Name: ___________________________________________
Earth’s Structure and Natural Processes – Practice Test
Section: __________
Directions: For each of the questions or incomplete statements below, choose the best of
the answer choices given and write your answer on the line.
1. _______The diagram below shows a tree growing out of a cracked rock. This is an
example of
a. water erosion.
b. physical weathering.
c. chemical weathering.
d. an internal geologic force.
2. _______the diagram below shows the mineral magnetite, which contains iron,
changing into rust particles. This is an example of
a.
b.
c.
d.
physical weathering.
chemical weathering.
erosion by running water.
the role of gravity in erosion.
3. _______The sedimentary rock layers in the diagram were originally formed in
horizontal layers. What force is responsible for changing them?
a.
b.
c.
d.
volcanoes
faulting
groundwater erosion
folding
Adapted from: Cohen, P. S., Deutsch, J., & Sorrentino, A. (2004). Preparing for the NJ GEPA - Science.
New York: Amsco School Publications, Inc.
4. _______The theory that Earth’s crust is broken up into large pieces that move and
interact is called
a. evolution of life.
b. mountain building.
c. the rock cycle.
d. plate tectonics.
5. _______Major mountain ranges are formed when crustal plates
a. push into each other.
b. slide past each other.
c. move away from each other.
d. break into smaller plates.
6. _______If crustal block A, to the left of the fault in the diagram, suddenly shifted
downward several feet, what would most likely occur at location C?
a.
b.
c.
d.
An earthquake would occur.
A volcanic eruption would occur.
A mountain would form.
An ocean would form.
7. _______Earth is made up of a crust, mantle, outer core, and inner core. The crust is
solid and broken into plates that seem to float on the mantle. The mantle is solid, but
flows like heated plastic. The outer core is liquid, and the inner core is solid. Much
of this knowledge about the internal structure and composition of Earth comes from
a. deep mining operations.
b. earthquake vibration waves.
c. underwater drilling operations.
d. the rock structure of mountains.
8. _______Weathering is responsible for
a. creating wide valleys.
b. forming mountain ranges.
c. changing rocks into soil.
d. changing sediments into rock.
Adapted from: Cohen, P. S., Deutsch, J., & Sorrentino, A. (2004). Preparing for the NJ GEPA - Science.
New York: Amsco School Publications, Inc.
9. _______Earthquakes and volcanoes are usually considered to be destructive forces
because they kill people and damage buildings and other structures. Why are they
sometimes considered to be beneficial geologic forces?
a. They rarely occur anymore.
b. They build up Earth’s surface.
c. They occur only in remote regions.
d. They support unique life-forms.
10. _______Which event describes a force that builds up Earth’s land surface?
a. a volcano erupting in the Hawaiian Islands
b. the flow of water in the Mississippi River
c. waves striking the beaches of New Jersey
d. a glacier forming on the top of a mountain
Refer to the following diagram, which represents the water cycle, to answer
questions 11 and 12.
11. _______Where in the diagram is the most likely location of polluted water?
a. A
b. B
c. C
d. D
12. _______Where in the diagram is the process of condensation taking place?
a. A
b. B
c. C
d. D
13. _______Purification of water is essential to maintain freshwater supplies for human
usage. What natural processes can purify seawater and polluted water into freshwater
that people could use?
a. water seeping into the ground and filtering through the soil
b. water freezing and thawing repeatedly
c. evaporation and condensation of water
d. water running over the ground and settling in a reservoir
Adapted from: Cohen, P. S., Deutsch, J., & Sorrentino, A. (2004). Preparing for the NJ GEPA - Science.
New York: Amsco School Publications, Inc.
14. _______The diagram shows the location of an industrial city near a river and some
lakes formed by dams on the river. Where is the best location to get clean water for
the people of the city?
a.
b.
c.
d.
lake A
lake B
lake C
downstream at point D
15. _______Mr. Collins purchased a house on a secluded lake in northwest New Jersey in
1975. At the time, there were only six houses on the lake. Today, there are 52 houses
on the lake. Between 1975 and today, the water in the lake most likely
a. became more polluted.
b. became less polluted.
c. remained the same.
d. was drained out.
Use the following information to answer question 16
In 1960, the river water upstream from a city showed few signs of pollution, while
the water downstream showed a dangerously high level of pollution. The following
graph shows the distribution of pollution in the river at that time.
Adapted from: Cohen, P. S., Deutsch, J., & Sorrentino, A. (2004). Preparing for the NJ GEPA - Science.
New York: Amsco School Publications, Inc.
16. _______Which graph indicates the most successful correction of the pollution
problem for the city?
a.
b.
c.
d.
graph 1
graph 2
graph 3
graph 4
17. _______Most of the water used by people for drinking, bathing, and other purposes
comes from
a. the oceans.
b. groundwater.
c. mountaintop glaciers.
d. rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.
Use the information in the following chart to answer question 18
Adapted from: Cohen, P. S., Deutsch, J., & Sorrentino, A. (2004). Preparing for the NJ GEPA - Science.
New York: Amsco School Publications, Inc.
18. _______Clean, available freshwater is an important resource that humans need to
survive. Based on the chart, what can be correctly stated about Earth’s freshwater
supply?
a. Most of the water on Earth is part of our freshwater supply.
b. The freshwater supply consists of less than 3 percent of all the water on Earth.
c. The freshwater supply consists of more than 97 percent of all the water on Earth.
d. Most of the freshwater on Earth is available for use by humans.
19. _______In the diagram, the most likely reason for City B to be cooler than City A is
that
a. City B is at a different latitude.
b. City B is at a higher altitude.
c. City B is closer to the ocean.
d. City B is closer to the sun.
20. _______The diagram below shows two cities, A and B, and their positions on a
continent. How will the climates of the cities compare?
a.
b.
c.
d.
City B will have warmer summers and cooler winters than City A.
City B will have cooler summers and warmer winters than City A.
City B will have cooler summers and cooler winters than City A.
Both cities will have the same climate in summer and in winter.
21. _______The most likely reason that Newark has a cooler climate than Miami is their
difference in
a. distance from the ocean.
b. altitude.
c. air pressure.
d. latitude.
Adapted from: Cohen, P. S., Deutsch, J., & Sorrentino, A. (2004). Preparing for the NJ GEPA - Science.
New York: Amsco School Publications, Inc.
22. _______The main source of energy that sets Earth’s atmosphere in motion and causes
weather is
a. volcanism.
b. gravity.
c. the ocean.
d. the sun.
Questions 23 and 24 refer to the data and diagram below, which represents a New
Jersey beach on a hot summer day at about 2:00 P.M.
Diagram Key:
A – the air at 1 meter above the beach sand
B – the air at 1500 meters above the beach sand
C – the air at 1 meter above the ocean water
D – the air at 1500 meters above the ocean water
23. _______The uneven heating of the region causes a cool breeze to form by midday. In
which direction is the air moving to form a cool breeze on the beach?
a. from B to A
b. from C to A
c. from D to C
d. from A to C
24. _______Clouds form when warm air rises. The water vapor in the air condenses into
water droplets, thus forming a cloud. At which location might clouds be forming?
a. at A
b. at B
c. at C
d. at D
25. _______During winter, air masses that form over northern Canada often move south
and affect the weather in New Jersey. Such an air mass would be
a. dry and warm.
b. dry and cold.
c. moist and warm.
d. moist and cold.
Adapted from: Cohen, P. S., Deutsch, J., & Sorrentino, A. (2004). Preparing for the NJ GEPA - Science.
New York: Amsco School Publications, Inc.
26. _______In the diagram, the air mass most likely to affect New Jersey the next day
would be
a. air mass A.
b. air mass B.
c. air mass C.
d. air mass D.
Questions 27 and 28 refer to the following diagram.
27. _______The line separating the cold air mass from the warm air mass represents a
a. warm front.
b. cold front.
c. line of latitude.
d. high-pressure system.
28. _______City A is most likely about to experience
a. a light rain, followed by warmer temperatures.
b. heavy rains lasting several days.
c. no change in its weather conditions.
d. brief downpours, followed by cooler temperatures.
Adapted from: Cohen, P. S., Deutsch, J., & Sorrentino, A. (2004). Preparing for the NJ GEPA - Science.
New York: Amsco School Publications, Inc.
Name: ______________________________________ Section: ______
Earth’s Structure & Natural Processes – Open Response Question 1
The pictures below show daytime and nighttime coastal wind patterns during the
summer months.
a) Describe the wind patterns in each diagram
b) Explain in detail, what causes the differences between the wind
patterns in the diagrams.
Adapted from: Cohen, P. S., Deutsch, J., & Sorrentino, A. (2004). Preparing for the NJ GEPA - Science.
New York: Amsco School Publications, Inc.
Name: ______________________________________ Section: ______
Earth’s Structure & Natural Processes – Open Response Question 2
The rock cycle is the process through which one type of rock is converted into
another.
c) Create a diagram identifying the three main groups of rocks found in
the rock cycle.
d) Describe the processes that must occur to create/form each of the
three main groups of rocks.
Adapted from: Cohen, P. S., Deutsch, J., & Sorrentino, A. (2004). Preparing for the NJ GEPA - Science.
New York: Amsco School Publications, Inc.
Name: ______________________________________ Section: ______
Earth’s Structure & Natural Processes – Open Response Question 3
Earth’s crust and rigid upper mantle are broken into enormous slabs called
tectonic plates that interact at plate boundaries. The three types of plate
boundaries are transform, divergent, and convergent.
e) Describe the plate movements at two of these boundaries.
f) Give one example of a formation created at each of the boundaries
that you described in part “a.”
Adapted from: Cohen, P. S., Deutsch, J., & Sorrentino, A. (2004). Preparing for the NJ GEPA - Science.
New York: Amsco School Publications, Inc.