Test - 5th Earth's Past
1.
What kind of rocks are made of particles that result from weathering and erosion?
A.
B.
C.
D.
2.
fossils
igneous
sedimentary
metamorphic
Where does most sediment come from?
F.
G.
H.
J.
cooling of magma
meteor shower
evaporation
weathering of older rocks
3.
What process at the surface of the Earth is part of the formation of sedimentary rocks?
A. The cycle of day and night
B. Water deposits sediment in layers.
C. Rain falls into the ocean.
D. Magma rises from the Earth's mantle.
4.
How do fossils provide evidence of the history of the Earth?
F.
Fossils show scientists that Earth was exactly the same in the past
as it is today.
G.
Fossils provide records about the Earth's history starting with the
first museum.
Fossils preserve a record of prehistoric plants and animals.
Fossils suggest that dinosaurs live only on secluded islands away from modern
humans.
H.
J.
5.
Most of our understanding of the dinosaurs comes from
A. watching movies.
B. studying fossils.
C. studying large animals.
D. studying live dinosaurs.
6.
A group of scientists recently determined that an area which is currently under water was
once dry land.
What may have led scientists to this conclusion?
F. finding fossils of land-dwelling plants in the area
G. finding fossils of land-dwelling animals in the area
H. finding no fossils of sea creatures in the area
J.
7.
Since sedimentary rocks are formed in layers, the oldest rocks would most likely be
found in the layer A.
B.
C.
D.
8.
farthest below the Earth's surface.
located near the surface of the Earth.
with the darkest color of sediment.
nearest an ocean or river.
Rocks will break down into smaller pieces. What are those pieces called?
F.
G.
H.
J.
9.
all of these
crust
fossils
plates
sediment
Which of the following is associated with the formation of sedimentary rock?
A.
B.
C.
D.
extreme heat and pressure
compaction and cementation
chemical change
melting
10. Which is most likely formed when particles of sand, clay, and sea shells are pressed
together under layers of rock?
F.
G.
H.
J.
11.
Diamonds.
Fault lines.
Large bricks.
Sedimentary rock.
Which statement best explains the formation of sedimentary rock?
A.
B.
C.
D.
When water seeps into rocks and freezes, it expands in size and
breaks down large rocks to form sedimentary rock.
When sediment is compressed and cemented together, sedimentary
rock is formed.
When heat and pressure are applied to the remains of prehistoric
plants and trees that have been covered with soil, sedimentary rock
is formed.
When erosion of sediment occurs, sedimentary rock is formed.
12. The diagram below shows the sequence of the processes that turn solid rock into
sandstone.
Which two processes best complete this diagram?
F.
G.
H.
J.
Melting and cooling
Erosion and compaction
Compaction and cementation
Evaporation and dissolving
13.
This diagram shows layers of soil and rock from below a forest floor. Which of these
conclusions is best supported by the information found in this diagram?
A.
B.
C.
D.
A body of water once covered the area.
The forest was made up of oak trees.
Fish were the first animals in the area.
The area was planted with trees one year ago.
14. Fossils shaped like seashells can be found inland, away from a water source. Which
statement BEST explains how these fossils could be found inland?
F.
Seashells can be found in both fresh and salt water.
G.
H.
J.
Collectors dropped the seashells on the land.
The area was once part of a seashore.
A hurricane blew the seashells on land.
15. Imprints or preserved remains of ancient plants and animals are called A.
B.
C.
D.
sediment
rock
clay
fossils
16.
A geologist thinks that his dig site used to be a creek environment. Which fossils would
help prove this hypothesis?
F.
G.
H.
J.
A and B
A and D
B and C
A, B and D
17. A geologist is trying to identify an ancient environment and identify what lived there in
the past.
Which type of rock would be MOST useful to the geologist?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Igneous
Sedimentary
Metamorphic
Rocks can't help you identify ancient environments.
18. A rock with a fossil imprint of a fern leaf was found on a mountain in Antarctica. What
does the fossil tell us about Antarctica?
F.
G.
H.
J.
Antarctica’s
Antarctica’s
Antarctica’s
Antarctica’s
climate
climate
climate
climate
was
was
was
was
drier in the past.
colder in the past.
windier in the past.
warmer in the past.
19.
Carla found the fossil shown in the illustration while camping in the woods. What does
the fossil tell us about the area?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The
The
The
The
area
area
area
area
was once covered by water.
was once much cooler.
was once at a higher elevation.
will soon be covered by water.
20. A type of fish was found around the world in different locations 250 million years ago.
You can determine the environment by looking at the size of it. What environment was
this fossil from?
F.
G.
H.
J.
Ocean
River
Creek
Pond
21 The diagram below shows rock layers next to a road.
.
Layer 3 contains many plant fossils. Layer 3 most likely formed in which of these
environments?
A.
B.
C.
D.
Desert
Forest
Ocean
Tundra
22. The rock column above shows the layers in a rock formation. The three diagrams above
show the positions of fossils in different rock layers. According to this information,
which fossil is the youngest?
F.
H.
G.
J.
23. This picture shows a fossil of an extinct animal. What kind of ecosystem did this animal
probably live in?
A.
B.
C.
D.
desert soil
snowy mountaintop
a freshwater lake
tropical treetops
24. The piece of rock in the picture is a fossil that was found in the desert. What detail
about the fossil would show that the desert used to be a forest?
F.
G.
H.
J.
25.
The fossil is brown, rounded, and 6 feet tall.
Andrew spent all afternoon looking at the fossil.
There are leaves in the fossil that are from an oak tree.
The animal in the fossil is a lizard that lives in the desert.
The tooth fossil in the picture came from a shark. That shark is known to have lived only in
the ocean.
What would it mean if the shark tooth fossil had been found in the Rocky Mountains?
A. that the rocks in the mountains had once been under water
B. that the wind had blown the fossil into the mountains
C. that the Rocky Mountain area used to be a desert
D. that the ocean used to be a desert
26. In the diagram above, which fossil is the oldest?
F.
G.
H.
J.
Z
Y
X
W
27. In the diagram above, which fossil is the newest?
A.
B.
C.
D.
X
Y
Z
W