Life Science Test

The picture below shows a frog in a pond containing duckweed.

Facts About Duckweed:

Duckweed is a small plant that grows in water.

Many waterbirds depend on duckweed for food.

Duckweed can reproduce rapidly in water that is rich in the nutrients used in agriculture.

Which of these human activities would most likely cause an overgrowth of duckweed in a pond environment?

• Gradually introducing geese into the pond

• Planting trees in nearby forests

• Heavily fertilizing nearby farm fields

• Fishing in the pond as recreation

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How does the appearance of this fish most likely help it survive?

• Predators have a hard time seeing the side view of this fish.

• The narrow body allows this fish to live in deeper water.

• The head-on view of this fish attracts predators.

• Prey have little chance of seeing this fish as it approaches head-on.

A type of organism is missing from the food chain shown below. Which statement about the type of organism that correctly completes this food chain is NOT true?

• It produces its own food.

• It gets its energy from the sun.

• It breaks down nutrients from decaying organisms.

• It is unable to move from one place to another.

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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 returning nutrients to the soil

• By releasing oxygen into the air

• By making space for new animals

• By decreasing the population of herbivores

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The food web below represents organisms in a field. What role do raccoons play in this food web?

• Decomposer

• Prey

• Consumer

• Producer

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At which stage in the life cycle of a plant are seeds produced?

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Fox squirrels live in the trees of city parks throughout Texas. Each spring they build nests of twigs and leaves in the tops of the trees. Fox squirrels are often found near park benches, waiting to be fed by visitors.

For fox squirrels, which of these is a learned behavior?

• Having a long, bushy tail

• Building a nest each spring

• Having sharp claws

• Taking food from people

A scientist observes sea otters using rocks to break open clamshells. Which of these investigations would best help the scientist determine whether this skill is a learned or an inherited behavior?

• Determining what sizes and kinds of rocks are used most often by sea otters

• Observing families of sea otters over time to see whether adults that use rocks have offspring that use rocks

• Raising young sea otters away from adult otters that use rocks and observing whether the young otters use rocks

• Determining whether shellfish are an important food source in the diet of sea otters

Some facts about a bird called the painted redstart are listed in the box shown below.

Which fact best describes one way this bird changes its environment to meet its needs?

• Fact 1

• Fact 2

• Fact 3

• Fact 4

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The diets of several types of prairie animals are described in the table below. Which of the following prairie food chains is in the correct order?

• Grasses → prairie dogs → badgers

• Eagles → prairie dogs → coyotes

• Wildflowers → badgers → grasshoppers

• Sparrows → seeds → insects

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