Life Science

1
Life Science

• Released SOL Items

2
According to the graph, which air pollutant
decreased the most from 1970 to 1991?

• Carbon monoxide
• Sulfur oxides
• Particulates
• Lead

3
Which of these best describes a relationship
shown by this African energy pyramid?

• The lion is a predator of the giraffes.
• The lion is the prey of the giraffes.
• Giraffes are the prey of the trees.
• Giraffes are predators of the lion.

4
Which of the following classificationgroups
contains organisms that havethe most
characteristics in common?

• Kingdom
• Phylum
• Class
• Species

5
In this diagram of a single-celledorganism,
which organelle functions asa place to store
extra water?

• Cell membrane
• Vacuole
• Cytoplasm
• Nucleus

6
Which concept is best illustrated bythis diagram?

• The exchange of CO2 and O2 in an ecosystem
• The effect of limiting factors in a biome
• Cycling of nutrients in a community
• Environmental pressures on a population

7
What process makes food for plants?

• Reproduction
• Photosynthesis
• Respiration
• Condensation

8
Which of these experimental designs would best
test this hypothesis?
Hypothesis The addition of a fertilizer to soil
will increase plant growth.

• A
• B
• C
• D

9
Which animal has a life span closest to that of
sheep?

• Dog
• Cat
• Horse
• Cow

10
DNA is essential to living organisms because it

• carries the genetic code
• is a spiral helix
• can prevent diseases
• can break apart

11
Which of these shows the correctsequence of
development?

• Organs ? cells ? tissues ? systems
• Cells ? tissues ? organs ? systems
• Systems ? tissues ? cells ? organs
• Tissues ? cells ? systems ? organs

12
Which of these would be the best way to prove
that a pine stick is more flexible than an oak
stick?

• A
• B
• C
• D

13
What most likely happened to species that are
found in the fossil record but have no living
members?

• They had offspring of a different species.
• They mutated to other species.
• They became extinct.
• They never really existed.

14
Which instrument would mostaccurately and
precisely determinethe mass of a toy car?

• An electronic light meter
• A spring scale
• A triple-beam balance
• A graduated cylinder

15
Organisms that absorb nutrients from dead plants
and animals are called

• carnivores
• decomposers
• herbivores
• producers

16
Each student in a science class of 25 conducts
the same experiment. One student gathers all the
data from herclassmates and summarizes the
results of the experiment for the class. She
compares the data she personally recorded with
the class data. Which of these might indicate to
her that her results are valid?

• Three other classes performed the same
  experiment.
• The same experiment was repeated two years in a
  row.
• Many other students recorded data similar to
  hers.
• Another student in her class reached a different
  conclusion.

17
Thrips are tiny insects that can easily be seen
on roses. The thrip population changes shown in
the graph above are probably caused by

• increases in human population
• a major climatic change
• seasonal changes
• increased use of insecticides

18
A student designs and builds a 11000 scale model
of the Mt. Fuji volcano in Japan. Since Mt. Fuji
is about 3,800 m high, what is the height of his
scale model?

• 0.38 m
• 3.8 m
• 380 m
• 3,800 m

19
When plants undergo photosynthesis, they produce

• carbon dioxide
• oxygen
• hydrogen
• nitrogen

20
How far offshore is the deepest point ofthe
ocean on this graph?

• 0 m
• 5000 m
• 160 km
• 240 km

21
Mendel proposed that traits observed in pea
plants resulted from a combination of factors
inherited from each parent. His description of
these factors can be considered the first
scientific definition of the role of

• ribosomes
• meiosis
• genes
• cell nuclei

22
Which of the organisms in a forestecosystem is
an example of aproducer?

• Squirrels
• Oak trees
• Black bears
• Bacteria

23
Botanists often use leaves to identify plants.
Which trait of the leaves shown would be most
useful in identifying the plants they came from?

• Color of the leaf
• Function of the leaf
• Arrangement of leaves on a stem
• Presence or absence of veins

24
A tapeworm lives in human intestines, absorbing
the nutrients that would normally be absorbed by
the person. This eventually causes the person
health problems. The relationship between the
tapeworm and the human is

• parasite/host
• predator/prey
• herbivore/omnivore
• consumer/producer

25
A plants green color is due to thepresence of
which organelle?

• Chloroplast
• Nucleus
• Mitochondrion
• Vacuole

26
The diagram shows a graduated cylinder containing
water. From which position will the most accurate
measure of the volume of the water be made?

• Position 1
• Position 2
• Position 3
• Position 4

27
Which of these has the greatestinfluence over
how big a baby elephantwill grow?

• The amount of oxygen in the air
• The amount of food available
• The size of the trees in the jungle
• The type of grass on the plains

28
At what speed would a car have tomove in order
to travel 20 kilometers in two hours?

• 5 km/hr
• 10 km/hr
• 20 km/hr
• 40 km/hr

29
In the food web shown, which of the following
consumers eats only producers?

• Hawk
• Owl
• Fox
• Mouse

30
Which of the following is used tomeasure the
mass of an object?

• Balance
• Metric ruler
• Graduated cylinder
• Barometer

31
Which biome contains largepopulations of grazing
herbivores, fewspecies of birds, and deep, rich
soil?

• A taiga
• A tundra
• A deciduous forest
• A grassland

32
What is next in this series?

• Habitats
• Organisms
• Systems
• Organelles

33
Which of these is due entirely toinheritance in
humans?

• Reading skill
• Eye color
• Endurance
• Broken bones

34
How are humans classified within afood chain?

• Producers
• Consumers
• Decomposers
• Manufacturers

35
This chart represents the type and number of
items collected in a beach cleanup. Based on the
above chart, what percentage of the total items
collected from the beaches was plastic?

• 46
• 49
• 56
• 70

36
Some snapdragon seeds were studied in the
experiment below. The seeds were placed in a dish
lined with a moist paper towel. Which of these is
the independent (manipulated) variable in this
experiment?

• The type of seed
• The amount of water used
• The number of sprouts
• The temperature of each dish

37
Which of the following is produced as a result of
photosynthesis?

• Heat
• Water
• Oxygen
• Carbon dioxide

38
Lions usually live in prides made up of a few
adult females, an adult male, and some younger
lions. The females hunt together and the kill is
shared with the pride. The lions method of
hunting best illustrates

• cooperation
• competition
• territoriality
• parasitism

39
Which of the following arecharacteristics of the
most productiveecological environment?

• Stable temperatures and high rainfall amounts
• Hot temperatures and low rainfall amounts
• Cold temperatures and low rainfall amounts
• Low temperatures and high rainfall amounts

40
The picture shows a pond ecosystem. What would
most likely happen if all the lily plants were
removed from this community?

• There would be more oxygen in the air.
• The pond water currents would be slower.
• There would be more kinds of animals in the pond.
• The animals would have fewer places to hide.

41
The sea urchin shown has radial symmetry. This
means that its body parts are

• equally arranged around a central point
• designed to function in seawater
• likely to be reformed if any part of the body is
  damaged
• able to function on land and in the water

42
According to this graph, which of these is most
important in developing the biomass of these
plants?

• Nitrates
• Sulfates
• Magnesium
• Iron

43
John and Emily were experimenting with the
effects of road salt on plant growth. To do this,
they watered plants daily with the same amount of
salt water. They could best improve
theirexperiment by

• increasing the amount of salt added to the water
  each day
• cooling the salt water before watering the plants
• adding food color to see how far the salt
  penetrates the plants
• watering half the plants with pure water and half
  with salt water

44
In this food web, which organism hasthe greatest
number of food sources?

• Snake
• Hawk
• Shrew
• Mouse

45
In which of the following environments would you
expect to find the greatest number of different
species of plants and animals per square mile?

• An island near the South Pole
• A wheat field in North Dakota
• A pasture on a Virginia farm
• A tropical rain forest in Panama

46
The picture shows dinosaur tracks found in rocks.
How many dinosaurs left their tracks here?

• 2
• 4
• 14
• 24

47
Which of these best completes thestatement about
the interaction of therespiratory system with
the circulatorysystem? The lungs add

• nutrients to the blood
• bile to the blood
• oxygen to the blood
• carbon dioxide to the blood

48
A tick that feeds on the blood ofanimals is a

• predator
• host
• competitor
• parasite

49
Which of the following do typical plantcells
have that typical animal cellsdo not?

• Cytoplasm
• Nuclei
• Mitochondria
• Chloroplasts

50
What is the mass of the rock?

• 335.6 g
• 350.6 g
• 354.6 g
• 356.0 g

51
The picture shows the results of putting a drop
of orange ink from a marking pen on a piece of
filter paper and allowing the colors in the ink
to separate. About how much farther on the filter
paper has the yellow pigmentmoved than the red
pigment?

• 0.5 cm
• 1.6 cm
• 2.7 cm
• 3.5 cm

52
The kangaroo rat is able to get all of the water
it needs through its food and, therefore, never
needs to drink liquids. This animal has adapted
to survive in which biome?

• Forest
• Tundra
• Desert
• Grassland

53
The chart shows the results of an experiment to
test the effects of different plant lights on
plant seedling growth. Which group of plants
showed the greatest gain in height?

• Group 1
• Group 2
• Group 3
• Group 4

54
Which of these could cause a decreasein the
number of squirrels in a population?

• An increase in cooperation with birds in the area
• An increase in the squirrels territory
• An increase in competition with other nut-eating
  animals
• An increase in the squirrels food supply

55
The picture represents five red blood cells seen
through a microscope. The lines represent a scale
also visible through the microscope. Each
division on the scale represents one micrometer.
Use the scale to estimate the diameter of the
average red blood cell.

• 45 micrometers
• 78 micrometers
• 1011 micrometers
• 1213 micrometers

56
Which level of organization below is the most
basic or primary level oforganization?

• Cell
• Tissue
• Organ
• Organ system

57
Ellen noticed that she often sneezes when she
visits her friend Robert, who has a cat and a
parrot. Ellen wonders if she may have allergies
to Roberts pets and decides to conduct a
scientific investigation. What should Ellen do
next?

• Ellen should tell Robert that she cannot visit
  him until he gives away his pets.
• Ellen should visit Sue who has a horse, a dog, a
  goldfish, and a hamster.
• Ellen should call her doctor and insist that she
  needs shots for allergies.
• Ellen should visit a friend who has only cats and
  one who has only parrots.

58
Sponges are classified as animalsbecause they
cannot

• move from place to place
• make their own food
• get rid of waste products
• catch their own food

59
Northern garter snakes exhibit a unique behavior
in which they gather in deep dens by the hundreds
or thousands. They then coil together in a huge
ball. This behavior could help to

• reduce heat loss
• increase camouflage
• locate food sources
• increase oxygen consumption

60
When plants perform photosynthesis,they use
sunlight to produce food. Thisis an example of
light energy beingconverted to

• heat energy
• electrical energy
• mechanical energy
• chemical energy

61
Mendels early work with pea plants demonstrated
a significant genetic discovery. The crossing of
homozygous tall pea plants with homozygous short
pea plants always resulted in tall plants and
demonstrated that tallness in pea plants is a
trait that is

• blended
• dominant
• mutated
• recessive

62
Many scientists believe that nuclear fusion will
become a possible energy source within the next
10 years. What resource would be most effective
in tracking the progress of this energy source?

• The local newspaper
• A chemical encyclopedia
• A physics textbook
• Scientific periodical

63
The loss of which of these would havethe least
effect on the water cycle?

• Soil
• Rivers
• Animals
• Plants

64
Which of these processes helps extract energy
from food?

• Reproduction
• Digestion
• Excretion
• Circulation

65
The picture shows a test for non-slip surfaces to
be used on a ramp. Which of these must be done to
provide more meaningful results?

• Use the same shoe on each surface
• Use boards of the same thickness
• Use the same shoe size for each type of shoe
• Use shoes with soles designed for sports

66
According to this diagram, both of these fish

• eat bacteria
• give off toxic wastes
• take in minerals through their gills
• get their energy from other animals

67
The picture above illustrates the habitat of a
population of animals and its distance from the
nearest water source. How far does an animal have
to travel to obtain water?

• 6 centimeters
• 12 meters
• 50 meters
• 300 meters

68
Most of the hereditary informationwithin the
cell is carried in the

• ribosomes
• vacuoles
• chromosomes
• Golgi bodies

69
In which biome would you find themost variety of
life?

• Tundra
• Desert
• Grassland
• Rain forest

70
According to the graph, which angle of release
would cause the javelin to go the farthest?

• 75
• 60
• 45
• 30

71
Which type of characteristics can be inherited?

• Those controlled by genes
• Those caused by accidents
• Those produced by exercise
• Those produced by diet

72
An experiment was set up to measure the distance
a snail would travel in 5 minutes. Which of these
rulers should be used to give the most precise
measurement?

• A
• B
• C
• D

73
The ermine is a small animal that lives along
riverbanks and in forests. During the spring and
summer, it grows a brown coat. It sheds the brown
coat during the autumn and grows a white one.
This change of color in the ermines coat allows
it to

• hide from predators
• attract a mate
• locate a water supply
• find food more easily

74
In this plant cell, which cellular structure is
responsible for storing food, water, and wastes?

• Cytoplasm
• Vacuole
• Nucleus
• Cell membrane

75
Which of these populations is most likely to
increase if the number of grasshoppers decreases?

• Plant
• Frog
• Praying mantis
• Owl

76
When animals hibernate, their heartrate and
respiration decrease and theylose consciousness.
Why do someanimals hibernate?

• To increase their body fat during cold periods
• To conserve energy usage during the winter
• To give their fur time to grow longer and thicker
• To rest after a summer of high activity

77
Which of the following organisms break down dead
material and return the substances to the
environment?

• Grasshopper and worm
• Grass and algae
• Bacteria and fungi
• Snake and grasshopper

78
In the scale model below, one centimeter is equal
to one-half of a meter. The mailbox is 2 truck
lengths away from the model truck. How far away
is the mailbox from the truck on the real street?

• 5 meters
• 10 meters
• 15 meters
• 20 meters

79
Wherever civilizations have flourished, forests
have been destroyed. Hundreds of years ago in
England, rivers and seaports began to fill with
silt after the forests were destroyed. What
caused the silt to fill the seaports?

• Eutrophication
• Succession
• Erosion
• Irrigation

80
According to the scale shown below, what is the
approximate length of the baby blue whale?

• 2 meters
• 4 meters
• 6 meters
• 10 meters

81
Which of these best enables this animalto rid
its body of excess heat in a hotdesert
environment?

• Its large ears
• Its flexible feet
• Its sandy color
• Its fur

82
Which type of report would probably provide the
most accurate answer to the above question?
What type of animals live in a wetland?

• Water Quality in Wetlands, published by the
  United States Geological Survey
• Endangered Species in Our Wetlands, by a
  reporter for the Daily Globe Newspaper
• Birds of Wetlands in Science, the journal for
  the American Association for the Advancement of
  Science
• Organisms in Wetlands, a report on the internet
  by the Chesapeake Bay Foundation

83
Asexual reproduction involves onlyone parent.
The offspring of this typeof reproduction have

• DNA identical to the DNA of the parent
• DNA that is different from the parent
• one-half of the DNA of the parent
• DNA that is incomplete

84
According to the chart, which set of conditions
represents the process of photosynthesis?

• A
• B
• C
• D

85
A student wishes to test the hypothesis that
adding antifreeze to water lowers the freezing
point of the water. What would be the dependent
(responding) variable?

• Amount of water put into a container
• Amount of antifreeze added to the water
• Temperature at which the water/antifreeze mixture
  freezes
• Type of thermometer used to measure the freezing
  point

86
The relationship between the algae and the frog
may be described as

• consumer ? producer
• consumer ? decomposer
• producer ? consumer
• producer ? decomposer

87
Many complex genetic experiments have been
performed on plants. One of the very successful
ones crossed wild wheat with a fungus-resistant
wild grass. This ultimately produced a variety of
wheat that was resistant to a very destructive
parasitic fungus which kills nonresistant plants.
Why would such experimentation benefit humans?

• The fungus is also dangerous to humans.
• Wheat is one of the most important food crops
  worldwide.
• The fungus could spread to all other plants
• Wheat products made from infected plants would
  taste bad.

88
Students measured and recorded the density of 4
samples. Using the density column and the data
table shown below, which of the samples will
probably float on top of the oil?

• Sample A
• Sample B
• Sample C
• Sample D

89
Fossils are evidence of living things that were
alive many, many years ago and often consist of
the skeletons of creatures imbedded in rock. Why
dont fossils contain the animals soft tissues,
as well?

• Because the soft tissues decayed before the
  fossil could be formed
• Because the rock breaks down soft tissues
• Because the soft tissues were always eaten by
  scavengers
• Because the rock always smashed the soft tissues
  flat

90
Which process is the foundation for the food web?

• Evaporation
• Condensation
• Photosynthesis
• Movement

91
The island of Guam had no native snake species
until the brown tree snake was introduced. What
effect did this egg-eating snake have on the
native bird populations?

• Bird populations were not affected by the snakes
  introduction.
• Bird populations increased as the birds preyed on
  the snakes.
• Bird populations decreased as the snakes fed on
  the bird eggs.
• Bird populations increased as the snakes
  eliminated predators.

92
A student wishes to measure the massof an
object. Which instrument wouldbe most useful?

• Triple beam balance
• Graduated cylinder
• Metric ruler
• Erlenmeyer flask

93
The picture shows the growth curve of a bacterial
population. According to this information, the
bacterial population doubles every

• 3 minutes
• 20 minutes
• 30 minutes
• 60 minutes

94
The presence of permafrost is acharacteristic of
which major biome?

• Tundra
• Taiga
• Temperate forest
• Grasslands

95
Plants release oxygen into the air as aresult of
photosynthesis. Which of these do plants need for
photosynthesis?

• Carbon dioxide
• Nitrogen
• Methane
• Hydrogen

96
A student wanted to test the hypothesis that
adding antifreeze to water lowers the freezing
point of water. The student found that pure water
froze at 0C, while the water/antifreeze mixture
froze at 20C. In order to confirm the results,
the student should repeat the experiment using

• a container of a different size
• a different amount of antifreeze
• a different amount of water
• exactly the same set-up as the first experiment

97
This experiment was set up to test thehypothesis
that plants grow faster in green light. What is
the independent variable in this experiment?

• Type of plant
• Amount of water
• Color of light
• Size of pot

98
Of the following, which is the correctprogression
in the food chain?

• Producers ? herbivores ? carnivores
• Herbivores ? producers ? carnivores
• Producers ? carnivores ? herbivores
• Carnivores ? herbivores ? producers

99
Which of these are found in plant cellsbut not
in animal cells?

• Mitochondria
• Chloroplasts
• Cell membranes
• Endoplasmic reticulum

100
A student predicts that more sugar willdissolve
in warm water than in cold water. She puts some
water in a container, adds sugar, and then stirs.
The amount of undissolved sugar is then observed.
When this student repeats the experiment to
verify her prediction, the only thing that should
change is the

• amount of water used
• temperature of the water
• amount of sugar used
• amount of time stirring

101
The function of a cell nucleus is to

• direct the activities of the cell
• help the cell expel waste
• digest foreign substances
• transport substances around the cell

102
Which of these best shows what is happening to
the cell in pure water?

• A
• B
• C
• D

103
A student conducted an experiment on plant growth
that required adding about one cupful of liquid
fertilizer to several plants each week. In order
to accurately measure the fertilizer givento
each plant, the fertilizer volume should be
measured in

• cubic meters
• milliliters
• cubic feet
• kiloliters

104
One way plants and animals are alike is that they
both

• move to get their food
• make their own food
• use carbon dioxide
• use oxygen

105
A new medication dissolves blood clots. However,
if too much is used, excessive bleeding occurs.
Which method should scientists use to determine
the best dosage of this new medication?

• Use people of many different ages as test
  subjects
• Have the test subjects eat a wide variety of
  foods with the medication
• Change the times the medication is given to
  determine if timing affects bleeding
• Vary only the dosages of the medication while
  keeping everything else constant

106
Suppose that in a certain area, mice are the main
food source for wolves. Based on the graph, in
which year would there be the least amount of
competition among wolves for food.

• 1975
• 1980
• 1985
• 1990

107
Some students counted the birds in an area. They
counted the number of species present and the
number of birds in each species. Which of these
would be best to use to report the results?

• A
• B
• C
• D

108
Which amphibian is most aquatic?

• A
• B
• C
• D

109
In humans, which of these is requiredfor
carrying oxygen from the lungs tobody cells?

• Plasma
• Platelets
• Red blood cells
• White blood cells

110
The primary producer in the ecosystem below is
the

• plant
• rabbit
• hawk
• fox

111
During mitosis, the doubling ofchromosomes
ensures that both new cells

• have identical genetic makeup
• are twice the size of the parent cell
• serve different functions
• remain attached to each other

112
Many living organisms have body structures that
go from very simple to very complex. Which of
these places the structures in the correct order,
from least complex to most complex?

• System, organ, tissue, cell
• Organ, tissue, cell, system
• Cell, system, organ, tissue
• Cell, tissue, organ, system

113
Which of the following is an example of a
decomposer at work in the food web?

• A tree growing in a field
• A grasshopper eating leaves
• A seagull catching a fish
• A fungus growing on a log