Public Release Items for Goal One

Public Release Items for Goal One

#1 - 1.1.2 Selected Response Item - Released in 2008
Evidence suggests that bacteria supplied with a cup of sugar could run a 60-watt light bulb for 17 hours.
Which of these was most likely used to affirm this scientific idea?
A.  A. formulate a hypothesis
B.  B. identify the problem
C.  C. conduct an experiment
D.  D. write a conclusion
#2 - 1.1.4 Selected Response Item - Released in 2009
Use the information and the chart below to answer the following item.
Several students are conducting an experiment to test the effect of exercise on heart rate. Students do 20 sit-ups in one minute of exercise. The data chart below shows the heart rate at one-minute intervals for each student.

The students decide to ignore any results that were too far above or below their prediction. They repeat these trials until a value closer to their prediction is obtained. The students’ decision to ignore data and repeat trials affects the experiment by
A.  A. introducing bias
B.  B. decreasing controls
C.  C. increasing accuracy
D.  D. eliminating variables
#3 - 1.1.5 Selected Response Item - Released in 2003
A student wants to perform an investigation to determine the heart rate of a rabbit. The teacher tells her the heart rate should be about 100 beats per minute. How could this information affect the investigation?
A.  A. It could introduce bias.
B.  B. It could remove experimental error.
C.  C. It could increase the accuracy of the data.
D.  D. It could reduce the number of measurements needed.
#4 - 1.1.5 Selected Response Item - Released in 2005
A scientist is performing an investigation funded by a company. Which of these would be least likely to produce biased data?
A.  A. making the results please the company paying for the research
B.  B. being open minded and honest throughout the research project
C.  C. using only the data that supports the hypothesis
D.  D. using personal opinions to decide the results of the research
#5 - 1.2.1 Selected Response Item - Released in 2003
Use the technical passage below to answer the following.
SCIENTISTS EXPLORE AN ASPECT OF FISH MIGRATION
Toxic pollutants from agriculture and industry have been found worldwide, even in areas that are far from pollution sources. Until now, scientists have blamed air currents for spreading toxins far from their sources. However, a recent study indicates that fish can transport toxins over long distances.
Scientists developed this hypothesis when toxins were mysteriously found in a remote lake in Sweden. A team of scientists from Lund University hypothesized that salmon accumulated and stored toxins in their fatty tissues when they were in the Baltic Sea. The salmon migrated upstream, spawned, and then died in the lake, releasing toxins as their bodies decomposed.
To test this hypothesis, the scientists traveled to Alaska, where they carried out an experiment in two neighboring lakes, Lower Fish Lake and Round Tangle Lake. Lower Fish Lake is open to migrating salmon, while Round Tangle Lake is closed to migrating salmon because of numerous waterfalls and rapids. A small fish, the arctic grayling, lives in both lakes. Fish eggs are a large part of its diet. When the scientists examined the arctic grayling from both lakes, the arctic grayling in Lower Fish Lake had more than twice the concentration of toxins in their bodies as the arctic grayling in Round Tangle Lake. Since both lakes are exposed to similar levels of air pollution, the difference in toxin levels found in the arctic grayling must be due to other factors.
In a related experiment, scientists caught salmon throughout their migration and tested their fatty tissues for toxins. Even though the fatty tissue deposits were gradually used up, toxin levels remained about the same throughout the 400-kilometer journey up the Copper River from the Gulf of Alaska to Lower Fish Lake. Instead of metabolizing the toxins, the salmon stored them in other body tissues that also contain fat, and in their eggs.
Both of these studies support the hypothesis that migrating salmon can transport pollutants to new areas.
According to the passage, what question is being asked by Lund University researchers?
A.  A. What are the migrating habits of salmon in Alaska and Sweden?
B.  B. Are increasing levels of air pollution affecting salmon migration?
C.  C. What are the diets of the arctic grayling and the migrating salmon found in the two Alaskan lakes?
D.  D. Are migrating salmon responsible for transporting toxins from the sea to freshwater lakes? /2003_121_
#6 - 1.2.1 Selected Response Item - Released in 2009
Use the information below to answer the following item.
Scientists have observed that when a largemouth bass tries to eat a whirligig beetle, the fish is likely to get more than just a meal. Once inside the mouth of a bass, the beetle releases a foul-tasting substance into the fish’s mouth. The fish responds to this by swishing the beetle around in its mouth, spitting the beetle out into the water, and scooping the beetle back into its mouth. The bass is exhibiting a “flushing” behavior. Unlike other insects, whirligig beetles do not release all of their foul-tasting substance the first time they are pulled into a predator’s mouth. Each time the bass scoops the beetle back into its mouth, more of the substance is released. The bass must exhibit “flushing” again and again. If the bass tires of “flushing” before the beetle runs out of its foul-tasting substance, the beetle can avoid becoming the bass’s next meal.
Which research question about the largemouth bass and whirligig beetle would best match the scientists’ observations?
A.  A. How long do fish spend rinsing their food?
B.  B. What is the favorite food of a largemouth bass?
C.  C. Which insects produce the most foul-tasting substances?
D.  D. Does the slow release of a foul-tasting substance increase survival?
#7 - 1.2.3 Selected Response Item - Released in 2004
Use the description of the experiment below to answer the following.
A student washes her hands with antibacterial soap and water. Then she touches the agar in a petri dish with her thumb. The agar contains nutrients that support the growth of bacteria. Other students repeat the procedure after washing their hands with three different kinds of antibacterial soap. The petri dishes are kept warm overnight to allow bacteria to grow. The next day the students count the number of bacterial colonies in each dish.
Which of these questions are the students most likely trying to answer?
A.  A. How long does it take soap to kill bacteria?
B.  B. Which soap is most effective in killing bacteria?
C.  C. Which nutrients are necessary to grow bacteria?
D.  D. How many bacteria are on the average thumb?
#8 - 1.2.5 Selected Response Item - Released in 2003
A student wants to examine chromosomes from animal cells. Which of these would be the best tool for the student to use?
A.  A. litmus paper
B.  B. thermometer
C.  C. dissecting microscope
D.  D. compound microscope
#9 - 1.2.5 Selected Response Item - Released in 2009
Use the information and the food web below to answer the following item.
Shallow coastal waters provide an essential habitat to a variety of plants and animals. A small part of a coastal food web is shown below.

Students want to compare fish diversity in two different areas of the coast. Which of these sets of items would be most useful for the students to gather for this study?
A.  A.

B.  B.

C.  C.

D.  D.

#10 - 1.2.6 Selected Response Item - Released in 2004
Use the information and the table below to answer the following.
The breathing rate of a goldfish can be measured by the number of times the goldfish opens its mouth. In an experiment, students placed a goldfish in a container of water at 26°C and counted the number of times the fish opened its mouth. They gradually lowered the water temperature and counted the number of times the fish opened its mouth at 20°C, 14°C, 8°C, and 2°C. The results are shown in the table below.

Which of these procedures would be a good control for this experiment?
A.  A. Use a different kind of fish for each water temperature.
B.  B. Determine the breathing rate of a goldfish kept at a constant 26°C.
C.  C. Put the goldfish in 2°C water and then increase the temperature.
D.  D. Repeat the experiment using a different species of goldfish. /
#11 – 1.2.6 Selected Response Item - Released in 2005
A group of students studied the effect of light intensity on the rate of a cell process in Elodea plants. The students exposed Elodea plants to different light intensities. A gas was produced by the cell process. The amount of this gas was measured. The rate of the cell process was determined by the amount of gas produced. A graph of the students' measurements is shown below.

Which of these is the independent variable in this experiment?
A.  A. rate of cell process
B.  B. volume of gas
C.  C. size of Elodea plant
D.  D. intensity of light
23.xml
#12 - 1.2.6 Selected Response Item - Released in 2005
Scientists are developing a microscopic submarine to deliver medicine to sites within the body. A biomotor that uses bacteria would move the submarine. The scientists are experimenting with several species of bacteria to find which one works best in the biomotor.
Which of these is the dependent variable in the scientists' experiment?
A.  A. the species of bacteria
B.  B. the movement of the submarine
C.  C. the size of the submarine
D.  D. the sites within the body /2005_126_bio25.xml
#13 - 1.2.6 Selected Response Item - Released in 2003
Use the technical passage below to answer the following.
SCIENTISTS EXPLORE AN ASPECT OF FISH MIGRATION
Toxic pollutants from agriculture and industry have been found worldwide, even in areas that are far from pollution sources. Until now, scientists have blamed air currents for spreading toxins far from their sources. However, a recent study indicates that fish can transport toxins over long distances.
Scientists developed this hypothesis when toxins were mysteriously found in a remote lake in Sweden. A team of scientists from Lund University hypothesized that salmon accumulated and stored toxins in their fatty tissues when they were in the Baltic Sea. The salmon migrated upstream, spawned, and then died in the lake, releasing toxins as their bodies decomposed.
To test this hypothesis, the scientists traveled to Alaska, where they carried out an experiment in two neighboring lakes, Lower Fish Lake and Round Tangle Lake. Lower Fish Lake is open to migrating salmon, while Round Tangle Lake is closed to migrating salmon because of numerous waterfalls and rapids. A small fish, the arctic grayling, lives in both lakes. Fish eggs are a large part of its diet. When the scientists examined the arctic grayling from both lakes, the arctic grayling in Lower Fish Lake had more than twice the concentration of toxins in their bodies as the arctic grayling in Round Tangle Lake. Since both lakes are exposed to similar levels of air pollution, the difference in toxin levels found in the arctic grayling must be due to other factors.
In a related experiment, scientists caught salmon throughout their migration and tested their fatty tissues for toxins. Even though the fatty tissue deposits were gradually used up, toxin levels remained about the same throughout the 400-kilometer journey up the Copper River from the Gulf of Alaska to Lower Fish Lake. Instead of metabolizing the toxins, the salmon stored them in other body tissues that also contain fat, and in their eggs.
Both of these studies support the hypothesis that migrating salmon can transport pollutants to new areas.
Which of these locations was used as the control in the experiment?
A.  A. Lower Fish Lake
B.  B. the Gulf of Alaska
C.  C. the Copper River
D.  D. Round Tangle Lake /2003_126_bio09.xml
#14 - 1.2.6 Selected Response Item - Released in 2006
Use the technical passage "The Good, The Bad, The Zebra Mussel" to answer the following:
THE GOOD, THE BAD, THE ZEBRA MUSSEL
Dreissena polymorpha, the zebra mussel, is a species of mussel that is native to East European waterways. Before their discovery in the Great Lakes region in 1988, zebra mussels were unknown in North America. They were probably brought in by ships traveling to the Great Lakes. By 1998, zebra mussels had spread to the lakes and streams of 12 states.
Zebra mussels have an impact on an ecosystem soon after they colonize a waterway. Their larvae spread rapidly, settling on almost any available surface. They quickly establish large colonies. Zebra mussels compete with native freshwater mussel populations so effectively that the native mussel populations quickly decline or totally disappear.
In a study of Lake Erie, researchers noted that just two years after the first zebra mussels colonized the lake, the water in the lake was six times clearer. Because mussels feed on plankton, the basis of the lake's food chain, they had reduced the plankton population by 80%.
The greater clarity of the water allowed light to reach greater depths. This resulted in increased growth of aquatic plants. Pollution inhibited the growth of some of these plants in the past, but when pollution decreased in Lake Erie and the water became clearer, the plants flourished, providing cover and nurseries for some types of fish.
Zebra mussels filter large amounts of water through their bodies. Researchers estimate that zebra mussels filter a large percentage of the water in Lake Erie every week. As they filter the water, they remove toxic chemicals and pollutants like PCBs. PCBs accumulate in the fatty tissues of organisms. Because of their ability to filter water and their high body-fat content, zebra mussels build up more than ten times the amount of PCBs and other toxic contaminants from the water than the native mussels. Some birds and fish absorb these contaminants when they feed on the zebra mussels. The contaminants are then passed up the food chain.