7th Grade Science Assessment
Name __________________
RIO Unit 04 – Weather Hazards
1. Which type of large clouds often
produces thunderstorms? (Knowing)
A. Stratus clouds
B. Cumulonimbus clouds
C. Cirrus clouds
D. Nimbostratus clouds
2. What do you call a funnel-shaped cloud
that touches the Earth’s surface?
(Knowing)
A. Hurricane
D. warm, rapidly rising, low-pressure
air
5. Which of the following sources of
weather data would best help a
meteorologist follow the path of a rapidly
approaching thunderstorm? (Integrating)
A. A data from a nearby weather
station
B. A barometer
C. A radar
D. Weather balloons
B. Cyclone
C. Tornado
D. Thunderhead
3. Which of these locations is an example of
a safe place to be during a thunderstorm?
(Applying)
A. Crouching under a tree
6. Which conditions pose the greatest
danger to people caught in
thunderstorms? (Evaluating)
B. Lying on the ground in a ditch
A. Lightning
C. Swimming in a lake
B. Rain
D. Riding in a boat
C. Dark clouds
D. Thunder
4. In North America, thunderstorms are
often associated with which of the
following conditions? (Analyzing)
A. cool, high-pressure air masses
B. hot, continental tropical air masses
C. cool, gradually descending air
masses
7. Which of these conditions is typical of a
tornado? (Applying)
A. wind speeds of 0 km/h at the
center
B. wind speeds approaching 480
km/h
C. temperatures over 90℉
D. temperatures under 0℉
8. Tornadoes occur when a very cold, dry
air mass meets a very warm, moist air
mass. Which two air masses would most
likely form a tornado when they meet?
(Integrating)
A. Continental Polar and Continental
Tropical
B. Continental Polar and Maritime
Tropical
C. Continental Tropical and Maritime
Polar
D. Maritime Polar and Maritime
Tropical
The graph below shows the number of
tornadoes for each month in 2001. Use the
graph to answer questions 9 and 10.
Tornadoes in 2001
A. Tornadoes always occur most
frequently in the summer months.
B. Tornadoes occur when weather is
the warmest.
C. Tornadoes are generally most
frequent in the winter.
D. In 2001, tornadoes were most
frequent in April, May and June.
The chart below shows the Fujita Scale of
Tornado Intensity. Use the chart to answer
question 11 and 12.
Scale
F0
F1
F2
F3
F4
F5
Damage
Light
Moderate
Considerable
Severe
Devastating
Incredible
Winds
Under 116 km/h
116-180 km/h
181-253 km/h
254 – 332 km/h
333-419 km/h
Over 419 km/h
11. Which types of tornadoes are the most
destructive? (Organizing)
A. F0-F1
B. F2-F3
C. F3-F4
D. F4-F5
9. According the graph, which two months
in 2001 had the most tornadoes?
(Analyzing)
A. April and May
B. May and June
C. May and July
D. June and July
10. Which statement best summarizes the
trend shown in the graph? (Evaluating)
12. Based on the table of the Fujita Scale,
what can you infer about the cause of
tornado damage? (Generating)
A. Stronger winds cause more
damage.
B. Lower wind speed causes more
damage.
C. Drops in air pressure cause
damage.
D. Lightning causes severe damage.
13. Which of these locations is the best place
to seek shelter during a tornado?
(Evaluating)
C. Leave the area temporarily
D. Move away permanently
A. In the attic.
B. In the garage.
C. In the basement.
17. Which condition best explains why a
hurricane loses strength as it moves from
the ocean onto land? (Integrating)
D. In your car.
A. The lack of warm, moist air over
land
14. Floods can result from certain storms –
flash floods can occur after a
thunderstorm; and a storm surge occurs
during a hurricane. Which of the rules
below would keep you most safe in the
case of a sudden flood? (Evaluating)
B. The uneven land surface
C. Rising hot air from the land
D. Sinking hot air from the land
A. Drive quickly through a flooded
road.
B. Stay in your car.
C. Move to higher ground.
D. Do not drink the water.
15. Where does a hurricane get its energy?
(Analyzing)
A. cold, dry air moving over land
B. warm, humid air at the ocean’s
surface
C. the meeting of two warm air
masses
D. the strong winds of the jet stream
16. If people are being asked to evacuate
during a hurricane warning, what are
they being asked to do? (Applying)
A. Seek shelter in their homes
B. Move away from the windows in
their home
The table below lists hurricane categories.
Use the table to answer questions 18 and 19.
Category
1
2
3
4
5
Wind Speed
Air Pressure
(km/h)
(millibars)
119-154
155-178
179-210
211-250
>250
>980
965-980
945-964
920-944
<920
18. Hurricane Mitch, with winds of 313 km/h
and air pressure of 907 mb, struck the
east coast of Central America in 1998.
What category was Hurricane Mitch?
(Analyzing)
A. 1
B. 3
C. 4
B. Storm category decreases as
wind and pressure increase.
D. 5
19. Using the table above, which statement is
TRUE when categorizing a hurricane?
(Integrating)
A. Storm category decreases as wind
and pressure decrease.
C. Storm category increases as wind
decreases and pressure increases.
D. Storm category increases as wind
increases and pressure decreases.
The map below shows the eastern coast of the North America and the Atlantic Ocean. Use
this map to answer questions #20 and #21.
Location
B
45℉
Hurricane Zelda
Gulf of
Mexico
80℉
Mexico
Location
A
Location
D
65℉
70℉
Location
C
20. Based on the ocean temperatures, in
which location would the strongest
hurricane probably form? (Generating)
A. Location A
B. Location B
C. Location C
D. Location D
the storm system
once it reaches the
80℉
Gulf of Mexico? (Evaluating)
A. The storm system will continue to
lose strength as it travels farther
from the Atlantic Ocean.
B. The storm system will gain
strength again fueled by the warm
Gulf waters.
C. The Gulf currents will push the
storm into the Mexico coast.
D. A tornado will form when the cold
dry air from the North meets the
warm, moist air over the Gulf of
Mexico.
21. Hurricane Zelda loses strength as it
passes over Florida. Which scenario best
describes what will most likely happen to