies two animals that are closely related to each other?
A. Birds and bats are closely related because they both have wings.
B. Dinosaurs and bats are closely related because they both have digestive cavities.
C. Bats and giraffes are closely related because they both have mammary glands.
D. Giraffes and spiders are closely related because they both have more than two legs
C. Bats and giraffes are closely related because they both have mammary glands.
500
Students design an investigation to study how the slope of a hill affects soil formation. The diagram shows the investigation setup.
The students will measure the depth of the soil at locations W, X, and Y before and after sprinkling water over the surface.
Part A: Record the number of each variable in the column of the chart.
Part B: Circle one word or phrase in each set of options to predict how the slope of a hill most likely affects soil formation.
Areas with steep slopes will experience ( low / high ) amounts of soil erosion, resulting in a ( thin or missing / thick and rich ) layer of topsoil. Flat areas at the base of slopes will experience ( low / high ) amounts of soil deposition, resulting in a ( thin or missing / thick and rich ) layer of topsoil.
DOUBLE POINTS
Controlled - 1,2,3,4
Dependent - 6
Independent - 5
high, thin or missing
high, thick and rich
500
A backsheet is used to stick the solar cells together in a grid pattern to form a solar panel. The backsheet can be seen through the gaps between the solar cells, and the color impacts the overall appearance and efficiency of the panel. Solar panels that use black backsheets tend to absorb more thermal energy. This absorption of thermal energy causes solar panels to deteriorate faster than normal. Students want to test different-colored backsheets for efficiency and appearance.
Order the steps the students should follow by recording the letter of each step in the table.
R,P,C,A
500
Solar photovoltaic (PV) cells capture sunlight to produce electrical energy. The graph shows the components of sunlight reaching Earth’s surface.
Which statement explains which PV cells would most likely produce more energy from sunlight?
A. Blue-absorbing PV cells would produce more energy because infrared light wavelengths are most of the energy in sunlight and produce more energy from sunlight.
B. Red-absorbing PV cells would produce more energy because infrared light wavelengths are most of the energy in sunlight and produce more energy from sunlight.
C. Blue-absorbing PV cells would produce more energy because blue-light wavelengths contain more energy than other wavelengths and produce more energy from sunlight.
D. Red-absorbing PV cells would produce more energy because blue-light wavelengths contain more energy than other wavelengths and produce more energy from sunlight
C. Blue-absorbing PV cells would produce more energy because blue-light wavelengths contain more energy than other wavelengths and produce more energy from sunlight.