Science Unit 2 Test
Multiple Choice Section (1-35; 2 points each)
1. Based on the map below, which location has a greater elevation, A or B?
A. Location A is higher.
B. Location B is higher.
C. Locations A and B are at the same
elevation.
D. It is impossible to determine which location
is higher.
2. A mountaineer is planning an expedition. He wants to follow the easiest possible path, which means
he needs to find the most gentle slope up the
mountain. Which route should the mountaineer
choose?
A. Route A
B. Route B
C. Route C
D. Route D
3. What is the contour interval of the topographic map
below?
A. 400 m
B. 200 m
C. 100 m
D. 80 m
4. What is the most likely elevation of the mountain
below?
A. 774 meters
B. 871 meters
C. 922 meters
D. 985 meters
5.Which of the following contains the largest percentage of the Earth's water?
A. Atmosphere
B. Oceans
C. Ice/Snow
D. Vegetation
6.What is the defining characteristic of a water cycle?
A. The water passes through at least five different locations.
B. It does not include any human water usage.
C. It passes through plants, animals and the ocean.
D. It has the same starting and ending point.
7.What human activity uses the most water, worldwide?
A. Drinking
B. Industry
C. Agriculture
D. Bathing
8.Where is the majority of the Earth's fresh water stored?
A. In glaciers and icecaps
B. In lakes
C. In plants
D. In the atmosphere
9.What sequence of processes transports water from the ocean into a cloud?
A. Evaporation and condensation.
B. Condensation and freezing.
C. Precipitation and condensation.
D. Evaporation and precipitation.
10.Logging operations used to use a technique called clear-cutting, in which all of the trees in an area
are cut down. What type of water pollution will this most likely lead to?
A. Toxic
B. Sediment
C. Nutrient
D. Bacterial
11.When cars age or are poorly maintained, they tend to leak oil onto roadways and parking lots. This oil
is washed into the nearest waterway with the next rainfall. What type of water pollution does this
cause?
A. Toxic
B. Sediment
C. Nutrient
D. Bacterial
12.Joggers running along an urban running path noticed paint running out of a culvert into a nearby
creek. Local authorities investigated and found that some homeowners had painted the outside of their
home and dumped the extra paint down a storm drain. They were fined. What type of water pollution
did they cause?
A. Toxic
B. Sediment
C. Nutrient
D. Bacterial
13.A farmer applies excess fertilizer to one of her fields just before a rainstorm. What kind of pollution is
this most likely to lead to?
A. Toxic
B. Sediment
C. Nutrient
D. Bacterial
14. How are the boundaries of a watershed determined?
A. Political determinations
B. The elevation of the surrounding area
C. The size of the river
D. the number of tributaries
15. What is surface run-off?
A. high feature in landscape that divides drainage basins
B. water that flows along surface of land
C. water that completely fills the ground space of rocks or sediments
D. sediment that washes away in heavy rain
16. What is groundwater?
A. water that completely fills the ground space of rocks or sediments
B. Streams or smaller rivers that flow into larger rivers
C. high feature in landscape that divides drainage basins
D. water that flows along the surface of the land
17. What is a tributary?
A. rivers in a watershed that resemble a tree and its branches
B. water that flows along surface of land
C. Streams or smaller rivers that flow into larger rivers
D. water that completely fills the ground space of rocks or sediment
18. What is a drainage basin?
A. rivers in a watershed that resemble a tree and its branches
B. the total area from which water drains into a stream or river
C. water that flows along surface of land
D. the area of land left after a mudslide
19. What is a drainage divide?
A. high feature in landscape that divides drainage basins
B. water that flows along surface of land
C. Streams or smaller rivers that flow into larger rivers
20. A ________is when salt water meets fresh water.
A. Watershed
B. Estuary
C. Headwater
D. Tributaries
21. What is a watershed ?
A. A region or area that drains ultimately to a particular watercourse or body of water is a
watershed.
B. Transportation
C. Ocean
D. Large body of water
22. Which of the following helps most to reduce runoff?
A. Urban Development
B. Agriculture
C. Timber production
D. Vegetation
23. Where do most pollutants end up?
A. The ocean
B. Clouds
C. Grasslands
D. None of the above
Use the following pictures to answer questions 24-29. On your scantron, fill in A, B or C for your
selection.
A. Mountainous
B. Forested Hilltops
C. Grassy Plains
24. Which watershed would you expect to have less runoff with respect to topography?
25. Which watershed would you expect to have less runoff with respect to vegetation?
26. Which watershed would you expect to have more absorption of water?
27. Which watershed would you expect to see more soil moisture?
28. Which watershed would serve as the best recharge zone for groundwater?
29. Which watershed would experience the most erosion?
30. Water vapor that condenses on cool surfaces is:
a. dew.
b. rain.
c. snow.
d. sleet.
31. Clouds are formed by:
a. cool air rising.
b. water vapor condensing.
c. lightning.
d. snow.
32. Water droplets that are too heavy to float make:
a. fog.
b. clouds.
c. rain.
d. dew.
33. Moisture that falls to the ground is:
A.
B.
C.
D.
condensation.
precipitation.
evaporation.
clouds.
34. Most of the earth's water is:
A.
B.
C.
D.
in the clouds.
in the ocean.
under the ground.
in holding tanks for us to use.
35. Most of the water that evaporates on the earth comes from:
A.
B.
C.
D.
lakes.
ponds.
oceans.
creeks.
Free Response Section
Answer the following questions (36-42; 2 points each)
36. What is an ostracod? list as much information as you can
37. Why are watersheds important?
38. Name two ways that humans impact the water cycle.
39. Why have you been given no instructions on how to create a healthy ecosystem?
40. List two things that you could do to protect or improve the health of your water sample?
41.Do you think your water sample is a healthy ecosystem right now? Explain why or why not?
42) Read the quote below and explain what she means.
“How could intelligent beings seek to control a few unwanted species by a method that contaminated
the entire environment and brought the threat of disease and death even to their own kind?”
― Rachel Carson, Silent Spring