Download Name Class___________ Date

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. They are classified as
different rocks because they:
(1) were formed from different fossils
(2) formed at different times
(3) formed in different ways
_____2. Which information would probably be least reliable for someone trying to identify a mineral
sample?
(1) streak
(2) color
(3) hardness
_____3. In which type of rock is the fossil of a fern leaf most likely to be found?
(1) igneous (2) sedimentary (3) metamorphic
_____4. Part of the east coast of South America and the west coast of Africa have matching fossils.
This provides evidence that these two continents were once:
(1) separated by an ocean
(2) joined together as one landmass
(3) located near the North Pole
_____5. Many scientists believe that plate movement occurs because of convection currents in
Earth’s:
(1) crust (2) outer core (3) mantle
_____6. Dust and ash entering the atmosphere as a result of volcanic eruptions can affect Earth’s
(1) tide
(2) orbit
(3) weather
_____7. Which is an example of Earth’s hydrosphere?
(1) ocean (2) tree (3) rock
_____8. Movement of Earth’s crust along transform plate boundaries produces
(1) cold fronts (2) high tide (3) earthquakes
_____9. Igneous rocks are formed by
(1) volcanic activity (2) cementation
(3) protons
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_____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) Continents fit like pieces of a puzzle
(2) Wegener said so
(3) South America DOES NOT fit with Africa
.
_____11. The diagram below shows a penny scratching the surface of the mineral calcite.
Which physical property of the calcite is being tested?
(1) Magnetism (2) melting point (3) hardness
_____12. If seashell fragments are found in a rock, it is most likely that the rock formed
(1) on a mountain
(2) in the ocean
(3) from magma
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_____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
_____14. The bold line on the map below shows the San Andreas Fault.
The San Andreas Fault is the result of
(1) overpopulation
(2) not studying
(3) plate movement
_____15. The diagram below shows three stages in the formation of a beach.
Which process is making the cliff smaller?
(1) weathering
(3) swimming
(4) bathing
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_____16. The cross section below shows sedimentary rock layers containing fossils.
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) size (3) reaction to an acid
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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
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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 that the continents were all once joined?
(1) India doesn’t belong
(2) Both glaciers and rocks match in South America and Africa
(3) North America looks funny
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 you know that the Dinosaurs are younger than the Armored Fish. [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.
3. The most active earthquake areas are associated with plate boundaries. Explain how plate
boundaries can cause earthquakes. [1 point]
________________________________________________________________________________
________________________________________________________________________________
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4. Identify something 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.
What part of this picture belongs to the Hydrosphere?. [1 point]
_________________________________________
Base your answers to questions 6 and 8 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.
6. What kind of plate boundary is this? [1 point]
(A) subduction
(B) divergent
(C) convergent
(D) transform
7. What theory is used to explain the movement of crustal plates? [1 point]
________________________________________________________________________________
8. Identify one geologic event that often occurs near this type of crustal plate boundary. [1
point]
______________________________________________________
9. Why wasn’t Wegner’s Theory of Continental Drift accepted in 1912?
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
___________________________________________________________________________
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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]
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]
________________________________________________________________________________
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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] ______________________________________________________________
13. Name two geologic features or events that might result from the movement of crustal plates.
[2 points]
(1)______________________________________________________________
(2)______________________________________________________________
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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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