Sixth Grade GPS Benchmark Assessment
Hydrology and Meteorology Domain
(S6E3, S6E4, S6E6a)
1. A liter of water is poured into each of the containers shown below and they are left
uncovered in a warm room. After a day, which container will have the LEAST
amount of water left in it?
B.
A.
C.
D.
2. Why does the weather near cities tend to be cloudier and wetter than in rural areas?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Cities produce more heat and more pollutants than rural areas.
Cities are colder and have more air pollutants than rural areas.
Cities have more tall buildings near the clouds than rural areas.
Cities have fewer trees than rural areas.
3. Which best describes the difference in air pressure between sea level and the top of
Mt. Everest? Air pressure at the top of Mt. Everest is:
A.
B.
C.
D.
the same
much greater
much less
It is not possible to predict changes in air pressure.
4. Today weather forecasting is better because of the use of
A.
B.
C.
D.
barometers
telescopes
satellites
anemometers
5. If more water evaporates from the ocean,
A.
B.
C.
D.
more water vapor will be in the atmosphere.
the ocean temperature will go up.
the air temperature will go down.
more water will flow into streams and lakes.
Use the pie graph below to answer this question.
6. Air is mostly
A.
B.
C.
D.
water
carbon dioxide
oxygen
nitrogen
7. Some factories release pollutants that form acid rain into the air. What determines
where the acid rain is MOST LIKELY to fall?
A.
B.
C.
D.
ocean currents
wind direction
air temperature
relative humidity
8. Which characteristic of oceans shows that they are in constant motion?
A.
B.
C.
D.
their organisms
their shape
their depth
their tides
9. Because of the formation of new crust on its floor, the Atlantic Ocean
A.
B.
C.
D.
is growing wider.
is getting narrower.
has fewer mountains.
has lost some of its fishing grounds.
10. The flattest part of the ocean floor is the
A.
B.
C.
D.
trench
abyssal plain
continental shelf
mid-ocean rift valley
11. On most ocean shorelines, the water rises slowly and covers the land twice a day.
Then it slowly falls back. What is this movement called?
A.
B.
C.
D.
current
wave
tide
drift
12. The total amount of dissolved salts found in ocean water is called
A.
B.
C.
D.
sodium
chloride
salinity
density
13. Which ocean feature is a flat area covered by a layer of mud, sand, and animal
remains?
A.
B.
C.
D.
rift valley
mid-oceanic ridge
abyssal plain
continental slope
14. A valuable ocean resource that is obtained by evaporating ocean water is
A. coal
B. iron
C. oil
D. salt
15. Which statement BEST describes ocean temperature?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Ocean temperature decreases with depth.
Ocean temperature increases with depth.
Ocean temperature is the same at all depths.
Ocean temperature increases with volcanic eruptions.
Use the picture below to answer question 16.
16. The Moon raises two bulges of water on opposite sides of Earth, and these travel
across the surface as Earth rotates. When one of these bulges is at your location, the tide
is high. Therefore, the time between successive high tides is roughly
A.
B.
C.
D.
6 hours
12 hours
18 hours
24 hours
17. The floor of the Atlantic Ocean is MOSTLY
A.
B.
C.
D.
a gently sloping bottom
large plains and a mountain range
a completely flat basin
craters and deep cracks just like the Moon
Use the graph below to answer question 18.
18. The graph shows sonar-measured depths moving from a coast in Indonesia out to sea.
The depths measured are 2.5 miles apart on a straight line. What ocean bottom feature
exists at point Y?
A.
B.
C.
D.
underwater mountain
continental shelf
ocean trench
mid-ocean ridge
19. When Jane was swimming in the ocean she got some water in her mouth. What is the
MOST LIKELY reason that she quickly spit it out?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The water was too cold.
The water tasted sour.
The water was very salty
The water tasted bitter
20. Which is NOT a natural source of energy?
A.
B.
C.
D.
soil
wind
sunlight
underground hot water
21. Rivers never form from
A. glaciers
B. springs
C. lakes
D. oceans
22. An air mass gets its temperature and humidity from
A.
B.
C.
D.
the land or water over which it forms
changes in the upper atmosphere
the latitude at which it forms
the air masses that surround it
23. Which of the following has the least effect on lake water temperature?
A. The depth of the water
B. The angle of the incoming sun rays
C. The number of fish in the lake
D. The lake’s surface area
24. Most of the Earth’s surface is covered by
A. oceans
B. lakes
C. land
D. ice caps
GPS Correlation
Question #
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
11
12
13
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
22
23
24
47
GPS
S6E4c
S6E4c
S6E3b
S6CS4
S6E3b
S6E3b
S6E4b; S6E5i
S6E3c,d
S6E3c; S6E5e
S6E3c
S6E3d
S6E3c
S6E3c
S6E3c
S6E3c
S6E3d
S6E3c
S6E3c
S6E3c
S6E6a
S6E3a
S6E4a
S6E4a
S6E3a
S6E4a
Answer
C
A
C
C
A
D
B
D
A
B
C
C
C
D
A
B
B
C
C
A
D
A
C
A
A