Life Cycles
Which of the following is true of an organism's life cycle?
A. It is predictable.
B. It begins with birth, hatching, or germination.
C. It is the same for other organisms of the same species.
D. all of these
D. all of these
A rabbit is running across a field. Which two parts of the rabbit are functioning together to allow the rabbit to move?
A. nose and mouth
B. bones and muscles
C. brain and stomach
D. skin and fur
B. bones and muscles
Lions live together in groups called prides. The females, or lionesses, do the hunting. This means that the pride of lions depends on the lionesses for ______. A. food
B. water
C. air
D. a place to sleep
A. food
A wildfire destroys most of the plant life in a forest. What would most likely happen to the animals that lived in the forest?
A. There would be more animals because animals would not have to compete with plants for water.
B. There would be no animals because they would not be able to adapt to the changes.
C. There would be the same number of animals because they would be able to avoid the fire.
D. There would be fewer animals because there would be less food available.
D. There would be fewer animals because there would be less food available.
The small hive beetle is a type of harmful insect. It lays its eggs in bee hives. When the eggs hatch, the baby beetles dig through and destroy the hive. They also cause the honey to rot and the bees to leave their hive. How does the small hive beetle affect the natural resources that humans use?
A. The beetles help humans get rid of bees, which are not a useful natural resource.
B. The beetles cause the natural resource of honey to become unusable by humans.
C. The beetles are a new natural resource for humans because they also produce honey.
D. The beetles use some of the honey so that the natural resource is not wasted by humans.
B. The beetles cause the natural resource of honey to become unusable by humans.
Which of the following has the stages of the human life cycle in the correct order?
A. egg, infant, embryo, adult
B. infant, egg, embryo, adult
C. embryo, egg, infant, adult
D. egg, embryo, infant, adult
D. egg, embryo, infant, adult
Which of these is a way that roots help trees to live?
A. Roots are toxic to insects.
B. Roots scare off animals that eat trees.
C. Roots take in water and nutrients.
D. Roots take in air.
C. Roots take in water and nutrients.
Baboons live in groups on the ground of forests. As they walk around, insects can get on their fur. These insects can cause diseases. Baboons help each other by looking through fur and picking out the insects. They make sure to remove insects from places that a baboon cannot reach itself. How does living in a group help a baboon survive?
A. A baboon that lives in a group has fur that is shorter.
B. A baboon that lives in a group is cleaner and healthier.
C. A baboon that lives in a group does not walk as far on the forest floor.
D. A baboon that lives in a group never gets any insects on its fur.
B. A baboon that lives in a group is cleaner and healthier.
In forest habitats, squirrels depend on trees for food and shelter. However, as people cut down more and more trees to use for wood and paper products, many forests are getting smaller. Which of these would most likely happen to the squirrels living in a forest if the trees in the forest were cut down?
A. The squirrels would have more places to live.
B. The squirrels would be able to have more offspring.
C. The squirrels would be able to hide from predators more easily.
D. The squirrels would have less food to eat.
D. The squirrels would have less food to eat.
Humans cut down trees in forests for wood. Yew trees grow in forests in the northwestern United States. The bark of yew trees is used to make a medicine for humans. What would happen if humans cut down trees in a forest where yew trees grow?
A. Yew trees will lose their habitat, so there will be less yew tree bark to make the medicine.
B. Yew trees will have more room to grow, so there will be more yew tree bark to make the medicine.
C. New plants will replace the cut trees, and these will all be used to make different medicines.
D. New plants will replace yew trees, and these will be used instead of yew trees to make the medicine.
A. Yew trees will lose their habitat, so there will be less yew tree bark to make the medicine.
Which fact about the life cycle of frogs is true?
A. The life cycle takes place on land and in water.
B. Each stage can change into two other stages.
C. Each stage is similar to the stage before it.
D. The life cycle includes both fish and insects.
A. The life cycle takes place on land and in water.
Which part of a plant helps the most in its reproduction?
A. flower
B. root
C. stem
D. leaf
A. flower
Which of the following best explains why zebras stay together in herds?
A. to protect themselves from predators
B. to have more space to live in
C. to find food more easily
D. to not have to look for water
A. to protect themselves from predators
If a habitat gets flooded because of heavy rains, what will happen to the animals that live in that habitat?
A. They will have to learn to swim.
B. They will evolve and grow fins.
C. They will be able to drink a lot of water.
D. They will have to move to a new habitat until the water goes away.
D. They will have to move to a new habitat until the water goes away.
Lakes and rivers in the United States used to have many types of clams. For many years, people who lived near these freshwater areas have caught too many of these animals for their shells. People put these shells in necklaces and used them for money. Now, many types of clams are extinct. What does the information show?
A. If humans use resources in freshwater areas, they will stop using resources in saltwater areas.
B. The biodiversity of an environment is improved when humans live in an area.
C. Changes to an environment's biodiversity affects the resources that humans use.
D. When humans change an environment, they increase the amount of resources in it.
C. Changes to an environment's biodiversity affects the resources that humans use.
What is something that the life cycles of a butterfly and a deer have in common?
A. A butterfly and a deer each have more legs as a newborn than as an adult.
B. A butterfly and a deer each start out as an egg.
C. A butterfly and a deer each enter a cocoon before becoming an adult.
D. A male butterfly and a male deer each have antlers as an adult.
B. A butterfly and a deer each start out as an egg.
Skunks have structures called scent glands which help the skunks produce very bad-smelling odors. Why do skunks use their scent glands to produce the odors?
A. to attract a mate
B. to protect themselves
C. to feed other animals
D. to blend in better with the environment
B. to protect themselves
Emperor penguins live in large groups in Antarctica, where the winter is very cold. When on land, they often huddle together in the large groups. How can huddling together in a large group help the Emperor penguins survive?
A. Huddling together helps the penguins stay warm in cold weather.
B. Huddling together helps the penguins swim faster in search of food.
C. Penguins that huddle make sounds to communicate.
D. Penguins that huddle can see clouds easier than other penguins.
A. Huddling together helps the penguins stay warm in cold weather.
Many swamps in the southern United States have gotten healthier over the past 25 years. Healthier swamps have more fish and birds in them. What has most likely happened to the alligators because of the changes in the swamps?
A. Alligators cannot find places to live, which makes it harder to survive.
B. Alligators have more trouble finding mates, which makes it harder to survive.
C. Alligators have to fight more with others for food, which helps them survive.
D. Alligators can find food more easily, which helps them survive.
D. Alligators can find food more easily, which helps them survive.
Air pollution happens when harmful chemicals get into the air. There are many causes of air pollution. The picture below shows some of the ways pollution gets into the air. Image courtesy of the National Park Service. If the air in a forest gets polluted, what will most likely happen to the trees in the forest?
A. There will be more kinds of trees in the forest because air pollution adds nutrients to the soil.
B. There will be more kinds of trees in the forest because plants can use most pollutants to grow.
C. There will be fewer kinds of trees in the forest because air pollution will cause wildfires.
D. There will be fewer kinds of trees in the forest because pollutants can damage plants.
D. There will be fewer kinds of trees in the forest because pollutants can damage plants.
What does a fly larva change into after 3 to 14 days?
A. an adult fly
B. a pupa
C. an egg
D. The larva does not change.
B. a pupa
Porcupines are covered in sharp spines known as quills. The quills of a porcupine most likely help it survive by
A. keeping the porcupine dry in the rain.
B. protecting the porcupine from predators.
C. helping the porcupine find shelter.
D. helping the porcupine find food.
B. protecting the porcupine from predators.
What is one way that fish interact with other fish in order to help each other survive?
A. breathing through gills
B. eating plants
C. swimming in schools
D. hiding in plants
C. swimming in schools
A species of plant lives in a warm, wet climate. Plants of this species have adaptations that help them survive in wet places. What will most likely happen to plants of this species if the environment where the plants live changes to become hot and dry?
A. The plants of this species will not be affected.
B. Many plants of this species will grow faster.
C. Many plants of this species will die out.
D. Many plants of this species will grow larger.
C. Many plants of this species will die out.
A large area of forest is being cleared. The land will be used to build houses. The construction will most likely
A. give the animals a new source of food.
B. destroy the animals' habitats.
C. pollute the animals' water supply.
D. take away air that the animals breathe.
B. destroy the animals' habitats.