Life Science – 7th Grade Life Science – Advanced

Question 1 :

A local pond contains a variety of organisms - fish, aquatic plants, insects, etc. Which statement is consistent with the data in the table?

A: More oxygen production occurs near the surface because there is more light there.

B: More oxygen production occurs near the bottom because there are more plants there.

C: The greater the water pressure, the more oxygen production occurs.

D: The rate of oxygen production is not related to depth.

Question 2 :

Scientists and engineers often build models to represent their ideas. The building of models helps scientists -

A: test how a system works

B: write their study report

C: communicate the size of an object

D: evaluate the design of the system

Question 3 :

What is a reasonable reading for room temperature on the Celsius scale?

A: 100oC

B: 70oC

C: 22oC

D: 5oC

Question 4 :

To study the effect of thermal energy on plant growth, Andie divided

ten identical seedlings into groups. She placed one group

on a windowsill in the sun and the other group in a dark closet

on the cool (north) side of the house.

Think about the characteristics of a properly designed scientific experiment. What is wrong with the above experiment?

A: The temperature difference between the two groups was not great enough.

B: The amount of light was different for the two groups.

C: One group of seedlings got less water than the other.

D: Nothing is wrong with the experiment.

Question 5 :

A group of Life Science students conducted an experiment with fertilizer and pond water:

Four identical containers were filled with 200 mL of pond water. A specific amount of fertilizer was added to each container. All containers were then placed in an area where they would receive the same

amount of light. Observations were made over a three-week period to note changes in water color.

A simple color scale of 1 (colorless) to 4 (dark green) was used to categorize the water color in each container.

Students' data is shown in the table below.

What is the dependent variable in this experiment?

A: Amount of fertilizer

B: Amount of pond water

C: Color of pond water

D: Time for change to occur

Question 6 :

Kathy, a wildlife biologist, studied the variation of ear sizes in two prides of lions. She measured ear length of the female lions only. The data she collected is shown in the table below.

What type of graph should Kathy use to display her data?

A: Bar graph

B: Histogram

C: Pie graph

D: Scattergram

Question 7 :

Two guinea pigs were put on different diets for a month. The graph shows what happened to their weight.

According to the information on the graph, which statement is correct?

A: Guinea pig Y lost mass while guinea pig X gained mass.

B: Guinea pig X and guinea pig Y had the same mass at the beginning of the experiment.

C: Guinea pig X and guinea pig Y had the same mass on day 15.

D: Guinea pig Y lost mass until day 10 and then gained mass.

Question 8 :

A scientist on site at the Jamestown Rediscovery archeological dig finds what looks like an iron key. She wants to find out the purpose for which it was used. The best source to consult about information on keys in the 1600's would be found from -

A: the website of the Smithsonian Institutes

B: other scientists on the archeological site

C: a popular science magazine

D: a high school history teacher

Question 9 :

Which is true about the cell membrane?

A: It allows materials to pass in and out of the cell.

B: It is another name for the cell wall.

C: It is part of the nucleus.

D: Only water can get through the cell membrane.

Question 10 :

The diagram below shows a cell.

Where would this cell most likely be found?

A: Bark

B: Frog

C: Leaf

D: Mushroom

Question 11 :

Place the drawings of the phases of mitosis shown above in the appropriate order.

A: C, A, D, B

B: B, A, D, C

C: A, B, C, D

D: A, B, D, C

Question 12 :

Which of the following statements about the cell theory is not true?

A: Cells can be studied without using a microscope.

B: All living cells come from other living cells.

C: All organisms are made up of one or more cells.

D: Cells are the basic unit of all living things.

Question 13 :

Nathan collected some starfish eggs while he was at the beach. When he got home, he placed the eggs in a dish of distilled water. The eggs began to swell and then burst. Which of the following processes caused water to enter the starfish eggs?

A: Active transport

B: Eutrophication

C: Selective permeability

D: Osmosis

Question 14 :

Which of the following is necessary for all forms of life on earth?

A: Sunlight

B: Temperature above 0oC

C: Water

D: Oxygen

Question 15 :

The water lily, Nymphaea pubescens, is most closely related to the -

A: white water lily, Nymphaea lotus

B: Santa Cruz water lily, Victoria cruziani

C: ko-hone lily, Nuphar japonica

D: yellow lotus, Nelumbo lutea

Question 16 :

Which of the following major plant divisions relies on the activity of insects, birds, and bats to help it spread pollen?

A: Flowering Plants

B: Mosses

C: Ferns

D: Conifers

The diverse organisms shown in the diagram below belong to the same Kingdom.

Question 17 :

To which Kingdom do these organisms belong?

A: Animalia

B: Fungi

C: Plantae

D: Protista

Question 18 :

A single species of squirrel evolved over time into two species, each on opposite sides of the Grand Canyon. This change was most likely due to -

A: higher mutation rates on one side

B: low genetic diversity in the initial population

C: the isolation of the two groups

D: differences in reproductive rates

Question 19 :

From the list of substances below, identify a product of cellular respiration.

A: Carbon dioxide (CO2)

B: Hydrogen (H2)

C: Oxygen (O2)

D: Glucose (C6H12O6)

Question 20 :

As illustrated in the diagram above, how do most living things obtain the food they need?

A: They make their own food.

B: They eat other living things.

C: They eat inorganic substances.

D: They eat dead or decaying living things.

Question 21 :

The nitrogen cycle is a complex process. Which of the following parts of the cycle is most responsible for making nitrogen available to plants?

A: Lightning strikes the surface of the Earth

B: Nitrogen in the atmosphere

C: Action of bacteria living in the roots of plants

D: Decaying organisms mixed in with the soil

Question 22 :

Which of the following processes does not make an important contribution to the release of carbon dioxide in the carbon cycle?

A: Homes being heated by burning fossil fuels

B: Corn plants in a field carrying out photosynthesis

C: Cows in a field carrying out cellular respiration

D: Forest fire burning in the mountains

Question 23 :

The diagram below shows a food web.

If the corn and oats were completely removed from the above food web, which of the following would be the most affected?

A: Mice and rats

B: Hawks and owls

C: Snakes and raccoons

D: Grasshoppers and crickets

Question 24 :

Sarah looked at some pond water with a microscope. She used the low-power objective lens to look at some green algae. The picture below shows what Sarah saw through the microscope.

What is the role of the pond organisms that Sarah saw in her field of view?

A: Producer

B: Primary consumer

C: Secondary consumer

D: Decomposer

Question 25 :

Which of the following terms best describes how food, shelter, and nesting sites are related? They are all -

A: resources

B: part of a desert

C: biomes

D: abiotic factors

Question 26 :

Removing which of the following organisms from the Bay's ecosystem would have the most immediate impact?

A: Oysters and clams

B: Phytoplankton and underwater grasses

C: Fish such as striped bass and white perch

D: Birds such as osprey and ruddy duck

Question 27 :

Rabbits, which are not native to Australia, were brought to the continent by immigrants from Europe in the late 1700’s. By the early 1900’s, the number of rabbits had grown to such a high number that the government decided to try to remove them. What factor most contributed to the increase in rabbits?

A: The rabbits hid in burrows and were thus able to escape diseases.

B: The rabbits blended into the landscape and could not be seen by hunters.

C: The environment was especially favorable for rabbits to grow and reproduce.

D: There were no natural predators in Australia to keep their numbers in control.

Question 28 :

Orchids grow in the branches of trees in the rain forest and get their water from the moist air. They do not harm or help the trees in which they grow. This relationship demonstrates -

A: mutualism

B: commensalism

C: behaviorism

D: parasitism

Question 29 :

In an ecosystem, a niche describes -

A: the physical area in which a species is usually found

B: how a species recycles material in the ecosystem

C: the area one species has taken from another species

D: how and where a species survives

Question 30 :

When viewing Earth from space, certain types of vegetation and animal life are typically found at certain locations on the planet. What determines where a particular biome will be located on Earth?

A: The biotic and abiotic factors in an area

B: The similarities of plant and animal life in an area

C: The size of the available land mass

D: The climate and geographic features of an area

Question 31 :

Which of the following statements best describes the relationship between a biome and an ecosystem?

A: A biome is smaller than an ecosystem.

B: There are many biomes, but few ecosystems.

C: Human activity has more impact on biomes.

D: There are many ecosystems in a biome.

Question 32 :

A scientist wanted to test which birds could live in an environment where the birds hunted insects as food. The insects were small and could easily hide in the cracks of tree bark. Which of the following birds would be best suited to this environment?

A:

B:

C:

D:

Question 33 :

A flowerpot is tipped on its side and left that way for one week. At the end of the week, the stem of the plant that was growing in the pot has turned so that it is again growing upward. The response of the plant to its new position can best be described as -

A: a mutation

B: germination

C: a tropism

D: a stimulus

Question 34 :

FISHER

In the pine forest, porcupines eat the bark of young pine trees. The porcupines are prey to a furry carnivore, the fisher (pictured above). How would a sharp drop in the fisher population impact the pine tree and porcupine populations?

A: There would be no effect on the pine tree or porcupine populations.

B: There would be a decrease in the pine tree population and the porcupine population would increase.

C: There would be a decrease in both the pine tree and porcupine populations.

D: There would be an increase in both the pine tree and porcupine populations.

Question 35 :

Scientists found that, over a period of 200 years, a mountain pond was changed into a meadow. During that time, several communities of organisms were replaced by different communities. Which of these best explains why new communities were able to replace older communities?

A: The original species became extinct.

B: Species in the older community died from old age.

C: The abiotic characteristics of the habitat changed.

D: Diseases that killed the older organisms disappeared.

Question 36 :

Which of the following is the correct order of the events that cause eutrophication?

A: Nutrients enter waterway water plants grow very fast and spread throughout the bay

fish populations compete for food fish die from lack of habitat

B: Nutrients enter waterway algae in water grow rapidly fish populations grow large from eating algae fish and other organisms die from lack of food

C: Nutrients enter waterway nutrients become part of sediments sediments become toxic to all forms of life in the bay fish and water plants die from eating toxic food

D: Nutrients enter waterway algae in the water grow rapidly water plants die from lack of sunlight decomposers use up oxygen in water fish die from lack of oxygen

Question 37 :

Use the data in the table above to determine which pond would most likely have the best water quality.

A: Pond A

B: Pond B

C: Pond C

D: Pond D

Question 38 :

The map below shows the location of the Chesapeake Bay Watershed.

At which point on the map would a water quality monitor detect the highest salinity?

A: Point A

B: Point B

C: Point C

D: Point D

Question 39 :

In Virginia, the amount of daily sunlight increases during the spring. What effect might this change in the amount of sunlight have on the water quality of the Chesapeake Bay?

A: It might increase the amount of dissolved oxygen in the Bay.

B: It might decrease the number of Bay grasses.

C: It might decrease the salinity of the water.

D: It might increase the quantity of nutrients in the water.

Question 40 :

What impact could the loss of a wetland have on its surrounding environment?

A: The amount of precipitation declines from less water evaporation.

B: The water quality declines as a result of increased deposits of sediment.

C: The ground absorbs more water and decreases the amount of water flowing into streams.

D: There is less erosion due to the increased use of plants as ground covers.

Question 41 :

Water quality monitors collected data from two local streams in the Chesapeake Bay watershed.

Based on these data, which of the two streams would best support aquatic life?

A: Stream 1

B: Stream 2

C: Both Stream 1 and Stream 2

D: Neither Stream 1 nor Stream 2

Question 42 :

The diagram below shows some ways in which humans use the environment.

Which statement is best supported by the diagram?

A: Chemicals applied by farmers stay in the topsoil where they are applied.

B: Drinking water can become polluted from human activity.

C: Human activities do not cause pollution.

D: Toxic waste is safe if it is sealed in a container and buried in the ground.

Question 43 :

The drawing below shows a woodpecker using its long, sharp beak to obtain insects.

What factor might contribute to the extinction of this species of woodpecker?

A: A new source of food

B: An overabundance of trees

C: The use of pesticides in the forest

D: An increase in the population of insects

Question 44 :

Since 1978, nearly 10% of the Amazon rainforest has been cleared for farming and ranching. After trees are cut down and hauled away, the remaining land is burned to remove debris. The long term effect of this process will –

A: decrease the average temperature on Earth

B: increase the average temperature on Earth

C: have little effect on the average temperature on Earth

D: increase the amount of ultraviolet radiation reaching the Earth

Question 45 :

This segment of DNA has undergone a mutation in which several nucleotides have been deleted. The missing nucleotides should be replaced with -

A: TCG

B: GCA

C: CTG

D: GTA

Question 46 :

Which of the following statements best describes the function of a gene?

A: It is a protein string of amino acids.

B: It is a section of a protein.

C: It is a group of reproductive cells.

D: It is a section of DNA that codes for protein.

Question 47 :

The Punnett square below shows a cross between two heterozygous parents.

From this cross, the expected genotypic ratio will most likely be -

A: 1:2:1

B: 9:3:3:1

C: 2:2

D: 3:1

Question 48 :

The figures below represent two chromosomes from a dog.

Using the table below that describes the traits carried on Chromosome #6, which trait can the animal inherit only from its mother?

Genes on

Chromosome #6

Trait

H

Long hair

h

Short hair

B

Black hair

b

White hair

A: Long hair

B: Black hair

C: White hair

D: Short hair

Question 49 :

Genetic engineering has produced goats whose milk contains proteins that can be used as medicines. This effect was produced by -

A: inserting foreign genes into fertilized goat eggs

B: injecting foreign genes into the goats’ udders

C: genetically modifying the nutritional needs of the goats’ offspring

D: mixing foreign genes into the milk

Question 50 :

Extinction, a part of the natural process of evolution, can be defined as a process in which a species -

A: may disappear from all or part of its range

B: is predicted to disappear from all or part of its range

C: no longer exists anywhere on Earth

D: is forced to move from its range to another location

Question 51 :

The drawings below show skulls of three modern animals.

The three skulls all share characteristics with a fossil skull of an extinct seal (not shown) that is believed to be 23 million years old. What conclusion can be drawn about the relationship between the three modern animals and the fossil?

A: They are all the same species.

B: They share a common ancestor.

C: They share the same food supply.

D: They are all 23 million years old.

Question 52 :

Five hundred flies of one species were sprayed with a new insecticide. Twenty-four hours later, nearly all the flies were dead. However, a few survived. Which principle best explains why some flies survived?

A: Animals adapt to new environments.

B: New species develop from survivors.

C: There is variation among individuals within a species.

D: Insecticides may cause genetic mutations.