Worksheets3rd 9 Weeks Benchmark Practice
Total questions: 81
Worksheet time: 41mins
Name
Class
Date
1.
A tree grows on the side of a mountain, breaking up the granite rock with its roots. Which term bestdescribes this process?
a)
weathering
b)
cementation
c)
deposition
d)
erosion
2.
All life on Earth requires liquid water, in which all of life's essential chemical reactions take place. What gives planet Earth enough energy to maintain liquid water?
a)
the Sun
b)
oxygen
c)
plate tectonics
d)
the Moon
3.
Bacteria are a
a)
Biotic Factor
b)
Abiotic Factor
c)
Necrotic Factor
d)
Symbiotic Factor
4.
Birds are a
a)
Biotic Factor
b)
Abiotic Factor
c)
Necrotic Factor
d)
Symbiotic Factor
5.
Consumers get their energy:
a)
From eating other organisms
b)
Directly from sunlight
c)
By breathing
d)
All of these
6.
Droughts are a
a)
Abiotic Factor
b)
Biotic Factor
c)
Necrotic Factor
d)
Symbiotic Factor
7.
Earth is able to sustain life because ___.
a)
The atmosphere is breathable.
b)
The atmosphere allows all of the sun's radiation to energize plants and animals.
c)
The ozone layer prevents space debris from reaching the surface.
d)
The atmosphere is made thin due to temperatures of the sun.
8.
How are earthquakes, sound, and light waves alike?
a)
They transmit energy.
b)
They carry matter.
c)
They travel in space.
d)
They can be seen.
9.
How can a botanist force a plant to bloom "out of season"?
a)
increase temperature and lighting
b)
limit pruning
c)
reduce watering and use less fertilizer
d)
Provide more oxygen
10.
How does energy generally flow through a food chain?
a)
sun to producers to consumers to decomposers
b)
sun to decomposers to producers to consumers
c)
sun to consumers to decomposers to producers
d)
sun to producers to decomposers to consumers
11.
How many objects in the solar system have been confirmed to currently support life?
a)
one
b)
three
c)
two
d)
four
12.
Minerals are a
a)
Abiotic Factor
b)
Biotic Factor
c)
Necrotic Factor
d)
Symbiotic Factor
13.
Plants without vascular tissue transport water and nutrients using osmosis and what?
a)
diffusion
b)
desiccation
c)
absorption
d)
capillary action
14.
The energy produced by cellular respiration is stored in the
a)
chemical bonds of carbon dioxide.
b)
ionic bonds of water.
c)
bonds between phosphates of ATP.
d)
double covalent bonds of oxygen molecules.
15.
The process of fermentation happens
a)
when there isn't enough oxygen for aerobic respiration.
b)
whenever a plant receives direct sunlight.
c)
when there is too much glucose for aerobic respiration.
d)
whenever the muscles need more acid.
16.
The relationships a population has with others in its community are:
a)
Sometimes harmful and sometimes beneficial
b)
Always harmful
c)
Always beneficial
d)
Neither harmful nor beneficial
17.
What are the inner planets of our solar system?
a)
the four planets closest to the Sun
b)
the four planets with known life
c)
the four planets in the asteroid belt
d)
the four planets farthest from the Sun
18.
What are the rings around Saturn?
a)
ice
b)
moons
c)
planetoids
d)
storms
19.
What can be said about sunlight in the ocean.
a)
Plants grow where high levels of sunlight can reach.
b)
Sunlight can reach the deep ocean floor.
c)
Creatures that need sunlight can live anywhere in the ocean.
d)
Plants can use saltwater to replace sunlight.
20.
What causes high and low tides on Earth?
a)
the gravitational pull between Earth and the moon.
b)
the moon's tilt on its axis.
c)
magnetic force between Earth and the moon.
d)
changes in the moon's orbital speed.
21.
What causes seasons?
a)
The Earth's orbit and its tilt cause seasons.
b)
The Earth's rotation and its tilt cause seasons.
c)
The moon's orbit around Earth causes seasons.
d)
The Northern and Southern Hemisphere cause seasons.
22.
What causes the seasons to change?
a)
The Earth's tilt in relation to the Sun.
b)
The warming and cooling of the Earth's core.
c)
The Earth's distance from the Sun.
d)
The Earth's rotation on its axis.
23.
What do plants do with most of the oxygen produced in photosynthesis?
a)
They release most of the oxygen into the atmosphere.
b)
They use most of the oxygen to make more glucose.
c)
They release most of the oxygen into the soil.
d)
They use most of the oxygen to produce carbon dioxide.
24.
What does it take the Earth one full year to complete?
a)
one orbit around the Sun
b)
one day on Venus
c)
one phase of the Moon
d)
one rotation on its axis
25.
What happens when a plant is turned away from the light source?
a)
The plant would bend towards the light source.
b)
The plant would stop growing.
c)
The plant would be unaffected.
d)
The plant would move away from the light source.
26.
What happens when the area in which you live tilts away from the sun?
a)
It's winter in your area.
b)
It's spring in your area.
c)
It's autumn in your area.
d)
It's summer in your area.
27.
What is a light year?
a)
the distance light travels in one year
b)
a year in which the Sun gives off extra light rays
c)
the distance of the Earth from the Sun
d)
the amount of time it takes all of the planets to orbit the Sun
28.
What is a producer's job in an ecosystem?
a)
to make food and oxygen for animals
b)
to help plants grow
c)
to break down dead plants and animals
d)
to eat plants and other animals and produce carbon dioxide
29.
What is an ecosystem?
a)
a community of organisms that interact with their environment.
b)
the pattern of weather that affects a particular area
c)
the life cycle of a plant, from seed to flower
d)
all living things in a particular environment, like a forest or a desert
30.
What is ATP?
a)
an energy-rich substance that cells need to survive
b)
the energy of moving electrons
c)
an acidic substance that makes muscles cramp
d)
an organism that uses fermentation to produce energy
31.
What is gravity's role in supporting life on Earth?
a)
by keeping water and gases in the atmosphere close to Earth's surface
b)
by causing day and night
c)
by causing the seasons
d)
by protecting Earth from meteors and comets
32.
What is most important about Earth's atmosphere?
a)
Without it, there would be no air to breathe.
b)
It always makes airplane rides smooth.
c)
It makes beautiful sunsets.
d)
Because there is too much atmosphere, some of it is always leaking into space.
33.
What is special about Venus?
a)
It has a very thick atmosphere.
b)
It has an asteroid belt.
c)
It has no atmosphere.
d)
Humans have lived there.
34.
What is the cause of Earth's seasons?
a)
the tilt of Earth's axis
b)
the distance between Earth and the sun
c)
the speed of Earth as it rotates on its axis
d)
tides caused by the moon's gravity
35.
What is the difference between a biotic factor and an abiotic factor?
a)
Biotic factors are living things and abiotic factors are non-living things.
b)
Biotic factors include elements like weather and temperature, while abiotic factors produce carbon dioxide and oxygen.
c)
Biotic factors exist in an ecosystem, but abiotic factors do not.
d)
Biotic factors are non-living things and abiotic factors are living things.
36.
What is the dwarf planet Pluto part of?
a)
the Kuiper Belt
b)
the asteroid belt
c)
the rings around Saturn
d)
the Great Dark Spot
37.
What is the Earth's axis?
a)
the imaginary line from the North Pole to the South Pole
b)
the path the Earth follows in its orbit around the Sun
c)
one half of the Earth, either Northern or Southern
d)
the imaginary line around the center of the Earth
38.
What is the function of the anther? (flowering plant)
a)
It produces and stores pollen.
b)
It develops into a fruit.
c)
It moves pollen to the roots of the plant.
d)
It grows the seeds for the plant.
39.
What is the Giant Red Spot on planet Jupiter?
a)
a 400-year-old storm
b)
one of Jupiter's moons
c)
an asteroid
d)
a ring of ice
40.
What is the main way that scientists determine which conditions can support life?
a)
by studying life on Earth
b)
by studying other planets
c)
by studying life on other planets
d)
by running computer simulations
41.
What is the name of the galaxy that includes Earth?
a)
The Milky Way
b)
The Milky Star
c)
The Best Galaxy Ever
d)
The White Dwarf
42.
What is the Sun?
a)
a huge ball of burning gases
b)
a planet in the middle of the solar system
c)
a small planet in Earth's sky
d)
a blue giant star
43.
What makes up the asteroid belt?
a)
millions of rocks
b)
a hundred small planets
c)
large storms
d)
many planetoids
44.
What separates the four inner planets from the four outer planets?
a)
an asteroid belt
b)
the Sun
c)
an atmosphere
d)
a deep ocean
45.
Where does the energy in most ecosystems originate?
a)
Sunlight
b)
Producers
c)
Water
d)
Air
46.
Where does the process of cellular respiration mostly happen?
a)
in the mitochondria
b)
in the ribosome
c)
in the nucleus
d)
in the chloroplasts
47.
Which best describes Earth's crust?
a)
It is composed of continental and oceanic plates.
b)
It is thicker than the mantle and the core.
c)
It is stationary and unable to move.
d)
It is located between the outer and the inner core.
48.
Which best explains the moon phases?
a)
The moon's position changes in relation to the sun and the Earth.
b)
The sun's position changes in relation to the moon and Earth.
c)
The Earth casts a shadow on the moon as it rotates.
d)
The moon rotates along its axis.
49.
Which best explains the movement of tectonic plates?
a)
They move several centimeters each year because of convection within Earth.
b)
They move several miles each year because of convection within Earth.
c)
They move several feet each year because of convection within Earth.
d)
They move several kilometers each year because of convection within Earth.
50.
Which best explains the relationship between parent rock and soil composition?
a)
Weathered parent rock is the largest component of soil.
b)
Weathered parent rock determines the amount of air found in the soil.
c)
Weathered parent rock is the smallest component of soil.
51.
Which best summarizes the composition of the surface of Earth?
a)
Earth's surface contains more land than water.
b)
Earth's surface contains more water than land.
c)
Three-fourths of Earth's surface is land.
d)
One-fourth of Earth's surface is water.
52.
Which environment might possibly support life as we know it?
a)
a rocky planet that has geysers that erupt water
b)
a rocky planet that has iron-rich soil
c)
a gaseous planet that is very far from its star
d)
a gaseous planet that has a hydrogen-rich atmosphere
53.
Which environment would produce soil at a faster rate?
a)
an environment located in warm, wet regions
b)
an environment that consists of many slopes
c)
an environment without any vegetation
d)
an environment with high rates of erosion
54.
Which event MOST likely caused the formation of folded mountain ranges on Earth?
a)
tectonic plates pushing together
b)
tectonic plates pulling apart
c)
tectonic plates sliding past each other
d)
tectonic plates breaking into small pieces
55.
Which factor is NOT a requirement for all life on Earth?
a)
energy from the Sun
b)
liquid water
c)
nourishment
d)
energy
56.
Which human job is most similar to the role of a producer?
a)
Energy plant worker
b)
Business entrepreneur
c)
Waste management specialist
d)
Restaurant critic
57.
Which is the basic composition of Earth’s core?
a)
The solid inner core is surrounded by a liquid outer core.
b)
The liquid inner core is surrounded by a solid outer core.
c)
Both the inner core and the outer core are solid.
d)
Both the inner core and the outer core are liquid.
58.
Which is the starting material of soil?
a)
parent rock
b)
organic matter
c)
debris
d)
silt
59.
Which is true of the moon?
a)
The moon is visible due to reflected sunlight.
b)
The moon produces its own light.
c)
The moon cannot be seen during the day.
d)
Earth's gravity has no effect on the moon.
60.
Which list goes from smallest to largest?
a)
solar system, galaxy, universe
b)
galaxy, universe, solar system
c)
solar system, universe, galaxy
d)
universe, galaxy, solar system
61.
Which of the following defines the universe?
a)
all things that exist in space
b)
the whole solar system
c)
a group of planets
d)
the galaxy that includes the Sun
62.
Which of the following is the water storage compartment in a cell?
a)
vacuoles
b)
cell walls
c)
chloroplasts
d)
mitochondria
63.
Which of the following might a biochemist study?
a)
digestion
b)
acid rain
c)
interactions between different animals
d)
animal responses to being surprised
64.
Which of the following planetary characteristics prevents Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune from supporting life as known on Earth?
a)
their composition
b)
their number of moons
c)
their orbital speeds
d)
their axial tilts
65.
Which of the following statements is true? Earth is the only place in our solar system where...
a)
water can be found as a gas, liquid, and solid.
b)
oxygen can be found in the atmosphere.
c)
where active volcanoes can be found.
d)
greenhouse gases affect the temperature.
66.
Which one of the following is known to be on the surface of Mars?
a)
red soil
b)
plants
c)
bacteria
d)
moss
67.
Which planet is the closest to the Sun?
a)
Mercury
b)
Mars
c)
Venus
d)
Earth
68.
Which planet is the farthest from the Sun?
a)
Neptune
b)
Saturn
c)
Jupiter
d)
Uranus
69.
Which planet rotates on its side?
a)
Uranus
b)
Jupiter
c)
Saturn
d)
Neptune
70.
Which process takes the least amount of time?
a)
the amount of time it takes for Earth to rotate
b)
the amount of time it takes the Moon to rotate
c)
the amount of time it takes the Moon to revolve
d)
the amount of time it takes Earth to revolve
71.
Which processes most contribute to soil formation?
a)
weathering and erosion
b)
heating and cooling
c)
melting and pressure
d)
compaction and cementation
72.
Which space probe would NOT be used to study Saturn's surface?
a)
a flyby
b)
a lander
c)
an orbiter
d)
all of these
73.
Which space probe would provide the best data about the soil on Mars?
a)
a lander
b)
a flyby
c)
a rocket
d)
an orbiter
74.
Which statement is true about the tides when the Sun and Moon are aligned?
a)
High tides are higher than normal and low tides are lower than normal. This is called a spring tide.
b)
High tides are higher than normal and low tides are lower than normal. This is called a neap tide.
c)
High tides are lower than normal and low tides are higher than normal. This is called a neap tide.
d)
High tides are lower than normal and low tides are higher than normal. This is called a spring tide.
75.
Why are animals important to an ecosystem?
a)
They produce carbon dioxide.
b)
They produce oxygen.
c)
They eat bacteria.
d)
They help break down dead plants.
76.
Why are dwarf planets not considered planets?
a)
They have other objects in their orbit.
b)
They have too many moons.
c)
They are too large to count as planets.
d)
They rotate the wrong way.
77.
Why do globes lean sideways?
a)
To demonstrate the tilt of Earth's axis.
b)
To allow them to spin easier.
c)
To demonstrate the passing of the seasons.
d)
To demonstrate the effects of gravity.
78.
Why do scientists believe the Moon must once have been as geologically active as Earth is today?
a)
because of the discovery of maria on the Moon's surface
b)
because of the discovery of water on the Moon's surface
c)
because of the discovery of hydrogen on the Moon's surface
d)
because of the discovery of volcanoes on the Moon's surface
79.
Why does the Moon appear to be a dark, reddish color during a lunar eclipse?
a)
because Earth's atmosphere bends the Sun's light into Earth's umbra
b)
because Earth's atmosphere intensifies the Sun's light onto the Moon
c)
because Earth's atmosphere changes the color of the Sun's light
d)
because the Moon receives direct sunlight from the Sun during a lunar eclipse.
80.
Why doesn't Earth's orbit cause seasonal temperature changes on Earth?
a)
The change in distance is actually minimal. Earth's tilted axis is the real cause of seasons on Earth.
b)
The change in distance is the real cause of seasons on Earth.
c)
The change in distance occurs at the same time as the seasons, so we don't notice the change.
d)
Even though Earth's orbit is an ellipse, the change in distance from the Sun is only an optical illusion.
81.
Why is photosynthesis important to plants?
a)
It produces a simple sugar they need for cellular respiration.
b)
It breaks down a simple sugar into a type of energy their cells can use.
c)
It produces the carbon dioxide they need for plant digestion.
d)
It prevents the buildup of too much water in their cells.
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