1. A solar eclipse occurs when _____________ .
a. a full moon occurs
b. a solar flare occurs
c. the Earth moves in a line between the Sun and the Moon, casting a shadow on the Moon
d. the Moon moves in a line between the Earth and the Sun, casting a shadow on the Earth
2. The main result of the Earth's rotation about its axis is ____________ .
a. the seasons (winter, summer, spring, fall)
b. day and night
c. solar flares
d. nuclear fission
3. The forms of marine life near the ocean bottom are called which one of the following?
a. delta
b. benthos
c. aquifer
d. barycenter
4. The careful use of resources is called which one of the following?
a. benthos
b. conservation
c. delta
d. pollution
5. A device used for measuring air pressure is called which one of the following?
a. seismometer
b. poopometer
c. barometer
d. thermometer
6. Which one of the following best describes wind and the flow of air?
a. Air flows from areas of high pressure to areas of low pressure.
b. Air flows from areas of low pressure to areas of high pressure.
c. Air flow is not affected by air pressure.
7. The most significant force of erosion on our Earth is which one of the following?
a. running water
b. blowing wind
c. howling wolves
d. cursing teachers
8. Two tectonic plates colliding together (for example, the recent earthquake in Nepal where the Indian plate collided with the Eurasian plate) refers to which one of the following?
a. divergent boundaries
b. transform boundaries
c. convergent boundaries
d. atmospheric boundaries
9. The thin, rocky outer layer of Earth is called which one of the following?
a. core
b. cumulus
c. crust
d. delta
10. Which one of the following is largest in size?
a. Universe
b. Solar System
c. Sun
d. Galaxy
11. Which one of the following provides the best evidence for the theory that faults and volcanoes are the result of tectonic plate interactions?
a. faults and volcanoes are rarely found at tectonic plate boundaries
b. faults and volcanoes existed long before tectonic plates
c. tectonic plates that have many faults do not usually have volcanoes
d. faults and volcanoes are often found at tectonic plate boundaries
12. A seismometer is an instrument that records which one of the following?
a. air pressure
b. temperature changes
c. river velocity
d. earthquake waves
13. The Solar System's inner planets (also called rocky planets or terrestrial planets) are _____________ .
a. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars
b. Mercury and Earth
c. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
d. Jupiter and Earth
14. The Earth's _____________ is similar to a spinning top. It causes the North Pole to point at different stars during a 26,000-year cycle.
a. seasons (winter, summer, spring, fall)
b. day and night
c. eclipse
d. precession
15. Air pollution results from ____________ .
a. coal-fired power plants
b. automobile and truck exhaust
c. open burning of leaves and garbage
d. all of the above
16. The Cape Fear River Basin, which includes all of Lee County, is the largest river basin in the state. The basin starts in the north central Piedmont region, near Greensboro and High Point, and empties its water on the coast of the Atlantic Ocean near _____________ .
a. Raleigh
b. Nags Head
c. Virginia Beach
d. Wilmington
17. The factor that generally has the most influence on a region's climate is which one of the following?
a. longitude
b. abundant plant species
c. latitude (distance from the equator)
d. closeness to a river
18. Unfortunately, Lee county is likely to become a location for burying large amounts of coal ash waste. Large amounts of coal ash result from which one of the following?
a. automobile exhaust
b. natural gas-fired power plants
c. nuclear power plants
d. coal-fired power plants
19. Examples of renewable and sustainable sources of energy discussed in our textbook include _____________.
a. coal energy
b. coal and petroleum energy
c. coal, petroleum, and natural gas energy
d. solar, wind, and geothermal energy
20. Most people killed or injured by an earthquake are hit by debris from buildings. Additional damage can be caused by tremors that can occur hours, days, or months after an earthquake. These tremors are called ____________ .
a. epicenters
b. eclipses
c. avalanches
d. aftershocks
21. Why is a heavy rain shower in the desert capable of causing a large amount of erosion?
a. desert temperatures are very high
b. desert ground is not able to absorb water
c. there is a lack of vegetation to hold the soil in place
d. streams overflow easily
22. Which one of the following is the main result of the 23.5 degrees tilt of the Earth's axis?
a. high tide
b. day and night
c. the seasons (winter, summer, spring, fall)
d. low tide
23. The lithosphere of the Earth refers to which one of the following?
a. air
b. water
c. land
d. birds
24. The Solar System's outer planets (also called gaseous planets or Jovian planets) are which one of the following?
a. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars
b. Mercury and Earth
c. Jupiter, Saturn, Uranus, and Neptune
d. Jupiter and Earth
25. Latitude is which one of the following?
a. distance east or west of the prime meridian
b. distance north or south of the equator
c. distance from Earth to the Sun
d. distance from Earth to the Moon
26. Heliocentric describes which one of the following?
a. solar flares
b. solar wind
c. the ancient view that the Earth is at the center of the solar system
d. the modern view that the sun is at the center of the solar system
27. Imagine that a scientist wants to vary the amount of water given to tomato plants and observe (and record) the resulting growth of each plant. She uses identical seeds, soil, and sunlight for each plant. Therefore, the only thing that she varies is the amount of water given to each plant. For this experiment, the amount of water is which one of the following?
a. independent variable
b. dependent variable
c. fixed variable
d. all of the above
28. Important sources of drinking water and irrigation water are the large areas of rock (or soil) through which groundwater moves easily. These are called which one of the following?
a. asteroids
b. benthos
c. aquifers
d. deltas
29. Atmosphere refers to which one of the following?
a. air
b. water
c. land
d. birds
30. Hydrosphere refers to which one of the following?
a. air
b. water
c. land
d. birds
31. Which one of the following best describes metamorphic rock?
a. rock formed when magma cools and hardens following a volcanic eruption
b. rock formed from preexisting rock that is subject to heat and pressure
c. rock formed by weathering from water, snow, ice, and wind
d. rock found at the inner core of the Earth
32. What type of plate boundary occurs when two plates move apart and away from each other (for example, the mid-Atlantic ridge in the Atlantic Ocean).
a. divergent boundary
b. convergent boundary
c. transform fault boundary
d. water boundary
33. The Earth's _____________ is similar to a spinning top. It causes the North Pole to point at different stars during a 26,000-year cycle.
a. precession
b. seasons
c. eclipse
d. day and night