7th Grade
First Quarterly Assessment
Question 1
What causes the streak of light observed when a
meteoroid enters Earth’s atmosphere?
A. sunlight reflected from the meteoroid surface
B. energy released from radioactive materials in
the meteoroid
C. lightning produced between the meteoroid and
the upper atmosphere
D. visible light produced from the interaction
between the meteoroid and the upper
atmosphere
Question 2
Which explains the relationship between hours of
sunlight and seasons
A. the rotation of Earth on its axis
B. the tilt of Earth’s axis relative to the sun
C. the location of Earth’s orbit in the solar system
D. the motion of the moon as it travels around
Earth
Question 3
What change would occur if Earth’s rate of rotation
significantly increased?
A. The year would be shorter.
B. The year would be longer.
C. The day would be shorter.
D. The day would be longer.
Question 4
Which phenomena occur as a result of the
gravitational attraction between the moon and
Earth?
A. eclipses
B. ocean tides
C. seasonal changes
D. phases of the moon
Question 5
Which diagram shows the relative positions of Earth
(E), the sun (S), and the moon (M) during a full
moon?
[Note: Diagrams are not drawn to scale.].
A.
B.
C.
D.
Question 6
The moon orbits the Earth about every
A. 28 days
B. 31 days
C. 24 days
D. 60 days
Question 7
A student observing the sky notices that the cirrostratus clouds
she saw in the morning have been replaced by cumulonimbus
clouds in the afternoon.
What weather conditions can she expect for the afternoon and
evening?
A. low clouds and fog with little temperature change
B. fair skies continuing with scattered puffy clouds
C. light rain, then an increase in temperature and clearing skies
D. heavy wind and rain followed by a drop in temperature and
clearing skies
A meteorologist collects data on the
weather conditions at an airport. The
diagram shows a weather station
model of the data that he collected.
Question 8
At the time these data were collected, flights at
the airport were delayed. According to this
information, which weather condition caused
the delay?
A. thick fog
B. heavy snow
C. freezing rain
D. strong winds
Use the water cycle diagram to
answer questions 9-12
Question 9
What evidence suggests that water goes through a
physical change when it evaporates in the water cycle?
A. The density of the water remains the same.
B. The volume of the water remains the same.
C. The physical properties of the water remain the
same.
D. The chemical properties of the water remain the
same.
Question 10
The diagram includes an ocean in the water
cycle. How does salt water from the ocean end
up as fresh water in precipitation?
A. Runoff leaves salt in the soil.
B. Precipitation leaves salt in the clouds.
C. Evaporation leaves salt in the ocean.
D. Condensation leaves salt in the water vapor.
Question 11
What is the primary energy source that drives
Earth’s water cycle between the atmosphere,
oceans and land?
A. wind
B. sunlight
C. ocean currents
D. rotation of Earth
Question 12
Water gains energy during evaporation. During
what process in the water cycle is this energy
released?
A. percolation through soil
B. transpiration from plants
C. runoff into the lake and ocean
D. condensation that forms clouds
Question 13
Question 14
In which environment is white fur color an
advantage for survival?
A. desert
B. grassland
C. arctic tundra
D. temperate forest
Question 15
The diagram models Earth and the moon in two positions of its
orbit. The arrows indicate the direction of light from the sun.
Identify what phase of the moon will be seen from Earth when the moon is in
position X Describe or draw what that phase looks like from Earth. Indicate in your
description or drawing what portion of the moon is lit or is not lit.
Then, identify what phase of the moon will be seen from Earth when the moon is in
position Z. Describe or draw what that phase looks like from Earth. Indicate in your
description or drawing what portion of the moon is lit or is not lit.
Question 16
Students observe that the length of the shadow of a
flagpole varies throughout the year. They measure and
diagram the flagpole’s shadow in spring, summer and fall
at mid-afternoon. The students’ diagrams are shown.
In your answer, describe or draw what the flagpole’s shadow will
look like at mid-afternoon in the winter, December 21.
Then, explain why the flagpole’s shadow length changes throughout
the year.
(2 points)