STAAR Life Science 2017

Many desert animals depend on the prickly pear cactus. What role does the prickly pear cactus play in a desert food web?

• It obtains energy from producers.

• It returns nutrients to the soil.

• It preys upon other organisms.

• It provides energy to consumers.

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8 The table gives information about four types of fish. These fish all have mouth structures that allow them to eat different types of food.

Which of these fish has mouth structures that allow it to eat algae by taking large bites of the hard coral on which the algae grows?

• Parrotfish

• Koi

• Goby

• Seahorse

Green anole lizards are bright-green reptiles native to the southeastern United States and the Caribbean islands. They can be kept in terrariums to study their behavior and how they interact with their environment.

Which observation describes this anole lizard interacting with the living elements in its environment?

• The anole rested on one of the rocks and lifted its head toward the light.

• The anole climbed the plant and then ate a cricket off one of the leaves

• The anole drank some water and then ran across the sand.

• The anole jumped from the rock and scattered sand with its tail.

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NGSS.MS-LS2-3

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A group of students visited a park and collected leaves from many different trees in order to study them. They recorded their observations about the leaves.

Which of these observations does NOT describe an inherited trait?

• The leaves vary in shape and size

• Some leaves have holes made by insects chewing on them

• Some leaves are smooth on one side and rough on the other.

• The colors of the leaves range from light green to dark green.

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NGSS.MS-LS3-1

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Big Bend National Park is located in the part of the Chihuahuan Desert that is in southwestern Texas. The table below lists some of the types of animals that live in Big Bend and what they eat.

Based on the information in the table, which of the following food chains shows one way energy flows in the Big Bend ecosystem?

• Juniper berries o ornate box turtles o roadrunners o rock squirrels

• Grasses o rock squirrels o roadrunners

• Cacti o ornate box turtles o turkey vultures

• Mesquite beans o turkey vultures o roadrunners o western rattlesnakes

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Which of these correctly describes the relationship between plants and animals in the carbon dioxide-oxygen cycle?

• Plants produce and release the oxygen that animals need to breathe.

• Plants produce and release the carbon dioxide that animals need to breathe.

• Animals produce and release the oxygen that plants need to make their own food.

• Animals produce and release the oxygen that plants convert to carbon dioxide.

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Which of these is a behavior that a person learns rather than inherits?

• Swallowing a sweet liquid

• Having a pleasant dream

• Digesting a chocolate-covered strawberry

• Identifying the scent of a rose

Newly hatched chicks of many types of birds, such as parrots, are covered in soft, fluffy down feathers. These feathers contain many small spaces where air gets trapped.

In some animal species, such as Arctic foxes, the fur covering the animal’s body consists of hollow strands of hair filled with air.

The primary role of the air trapped in the down feathers and fur is most likely to —

• act as a cushion to prevent injuries from falls

• decrease the amount of energy needed for running or flying

• provide a layer of insulation to help control body temperature

• supply oxygen to be absorbed through the skin for transport to the lungs

Many gardeners use red worms like the ones shown in the photograph to turn vegetable and fruit scraps into topsoil for plants. The gardeners build a worm farm in a large container lined with old newspapers and filled with moist garden soil. The worms eat about half their body weight daily and produce waste that can be used as plant fertilizer.

The container for a worm farm needs to have a lid, but the lid must be left partially open because worms require which of the following in order to survive?

• Oxygen

• Sunlight

• Carbon dioxide

• All of these

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