Virtual Lab – Systematics
Content Test Booklet
The diagram below shows a bacterium.
The part of the cell indicated by the arrow is responsible for which of the following functions?
A. absorption
B. breathing
C. movement
D. reproducing
©Massachusetts Department of Education (MCAS Released Items Spring 2003)
1
An earthworm was placed on top of a thick layer of moist topsoil in a pan. The pan was placed in a room
with the lights on. How did the earthworm most likely respond to these conditions?
A. by burrowing under the soil
B. by crawling around in the pan
C. by staying where it was placed
D. by trying to crawl out of the pan
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2
Hummingbirds can hover in the air and fly very quickly. This benefits the hummingbird in all of the
following except
A. quickly escaping predators.
B. easily reaching flowers.
C. staying in one place to drink nectar.
D. keeping eggs warm.
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3
Few flowers are able to grow on the northern arctic tundra. Those that do grow there have very short stems.
How is this an adaptation to help them survive in the arctic climate?
A. It protects them from freezing.
B. It prevents them from being eaten by consumers.
C. It protects them from breaking in strong winds.
D. It makes it very hard for them to be pulled from the ground.
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The purpose of thorns on a plant is most likely to
A. help the plant to get moisture.
B. anchor the plant in the ground.
C. protect the plant from harm.
D. support the stems and branches.
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Copyright © 2008 by The Learning Partnership. All rights reserved.
The diagram below shows a bean seed that is beginning to germinate in soil. The first structure to emerge is
labeled X.
What is the function of structure X?
A. to make food
B. to absorb water
C. to produce seeds
D. to move the seed
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The leaves of which plant below show the best structural adaptation for protecting the plant from
predators?
7
A
B
C
D
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Copyright © 2008 by The Learning Partnership. All rights reserved.
Many animals that live near the North Pole are white. Why is being white a helpful inherited trait for the
North Pole environment?
A. white absorbs more heat
B. white blends in with the surroundings
C. white reflects sunlight
D. white helps animals to move faster
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Which one of the following characteristics is most likely to be found in mammals that are preyed on by
other mammals for food?
A. Eyes on the sides of the head
B. Teeth that are long and pointed
C. Claws on the feet
D. Ears that cannot move
©Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) (1999)
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What specialized structures do deer have that help them survive against predators?
A. warm, brown hair
B. large and intelligent brains
C. fast running bodies
D. good digestive systems
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Which of the following is NOT a way desert animals have adapted to survive in the desert?
A. thick fur
B. are active at night
C. small size
D. live in burrows
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What is the primary function of the large leaves found on seedlings growing in a forest?
A. To provide shade for the root systems
B. To get rid of excess water that is entering through the roots
C. To allow for leaf damage by insects
D. To gather as much light as possible for photosynthesis
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Copyright © 2008 by The Learning Partnership. All rights reserved.
Refer to the picture above. What is the primary purpose of this hand?
A. Grasping
B. Walking
C. Swimming
D. Flying
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Describe the function of the limb above and explain how the structure of the limb supports
that function.
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A small animal called the duckbilled platypus lives in Australia. Which characteristic of this animal shows
that it is a mammal?
A. It eats other animals.
B. It feeds its young milk.
C. It makes a nest and lays eggs.
D. It has webbed feet.
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Copyright © 2008 by The Learning Partnership. All rights reserved.
Scientists consider the giant water bug and the lobster to be members of the same group of animals because
A. they both live in water.
B. they both have jointed legs.
C. they both can be seen without a microscope.
D. they both are nearly the same color.
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Many people have the misconception that mushrooms belong to the Plant kingdom. To disprove this
misconception you conduct an experiment by growing plants and mushrooms under different amounts of
light. You obtain the following data from your experiment.
Based upon these data, which of the following is the best conclusion?
A. Mushrooms belong to the Plant kingdom because they can grow in light.
B. Mushrooms belong to the Plant kingdom because they need water.
C. Mushrooms do NOT belong to the Plant kingdom because they can grow in the
dark.
D. Mushrooms do NOT belong to the Plant kingdom because they need water.
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Use the following classification key to identify the organism below.
1a. Organism is symmetrical
1b. Organism is not symmetrical
2a. Organism is bilaterally symmetrical
2b. Organism is radially symmetrical
3a. Organism has a spinal cord and vertebrae
3b. Organism has NO spinal cord or vertebrae
4a. Organism has a hard exoskeleton
4b. Organism has no hard exoskeleton
5a. Organism has five rays or arms
5b. Organism is transparent with many tentacles
Go to 2
Phylum Porifera
Go to 3
Go to 5
Phylum Chordata
Go to 4
Phylum Arthropoda
Phylum Annelida
Phylum Echinodermata
Phylum Coelenterata
What phylum would the organism above belong to?
A. Porifera
B. Chordata
C. Arthropoda
D. Echinodermata
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Which would be the best example of organisms that have been classified by a similarity in structure?
A. dog, fox, coyote
B. bear, rabbit, coyote
C. cat, horse, dog
D. antelope, deer, rabbit
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The pictures below show animals separated into two different groups.
The animals above are grouped by eating habits. Which of the following animals belongs in Group A?
A. squirrel
B. sheep
C. hawk
D. goat
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Which of the following characteristics would be appropriately used in developing a classification key for
birds?
A. where the bird was seen
B. how plentiful that bird is in your neighborhood
C. what food the bird eats
D. color markings on the bird’s head
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In the past scientists used to classify living things into either the plant or animal kingdoms. Today it is
customary to use a classification system that uses five kingdoms, and many scientists favor six. Which
answer below best explains why?
A. Modern day scientists are better at thinking and analyzing than scientists from the
past.
B. Modern day scientists are better at noticing details than scientists from the past.
C. Modern day scientists work harder today than they did in the past.
D. Modern day scientists have better technology to analyze and classify organisms
than in the past.
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The more classification levels shared by two organisms:
A. the easier it is to tell them apart
B. the more distantly related they are
C. the move characteristics they have in common
D. the closer they live together in their environment
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Gorilla
Parrot
Snake
Earthworm
Jellyfish
Sponge
Fish
Mosquito
a. Classify each of the eight living things listed above into one of two groups according to
an important physical characteristic
Group I
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Group II
b. What physical characteristic did you use in your classification?
c. Explain what your classification would be useful for.
©National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP) (2000)
Five hundred flies of one species were sprayed with a new insecticide. Twenty-four hours later, nearly all
the flies were dead. However, a few survived. Which principle best explains why some flies survived?
A. Animals adapt to new environments.
B. New species develop from survivors.
C. There is variation among individuals within a species.
D. Insecticides may cause genetic mutations.
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The diagram below represents part of the horse fossil record from three time periods. It includes
illustrations of the hooves and teeth of horses from each time period.
Which of the following statements is best supported by the horse fossil record?
A. The horse has been a carnivore.
B. The horse has changed over time.
C. The horse has many common ancestors.
D. The horse has lived in the same ecosystem.
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Copyright © 2008 by The Learning Partnership. All rights reserved.
The pictures below show bone structures in three animals.
The similarity in structure of the bones of these animals suggests that
A. the size of these bones is the same.
B. these species share common ancestors.
C. these species developed at the same time and location.
D. the chemical make-up of these animals is exactly the same.
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Shown below are 4 species of finches, derived from a common ancestor. These species inhabit the same
island. Which of the following BEST explains the appearance of these birds’ beaks?
The similarity in structure of the bones of these animals suggests that
A. Predation by the larger birds on the smaller birds led to a decreased population of
the smaller birds.
B. Competition for limited food resources led to an increased similarity among
species.
C. Predation by the larger birds on the smaller birds led to an increased fitness of the
smaller birds.
D. Competition for limited food resources led to an increased diversity among
species.
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Copyright © 2008 by The Learning Partnership. All rights reserved.
Based on their analysis of the differences in amino acid sequences of one kind of protein, scientists
prepared the evolutionary tree shown below.
According to this diagram, the DNA of which pair of organisms would show the greatest similarity?
A. penguin and turtle
B. horse and donkey
C. snake and tuna
D. turtle and rabbit
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Copyright © 2008 by The Learning Partnership. All rights reserved.