Mini STAAR 4

Which of these describes one or more living organisms that depend on another living organism to survive?

• Bacteria living in the mouth of a horse

• Ivy plants growing up a fence to obtain more sunlight

• Mold living on a hard, rocky surface

• An angelfish releasing carbon dioxide into pond water

Which statement correctly describes the transfer of energy in a food chain in this wetland?

• Energy is transferred from hawks to shrews to grasshoppers to marsh grasses.

• Energy is transferred from marsh grasses to crickets to hawks to frogs.

• Energy is transferred from grasshoppers to crickets to frogs to hawks.

• Energy is transferred from cattails to crickets to shrews to hawks.

A bright-red male cardinal comes to a school bird feeder every morning. Like other cardinals, this bird makes a sharp chirping sound as it hops around the bird feeder. Which of these is a learned behavior of this bird?

• Having red feathers

• Eating seeds during the day

• Coming to the bird feeder each morning

• Making a chirping sound

A family takes a group picture in a park where bluebonnets are blooming. The family notices that some of the blooms are white and others are blue. The color of the blooms is most likely determined by —

• inheritance from parent plants

• the age of the plant

• the types of consumers that eat the plant

• air temperature

Some beetles break down the remains of dead animals. Some mushrooms break down the remains of dead trees. How do these actions most benefit plants?

• By releasing oxygen to the air.

• By making space for new animals.

• By decreasing the population of herbivores.

• By returning nutrients to the soil.

Some facts about birds called cattle egrets are listed above.

Which of these facts best describes how these birds depend on other animals to survive?

• Fact 1

• Fact 2

• Fact 3

• Fact 4

One stage in the life cycle of an apple tree is the release of seeds.

Which of these animal activities is most like the stage of the life cycle in which seeds are released?

• A snake shedding its skin

• A swarm of bees leaving a hive

• A tadpole growing into an adult

• A bird laying an egg

Data for four animal populations in a wooded area were collected before and after a shopping mall was constructed near the area. The graph above shows changes in the populations.

Which animal's food sources most likely increased after the mall opened?

• Squirrels only

• Snakes, squirrels and raccoons

• Raccoons only

• Snakes, squirrels and deer

The nymph in an incomplete metamorphosis looks similar to a smaller version of the -

• egg
• pupa
• larva
• adult

Which of these is not an inherited trait?

• a bird building a nest
• a turtle burying its eggs
• a bear hibernating in winter
• a horse pulling a plow