Cave Country Nov. 12 Science Exam #2
2013-14 Middle Grades Practice Questions
Student Instructions:
 Write your complete ID code on your answer sheet.
 For each question, choose the BEST answer. If you change your answer, erase well.
1.
In humans where does the production of egg cells occur?
A.
fallopian tubes
B.
ovaries
C.
cervix
D.
uterus
2.
An object travels 10 meters due East in a period of 2.5 seconds. What is the average velocity of the object?
A.
4 m/s
B.
4 m/s2
C.
3 m/s
D.
3 m/s2
3.
Use the graph to the right to determine the total distance travelled by
the vehicle after 3 seconds.
A.
0 meters
B.
10 meters
C.
20 meters
D.
30 meters
4.
Magnesium metal is burnt in air to form magnesium oxide. Magnesium oxide is a white powder that has
different properties than the magnesium metal and oxygen it was made from. What is the classification of
magnesium oxide?
A.
an element
B.
a compound
C.
a mixture
D.
a solution
5.
What do the following elements have in common: phosphorus (P), bromine (Br), nitrogen (N), and Hydrogen
(H)?
A.
They all have the same number of valence electrons.
B.
They all are good conductors of electricity.
C.
They are all nonmetals.
D.
They are all lustrous.
6.
What is the most appropriate unit for expressing distances between galaxies in the universe?
A.
miles
B.
kilometers
C.
light years
D.
astronomical units
2013 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions – Science Exam #2 – Middle Grades - Page 1
7.
What would be the general classification of the two galaxies shown to the right?
A.
spiral galaxies
B.
lenticular galaxies
C.
barred galaxies
D.
elliptical galaxies
8.
What happens when water turns into ice?
A.
the mass increases
B.
energy is absorbed
C.
new molecules are created
D.
the molecules form into a fixed structure
9.
The steps of photosynthesis are shown in the diagram to the
right. What takes place in the oval marked with an X?
A.
B.
C.
D.
carbon dioxide and water combine to make glucose
the plant leaves release water into the surroundings
the plant leaves are consumed by insects
glucose and water combined to make carbon dioxide
10.
Match the human system with its appropriate part.
x.
Digestive system
1.
trachea
y.
Respiratory system
2.
kidney
z.
Excretory system
3.
esophagus
A.
x – 1, y – 2, z – 3
B.
x – 3, y – 2, z – 1
C.
x – 2, y – 1, z – 3
D.
x – 3, y – 1, z – 2
11.
The diagram to the right shows a cross section of a waterfall. The letters
represent locations of water at a given time. At which location does the
water have the greatest potential energy in relationship to the bottom of
diagram?
A.
A
B.
B
C.
C
D.
D
12.
Which of the following type of molecules can be administered intravenously into the bloodstream to
provide “instant” energy since the molecules do not have to through the digestive system and broken
down?
A.
B.
C.
D.
13.
NaCl
fats
protein
glucose
Which of the following is an example of an adaptation in animals?
A.
training your dog to roll over
B.
cat’s having whiskers to help detect location of prey
C.
race horses responding to the bell in the starting gate
D.
a child learning to ask for something before he takes it
2013 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions – Science Exam #2 – Middle Grades - Page 2
14.
Which of the following animals would be at the top of a food web?
A.
mouse
B.
rabbit
C.
squirrel
D.
hawk
15.
What would happen to the following community if the small fish population declined because of disease?
A.
B.
C.
D.
The plankton and krill populations would increase.
Only the salmon population would decrease.
The salmon and eagle populations would decrease.
Only the plankton population would increase.
16.
What is the difference between microwaves and visible blue light?
A.
microwaves can be refracted but visible blue light cannot
B.
microwaves has a longer wavelength than visible blue light
C.
visible blue light can be reflected but microwaves cannot
D.
visible blue light travels faster than microwaves
17.
In the circuit shown to the right what electrical unit does the symbol, Ω,
represent?
A.
volt
B.
ampere
C.
ohm
D.
watt
18.
On a sunny winter day which of the following garments would be the best absorber of heat energy?
A.
a dark purple sweat shirt
B.
a white parka
C.
a light blue jacket
D.
a dark yellow sweater
19.
What is the name of the piece of laboratory equipment shown to the right?
A.
crucible
B.
flask
C.
beaker
D.
graduated cylinder
2013 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions – Science Exam #2 – Middle Grades - Page 3
20.
Use the wave image to the right to complete the matching.
w. wavelength
x. crest
y. trough
z. amplitude
A.
B.
C.
D.
1.
2.
3.
4.
1
2
3
4
w-1, x-2, y-3, z-4
w-1, x-4, y-2, z-3
w-3, x-1, y-2, z-4
w-3, x-4, y-3, z-1
21.
Which of the following is not a purpose of blinking of the eyes in humans?
A.
eye lubrication
B.
prevention of small objects entering the eye
C.
removal of foreign material from the eye
D.
stops the production of tears
22.
Use the map at the right to determine which of the following areas
in the world has a high probability of major earthquake events.
A.
east coast of South America
B.
east coast of North America
C.
east coast of Asia
D.
west coast of Africa
23.
Which of the following best explains why the North and South Poles of Earth have very frigid climates?
A.
the poles are always farther from the Sun than the rest of Earth
B.
the surface at the poles is angled away from the Sun and has less insolation daily
C.
the poles receive fewer hours of sunlight than other parts of Earth on a daily basis
D.
the ice buildup over time will not allow the poles to warm
24.
In the fall of the year grey squirrels will bury nuts while red squirrels will find above ground locations to hoard
or stack nuts. Which of the following statements about the squirrels gathering of resources is best for their
habitats and environments?
A.
The grey squirrels burying of nuts helps sustain the environment because most of the buried nuts are
not retrieved and have potential to grow into trees.
B.
The red squirrels hoarding keeps the nuts from germinating thereby keeping the surrounding
environment free of unwanted trees.
C.
The red squirrels hoarding assures them that they will have enough food for the winter if they can
keep other rodents away from their stockpile.
D.
The grey squirrels burying of nuts assures them of having enough food to survive the winter if they
can remember where they buried all of the nuts.
25.
Female Kentucky cardinals have dull reddish feathers whereas the males have brightly colored red feathers
which are inherited from their fathers. The females are attracted to the brightest colored male to form a mating
pair. After many generations which of the following observations can be made regarding the Kentucky cardinal
population?
A.
there will be a lower percentage of bright red male Kentucky cardinals
B.
there will be a higher percentage of dull colored female Kentucky cardinals
C.
there will be a higher percentage of bright red male Kentucky cardinals
D.
there will be a higher percentage of bright red female Kentucky cardinals
2013 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions – Science Exam #2 – Middle Grades - Page 4
26.
Communication in a beehive is used for many reasons. One communication between bees involves the waggle
dance. A bee returning to the hive fully loaded with nectar and pollen stops and does a waggle dance to let the
other bees know the direction and the distance of the food source. Which of the following is true about the
behavior described above?
A.
this behavior is important to control the drone population in the hive
B.
this behavior helps keep bees from other hives away from the food source
C.
this behavior increases the bees’ chance of survival
D.
this behavior is not inherited but is transferred to each bee by mimicry
27.
Dull beans are dominant over shiny beans. If a dull bean had a shiny parent which of the
following would be the genotype of that dull bean (R = dominant; r = recessive)?
A.
cannot be determined
B.
RR
C.
rr
D.
Rr
28.
What two factors are responsible for keeping a satellite in orbit?
A.
velocity and acceleration
B.
gravity and velocity
C.
gravity and centrifugal force
D.
velocity and centrifugal force
29.
Which of the following is not a scientific study or experiment?
A.
Shoppers at a grocery store are asked which tomato variety makes the best tasting salsa.
B.
Bean seeds are germinated on the International Space Station to see how they will grow in a low
gravity environment.
C.
A company uses different commercials for the same product in different parts of the country and
tracks sales to see which commercial generated the most sales.
D.
An environmental study determines the difference of the same species in two different ecosystems.
30.
Match the animal with its classification.
x. okapi
1.
herbivore
y. bear
2.
carnivore
z. weasel
3.
omnivore
A.
x-1, y-2, z-3
B.
x-2, y-1, z-3
C.
x-2, y-3, z-1
D.
x-1, y-3, z-2
31.
Which of the following is NOT part of the scientific process?
A.
observations
B.
an untestable theory
C.
a hypothesis
D.
experimentation
32.
The technological invention was unveiled in 1990. What is the common name of this technology invented by
Tim Berners-Lee that allows users to access information through interlinked computer servers?
A.
Twitter
B.
Windows Internet Explorer
C.
World Wide Web
D.
MetaCrawler
2013 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions – Science Exam #2 – Middle Grades - Page 5
33.
Why do pest control companies have to regularly change the type of chemical they use to eradicate insects?
A.
After the treatment any surviving insects may produce offspring resistant to that chemical.
B.
The company is not sure they have the right chemical to eradicate the specific insect.
C.
The government mandates that the same chemical cannot be used twice.
D.
The company is always trying to find a cheaper chemical that eradicates the insects.
34.
What is the scientific name for large areas that have similar climates and characteristic plant communities?
A.
population
B.
biome
C.
climax community
D.
biosphere
35.
The Hawk Moth of New Caledonia shown to the right has the ability to
display a very bright and distinct color pattern that scares its predators.
What is the biological term for this type of behavior?
A.
startle coloration
B.
modeling
C.
camouflage
D.
warning coloration
36.
Even though it may only represent a small portion of the population, the loss of this type of species changes the
entire structure of the whole community. What is the name of the type of species that is fundamentally essential
to an ecosystem?
A.
footprint
B.
primary
C.
baseline
D.
keystone
37.
Salmon are born in fresh waters that have a high level of dissolved oxygen but spend most of their adult life in
the open sea. As the salmon swim downstream to the ocean their bodies undergoes changes that allows them to
move from fresh water to ocean water. These changes take place in an area where the fresh river water meets
the ocean. What is the name of this type of area?
A.
rill
B.
effluvium
C.
estuary
D.
brook
38.
Which of the following type of cells does NOT possess a cell wall?
A.
plant cells
B.
fungi cells
C.
bacteria cells
D.
animal cells
39.
What agent was responsible for causing the bubonic plague which killed over 30% of the European population
in the 14th century?
A.
virus
B.
bacteria
C.
fungi
D.
prion
2013 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions – Science Exam #2 – Middle Grades - Page 6
40.
Match the lab safety symbol with its meaning.
x.
y.
z.
1. biohazard
2. laser
3. radioactive
A.
B.
C.
D.
x-3, y-1, z-2
x-1, y-3, z-2
x-2, y-1, z-3
x-1, y-2, z-3
41.
Which of the following has no cytoplasm, organelles, or ribosomes?
A.
an alga
B.
plants
C.
a bacterium
D.
a virus
42.
He produced numerous inventions that improved the quality of life in the late 19th and
early 20th centuries. Who was this American inventor pictured to the right that was
known as the Wizard of Menlo Park?
A.
Nikola Tesla
B.
George Westinghouse
C.
Thomas Edison
D.
Harvey Firestone
43.
Who was the German born scientist that promoted the hypothesis of continental drift in the early 20th century
that led to today’s model of plate tectonics?
A.
Alfred Wegener
B.
Max Born
C.
Wolfgang Pauli
D.
Ronal Richter
44.
The unofficial slogan of Google is “Don’t be evil.” Who invented Google search engines along with Sergey
Brin?
A.
Steve Jobs
B.
Jeff Bezos
C.
Paul Allen
D.
Larry Page
45.
This disease is characterized by loss of neurons and synapses in the cerebral cortex, resulting in the
degeneration of affected areas of the brain. What disease, often associated with the elderly results in the
buildup of plaques in the brain and associated memory and behavioral changes?
A.
Parkinson’s Disease
B.
Glaucoma
C.
Rheumatoid Arthritis
D.
Alzheimer’s Disease
2013 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions – Science Exam #2 – Middle Grades - Page 7
QUESTIONS 46 and 47 REFER TO THE FOOD LABEL BELOW
46.
Based on the Chili with Beans food label what is the approximate
allowed Daily Value of cholesterol?
A.
about 300 mg
B.
about 250 mg
C.
about 150 mg
D.
exactly 130 mg
47.
If you consume the entire container of Chili with Beans what would
be your total Calorie intake?
A.
260 Calories
B.
520 Calories
C.
332 Calories
D.
130 Calories
48.
Resting heart rate refers to the number of heartbeats per minute
when a person is sitting. Which of the following heart rates is
within the normal range for a person?
A.
30 beats per minute
B.
57 beats per minute
C.
72 beats per minute
D.
122 beats per minute
49.
What is the current classification of the celestial object Pluto?
A.
Oort cloud object
B.
asteroid
C.
Jovian planet
D.
dwarf planet
50.
Match the scientific area of study with its appropriate topic.
x. cytology
1. structure and function of cells
y. horology
2. origin and history of rocks
z. petrology
3. time measurement
A.
B.
C.
D.
x-1, y-2, z-3
x-1, y-3, z-2
x-3, y-1, z-2
x-3, y-2, z-1
2013 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions – Science Exam #2 – Middle Grades - Page 8
Science – Middle Grades - Practice Exam 2
2013 Governor’s Cup
1. B
26. C
2. B
27. D
3. D
28. B
4. B
29. A
5. C
30. D
6. C
31. B
7. A
32. C
8. D
33. A
9. A
34. B
10. D
35. A
11. A
36. D
12. D
37. C
13. B
38. D
14. D
39. B
15. C
40. A
16. B
41. D
17. C
42. C
18. A
43. A
19. B
44. D
20. B
45. D
21. D
46. A
22. C
47. B
23. B
48. C
24. A
49. D
25. C
50. B