8 th Grade Science Benchmark #1 SPI 0807.Inq.1-5, 0807.T/E.1-4, DO NOT WRITE ON THIS TEST.

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1 8 th Grade Science Benchmark #1 SPI 0807.Inq.1-5, 0807.T/E.1-4, DO NOT WRITE ON THIS TEST. 1. A type of lizard and a classification key are shown. Based on the classification key, what lizard is shown? A. Gila monster B. Small-spotted lizard C. Five-lined skink D. Eastern fence lizard 2. The table lists some adaptations of four birds. According to the table, which bird is BEST adapted to a marsh habitat? A. Bird 1 B. Bird 2 C. Bird 3 D. Bird 4

2 3. The diagram shows layers of rock that contain fossils. Which fossils are MOST likely similar in age? A. 1 and 2 B. 2 and 3 C. 4 and 5 D. 4 and 6 4. Students placed three containers of water outside in full sunlight for one hour. The students measured the water temperature in each container after the one-hour time period. How can the students find out if an error was made when measuring the water temperature? A. Wait to record the data until all three containers have the same temperature B. Measure the water temperature in each container a second time C. Calculate the average temperature of the three containers of water D. Repeat the temperature investigation using larger containers of water 5. The picture shows a water hyacinth that has special air-filled tissues in its stems. Which of these is the MOST likely environment for a water hyacinth? A. The surface of a lake B. The mud at the bottom of a pond C. Tree branches in a marsh D. Sand near an ocean

3 6. Prosthetic devices, such as robotic legs, help improve the quality of life for many individuals with physical limitations. Which type of technology BEST describes a prosthetic device? A. Nuclear technology B. Automotive technology C. Space technology D. Assistive technology 7. The table below shows four different populations of bacteria and the percentages that are resistant to different antibiotics. If all four populations start with the same number of bacteria, which population will have the GREATEST number of survivors when treated with Antibiotic Y? A. 1 B. 2 C. 3 D A student builds a simple pulley using a spool, some wire, and some string. The student tests the strength of the string using a spring scale. The diagram below shows that when the student pulls the spring scale down, the washer is lifted up. Which is the BEST way for the student to determine the largest mass the pulley can lift before the string breaks? A. Lift a washer off the ground from various heights B. Lift a washer off the ground using different types of string C. Lift many washers of increasing masses off the ground D. Lift many washers made from different materials off the ground 9. A bronchodilator is a type of medicine used by people with asthma. This type of medicine quickly relaxes tightened muscles around airways to allow air to flow through. This medicine is BEST described as A. An assistive product B. An adaptive product C. An electronic product D. A magnetic product

4 10. NASA is developing a new deep-space telescope to replace the Hubble Space Telescope. Which will BEST help NASA determine whether the new telescope is an improvement over the Hubble Space Telescope? A. Comparing the capabilities of the new telescope to those of the Hubble Space Telescope B. Interviewing scientists about their opinion on the new telescope and the Hubble Space Telescope C. Researching different types of lenses that can be used in space telescopes D. Analyzing how much it costs to build space telescopes 11. A bat and a classification key are shown. Based on the classification key, which bat is shown in the picture? A. Tadarida brasiliensis B. Pipistrellus subflavus C. Macrotus californicus D. Corynorhinus rafinesquii 12. Which adaptation is MOST helpful to a plant living in an area with frequent periods of drought? A. Bright flowers B. Waxy coatings C. Broad leaves D. Smooth stems 13. Which use of recent technology has had hazardous results on the environment? A. Building outdoor furniture using recycled plastics B. Identifying areas on Earth using a global positioning system (GPS) C. Disposing of unwanted cell phone batteries in landfills D. Searching online information using a personal digital device 14. Layers of rock are exposed, as shown below. The fern fossil in Layer 3 was dated to be 32 million years old. What can inferred about the shell fossils? A. The organisms with the shells lived before the fern. B. The organisms with the shells were more common than the other fossils. C. The organisms with the shells lived around the same time as the organisms with the bones. D. The organisms with the shells were more complex than the other fossils.

5 15. A student is writing a report on the benefits of biodiversity. The student begins with the following two points. 1. Biodiversity provides people with natural products that produce food, medicine, and household goods. 2. A biodiverse environment can help keep the air, water, and soil clean. 3.? Which statement would be the BEST addition to the student s report? A. Disease can decrease biodiversity in an ecosystem. B. Biodiversity improves the overall health of an ecosystem. C. Biodiversity will become less important as human populations grow. D. Environments with high biodiversity are less susceptible to pollution. 16. Students want to determine which type of plant will best survive in a hot, dry environment. They place four different types of plants in identical pots, and put all of the plants by the same large window. They give each plant the same amount of water every day. Which of these is the independent variable for the students experiment? A. Amount of water B. Health of plant C. Type of plant D. Amount of sunlight 17. A student pulls on a rubber band with both hands and then releases it. The rubber band travels across the room. The student repeats this procedure several times. Which tool should the student use to measure the distance the rubber band travels? A. Electronic balance B. Spring scale C. Meter stick D. Protractor 18. A student has two identical pans. The student filled each pan with 20 grams of water before placing both pans in the same freezer. The water in Pan 1 took 20 minutes to freeze. The water in Pan 2 took 30 minutes to freeze. Which of these conclusions BEST explains the difference in the amount of time it took the two pans of water to freeze? A. The water in Pan 2 had a higher starting temperature than the water in Pan 1. B. The water in Pan 2 had a lower final temperature than the water in Pan 1. C. The water in Pan 2 had a greater starting volume than the water in Pan 1. D. The water in Pan 2 had a greater final mass than the water in Pan Almost half of the electricity generated in the United States comes from power plants that burn coal. Which statement explains the MOST likely intended benefit for using coal as a source of electricity? A. Coal is a resource that occurs naturally on Earth. B. Coal is plentiful and inexpensive compared to other power sources. C. Some types of coal mining cause harm to the environment. D. Burning coal releases gas into the air that leads to acid precipitation.

6 20. The fuel efficiency of four different cars is shown in the table below. 21. A student wanted to find out if marbles with larger diameters made deeper craters when dropped into wet sand than marbles with smaller diameters. The table shows the student s data. The student concluded marble diameter had no affect on crater depth. Which is the MOST likely reason this conclusion is flawed? A. The student should have used more than four marbles. B. The student should have used marbles that had the same mass. C. The student should have dropped marbles from different heights. D. The student should have dropped the marbles in flour instead of sand.

7 22. Which BEST explains an example of adaptive engineering? A. Automobile tires made from recycled material, because resources are conserved B. Walking canes made from lightweight aluminum, because mobility is increased C. Hearing aids worn in the ear canal, because a disability is overcome D. Vision corrected by laser surgery, because a permanent change is made 23. Students on a field trip visited a farm. The teacher gave the students a classification key to help them identify some of the farm animals. The students observed a furry animal with four legs. The animal had hoofed feet and no horns. According to the key, which animal did the students find? A. Anas platyrhynchos B. Gallus gallus domesticus C. Bos Taurus D. Equus ferus caballus 24. Some characteristics of a plant are listed below. Short, thick stem Small, plump leaves covered by a waxy coating Roots grow close to the surface of the ground For which environment is this plant MOST likely adapted? A. Coniferous forest B. Desert C. Grassland D. Arctic tundra

8 25. A certain species of rabbit exhibits different fur colors depending on the season. The table below shows some data collected on this rabbit species during the summer. Populations of rabbits with which fur color will increase the MOST during winter months with deep snow cover? A. Gray C. Black B. Brown D. White 26. Land areas are preserved to protect biodiversity, which helps preserve the unique characteristics of the organisms that live there. Sometimes land is preserved in several smaller patches that are spread out instead of one large area. Which types of organisms will MOST likely become endangered if land preserves are spread out in patches? A. Organisms that are able to fly great distances B. Organisms that need a lot of space to graze C. Organisms that hibernate in winter D. Organisms that burrow underground 27. The picture below shows the locations of three types of fossils in the sediment of a lake. The organism in Layer 3 MOST likely existed A. At the same time as the organism in Layer 2 B. At the same time as the organism in Layer 1 C. Before the organism in Layer 2 D. After the organism in Layer Which adaptation of black bears BEST helps them survive cold winters? A. Having a large home range B. Being able to hibernate C. Eating both plants and animals D. Having sharp teeth and claws 29. Many people depend on food caught in the ocean. Which action BEST helps people maintain the oceans as a food source? A. Adding garden fertilizer to oceans B. Exploring new parts of oceans C. Preventing a loss of biodiversity in oceans D. Building more sportfishing areas near oceans 30. A scientist was digging for fossils along a rocky cliff. The scientist discovered trilobite fossils in rocks at two different depths in the cliff. What can be determined about the fossils based on their locations? A. The relative age of the trilobite fossils B. The diet of the trilobites C. The number of trilobite predators D. The size of trilobite population