Science Exam # 1 - Middle Grades

2010
-
11 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions
-

Page
1

Science

Exam # 1
-

Middle Grades

2010
-
11 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions


Student Instructions:



Write your complete ID code on
your

answer sheet.



For each question, choose the BEST answer. If you change your answer, erase well.


1.

For carbon this number is 6 and for arsenic it is 33. What identifier for elements
denotes

the number
of protons
in the atom?


A.

atomic mass


B.

atomic weight


C.

atomic number


D.

periodic number


2.

If you let water drip into a full sink, it forms this type of wave. Taking a rope and wiggling one end can also
form this wave. The two examples describe what type of wave that forms perpendicularly to the direction of
energy transfer?


A.

longitudinal


B.

transverse


C.

seismic


D.

electromagnetic


3.

What property is measured by the formula “voltage divided by current” and is measured in ohms?


A.

conductivity


B.

superconductivity


C.

mass


D.

resistance


4.

This structure varies depending on what it is used

for. Functions of what part of a cell can include the
maintenance of pressure as well as disposal of waste?


A.

vacuole


B.

mitochondrion


C.

cell membrane


D.

Golgi apparatus


5.

Animals such as ground squirrels and rattlesnakes may do this. In what proce
ss do animals slow down their
metabolic rate and lower their temperature in order to prolong a period of rest?


A.

cryogenics


B.

hibernation


C.

enervation


D.

estivation


6.

What is the probability that a homozygous dominant plant and a homozygous
recessive plant would produce an
offspring that was homozygous recessive?


A.

0/4


B.

1/4


C.

1/2


D.

3/4



2010
-
11 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions
-

Page
2

7.

Which of the following is
NOT

an adaptation of a polar bear that allows it to survive in the Arctic?


A.

hollow hairs that provide additional protec
tion from the cold


B.

claws sharper than those of a brown bear that are better at gripping ice


C.

slower metabolism to cope with longer periods in between meals



D.


a very thin layer of fat so that they are more mobile



8.

As you

travel from the center of the Earth out, this part of the lithosphere is third from the middle. What part of
the Earth has the crust directly above it
?



A.

inner core


B.

outer core


C.

mantle


D.

thermosphere


9.

This object in the sky is south of Alnitak

in the constellation Orion. What dark nebula takes its name from the
animal it resembles?


A.

Crab Nebula


B.

Dog Nebula


C.

Whale Nebula


D.

Horsehead Nebula


10.

This part of the scientific method is finished before the experiment begins. What part of the

method may be
characterized as an “if…then” statement?


A.

conclusion


B.

hypothesis


C.

variable


D.

materials


11.

Which of the following is not a language that is used in computer science?


A.

BLITZ


B.

BASIC


C.

C++


D.

COBOL


12.

This grass was first
domesticated by Mesoamerican tribes over a thousand years ago. What grass was bred to
be larger and is currently consumed by people in the form of corn?


A.

kernel


B.

legumes


C.

maize


D.

tassel


13.

Which of the following animals do not undergo metamorphos
is?


A.

frogs


B.

butterflies



C.

m
ice





D.

flies


14.

This virus is primarily avian but can affect humans. Symptoms are not always present, and the CDC says the
mortality rate for the U.S. is less than 1%. What virus is spread through mosquito bites?


A.

West Nile


B.

Ebola


C.

Flavivirus


D.

sleeping sickness



2010
-
11 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions
-

Page
3

15.

This English physicist performed many experiments that are fundamentals of mechanics today. Who also
performed many of the first calculations of calculus
?


A.

Benjamin Pulleyn


B.

Isaac Newton


C.

Gottfried Leibniz


D.

Abraham Robinson


16.

An averag
e
-
sized male should consume 2,000 of these a day. What units are used to measure the amount of
energy obtained through food?


A.

grams


B.

carbohydrates


C.

sugars


D.

calories


17.

An example of this experimen
tal component is how hot the water gets when you turn the stove burner on high.
What part of the scientific method changes whenever manipulated?


A.

dependent variable


B.

control


C.

result


D.

subject


18.

In mammals this process is primarily internal. Wha
t process involves the combination of an egg and sperm in
humans?


A.

reproduction


B.

procreation


C.

chemotaxis


D.

fertilization


19.

If Bob pushes on a wall from the left side with a force of 50 N and Jim pushes on the same wall from the right
side

with a force of 27 N, what is the net force?


A.

23 N right


B.

23 N left


C.

77 N right


D.

77 N left


20.

Match each scientific field with its subject of study.

x.
e
ntomology


1.
d
ogs

y.
h
erpetology


2.
i
nsects

z.
c
ynology


3. amphibians and reptiles



A.

x
-
1, y
-
3, z
-
2


B.

x
-
1, y
-
2, z
-
3


C.

x
-
2, y
-
3, z
-
1


D.

x
-
3, y
-
1, z
-
2
21.

An example of this type of bond is found in table salt. What

type of bond occurs with

the joi
ning of a
n alkali
metal with a halogen
?


A.

polarization


B.

lattice


C.

ionic


D.

covalent



2010
-
11 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions
-

Page
4

22.

This part of the electromagnetic spectrum has a wavelength that is just longer than that of gamma rays. What
part of the spectrum is Wilhelm Roentgen credited
with discovering?


A.

x
-
ray


B.

microwave


C.

ultraviolet


D.

infrared


23.

Which of the following is an example of an autotroph?


A.

grasshopper


B.

alga


C.

fly


D.

m
ushroom



24.

This constellation is situated on the zodiac but is not one of the 12 constellatio
ns that coincide with the
calendar. What constellation is referred to as the “snake
-
holder”?


A.

Orion


B.

Serpens


C.

Hercules


D.

Ophiuchus


25.

Examples of this include 25 g of fiber and 20 mg of Niacin. What amount of a nutrient is recommended to
maintai
n a healthy living for the average perso
n?


A.

daily subsistence level


B.

daily amount






C.

daily dosage




D.

daily value


26.

The period for this
stage

in an opossum is 12 days. For an elephant it is around 600
days
. What is the term
for the amount of time spent carrying a fetus?


A.

endometrium


B.

development


C.

gestation


D.

birth


27.

This piece of lab equipment is the primary object used in the study of small things. What invention did van
Leeuwenhoek improve on

his path to studying single
-
celled organisms?


A.

telescope


B.

microscope


C.

scanning electron microscope


D.

magnifying glass


28.

This influenza A virus reached the pan
demic level due to the unusually high

number of cases outside of the
seasonal variety.

What strand of influenza originated in pigs and ceased to be a pandemic on August 10,
2010, according to an announcement by the World Health Organization?


A.

H1N1


B.

H1N2


C.

H2N2


D.

H3N2



2010
-
11 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions
-

Page
5

29.

Which of the following is
NOT

a scientific reason for controll
ed burning of a forest or land?


A.

It begins the process of germination in some plants.


B.

It restores native species in an ecosystem.



C.

It rids the forest of parasitic plants.


D.

It decreases the amount of flammable leaf litter, which burns at high
temperatures.




30.

Match each star with its constellation.

x. Sirius


1. Taurus

y. Pollux


2. Canis Major

z. Aldebaran


3. Gemini



A.

x
-
1, y
-
2, z
-
3


B.

x
-
2, y
-
3, z
-
1




C.

x
-
3, y
-
1, z
-
2


D.

x
-
3, y
-
2, z
-
1

31.

This scientist became the first quadriplegic to take flight on NASA’s “Vomit Comet.” His
breakthrough book was
A Brief History of Time
. What Cambridge professor is restricted to a
wheelchair because he is afflicted wi
th ALS?



A.

Kip Thorne


B.

Don Page





C.

John Preskill


D.

Stephen Hawking


32.

This disease is characterized by high blood glucose and a lack of ketoacidosis. What disease is also referred
to as “adult
-
onset” and can be treated with exercise in many
instances?


A.

diabetes


B.

osteoporosis





C.

gout





D.

gangrene


33.

This cellular organelle is found only in plants and some protists. What part of a cell produces ATP through
photosynthesis?


A.

chloroplast


B.

chlorophyll


C.

granum


D.

stroma


34.

Evaporation is an example of this type of change. What type of process absorbs heat instead of releasing it?


A.

exothermic


B.

endothermic




C.

endergonic


D.

exergonic


35.

This organelle is found in animal cells and rarely in plant cells. What organelle

digests wastes as well as old
organelles?


A.

mitochondrion


B.

vacuole


C.

lysosome


D.

vesicle



2010
-
11 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions
-

Page
6

36.

This part of an experiment is used

to prove cause and effect. To what group in an experiment are the rest
compared, such as giving one group of people a sugar pill when testing a medicine?


A.

conclusion


B.

variable


C.

placebo


D.

control


37.

This part of a cell surrounds the cytoplasm. I
t has the ability to determine what enters a cell and what leaves.
What do we call this structure, which is present in all cells?


A.

cell wall


B.

cytoskeleton




C.

glycolipid


D.

cell membrane


38.

There are two types of these celestial phenomena. The rad
iation emitted from one of these events has the
ability to appear brighter than the galaxy in which it originated. Identify this explosion of a star.


A.

quasar


B.

pulsar


C.

supernova


D.

black hole


39.

This research facility is constantly manned by differ
ent “expeditions
.”

What is the largest man
-
made satellite,
which is

currently conducting experiments in the field of microgravity?


A.

International Space Station


B.

Mir


C.

Columbus


D.

Hubble


40.

Place each phase of mitosis in order from
the earliest to the latest.

x.
p
rophase


1.
b
eginning

y.
m
etaphase


2.
e
nd

z.
telophase


3.
m
iddle



A.

x
-
1, y
-
2, z
-
3


B.

x
-
1, y
-
3, z
-
2





C.

x
-
2, y
-
3, z
-
1





D.

x
-
3, y
-
1, z
-
2

41.

Animals use this to regulate body temperature. What is the process called when animals release water from
their bodies to cool themselves?


A.

breathing


B.

porification


C.

self
-
regulation


D.

perspiration


42.

An example of this type of exercise is
running a sprint or doing a few repetitions while weightlifting. What
exercise trains the body in short bursts of energy instead of relying on oxygen for energy?


A.

aerobic


B.

maintenance


C.

anaerobic


D.

fat burn



2010
-
11 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions
-

Page
7

43.

An example of this process is a hon
ey bee’s collecting nectar and then traveling to another flower with
gametes on its skin. By what process do plants such as flowers reproduce using insects and the wind to
transfer gametes?


A.

pollination



B.

hybridization


C.

heterosis


D.

gymnosperm


44.

When this scientific instrument is perpendicular to the Earth, its acceleration is
zero. When it reaches its peak, its velocity is zero. An example of this is the
weight used in grandfather clocks. What machine has a weight that swings back
and forth t
hat can be used to tell time?


A.

plumb bob


B.

pendulum


C.

atomic clock


D.

radial arm


45.

This carnivorous plant relies heavily on stimuli prior to eating. What plant must experience two stimuli
before it eats in order to save energy and prevent false ala
rms?


A.

nepenthe


B.

Venus flytrap


C.

Heliamphora


D.

Roridula


46.

As you travel higher into the atmosphere
,

it becomes less dense. Which of the following is the reason a
commercial jetliner flies at a high altitude?


A.

Less density means more propulsion.


B.

Less density means less drag on the plane.


C.

It is a shorter than travelling at lower altitudes.


D.

Gravity increases with height.


47.

Examples of this ecosystem include estuaries and salt
-
water marshes. What ecosystem makes up most of the
Earth?


A.

marine





B.

freshwater



C.

riverine


D.

land


48.

This fungus is eukaryotic and reproduces by budding. What fungus ferments
carbohydrates

to form the
ethanol in beer and reacts in the baking process to make carbon dioxide, which causes bread to rise?


A.

flour


B.

hops


C.

yeast


D.

baking powder


49.

This part of the water cycle takes place across the globe. What part of the water cycle includes a puddle
drying when sunlight hits it?


A.

c
ondensation


B.

p
recipitation




C.

r
un off


D.

evaporation



2010
-
11 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions
-

Page
8

50.

Match each scientist with the invention he is associated with.


x. Gottlieb Daimler


1.
m
icrowave
o
ven

y. Percy Spencer


2.
t
elegraph

z. Samuel Morse


3.
i
nternal combustion engine



A.

x
-
1, y
-
3, z
-
2


B.

x
-
2, y
-
1, z
-
3


C.

x
-
3,
y
-
2, z
-
1


D.

x
-
3, y
-
1, z
-
2


Science
–

Middle Grades
-

Exam # 1

2010
-
11 Governor’s Cup Practice Questions


1.

C

2.

B

3.

D

4.

A

5.

B

6.

A

7.

D

8.

C

9.

D

10.

B

11.

A

12.

C

13.

C

14.

A

15.

B

16.

D

17.

A

18.

D

19.

B

20.

C

21.

C

22.

A

23.

B

24.

D

25.

D

26.

C

27.

B

28.

A

29.

C

30.

B

31.

D

32.

A

33.

A

34.

B

35.

C

36.

D

37.

D

38.

C

39.

A

40.

B

41.

D

42.

C

43.

A

44.

B

45.

B

46.

B

47.

A

48.

C

49.

D

50.

D