Science STAAR Practice

When a powdered drink mix was added to water, the liquid turned orange. A student decided the taste was too strong, so he poured out half of the liquid and added more water. Which of the following most likely occurred when more water was added?

• The physical state changed.

• The orange color became lighter.

• The liquid had a sweeter taste.

• None of the above

Each school year for 30 years, the amount of rain that fell at a school was measure and recorded. Tracking rainfall over a long period provides the most information about which characteristic of an area?

• Climate

• Temperature of the day

• Weather

• Type of soil

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NGSS.MS-ESS2-6

Prairie dogs eat plants and dig underground tunnels. Prairie dog tunnels help breakup hard prairie soils, and the animals’ waste adds nutrients to the soil. In the past,large groups of prairie dogs lived in many parts of the U.S. Great Plains, but people have destroyed most of these colonies.  Which of these will most likely happen when prairie dogs are removed from an area?

• The population of predators that eat prairie dogs will decrease.

• The population of plants that prairie dogs eat will decrease.

• The nutrients in the soil will increase.

• The number of underground tunnels will increase.

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Which of these describes one thing that could happen if the wire in a car fuse burns out?

• The car’s lights will burn brighter.

• The car’s radio will not work.

• The car’s turn signal will blink too slowly.

• The car’s power windows will open faster.

In a food chain, energy does NOT flow directly from —

• Producer to decomposer

• Producer to consumer

• Consumer to decomposer

• Consumer to producer

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A student looks into a mirror and sees an image of an object. Which diagram shows an X where the object is most likely located?

• F

• G

• G

• J

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An energy company wants to build a hydroelectric power plant. Which of these characteristics of an area is most important to the development of a hydroelectric power plant?

• The area has a cool, rainy climate.

• The area is located in a valley with very little wind and frequent heavy fog.

• The area has a river that flows rapidly from nearby mountains through a valley.

• The area has no geysers or hot springs.

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The photograph below shows a canyon in northern Arizona. Which of these describes how this canyon was most likely formed?

• Floods eroded the sandstone away from the canyon walls.

• Glaciers eroded the canyon rock as they melted and moved.

• Ice wedged into cracks in the rock and weathered the canyon walls.

• Wind blew large rocks that smashed against the canyon walls.

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Resources can be classified as renewable or nonrenewable. Which of these resources is classified in the same category as coal?

• Wood

• Wind

• Corn oil

• Petroleum

Cracks in the seafloor called hydrothermal vents send streams of hot water into the ocean. The water from a vent is 387°C. How many degrees above the boiling point of water is this temperature?

• 175 C.

• 287 C.

• 387 C.

• Not Here

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