Download Name Class___________ Date Grade 7 Science: Benchmark #2

Name ________________________________ Class___________ Date _________________
Grade 7 Science: Benchmark #2 Earth Science
Multiple Choice:
Choose the number that best answers the question and write it on the line. (1 point each)
_____1. Limestone is a sedimentary rock and marble is a metamorphic rock. Even though limestone
and marble have the same chemical makeup, they are classified as different rocks because
they
(1) were formed from different fossils
(2) formed at different times
(3) took different amounts of time to form
(4) formed by different methods
_____2. Which information would probably be least reliable for someone trying to identify a mineral
sample?
(1) location and mass of the sample
(2) shape and texture of the sample
(3) hardness and streak of the sample
(4) color and size of the sample
_____3. In which type of rock is the fossil imprint of a fern leaf most likely to be found?
(1) igneous (2) sedimentary (3) metamorphic (4) volcanic
_____4. Part of the east coast of South America and the west coast of Africa have matching fossils
within the same series of rock layers. This provides evidence that these two continents were
once
(1) separated by a much larger ocean
(2) joined together as one landmass
(3) located near the North Pole
(4) in a different hemisphere
_____5. Many scientists believe that crustal plate movement occurs because of convection cells
contained in Earth’s
(1) crust (3) outer core (2) mantle (4) inner core
_____6. Dust and ash entering the atmosphere as a result of volcanic eruptions can affect Earth’s
(1) tidal activity
(2) orbital shape
(3) weather and climate
(4) rotation and revolution
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_____7. The surface of Earth is covered by a relatively thin layer of water called the
(1) crust (2) hydrosphere (3) mantle (4) atmosphere
_____8. Movement of Earth’s crust along plate boundaries produces
(1) fronts (2) hurricanes (3) tides (4) earthquakes
_____9. Igneous rocks are formed by
(1) weathering
(2) volcanic activity
(3) cementation
(4) sedimentation
_____10. The map below shows the probable location of some of the continents at one time in the
past.
What feature of the continents best suggests that they were once joined?
(1) Some continents fit together like puzzle parts.
(2) Some continents are the same size.
(3) All continents have mountain ranges.
(4) All continents contain the same crustal composition
.
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_____11. The diagram below shows a penny scratching the surface of the mineral calcite.
Which physical property of the calcite is being tested?
(1) streak (2) melting point (3) hardness (4) reaction to acid
_____12. If shell fragments are found in a rock sample, it is most likely that the rock formed
(1) on a mountain slope
(2) on a glacier
(3) from magma
(4) in shallow water
_____13. The cross section below shows fossils and the rock layers in which they are found. Crustal
movement has not displaced the rock layers.
Which fossil is considered the oldest in the cross section shown?
(1) armored fish (2) early horses (3) dinosaurs (4) trilobites
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_____14. The bold line on the map below shows the San Andreas Fault.
The San Andreas Fault is the result of
(1) overpopulation
(2) a large glacier
(3) weathering and erosion
(4) crustal plate movement
_____15. The diagram below shows three stages in the formation of a beach.
Which process is mostly responsible for the breaking down of the rock cliff into sand-sized sediment?
(1) weathering
(2) folding
(3) faulting (4) precipitation
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_____16. The cross section below shows sedimentary rock layers containing fossils.
Assuming that these rock layers have not been overturned, which fossil is in the layer that was
formed most recently?
_____17. The diagram below shows a method for determining a physical property of a mineral. The
results are shown for two minerals, galena and calcite.
Which property of the galena and calcite is indicated by the color of the powder each leaves on the
ceramic tile?
(1) streak (2) hardness (3) reaction to an acid (4) reaction to a solvent
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_____18. In which diagram are the layers of Earth correctly labeled?
19. The wearing away and removal of material is called
(1) erosion
(2) evaporation (3) condensation
(4) sedimentation
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20. The map below indicates the possible location of some of Earth’s continents in the past.
Which evidence best supports the idea that the landmasses on Earth were once in these positions?
(1) North America and India have matching mountain chains.
(2) Madagascar and India have similar shapes.
(3) Matching rock layers can be found in Africa and South America.
(4) Bedrock in Australia and Greenland have glacier scratches.
Total Multiple Choice: _________________ /20 points
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Name ________________________________ Class___________ Date _________________
Grade 7 Science: Benchmark #2 Earth Science
Short Answer
Base your answers to questions 1 and 2 on the cross section below and on your knowledge of
science.
The cross section shows sedimentary rock layers containing fossils. The rock layers have not been
overturned since they formed.
1. Explain why the trilobites are considered to be the oldest fossil in this diagram. [1 point]
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
2. Explain how this diagram shows that all Earth’s rock layers were not formed at the same time.
[1 point]
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Base your answers to questions 3 and 4 on the map below and on your knowledge of science. The
darker shading on the map shows the most active earthquake areas.
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3. The most active earthquake areas are associated with the boundaries of lithospheric plates.
Explain what happens to the lithospheric plates at these boundaries that causes an
earthquake. [1 point]
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
4. Identify one geologic event, other than an earthquake, that may also occur in the darker
shaded areas on the map. [1 point]
_________________________________________
5.
The cross section below shows sedimentary bedrock along the shore of a lake.
Identify the labeled part of the cross section that belongs to Earth’s hydrosphere. [1 point]
_________________________________________
Base your answers to questions 6 and 7 on the student investigation described below and on your
knowledge of science.
A student is given a ruler and a hand lens and asked to make observations
and inferences about a rock sample collected on a field trip. The student wrote
the nine statements below.
1. The rock is mostly gray with white speckles on the outside surface.
2. When acid is placed on the rock, a bubbling reaction occurs at the white
speckles.
3. The white speckles are probably the mineral calcite.
4. The rock probably formed in a water environment.
5. The rock measures 4 cm wide, 8 cm long, and 2 cm thick.
6. Fossil shells embedded in the rock can be seen with a hand lens.
7. If the rock is broken with a hammer, it will probably contain more fossil
shells within its interior.
8. The rock has a smooth surface.
9. The smooth surface is most likely the result of weathering and erosion over
many years.
6. List the numbers of the five student statements that are observations. [1 point]
____________, ____________, ____________, ____________, and ____________
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7. The student concluded that the rock was sedimentary in origin. What information from the
student’s investigation supports this conclusion? [1 point]
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
Base your answers to questions 8 and 9 on the diagram below and on your knowledge of science.
The diagram shows a boundary between crustal plates. The arrows show the direction of plate
movement.
8. What theory is used to explain the movement of crustal plates? [1 point]
________________________________________________________________________________
9. Identify one geologic event that often occurs near this type of crustal plate boundary. [1 point]
______________________________________________________
10. The data table below shows two physical properties of the minerals quartz and amphibole
(hornblende).
Select the physical property from the table that can distinguish quartz from amphibole and describe a
procedure that can be used to test this property.
Physical property: _________________________________ [1 point]
Procedure:________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
____________________________________________________________________[1 point]
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Base your answers to question 11 on the information and cross section below and on your knowledge
of science.
Icebergs
Floating pieces of glacial ice are called icebergs. Huge pieces of glacial ice
near a coast may break off and fall into the ocean, as shown in the cross
section below. Only about one-tenth of the total iceberg is visible above the
surface of the water.
11. Explain why an iceberg floats in the ocean. [1 point]
Base your answers to questions 12 through 13 on the cross section below and on your knowledge of
science. The cross section shows the heat flow and movement of some material within Earth, causing
sections of Earth’s crust (plates) to move.
12. How does the temperature of Earth’s crust compare to the temperature of Earth’s interior?
[1 point] ______________________________________________________________
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13. Name two geologic features or events that might result from the movement of crustal plates.
[2 points]
(1)______________________________________________________________
(2)______________________________________________________________
Base your answers to questions 14 through 16 on the map below and on your knowledge of science.
The map shows earthquake activity in and around the United States. Earthquake activity is indicated
by dots.
14. State one reason that there are more earthquakes in the western section of the area shown
on the map. [1 point]
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
15. According to the map, what is the latitude and longitude of the location at letter X ? [Your
answer must include a value, unit, and direction for each.] [2 points]
Latitude: ________________________________
Longitude: ________________________________
16. List two actions that residents of the west coast might include in an earthquake emergency
preparedness plan. [2 points]
(1)______________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________
(2)______________________________________________________________________________
_____________________________________________________________________________
Total Short Answer: _____________________/20 points
Test Total ________________ / 40 points
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