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Unit 5 Organisms and their Traits Pre-Test

Total questions: 20

Worksheet time: 2hrs 40mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

A snake has scaly skin to keep from drying out in the desert. A cactus has sharp spines and a thick stem that keep water in. Which term describes such inherited traits that help organisms survive?

a)

Recessive traits

b)

Adaptations

c)

Instincts

2.

A baby is crying. This behavior is an important similarity to a spider spinning a web. Both come naturally. They do not have to be taught. What are behaviors such as these called?

a)

Instincts

b)

Physical Traits

c)

Social Behaviors

3.

Organisms live, or perform basic functions to stay alive. They also survive, or compete for resources, protect themselves, and find food. In which of the following behaviors does a fly use a structure of its body to escape from predators?

a)

Eating

b)

Breathing

c)

Flying

4.

Which is the term for a section of a DNA molecule that carries information for traits such as hair and eye color?

a)

Gene

b)

Offspring

c)

Dominant Trait

5.

Which pictures on a diagram would show a life cycle?

a)

the physical traits an organism inherits

b)

the behavioral traits an organism inherits

c)

the important stages an organism goes through

6.

Which of the following structures is a physical adaptation that helps a penguin live in an icy, wet environment?

a)

A thick layer of blubber

b)

wing-shaped flippers for flying

c)

Small spines to prevent water loss

7.

Which of the following is an example of learned behavior?

a)

Ground squirrels hibernating for the winter

b)

Geese migrating south for the winter

c)

A lion cub hunting as its mother does

8.

Which of the following is an example of an instinct that helps an animal survive?

a)

A skunk spraying a smelly mist for protection

b)

A raccoon learning to cross the road

c)

A dog learning to beg for food

9.

Which of the following goes through metamorphosis - a complete change in form during its lifetime?

a)

Alligators

b)

Humans

c)

Frogs

10.

Which of the following describes inherited traits of a tree?

a)

Flower color and potential height

b)

Eye color and intelligence

c)

Right-handedness and bark texture

11.

What did scientist Gregor Mendel discover during the 1800s?

a)

Pea plants pass on only dominant traits to offspring

b)

Human parents pass traits on to offspring

c)

Some inherited traits are dominant & some are recessive

12.

Which of the following is a learned behavior in humans?

a)

Crying

b)

Speaking

c)

Blinking

13.

Animals inherit certain characteristics, such as fur color. What are some characteristics that plants inherit?

a)

Flower color

b)

Number of legs

c)

Number of arms

14.

What type of adaptation helps a living thing hide in its environment?

a)

Instinct

b)

Camouflage

15.

A behavior that an animal doesn’t need to learn is an (a)  

16.

Characteristics passed from parents to offspring are (a)  

17.

A characteristic that appears only when the offspring receives a factor from both parents

(a)  

18.

A characteristic that appears when the offspring receives a factor from one or both parents.

(a)  

19.

One version of a trait, such as flower color

(a)  

20.

Tiny part of a chromosome that codes for just one trait

(a)