Earth science Pre/Post Test

Earth science Pre/Post Test7th Grade Science Brownstown Middle School

1. The water cycle is usually described as liquid water evaporation from the surface of the Earth and falling later as rain. Thus, water evaporation from Lake Michigan in the summer can fall as rain in Western Michigan. How is this cycle modified by the arrival of the winter season?A. Winter prevent the evaporation of water from the lake so very little rain (or snow) will ever fall in Western Michigan.B. The cycle stays pretty much the same except that the water that falls in Western Michigan is now in the form of snow.C. It is difficult to make predictions about the water cycle since it can start and stop at any time.D. Once winter arrives, the water cycle stops and does not start again until spring.

2. When soil becomes saturated during rainfall, excess water begins to collect on the surface. What is the down slope movement of this excess water to rivers, lakes, and streams called? A. RunoffB. FiltrationC. GroundwaterD. Condensation

3. An oasis is a place in a desert where underground water seeps through to the surface. The figure below shows how the water from rainfall in the mountains passes through the porous rock below a desert region.

If the dotted line in the diagram above represents the water table, where is the most likely place for an oasis to form?A.1B.2C.3D.4

4. Which of the following shows the correct path that the water takes through the region covered by the map?

A. St Clair River Lake Huron Detroit River Lake Clair River Lake ErieB. Lake Erie Detroit River Lake St. Clair St. Clair River Lake HuronC. Lake Huron St. Clair River Lake St. Clair Detroit River Lake ErieD. Lake St. Clair Detroit River Lake Erie Detroit River St. Clair River

5. Which three gases make up most of the Earths atmosphere? A. nitrogen, oxygen, argonB. hydrogen, oxygen, argonC. nitrogen, hydrogen, oxygenD. carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen

6. If you breathe on a mirror, part of the mirror clouds up. What are you actually seeing when you see the mirror cloud up? A. Water droplets that formed from cooled water vapor in your breath B. Carbon dioxide that you are breathing out from your lungsC. Oxygen that you are breathing out from your lungs D. Cooled nitrogen in the air around you

7. Which of the following best explains why the pressure inside a high-flying airplane must be controlled? A. At high altitudes there is a greater atmospheric pressure than on the surface of the Earth.B. As high altitudes there is a lower atmospheric pressure than on the surface of the Earth.C. If the cabin is not pressurized, ozone and other upper atmospheric gases will enter the airplane.D. If the cabin is not pressurized, carbon dioxide with escape from the airplane.

8. When a climber gets to the top of a mountain she finds it harder to breath and she is also more likely to get sun burned. Why is this true? A. The air pressure is greater.B. The atmosphere is less dense.C. The greenhouse effect has increased.D. The top of the mountain is closer to the sun.

9. A rain forest is found at the base of Mt. Kilimanjaro, and the summit is snowcapped. Which of the following would best account for this? A.Temperature differences due to elevation changes _B.Climate differences due to seasonal changesC.Differences in precipitation due to formation of a rain shadowD.Climate changes due to changes in latitude

10. Which statement is true about the weather ten years ago? A. It was exactly the same every day. B. It was always rainy and cold all over the world. C. It was always rainy and hot all over the world. D. It was changing from day to day.

11. Which zones in the map are most likely to have a temperate climate (warm summers and cold winters)?

A. 1 and 6B. 2 and 5C. 3 and 4D. 1, 2, and 3

12. Why does the equator experience about the same temperatures year-round? A. It tilts toward the sun and gets much more direct solar energy.B. It has no prevailing winds.C. It has no mountains to affect its climate.D. The suns rays strike the equator at about the same angle all year.

13. Why do ocean conditions affect the Earths climates? A. Oceans surround all land masses. B. Oceans have colder temperatures. C. Oceans can store the most heat energy. D. Oceans receive more energy from the sun.

14. Compared to coastal areas, interior areas of a large continent tend to have A. higher amounts of rainfall throughout the year. B. a greater incidence of fog during summer months. C. an increased risk of hurricanes during the spring months. D. more extreme temperature differences between winter and summer.

15. The map below shows Atlantic Ocean currents. Surface currents in the ocean affect the climate of the land areas nearby. Which of the currents most affects the climate of Massachusetts and its surrounding states?Gulf Stream Labrador Current North Atlantic Drift D. North Equatorial Current

16. Use the maps below to answer the following question. A. north B. south C. east D. west

Suppose it is March 5. A friend of yours is going on a trip to Chicago on March 8. In which direction is the cold front moving?

17. What is the source of energy for the Earths water cycle?A. Earths gravityB. Earths windC. Suns lightD. Heat from the Earth

18. The diagram shows a region near the coast of a large continent. A range of high, snowcapped mountains lies near the ocean. There is a farm between the mountains and a forest. The following questions ask you to think about water and the water cycle in the system shown in the diagram. In the system, water exists as a gas, a liquid, and a solid. In what part of the system does water exist primarily in a gaseous form? A.LakeB.AtmosphereC.OceanD.Groundwater

19. What process transfers heat energy through liquids and gases; the actual movement of the liquid or gas to another location? A. EvaporationB. ConvectionC. ConductionD. Radiation

20. Convection currents can occur more often near the equator because this area of Earth receives more ______ than areas to the north or south of it. A. rainfallB. oxygenC. solar radiationD. smog

21. What causes ocean currents? A. Phases of the MoonB. Surface wind driven by energy from the SunC. The tilt of the Earths axisD. High pressure systems on Earth

22. Sea and land breezes are caused because ____. A. the land heats and cools more slowly than the water.B. the land heats and cools more quickly than the water.C. air moves more easily over water than over land.D. air moves more easily over land than over water.

23. What has been most influential as a cause of rapid habitat loss? A. EarthquakesB. Human activityC. Tectonic movementD. Severe weather conditions

24. Surface mining supplies valuable minerals to industry. Which of the following is also a consequence of using this method? A. Acid rainB. Air pollutionC. OverpopulationD. Habitat destruction

25. Which of the following causes acid rain? A. Car exhaust B. The jet streamC. An occluded frontD. Nuclear power plants

26. If air pollution causes the rain that falls on this pond to become much more acidic, after two years how will this acidity affect the living things in this pond?A.There will be more plants and animals because the acid is a source of food.B.There will be fewer plants and animals because the acid will dissolve many of them.C.There will be fewer plants and animals because many of them cannot survive in water with high acidity.D.There will be more plants and animals because the acid will kill most of the disease causing microorganisms.

Constructed Response Questions27. Some areas on Earth have a lot of salt water but very little water that people can drink. Use what you know about the water cycle and technology to design a plan for solving this problem. Use a labeled drawing to explain your design.

28. The map below shows information about the weather in Massachusetts on an April day. Use the weather map to describe the weather in northeast Massachusetts on the day illustrated. Be sure to include information from all four columns of the key in your answer.

29. Detroit is home to a large number of industries. Describe two consequences of emissions from smokestacks on the areas to the east of the industrys factories.