Name
Class
Date
Earth Science Diagnostic Test
PART A Multiple Choice
Write the letter of the term or phrase that best completes each statement.
__________ 1. One tool astronomers use to study objects in space is the
a. microscope. b. barometer. c. anemometer. d. telescope.
__________ 2. Grouping things together based on how they are alike is called
a. measuring. b. classifying. c. predicting. d. hypothesizing.
__________ 3. To interpret a symbol on a map, you would use the map’s
a. compass. b. scale. c. legend. d. rose.
__________ 4. Scientists learn about how life on Earth has changed by studying
a. fossils. b. ocean water. c. the moon. d. lava.
__________ 5. The climate of an area is the average weather conditions over
a. a week. b. a month. c. a year. d. many years.
__________ 6. An example of fossil fuel is
a. air. b. water. c. soil. d. oil.
__________ 7. Strong, shaking movements of Earth’s crust are known as
a. hurricanes. b. volcanoes. c. faults. d. earthquakes.
__________ 8. Lakes and rivers contain
a. fresh water. b. salt water.
c. brackish water.
__________ 9. Differences in air pressure create
a. sedimentary rocks. b. buoyancy.
c. winds.
d. fresh water and salt water.
d. waves.
__________ 10. A spinning, funnel-shaped cloud is known as a
a. tornado. b. tropical storm. c. hurricane. d. cumulus cloud.
__________ 11. Compared to air at sea level, the air on a mountaintop is usually
a. hotter. b. colder. c. more polluted. d. more humid.
__________ 12. The Moon completes an orbit of Earth about once every
a. day. b. week. c. month. d. year.
__________ 13. The Earth completes an orbit around the Sun once every
a. day. b. week. c. month. d. year.
__________ 14. Rain, snow, and sleet are examples of
a. evaporation. b. precipitation. c. conduction.
__________ 15. The main source of energy for Earth is
a. the solar system. b. electricity. c. the Sun.
d. transpiration.
d. fossil fuels.
__________ 16. One pollutant known for damaging structures made of brick, stone, and metal is
a. acid rain. b. smog. c. litter. d. car exhaust fumes.
Concepts and Challenges in Earth Science, Teacher’s Resources CD-ROM
(c) by Pearson Education, Inc./Globe Fearon/Pearson Learning Group. All rights reserved.
DIAGNOSTIC TEST
Name
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Diagnostic Test (continued)
PART A Multiple Choice (continued)
__________ 17. Lava from volcanoes cools and hardens into
a. sedimentary rocks. b. metamorphic rocks.
c. igneous rocks.
d. sandstone.
__________ 18. Earth makes one complete rotation on its axis every
a. day. b. month. c. year. d. new millennium.
__________ 19. When it is summer in the Northern Hemisphere, the Southern Hemisphere experiences
a. spring. b. summer. c. fall. d. winter.
__________ 20. All of the following are examples of renewable resources except
a. air. b. coal. c. water. d. soil.
PART B Fill In
Complete each sentence with a term from the box.
minerals
weathering
fossil
globe
color
gravity
rock cycle
plates
erosion
atmosphere
1. A good model of Earth’s surface is a _________________________________________________________ .
2. Earth’s rocks are made up of one or more ____________________________________________________ .
3.
__________________________________________________________ fuels are formed from living things.
4. Water, glaciers, wind, waves, and gravity all cause ____________________________________________ .
5. The planets are held in their orbits by the force of _____________________________________________ .
6. Movement of Earth’s __________________________________________ occurs over long periods of time.
7. One physical property used to identify minerals is ____________________________________________ .
8.
___________________________________________________ slowly wears away rocks on Earth’s surface.
9. The series of changes that rocks go through is known as the ____________________________________ .
10. Earth is surrounded by an _________________________________ of nitrogen, oxygen, and other gases.
Concepts and Challenges in Earth Science, Teacher’s Resources CD-ROM
(c) by Pearson Education, Inc./Globe Fearon/Pearson Learning Group. All rights reserved.
DIAGNOSTIC TEST
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Diagnostic Test (continued)
PART C True/False
Write true if the statement is true. If the statement is false, change the underlined
term to make the statement true.
____________________ 1. Earth is made up of different layers.
____________________ 2. The remains of organisms that lived long ago are metamorphic rocks.
____________________ 3. The positions of the continents have not changed over the past 200 million
years.
____________________ 4. Plants and animals have features that help them live in different
environments.
____________________ 5. Water that evaporates from Earth’s surface falls back to Earth as
precipitation.
PART D Matching
Match each term in Column B with its description in Column A. Write the letter
of the correct term in the space provided.
Column A
__________ 1. rock formed from pieces of other rocks that are
cemented together
__________ 2. causes regular changes in the water levels of the oceans
__________ 3. type of landform with a high elevation
__________ 4. our Sun and the planets that orbit it
__________ 5. boundary between air masses
__________ 6. suggested answer to a scientific question
__________ 7. measures the strength of earthquakes
__________ 8. a distance unit used in astronomy
__________ 9. provides plants with important nutrients
Column B
a. mountain
b. soil
c. hypothesis
d. front
e. light-year
f. solar system
g. Richter scale
h. natural resources
i. tides
j. sedimentary
__________ 10. materials from the Earth that are used by living things
Concepts and Challenges in Earth Science, Teacher’s Resources CD-ROM
(c) by Pearson Education, Inc./Globe Fearon/Pearson Learning Group. All rights reserved.
DIAGNOSTIC TEST
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Diagnostic Test (continued)
PART E Interpreting Diagrams
Decide which instrument in the diagram you would use to make each observation
listed below. Write the correct letter in the spaces provided.
A.
B.
C.
D.
1. close-up details of a leaf ___________________________
2. the length of a fossil __________________________
3. the mass of a rock __________________________
4. the air temperature ________________________________
5. the height of a waterfall ___________________________________
PART F Written Response
Answer the following questions in complete sentences.
1. LIST: A natural resource is any material from Earth used by living things, including humans. What
are some examples of natural resources and the ways we use them? ______________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Concepts and Challenges in Earth Science, Teacher’s Resources CD-ROM
(c) by Pearson Education, Inc./Globe Fearon/Pearson Learning Group. All rights reserved.
DIAGNOSTIC TEST
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Diagnostic Test (continued)
2. COMPARE AND CONTRAST: What is one advantage of exploring space? What is one
disadvantage? ______________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
3. DESCRIBE: Scientists use science skills to gather information. You use science skills too. When you
use most science skills, you use one or more of your five senses. Describe three science skills that
you used recently. How did they help you to solve a problem or answer a question?
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
4. HYPOTHESIZE: Fossils are the remains or trace of a living thing that lived long ago.
Why do scientists study fossils? ______________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
5. INFER: Erosion is a process by which weathered material is moved from one place to another.
What are some agents that cause erosion? Explain how one of these agents causes erosion.
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________________________
Concepts and Challenges in Earth Science, Teacher’s Resources CD-ROM
(c) by Pearson Education, Inc./Globe Fearon/Pearson Learning Group. All rights reserved.
DIAGNOSTIC TEST