Multiple Choice Identify the
choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
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1.
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Igneous rocks are formed by —
a. | heat and pressure on existing rocks | c. | cooling and hardening of molten
rock | b. | evaporation of water, leaving solids behind | d. | layers of mud on the bottom of a
lake |
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2.
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What is the main advantage of using dams to produce electrical
energy?
a. | They can be built near most cities. | c. | They are inexpensive to
build. | b. | They do not produce much pollution. | d. | They do not damage wildlife
homes. |
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3.
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A student set up an experiment to test the effects of soil compaction on
plant growth. The student put equal weights of moist soil into 10 containers, planted a bean seed one
inch deep in each container, and then firmly compacted the soil in 5 of the containers. After the
seeds sprouted, the student measured the height of each plant every day and kept a record of the
results. What else must the student do over time to ensure a valid experiment?
a. | Water any container in which the soil feels dry | c. | Water any of the plants that seem
to be growing more slowly than the others | b. | Water all of the containers the same amount
and at the same time | d. | Water
the plants in compacted soil more than those in uncompacted soil |
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4.
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Which planet is often called “Earth’s twin” because it is
similar in mass and diameter to the Earth?
a. | Mars | c. | Venus | b. | Mercury | d. | Pluto |
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5.
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Even though the Earth’s inner
core is hotter than the liquid outer core, it is still solid because —
a. | the heat rising from the inner core is melting the outer core | c. | the outer core is
farther from the center, and there is less gravity holding it together | b. | there is more water in the outer core and it dilutes the
materials | d. | the pressure from
all of Earth’s layers keeps it in a solid state |
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6.
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A light-year measures —
a. | brightness | c. | radiation | b. | distance | d. | time |
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7.
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Which vertebrate did not live during the time of the dinosaurs (the
Mesozoic Era)?
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8.
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Land breezes and sea breezes are created by the differences in
—
a. | the Earth’s tilt on its axis | c. | the heat capacity between water
and land | b. | solar radiation reaching the Earth’s surface | d. | the living organisms occurring in the land
and sea |
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9.
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Which of the following minerals found in the northern Piedmont province is
known as “fool’s gold”?
a. | Pyrite | c. | Galena | b. | Hematite | d. | Limonite |
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10.
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On weather maps, there are lines
with tiny triangles on one side. This represents —
a. | cold air moving in the direction the triangles point | c. | warm air moving in
the direction the triangles point | b. | cold air moving opposite the direction the
triangles point | d. | warm air
moving opposite the direction the triangles point |
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11.
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Pictured above is a shoebox with
rows of holes in the top, large enough for straws to fit through. By placing straws through the
holes, students have to determine the shape of an unseen object in the box. This activity simulates
the technology used to map the seafloor. What is that technology called?
a. | Laser beams | c. | Sonar | b. | Dopper radar | d. | Seismology |
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12.
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Which diagram correctly shows wind motion between pressure
areas?
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13.
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During droughts, lack of rain can lead to wells drying up. This is because
the drought has lowered the —
a. | water table | c. | zone of aeration | b. | water trough | d. | zone of
porosity |
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14.
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Which of these is the best evidence that the Earth’s crust has
undergone some major changes?
a. | The location of major rivers | c. | The presence of marine fossils
in mountain rock | b. | The amount of available water on
Earth | d. | The arrival of the
vernal equinox |
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15.
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According to the graph above, a
piece of timber containing one-eighth of the amount of carbon-14 that is found in a living tree died
about how many years ago?
a. | 5,700 years | c. | 17,100 years | b. | 11,400 years | d. | 22,800 years |
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16.
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What is the first stage in the life
cycle of a star?
a. | Black hole | c. | Main-sequence star | b. | Dwarf star | d. | Stellar nebula |
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17.
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At which location are metamorphic
rocks most likely to be found?
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18.
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According to the data shown in the
graph, the hypothesis is only correct for latitudes —
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19.
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Of the following, the largest division on the geologic time scale is
—
a. | a year | c. | an era | b. | an epoch | d. | a period |
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20.
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Saturn’s volume is 762 times the volume of Earth, and yet its mass is
only about 95 times that of Earth’s mass. This is due to Saturn’s —
a. | low density | c. | thousands of rings | b. | temperature | d. | distance from the
sun |
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21.
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When placed in water, ice rises to the top of the liquid. Unlike most solids
that sink when placed in their liquid forms, ice floats because —
a. | it is colder than water | c. | the pressure of the water holds it
up | b. | it is less dense than water | d. | gases inside the ice make it
buoyant |
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22.
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The formations at X and Y in the
picture above were created by —
a. | tension | c. | compression | b. | shearing | d. | rifting |
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23.
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The picture above shows that one of
the main pollution problems associated with sinkholes is that —
a. | they can destroy roadways | c. | homes can be damaged by
them | b. | tractors can fall into them | d. | they can connect directly to the water table |
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24.
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Which of these tracks was made
last?
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25.
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Orbital velocity is the average speed of a planet moving through space in its
orbit around the sun. Which of the following planets has the fastest orbital velocity?
a. | Mercury | c. | Mars | b. | Jupiter | d. | Pluto |
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26.
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What does the diagram illustrate
about turbidity currents?
a. | They move along the bottom. | c. | They are
temperature-dependent. | b. | They stop moving as soon as they reach the
ocean floor. | d. | They only
occur in salt water. |
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27.
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In karst regions, caves are carved by the flow of water through limestone
bedrock. How do the stalagmites and stalactites in the caves develop?
a. | They are carbonate deposits formed by dripping water in air-filled
cavities. | c. | They are crystals that grow as water hollows out the cavern. | b. | They are granite
intrusions that remain behind after water dissolves the surrounding
limestone. | d. | They are
carvings made in limestone by the swirling water as it hollows out the
cavern. |
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28.
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Which conclusion can be made based
on the information in the chart?
a. | Quartz is harder than topaz. | c. | Fluorite is harder than
feldspar. | b. | Calcite is harder than apatite. | d. | Gypsum is harder than
talc. |
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29.
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Which of the following rocks
represents an igneous intrusion?
a. | Granite | c. | Marble | b. | Limestone | d. | Shale |
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30.
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Which of these would come next in
the water cycle?
a. | Aeration | c. | Deposition | b. | Sedimentation | d. | Precipitation |
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31.
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The edges of moving crustal plates are often defined by
—
a. | ocean basins | c. | intercontinental plains | b. | frequent seismic
activity | d. | Earth’s
largest rivers |
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32.
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Which layer of the sun is the most
dense?
a. | Chromosphere | c. | Core | b. | Photosphere | d. | Corona |
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33.
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The topographic map that may show a hill with a volcanic crater is
—
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34.
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An earthquake struck San Diego,
California. The above map and table show that the approximate difference in arrival times between the
P-wave and S-wave at Seattle is —
a. | 2 minutes | c. | 4 minutes | b. | 3 minutes | d. | 5 minutes |
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35.
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The ozone layer protects life on Earth from —
a. | ultraviolet rays | c. | infrared rays | b. | gamma rays | d. | z-rays |
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36.
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About how long is the Red
Sea?
a. | 40 km | c. | 1200 km | b. | 300 km | d. | 2100 km |
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37.
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All of the following features of the ocean indicate tectonic activity
except —
a. | abyssal plains | c. | seamounts | b. | mid-ocean ridges | d. | trenches |
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38.
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Which of these causes days and nights?
a. | The orbit of the Earth around the sun | c. | The rotation of the moon on its
axis | b. | The revolution of the moon around the Earth | d. | The rotation of the Earth on its
axis |
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39.
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Which layer of the above soil
profile would be affected the most by weathering and erosion?
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40.
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The point from which an earthquake
originates is called the —
a. | focus | c. | fault line | b. | epicenter | d. | shock wave |
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41.
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Which of these facts is the best supporting evidence that the universe is
expanding?
a. | The stars vary in chemical composition. | c. | The galaxies can spin to form
eddies. | b. | The galaxies are moving away from each other. | d. | The universe is filled with galaxies
of different sizes. |
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42.
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In which of the graphs would the precipitation at ground level most
likely be rain?
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43.
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Jellyfish have rarely been fossilized because they —
a. | contain no carbon compounds | c. | are generally found in
oceans | b. | are very rare animals | d. | have soft bodies |
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44.
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Which of the landforms is most likely to result when two continents
collide?
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45.
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Why is the surface temperature of the oceans more variable than the water
near the ocean floor?
a. | Most energy is exchanged at the surface. | c. | The water is less dense at the
surface. | b. | Most animals live near the surface. | d. | The salt concentration is more variable at
the surface. |
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46.
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More of the upper block’s
formation is missing mainly due to —
a. | lower layers subjected to less pressure | c. | less deformation than in the lower
block | b. | erosion of the upper layers’ surfaces | d. | presence of more igneous rock in
the block |
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47.
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More often than metamorphic or igneous rocks, sedimentary rocks have
—
a. | many holes from trapped gases | c. | numerous fossils
| b. | large quartz crystals | d. | a glassy appearance |
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48.
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Virginia has large deposits of sand and gravel. These are usually found in
areas where —
a. | water once flowed | c. | swamps once were present | b. | lava once covered
the ground | d. | the water table
was once very low |
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49.
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Which of these energy sources originates from a nonrenewable
resource?
a. | Solar | c. | Fossil Fuel | b. | Geothermal | d. | Hydroelectric |
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50.
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What does Pangaea mean?
a. | It is the name of an extinct volcano. | c. | It is the name of an
ancient supercontinent. | b. | It is the French word for
volcano. | d. | It is a huge
disruption of the Earth’s atmospheric circulation. |
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