STAAR Review

Several students investigate the characteristics of soil. The students observe samples of common soils. In one sample they observe that water drains through the soil easily. When they rub the soil between their fingers, it feels rough and scratchy, and its particles feel hard. The soil the students observed is most likely —

• clay

• silt

• foam

• sand

Which of these observations describe a learned behavior?

• Bees make return trips to drink sugar water from a bowl placed 40 meters from their hive

• Bees have dark eyes and black-yellow stripes

• Bees produce honey from the nectar they collect

• Bees will sting when threatened or disturved

Which of these is a renewable resource?

• Gasoline that contains some alcohol

• Wind produced by the uneven heating of Earth' surface

• Natural gas pumped from deep underground

• None of these

A student hiking in a rocky area on a mountain notices that wide, deep cracks have formed in some of the large rocks. Some of the cracks are so large that the rock shave broken apart. Which process most likely caused these rocks to crack and break?

• Erosion by wind

• Water freezing and thawing

• Erosion by fast-moving water

• Sediments being deposited

The students could rotate the globe quickly or slowly. If the globe could rotate only at the rate that Earth actually rotates, about how long would each complete rotation take?

• 30 days

• 60 minutes

• 24 hours

• 365 days

The container for a worm farm needs to have a lid, but the lid must be left partially open because worms require which of the following in order to survive?

• oxygen

• carbon dioxide

• sunlight

• all of these

A student builds a model of the solar system that includes a sphere representing Earth. The sphere turns in a full circle on its axis.

By using a model of Earth that spins on its axis, the student can best demonstrate —

• the cycle of the four seasons

• the aging of a star

• the passing of the year

• the cycle of day and night

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 —

• tornadoes

• rainstorms

• strong winds

• earthquakes

Based on the information in the table, which of the following food chains shows one way energy flows in the Big Bend ecosystem?

• Juniper berries→ ornate box turtles→ roadrunners→ rock squirrels

• Grasses→ rock squirrels → roadrunners

• Cacti→ ornate box turtles→ turkey vultures

• Mesquite beans→ turkey vultures→ roadrunners→ western rattlesnakes

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.