Grade 8Category 3

Earth and Space

Which of the following is the most reasonable topographic map of the area shown in the picture?

1.

Which of the following best explains why City 3 experiences the smallest change in day length between summer and winter out of the four cities shown in the diagram above?

A City 3 is closest to the sun duringthe Northern Hemisphere’s winter.

B Earth completes one revolution ofthe sun about every 365 days.

C Earth rotates on its axis about onceevery 24 hours.

D City 3 is located closest to theequator.

2.

3 The diagram shows the orbit of the moon around Earth. Between which two points will the moon appear to change from a new moon to a quarter moon?

A Q and RB R and SC S and TD T and Q

4.According to the graph below, which stars are MOST likely to increase in brightness as they increase in temperature?A. main sequence stars and red giantsB. red giants and super giantsC. super giants and white dwarfsD. white dwarfs and main sequence stars

5 In spring 2003 a natural rock outcropping in New Hampshire called the Old Man of the Mountain collapsed. Which of the following most likely loosened the rock and caused it to fall?

F Heat turning sedimentary rock into metamorphic rockG Water freezing and thawing inside cracks in the rockH Volcanic activity producing pressure at the rock’s baseJ Oxygen reacting with iron on the surface of the rock

6 In the picture above, the rocks at the bases of the trees were separated from the cliff face by water freezing and thawing. Which process best describes the breaking of the rock?

F Soil erosionG Mountain buildingH Chemical weatheringJ Physical weathering

7.

Which of these best explains why the oceans have a great impact on the weather over the continents?

A Ocean waves move more easily than continental rock.

B The oceans contain a wider variety of organisms than the continents.

C The oceans store and transfer more heat than the continents.

D Ocean water contains more salt than most continental lake water.

8.

The map above shows the western coast ofSouth America. Which process caused theupward movement that formed the AndesMountains?

A Seafloor spreading

B Deposition of sediment

C Tectonic plate collision

D Erosion of rock layers

9 The Northern Hemisphere experiences seasons at different times than the Southern Hemisphere does because —

A the Coriolis effect produces windsB Earth tilts on its axisC the Van Allen belt absorbs energyD the equator receives direct sunlight

10 Many weather systems form over oceans. The energy needed to form these weather systems originates from —

A water currentsB prevailing windsC the sunD the moon’s gravity

11 The photographs above show how a change in climate is affecting the size of Grinnell Glacier in Glacier National Park. Which of the following best explains the change in the glacier between 1910 and 1997?

F Higher average temperaturesG Higher frequency of earthquakesH Higher total precipitationJ Higher rates of wind erosion

12 The lunar cycle is completed in about a month because —

A the moon rotates once on its axisB Earth revolves once around the sunC the sun makes one full orbitD the moon revolves once around Earth

13 All of these will probably result when atmospheric carbon dioxide levels increase EXCEPT —

F increased plant growthG elevated animal reproductive ratesH greater atmospheric pressuresJ higher average annual temperatures

14 Nitrogen fertilizer is often added to soil to increase the growth of crops. Which of these nearby ecosystems would most likely beharmed by the use of nitrogen fertilizer?

A ForestB PondC ParkD Meadow

15

Earth’s land areas, oceans, and atmosphere maintain fairly constant average temperatures. What is the best explanation for these constant average temperatures?

A Earth’s Northern Hemisphere and Southern Hemisphere have opposite seasons.

B Earth is tilted and rotates daily on its axis.

C The continuous motion of air and water distributes the sun’s energy.

D Global weather systems generally move from west to east.

16 The lunar module weighed more on Earth than it did on the moon because Earth has a greater —

F gravitational forceG atmosphereH electromagnetic fieldJ density

17 The picture shows sand used to make a model of a galaxy. In the model, each grain of sand best represents —

F a cometG a black holeH an asteroidJ a star

18 Which of these processes contributes to the growth of the Hawaiian island chain?

A ErosionB GlaciationC SedimentationD Volcanism

19 Which of the following was most likely caused by tectonic plates

colliding?

A C

Cavern River

B D

Lake Mountain

20 Which diagram best represents the type of plate movement that results in mountain building?

A C

B D

21.

If a star is 3.3 light years away from Earth, how long has its light been traveling so we can see it?

A 3.3 days

B Only an instant

C 3.3 months

D 3.3 years

22.

Look at the various diagrams of the Earth, Moon, and Sun system found below. Which model would produce the greatest high tide?

A Earth, Moon, and Sun system A only B Earth, Moon, and Sun system B only C Earth, Moon, and Sun system C only D Earth, Moon, and Sun system A and C

A Choice AB Choice BC Choice CD Choice D

Use the choices of Moon views in Moon Diagram 1 to answer the following question. Which moon phase is a waxing gibbous?

23

Forest Ecosystem

24 A direct result of removing trees from the area above is most likely—

A a higher rate of erosionB a lower amount of carbon dioxide in the airC a rapid increase in herbivore populationsD a slowdown of the nitrogen cycle

25 At the quarry, soil was removed to get to the rock layers underneath. Which part of the environment was probably least affected by this soil being removed?

A AirB GroundwaterC Runoff waterD Plants