Oct. 22, 2013 Middle Grades – Science - Exam #1
2013-14 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions
Student Instructions:
· Write your complete ID code on your answer sheet.
· For each question, choose the BEST answer. If you change your answer, erase well.
1. A student is performing an experiment to investigate the physical property of a certain type of rock. The student finds the mass of the rock and then sets out to determine the rock’s volume as shown in the diagram to the right. Once the rock is lowered into the overflow can the volume of the rock can be determined by measuring the amount of displaced water that is in the graduated cylinder. What physical property can be determined by using the above procedure?
2013-14 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions – Science – Middle Grades Exam 1 - Page 1
A. hardness
B. density
C. radioactivity
D. temperature
2. Which of the following is NOT a homogeneous mixture?
A. a glass of root beer
B. a cup of coffee sweetened with Equal®
C. a bowl of Cheerios® and milk
D. the air you breathe
3. Ionic compounds consist of a metal and a nonmetal. Which of the following compounds is an ionic compound?
A. NH3
B. CH4
C. H2O
D. CaCl2
4. Which of the following objects has the greatest momentum?
A. a 12.0 kg object moving at 12.0 m/s
B. a 14.0 kg object moving at 10.0 m/s
C. a 10.0 kg object moving at 14.0 m/s
D. a 12.0 kg object moving at 10.0 m/s
5. What is characteristic of both electromagnetic waves and sound waves?
A. Both types of waves require a medium.
B. Both types of waves are mechanical.
C. Both types of waves transfer energy.
D. Both types of waves are longitudinal.
6. Victor is sitting on the end of a seesaw as pictured to the right. Which of the following statements is true regarding the setup?
A. To raise Victor, the input force will need to be much greater than Victor’s weight.
B. The same amount of input force is needed to raise Victor regardless of the placement of the fulcrum.
C. To raise Victor the input force will be equal to his weight.
D. As the fulcrum is moved closer to Victor the amount of input force needed to raise Victor increases.
7. What physical process is taking place at C?
A. condensation
B. melting
C. freezing
D. boiling
8. Which of the following correctly shows the changes of energy when a battery powered flashlight is turned on?
A. electrical à chemical à light
B. chemical à light à electrical
C. electrical à light à chemical
D. chemical à electrical à light
9. Which of the following sections of the electromagnetic spectrum contains waves with the highest energy?
A. gamma ray
B. microwave
C. radio wave
D. ultraviolet
10. Use the diagram to the right to complete the matching.
w. / A / 1. / location of nutrient transport systemx. / B / 2. / location of sexual reproduction
y. / C / 3. / location of water intake
z. / D / 4. / location of photosynthesis
A. w – 2, x – 1, y – 4, z – 3
B. w – 2, x – 4, y – 1, z – 3
C. w – 4, x – 1, y – 2, z – 3
D. w – 4, x – 2, y – 1, z – 3
11. A certain type of small organism is born with a genetic abnormality not present in any of its family tree. Which of the following is the most likely reason for this genetic abnormality?
A. respiration
B. mutation
C. competition
D. transpiration
12. Which of the following sequences correctly shows the levels of organization for structure and function in a human?
A. cell à organ à tissue à organ system
B. cell à tissue à organ system à organ
C. cell à organ system à organ à tissue
D. cell à tissue à organ à organ system
13. Owls have front facing eyes that allow them to judge distances while rabbits have side facing eyes that allow them to detect the motion of predators. What is the main reason why these organisms developed specialized eye location?
A. adaptation for survival
B. to decrease their stimuli response
C. reduction of interdependence
D. to improve their other senses
14. Animals within the same species commonly fight, make threatening sounds toward one another, and may show signs of aggressive behavior. What is the main reason why animals of the same species exhibit these behaviors?
A. conservation
B. destruction
C. adaptation
D. competition
15. A dog starts barking when a strange vehicle enters its home environment. Which statement best describes the dog’s reaction?
A. The dog is sensing and responding to its internal environment.
B. The dog is changing and responding to its external environment.
C. The dog is sensing and responding to its external environment.
D. The dog is sensing and controlling its internal environment.
16. What is the classification of organisms that break down organic matter to obtain nutrients for survival?
A. predators
B. decomposers
C. consumers
D. omnivores
17. Which of the following is responsible for the naturally occurring variations within a species?
A. mutations and metabolism
B. metabolism and sexual reproduction
C. mutations and sexual reproduction
D. metabolism and environment
18. In the Punnett square to the right, R represents the dominant trait and r represents the recessive trait. What percentage of the offspring most likely will show the recessive trait?
A. 25%
B. 50%
C. 75%
D. 100%
19. What is the specific location of sperm production in the human male reproductive system?
A. urethra
B. testes
C. prostate gland
D. seminal vesicle
20. Use the cross section image to complete the matching.
2013-14 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions – Science – Middle Grades Exam 1 - Page 1
2013-14 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions – Science – Middle Grades Exam 1 - Page 1
x. air / 1. / part of the lithospherey. rock / 2. / part of the atmosphere
z. lake / 3. / part of the hydrosphere
2013-14 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions – Science – Middle Grades Exam 1 - Page 1
A. x-1, y-2, z-3
B. x-2, y-1, z-3
C. x-2, y-3, z-1
D. x-3, y-1, z-2
2013-14 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions – Science – Middle Grades Exam 1 - Page 1
2013-14 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions – Science – Middle Grades Exam 1 - Page 1
21. The diagram below shows the rabbit population in a certain area at two different times in 2004. Which of the following environmental factors may have led to the dramatic increase in the rabbit population in this area?
A. decrease of food supply
B. decrease of water supply
C. decrease of air pollution
D. decrease of natural predators
22. What happens to a population after it reaches carrying capacity?
A. it dies out
B. it goes into a slow decline
C. it remains at a constant level
D. it begins to grow at a fast rate
23. In the food web shown to the right what do the arrows represent?
A. the migration of the different organisms
B. the directional flow of matter and energy
C. the flow of waste material in the web
D. the ecological balance of the organisms in the web
24. What is the main reason for the major earthquakes on Earth?
A. faulting of tectonic plates
B. weathering of Earth’s rocky surfaces
C. the gravitational pull exerted by the Moon on Earth
D. the uneven heating of Earth’s surface
25. The drawing to the right shows an area of Earth that has active volcanoes and tectonic plates. What is being represented by the two arrows (à)?
A. diverging tectonic plates
B. converging tectonic plates
C. active volcanoes
D. transforming plates
26. Also called the “Great Comet of 1997,” this was just discovered in 1995 and was the most widely observed comet of the 20th century. What was the name of the comet that was visible with the naked eye in the Northern Hemisphere for nearly 18 months that attained its perihelion on April’s Fool Day in 1997 and triggered a mass suicide of the Heaven’s Gate cult?
A. Halley’s
B. Shoemaker-Levy
C. Hale-Bopp
D. Bowell
27. This star is the 9th brightest as seen from Earth, but only the 2nd brightest in its constellation. Although incorrectly named an alpha star in its constellation, what is the common name of this red super giant star that is located in the shoulder area of Orion?
A. Rigel
B. Pollux
C. Sirius
D. Betelgeuse
28. Which of the following orbiters completed the last mission of the America Space Shuttle program on July 21, 2011?
A. Discovery
B. Atlantis
C. Endeavour
D. Columbia
29. What is the proper procedure for handling waste chemicals after an experiment?
A. Leave the chemicals for the next lab group to clean up.
B. Dispose of the chemicals according to the instructor’s directions.
C. Dump the chemicals in the sink and let the last class of the day clean them up.
D. Store the chemicals in your lab drawer for possible use later.
30. Match the scientist with his invention.
x. Charles Babbage / 1. / Reflecting teloscopey. Isaac Newton / 2. / mercury thermometer
z. Daniel Fahrenheit / 3. / analytical engine (a primitive computer)
2013-14 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions – Science – Middle Grades Exam 1 - Page 1
A. x-1, y-2, z-3
B. x-2, y-1, z-3
C. x-2, y-3, z-1
D. x-3, y-1, z-2
2013-14 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions – Science – Middle Grades Exam 1 - Page 1
31. Where on the speed versus time graph to the right was the bus stopped?
2013-14 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions – Science – Middle Grades Exam 1 - Page 1
A. Between points A and B
B. Between points C and D
C. Between points E and F
D. The bus was never stopped
2013-14 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions – Science – Middle Grades Exam 1 - Page 1
32. What is the main purpose of scientific theories?
A. to verify hypotheses
B. to distinguish between fact and fiction
C. to explain large bodies of data
D. to propose new ideas on the how the universe works
33. What Apple Inc. executive was responsible for overseeing the development of the iPod?
A. Steve Jobs
B. Steve Wozniak
C. Ronald Wayne
D. John Sculley
34. What field of science deals with the study of insects?
A. entomology
B. enzymology
C. ecology
D. embryology
35. What is the name of the piece of scientific equipment shown to the right?
A. incisor
B. scalpel
C. scratch
D. extractor
36. This crop from the genus Saccharum is grown primarily in tropical and sub-tropical locations around the world. With an annual harvest of over 1.5 billion tons what is the name of this number one produced food crop that is rich in sucrose?
A. soy beans
B. wheat
C. sugar cane
D. rice
37. Which of the following is not a biotic component of an ecosystem?
A. decomposers
B. primary producers
C. consumers
D. oxygen
38. Scientific studies of identical twins separated at birth and raised by different families have shown dramatic differences in physical attributes of the separated twins. For example, one twin may be 2 to 3 inches taller than the other twin when fully grown. Which of the following is a plausible reason for these differences?
A. The number of genes in each twin changes by a different amount as they aged.
B. One twin may have had more genes from his mother than the other twin.
C. Their environments were different enough to change their genetic material.
D. Their environments were different enough to affect how their genetic material is expressed.
39. Which of the following animals has negatively altered more ecosystems in the world than any other animal?
A. elephants
B. humans
C. killer whales
D. rats
40. Match each type of mixture with its description.
x. colloid / 1. microscopic particles are evenly dispersed within a substance; this will exhibit a scattering of light called the Tyndall Effecty. suspension / 2. Relatively large particles are dispersed within a fluid; these particles eventually will settle out due to gravity
z. solution / 3. microscopic particles called solute are evenly dispersed within a substance; this will neither settle nor scatter light
2013-14 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions – Science – Middle Grades Exam 1 - Page 1
A. x-1, y-2, z-3
B. x-1, y-3, z-2
C. x-2, y-1, z-3
D. x-3, y-2, z-1
2013-14 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions – Science – Middle Grades Exam 1 - Page 1
2013-14 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions – Science – Middle Grades Exam 1 - Page 1
41. Which of the following is likely to result in evolution?
A. A small group of birds that eat Japanese beetles are place on an island where the only food source is hard shelled nuts. The birds mate and produced numerous eggs but all of the adult birds died before the eggs hatch.
B. A man becomes a body builder to increase his mass, muscle, and strength to become more attractive to females.
C. A sunbather spends too much time in the sun and is badly burnt. The sunlight causes genetic changes to the DNA in his skin.
D. Insecticide is applied to a population of mosquitos and most died, but a few survive and reproduce. Their offspring is found to be resistant to the insecticide.
42. What is the main purpose of binary fission in bacteria?
A. locomotion
B. rearrangement of genetic material
C. reproduction
D. allows bacteria to survive under extreme conditions
43. Which of the following are photosynthetic protists?
A. algae
B. plants
C. trees