end of course earth science - solpassf they move along the bottom. g they stop moving as soon as...

VIRGINIA

STANDARDS OF LEARNING ASSESSMENTS

Spring 2002 Released Test

END OF COURSEEARTH SCIENCE

SESSION: 27 PAGE: 1 4/20/102 10:47 LOGIN IS-pam PATH: @sun1/xydisk2/CLS_psycorp/GRP_virginia/JOB_537152g11/DIV_g11esci-1

Property of the Virginia Department of Education

� 2002 by the Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Education, James MonroeBuilding, 101 N. 14th Street, Richmond, Virginia, 23219. All rights reserved. Exceptas permitted by law, this material may not be reproduced or used in any form or byany means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying or recording, or by anyinformation storage or retrieval system, without written permission from thecopyright owner. Commonwealth of Virginia public school educators may photocopy orprint any portion of these Released Tests for educational purposes without requestingpermission. All others should direct their requests to the Commonwealth of VirginiaDepartment of Education at (804) 225-2102, Division of Assessment and Reporting.


DIRECTIONSRead each question carefully and choose the bestanswer. Then mark the space on the answersheet for the answer you have chosen.

SAMPLE

Which of these can be used to measureatmospheric pressure?

A An anemometerB A barometer �

C A thermometerD A seismometer

1 Igneous rocks are formed by —

A heat and pressure on existing rocksB evaporation of water, leaving solids

behindC cooling and hardening of molten rock �

D layers of mud on the bottom of a lake

2 What is the main advantage of usingdams to produce electrical energy?

F They can be built near most cities.G They do not produce much pollution. �

H They are inexpensive to build.J They do not damage wildlife homes.

3 A student set up an experiment to testthe effects of soil compaction on plantgrowth. The student put equal weightsof moist soil into 10 containers,planted a bean seed one inch deep ineach container, and then firmlycompacted the soil in 5 of thecontainers. After the seeds sprouted,the student measured the height ofeach plant every day and kept a recordof the results. What else must thestudent do over time to ensure a validexperiment?

A Water any container in which the soilfeels dry

B Water all of the containers the sameamount and at the same time �

C Water any of the plants that seem to begrowing more slowly than the others

D Water the plants in compacted soil morethan those in uncompacted soil


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32002 Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Education

4 Which planet is often called “Earth’stwin” because it is similar in mass anddiameter to the Earth?

F MarsG MercuryH Venus �

J Pluto

5

Even though the Earth’s inner core ishotter than the liquid outer core, it isstill solid because —

A the heat rising from the inner core ismelting the outer core

B there is more water in the outer coreand it dilutes the materials

C the outer core is farther from the center,and there is less gravity holding ittogether

D the pressure from all of Earth’s layerskeeps it in a solid state �

Crust

Mantle

Liquid outercore

Solidinnercore


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6 A light-year measures —

F brightnessG distance �

H radiationJ time

7 Which vertebrate did not live duringthe time of the dinosaurs (the MesozoicEra)?

8 Land breezes and sea breezes arecreated by the differences in —

F the Earth’s tilt on its axisG solar radiation reaching the Earth’s

surfaceH the heat capacity between water and

land �

J the living organisms occurring in theland and sea

9 Which of the following minerals foundin the northern Piedmont province isknown as “fool’s gold”?

A Pyrite �

B HematiteC GalenaD Limonite

10

On weather maps, there are lines withtiny triangles on one side. Thisrepresents —

F cold air moving in the direction thetriangles point �

G cold air moving opposite the directionthe triangles point

H warm air moving in the direction thetriangles point

J warm air moving opposite the directionthe triangles point

A C

B D

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11

Pictured above is a shoebox with rowsof holes in the top, large enough forstraws to fit through. By placingstraws through the holes, studentshave to determine the shape of anunseen object in the box. This activitysimulates the technology used to mapthe seafloor. What is that technologycalled?

A Laser beamsB Doppler radarC Sonar �

D Seismology

12 Which diagram correctly shows windmotion between pressure areas?

13 During droughts, lack of rain can leadto wells drying up. This is because thedrought has lowered the —

A water table �

B water troughC zone of aerationD zone of porosity

14 Which of these is the best evidencethat the Earth’s crust has undergonesome major changes?

F The location of major riversG The amount of available water on EarthH The presence of marine fossils in

mountain rock �

J The arrival of the vernal equinox

15

According to the graph above, a pieceof timber containing one-eighth of theamount of carbon-14 that is found in aliving tree died about how many yearsago?

A 5,700 yearsB 11,400 yearsC 17,100 years �

D 22,800 years

Top viewSide view

L L

H H

H L

L H

F H

G J

�

Carbon-14 Decay

Yea

rs S

ince

Dea

th

Fraction of Carbon-14 Remaining

22,800

17,100

11,400

5,700

01/161/81/41/21


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16

What is the first stage in the life cycleof a star?

F Black holeG Dwarf starH Main-sequence starJ Stellar nebula �

17

At which location are metamorphicrocks most likely to be found?

A AB BC C �

D D

Nebula

Protostar

Main-sequence star

Blackhole

Red giant Supergiant

White dwarf

Black dwarf

Supernova

Neutronstar

The Life Cycle of a Star

Increasing Mass

Incr

easi

ng T

ime

Oceanic Plate

Asthenosphere

100 km

200 km

ContinentalLithosphere

100 km

200 km

ContinentalLithosphere

ContinentalLithosphereContinentalLithosphere

C

Oceanic Plate

Asthenosphere

A

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18

Hypothesis: The average relativehumidity decreases north andsouth of the equator.

According to the data shown in thegraph, the hypothesis is only correct forlatitudes —

F up to 40� from the equator �

G from the poles to 40� from the equatorH between 20� and 60� from the equatorJ farthest from the equator

19 Of the following, the largest divisionon the geologic time scale is —

A a yearB an epochC an era �

D a period

20 Saturn’s volume is 762 times thevolume of Earth, and yet its mass isonly about 95 times that of Earth’smass. This is due to Saturn’s —

F low density �

G temperatureH thousands of ringsJ distance from the sun

21 When placed in water, ice rises to thetop of the liquid. Unlike most solidsthat sink when placed in their liquidforms, ice floats because —

A it is colder than waterB it is less dense than water �

C the pressure of the water holds it upD gases inside the ice make it buoyant

Rel

ativ

e H

umid

ity(%

)

Latitude

0°Equator

60°North

40° 20° 20° 40° 60°South

60

70

80

90

100

Average Relative Humidityfor Latitudes North and South

of the Equator


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22

The formations at X and Y in thepicture above were created by —

F tensionG shearingH compression �

J rifting

23

The picture above shows that one ofthe main pollution problems associatedwith sinkholes is that —

A they can destroy roadwaysB tractors can fall into themC homes can be damaged by themD they can connect directly to the water

table �

24

Which of these tracks was made last?

25 Orbital velocity is the average speed ofa planet moving through space in itsorbit around the sun. Which of thefollowing planets has the fastestorbital velocity?

A Mercury �

B JupiterC MarsD Pluto

X

Y

F H

G J �


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26

What does the diagram illustrate aboutturbidity currents?

F They move along the bottom. �

G They stop moving as soon as they reachthe ocean floor.

H They are temperature-dependent.J They only occur in salt water.

27 In karst regions, caves are carved bythe flow of water through limestonebedrock. How do the stalagmites andstalactites in the caves develop?

A They are carbonate deposits formed bydripping water in air-filled cavities. �

B They are granite intrusions that remainbehind after water dissolves thesurrounding limestone.

C They are crystals that grow as waterhollows out the cavern.

D They are carvings made in limestone bythe swirling water as it hollows out thecavern.

28

Which conclusion can be made basedon the information in the chart?

F Quartz is harder than topaz.G Calcite is harder than apatite.H Fluorite is harder than feldspar.J Gypsum is harder than talc. �

Muddywater

Tank of seawater

Model of a Turbidity Current

Mineral Common TestsHardness

Scratched by a fingernail

Scratched by a copper coin

Scratches a knifeblade

Scratches allcommon materials

Scratched by a knife blade

Talc

Gypsum

Fluorite

Apatite

Calcite

Feldspar

Quartz

Diamond

Topaz

Corundum

1

2

3

4

5

6

7

10

8

9

MOHS’ SCALE OF HARDNESS


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29

Which of the following rocksrepresents an igneous intrusion?

A Granite �

B LimestoneC MarbleD Shale

30 Ocean → Evaporation → Condensation

Which of these would come next in thewater cycle?

F AerationG SedimentationH DepositionJ Precipitation �

31 The edges of moving crustal plates areoften defined by —

A ocean basinsB frequent seismic activity �

C intercontinental plainsD Earth’s largest rivers

32

Which layer of the sun is the mostdense?

F ChromosphereG PhotosphereH Core �

J Corona

LimestoneLimestoneLimestone

ShaleShale

MarbleMarble MarbleMarble

ShaleShaleGraniteGranite

Photosphere

Chromosphere

Corona

Core


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33 The topographic map that may show ahill with a volcanic crater is —

34

An earthquake struck San Diego,California. The above map and tableshow that the approximate differencein arrival times between the P-waveand S-wave at Seattle is —

F 2 minutesG 3 minutes �

H 4 minutesJ 5 minutes

100

100

100

100

A

B

C

D

�

9

8

7

6

5

4

3

2

1

1000 2000 3000 4000Distance to epicenter (km)

Dif

fere

nce

in a

rriv

al t

imes

of

P a

nd

S w

aves

(m

in)

5000 6000 7000

Scale of Kilometers

0 500 1000 1500 2000

Seattle

SanDiego

Salt LakeCitySalt LakeCity


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35 The ozone layer protects life on Earthfrom —

A ultraviolet rays �

B gamma raysC infrared raysD x-rays

36

About how long is the Red Sea?

F 40 kmG 300 kmH 1200 kmJ 2100 km �

37 All of the following features of theocean indicate tectonic activityexcept —

A abyssal plains �

B mid-ocean ridgesC seamountsD trenches

38 Which of these causes days and nights?

F The orbit of the Earth around the sunG The revolution of the moon around the

EarthH The rotation of the moon on its axisJ The rotation of the Earth on its axis �

39

Which layer of the above soil profilewould be affected the most byweathering and erosion?

A 1 �

B 2C 3D 4

0 300 km

Red

Sea

SaudiArabia

IranIraq

Egypt

Yemen

Om

an

ArabianSea

EW

N

S

CyprusCrete

Qatar

KuwaitBahrain

Syria

Lebanon

Jordan

Israel

UAE

Sudan

Ethiopia

Somal

ia

1

2

3

4


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40

The point from which an earthquakeoriginates is called the —

F focus �

G epicenterH fault lineJ shock wave

41 Which of these facts is the bestsupporting evidence that the universeis expanding?

A The stars vary in chemical composition.B The galaxies are moving away from

each other. �

C The galaxies can spin to form eddies.D The universe is filled with galaxies of

different sizes.

42 In which of the graphs would theprecipitation at ground level mostlikely be rain?Epicenter

FocusShock waves

Fault line

-20˚

-10˚

0˚ +20˚

-0˚

+15˚

Temperature Profile(°C)

-20˚ 0˚ +20˚

-20˚

0˚


-20˚ 0˚ +20˚

-10˚

0˚

0˚

-10˚


-20˚ 0˚ +20˚

-10˚

0˚

0˚-5˚


F

G

H

J

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43 Jellyfish have rarely been fossilizedbecause they —

A contain no carbon compoundsB are very rare animalsC are generally found in oceansD have soft bodies �

44 Which of the landforms is most likelyto result when two continents collide?

F

G

H

J

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45 Why is the surface temperature of theoceans more variable than the waternear the ocean floor?

A Most energy is exchanged at thesurface. �

B Most animals live near the surface.C The water is less dense at the surface.D The salt concentration is more variable

at the surface.

46

More of the upper block’s formation ismissing mainly due to —

F lower layers subjected to less pressureG erosion of the upper layers’ surfaces �

H less deformation than in the lower blockJ presence of more igneous rock in the

block

47 More often than metamorphic origneous rocks, sedimentary rockshave —

A many holes from trapped gasesB large quartz crystalsC numerous fossils �

D a glassy appearance

48 Virginia has large deposits of sand andgravel. These are usually found inareas where —

F water once flowed �

G lava once covered the groundH swamps once were presentJ the water table was once very low

49 Which of these energy sourcesoriginates from a nonrenewableresource?

A SolarB GeothermalC Fossil fuel �

D Hydroelectric

50 What does Pangaea mean?

F It is the name of an extinct volcano.G It is the French word for volcano.H It is the name of an ancient

supercontinent. �

J It is a huge disruption of the Earth’satmospheric circulation.

ShenandoahValley

Blue Ridge

Fault


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Answer KeyTest

SequenceCorrectAnswer

ReportingCategory Reporting Category Description

1 C 002 Geology

2 G 002 Geology

3 B 001 Scientific Investigation

4 H 004 Astronomy and Space Science

5 D 002 Geology

6 G 004 Astronomy and Space Science

7 C 002 Geology

8 H 003 Meteorology, Oceanography, and Groundwater

9 A 002 Geology

10 F 003 Meteorology, Oceanography, and Groundwater

11 C 001 Scientific Investigation

12 H 003 Meteorology, Oceanography, and Groundwater

13 A 003 Meteorology, Oceanography, and Groundwater

14 H 002 Geology


16 J 004 Astronomy and Space Science

17 C 002 Geology

18 F 001 Scientific Investigation

19 C 002 Geology

20 F 004 Astronomy and Space Science

21 B 003 Meteorology, Oceanography, and Groundwater

22 H 002 Geology

23 D 002 Geology

24 J 002 Geology

25 A 004 Astronomy and Space Science

26 F 001 Scientific Investigation

27 A 002 Geology

28 J 002 Geology

29 A 002 Geology

30 J 003 Meteorology, Oceanography, and Groundwater

31 B 002 Geology

32 H 004 Astronomy and Space Science


34 G 001 Scientific Investigation


36 J 001 Scientific Investigation


38 J 004 Astronomy and Space Science

39 A 002 Geology

40 F 002 Geology

41 B 004 Astronomy and Space Science

42 F 003 Meteorology, Oceanography, and Groundwater

43 D 002 Geology

44 F 002 Geology


46 G 002 Geology

47 C 002 Geology

48 F 002 Geology

49 C 002 Geology

50 H 002 Geology


end of course earth science - solpassf they move along the bottom. g they stop moving as soon as...

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