STAAR Release Practice

Monahans Sandhills State Park in Texas has almost 4,000 acres of sand dunes. Some of the dunes are as tall as a six-story building.
The dunes in the park are formed by —

• Rainstorms
• Tornadoes
• Earthquakes
• Strong winds

Fertilizers used on farms near the coast can be carried to the ocean when runoff occurs during rain showers. These fertilizers can decrease the populations of fish and shellfish. Which other populations most likely decrease as a result?

• Organisms that eat algae
• Organisms that live on farms
• Organisms that eat fish and shellfish
• All of these

Which planet is the student studying?

• Saturn
• Uranus
• Jupiter
• Mars

The diagram shows an electric circuit with four bells that a student plans to build. When the student connects the wires as shown, which of the bells will ring?

• Bell 1 only 
• Bells 1 and 4 only
• Bells 3 and 4 only 
• Bells 1, 2, 3, and 4 

Many desert animals depend on the prickly pear cactus. What role does the prickly pear cactus play in a desert food web?   

• It obtains energy from producers. 
• It returns nutrients to the soil. 
• It preys upon other organisms. 
• It provides energy to consumers. 

Which of these is likely to occur during the next three minutes? 

• The hot water will become hotter because air and heat are trapped in the top cup.   
• The water level will rise in the bottom cup because of evaporation. 
• Water droplets will form on the inside of the top cup as the water vapor cools. 
• Water from the bottom cup will become solid as the hot water cools. 

The table gives information about four types of fish. These fish all have mouth structures that allow them to eat different types of food. Which of these fish has mouth structures that allow it to eat algae by taking large bites of the hard coral on which the algae grows?

• Parrotfish
• Koi
• Goby
• Seahorse

Some buildings and homes are heated by energy produced from an alternative to fossil fuels. Which of these is an example of a building or home heated using an alternative energy source?

• A home heated by energy generated by a hydroelectric dam 
• A building that has emergency electric generators that run on gasoline
• A home heated by energy produced from a coal power plant in a city 
• A building that has furnaces powered by natural gas 

 The two pictures show part of an investigation. A magnet, a book, and a paper clip are on a sheet of lined paper. In Picture 1 a student slides a magnet closer to the book. The student holds the book still in both pictures. Which statement about this investigation can be supported by the result shown?

• Work was done on the magnet, the book, and the paper clip.
• Work was done on the magnet and the paper clip only.
• Work was done on the magnet and the book only.
• Work was done on the magnet only.

A student fills two identical beakers with the same volume of water. The student places one beaker in a freezer and the other beaker on a hot plate. After 5 minutes the student observes that the temperature of the water in the freezer is 19°C and the temperature of the water on the hot plate is 42°C. Which statement best describes the relationship between the two beakers of water and the freezing and boiling points of water?

• The temperature of the water on the hot plate must increase 58°C before it boils, and the temperature of the water in the freezer must decrease 32°C before it freezes
• The temperature of the water on the hot plate is closer to the boiling point than the temperature of the water in the freezer is to the freezing point
• The temperature of the water in the freezer must decrease 19°C before it freezes, and the temperature of the water on the hot plate must increase 170°C before it boils.
• The temperature of the water in the freezer is closer to the freezing point than the temperature of the water on the hot plate is to the boiling point.