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Practice Test 6 - Middle School Earth and Space Science

20 questions. Answer them in any order, then submit to see your score and every explanation.

  1. A cliff face shows these features (older is lower, younger is higher). The sequence shows relative order, not how long each event took. Bottom → top: - Layer 1: shale with fish fossils - Layer 2: sandstone - Surface X: wavy erosion surface (symbol: ~~~) - Layer 3: conglomerate - Layer 4: volcanic lava flow Which claim contradicts the sequence shown?​
  2. Use the model of water movement with reservoirs (ocean, clouds, land surface, rivers, groundwater) and pathways: - Ocean → Clouds (evaporation) — Sun's energy - Clouds → Land surface (precipitation) — gravity - Land surface → Rivers (runoff) — gravity - Land surface → Groundwater (infiltration) — gravity - Groundwater → Rivers (seepage) — gravity - Rivers → Ocean (river flow) — gravity If the amount of Sun's energy reaching Earth's surface decreased for many days, which change would you predict first in this model?
  3. A new road was built through a wetland area (urban development). Wildlife surveys found that frog egg masses in ponds within 200 meters of the road dropped from 120 to 55 over 3 years, while ponds 2 kilometers away stayed about the same. Impacts can be positive or negative depending on context. Based on the evidence, which statement is supported?
  4. A class is testing ways to reduce erosion (soil washing away) on a sloped school garden after rain. They try covering the soil with mulch. Evidence: In a rain simulation, the uncovered slope lost 500 mL of muddy runoff water in 10 minutes. With mulch, it lost 250 mL in 10 minutes. Success criteria: At least a 60% reduction in runoff volume compared with uncovered soil. Based on the evidence, how could the solution be improved to better meet the criteria? (Note: Solutions can be improved and may not meet criteria on the first try.)
  5. A model shows two objects, a bowling ball and a tennis ball, thrown horizontally at the same time from the same height (ignore air resistance). Both have motion arrows pointing to the right at release. Both have gravity arrows pointing downward with equal length. Both paths curve downward similarly. Which statement about gravity and motion is supported by the model?​
  6. A student reads a line graph of temperature over four hours and says: "The temperature dropped by 20°C from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m." The graph actually shows: - 9 a.m.: 20°C - 10 a.m.: 18°C - 11 a.m.: 16°C - 12 p.m.: 19°C Which statement best describes the student's mistake? (These are short-term weather observations.)
  7. A class builds a simple water-cycle setup: a clear container with warm liquid water at the bottom and a cold lid on top. After 10 minutes, liquid droplets appear on the underside of the cold lid. The model labels the bottom as "heating" and the lid as "cooling." Which pair of processes correctly matches what happens at the bottom and at the lid? Note: Both changes are physical, not chemical.
  8. Two students study the same glacier at different temporal scales. Student 1 compares photos from two consecutive summers and notices the glacier edge advanced slightly during one cool summer. Student 2 compares measurements from the last 30 years and finds the glacier has retreated overall. Which interpretation best fits the 30-year scale while still making sense of the 2-year observation?
  9. A student creates a simplified model showing carbon dioxide gas moving between Earth systems (real Earth processes are more complex). Model: Atmosphere → Biosphere → Geosphere Geosphere → Atmosphere Which claim is not supported by this model?
  10. Two maps show the same river along a town. In the later map, the river is wider in several places and the outside banks of bends have moved outward. Which evidence-based explanation best fits the change over time? (More than one process can shape the river over time.)​
  11. Refer to the water-cycle model shown. It includes reservoirs (ocean, atmosphere, land surface, groundwater) and pathways (evaporation, condensation, precipitation, runoff, infiltration). Arrows show direction, and the cycle repeats continuously. The model simplifies real-world movement. Which claim is not supported by the model?
  12. Refer to the water-cycle model shown. The model is simplified and indicates that water cycles continuously. Which statement is supported by the model?
  13. Over the last 6 hours, a station's observations show: pressure steadily falling, wind increasing, and clouds lowering from high thin clouds to thick layered clouds. A model of air-mass movement shows moist air moving in from the ocean toward the station. Based on these patterns and evidence (not certainty), how is the weather most likely to change in the next 6–12 hours?
  14. A student observes two changes near a coastline. Over many years, waves have worn a notch into a sea cliff and the cliff line has moved back. During one storm, a large section of the cliff broke off and fell to the beach, leaving a sharp new cliff face. Both slow and fast changes shape Earth's surface. Which classification is most accurate?
  15. A coastal region tracked hurricane landfalls from 1990–2024 and also mapped storm-surge height zones (a proxy for potential impact). Risk combines likelihood and impact, not certainty. Hurricane landfalls (1990–2024): - Coast A: 9 landfalls - Coast B: 4 landfalls - Coast C: 7 landfalls Storm-surge impact zones (typical maximum surge during strong storms): - Coast A: mostly 1–2 m - Coast B: mostly 3–4 m - Coast C: mostly 2–3 m Which statement about likelihood vs impact is best supported by the data?​
  16. Two maps show a mountain slope at two different times after heavy rainfall events. The later map shows a new fan-shaped deposit at the base of the slope and a fresh scar on the hillside. Which claim about surface change is supported by the maps? (More than one process can change slopes over time.)​
  17. A simplified flow diagram of the water cycle includes these labeled arrows (the model simplifies the real world but shows continuous cycling): Ocean → Atmosphere (evaporation) Atmosphere → Land surface (precipitation) Land surface → Ocean (runoff) Land surface → Groundwater (infiltration) Groundwater → Ocean (groundwater flow) Atmosphere → Atmosphere (condensation) A student says, "Because the model shows condensation in the atmosphere, water stays in the atmosphere after condensation." Which evaluation is most accurate based on the model?
  18. A simplified geologic time framework is used to organize Earth's long history by relative duration and sequence. Segment lengths are not equal. Early (longest): Earth forms; oceans form; first life appears Middle (medium): dinosaurs live Recent (shortest): humans appear Which claim is not supported by the framework?
  19. A company began surface mining for coal on a hillside (mining). Before mining, the stream below the hill had an average pH of 7.2. After 1 year of mining, the average pH measured at the same location was 5.6, and fewer mayfly larvae (an aquatic insect) were found in samples. Impacts can be positive or negative depending on context. Which human activity most likely caused the change shown by the evidence?
  20. Human activity: Farmers increased fertilizer use on fields near a lake. Claim: Increased fertilizer use led to more algal blooms and lower water clarity in the lake. Evidence: Fertilizer sold in the watershed, average summer algae index (higher = more algae), and average summer water clarity are shown. Which claim is best supported by the evidence?

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