Grade 8: Science (2003 VDOE Released Items)

1. 2
2. 4
3. 14
4. 24
Which of these best completes the
statement about the interaction of the
respiratory system with the circulatory
system? The lungs add --
1. nutrients to the blood
2. bile to the blood
3. oxygen to the blood
4. carbon dioxide to the blood
Which of these will cause water to
change to ice?
1. Removing heat from the water
2. Stirring the water
3. Adding salt to the water
4. Putting the water in the sunlight
1. The cooler the temperature, the louder the crickets chirp.
2. The crickets cannot chirp at temperatures lower than 10°C.
3. The warmer the temperature, the more often crickets chirp.
4. The temperature and the chirping of crickets are not related.
1. Nitrogen belongs to the halogen family.
2. Helium belongs to the noble gas family.
3. Calcium belongs to the alkali family.
4. Sodium belongs to the alkaline earth family.
1. The snowy owls are becoming extinct.
2. Lemmings live much longer than snowy owls.
3. The habitat of the lemmings is continuously decreasing in size.
4. The snowy owl population increases because of an increase in lemmings.
Which of these has the greatest
number of different simple machines?
The atom is composed of electrons,
protons, and neutrons. What is the
electric charge on the neutron?
1. -1
2. +1
3. 0
4. +2
A tick that feeds on the blood of
animals is a --
1. predator
2. host
3. competitor
4. parasite
The distance between one point on a
compression and the corresponding
point on the next compression in a
sound wave is called a --
1. wavelength
2. rarefaction
3. crest
4. trough
Which of the following do typical plant
cells have that typical animal cells
do not?
1. Cytoplasm
2. Nuclei
3. Mitochondria
4. Chloroplasts
1. 335.6 g
2. 350.6 g
3. 354.6 g
4. 356.0vg
1. live in the water
2. are fish
3. are warm-blooded
4. lay eggs
The kangaroo rat is able to get all of
the water it needs through its food
and, therefore, never needs to drink
liquids. This animal has adapted to survive
in which biome?
1. Forest
2. Tundra
3. Desert
4. Grassland
The science of astronomy is concerned
with the observation and analysis of
the movements of celestial objects. The
invention of which instrument was
most helpful to the advancement of
astronomy?
1. Telescope
2. Microscope
3. Camera
4. Geiger counter
There are many reasons why the use of
oil needs to be managed carefully.
Which of the following is not one of
these reasons?
1. There are only limited supplies of oil in the Earth.
2. Oil spills at sea have killed many marine animals.
3. Burning oil contributes to acid rain and the greenhouse effect.
4. Oil was created by plants and animals.
Several centuries ago, men called
alchemists tried to transform common
metals into gold. Even though they
tried many different chemical and
physical methods, they never
succeeded because --
1. they could not heat common metals to extremely high temperatures
2. the common metals they worked with were not pure
3. they did not add the correct material to the common metal
4. elements cannot be changed to other elements by physical or chemical means
1. Group 1
2. Group 2
3. Group 3
4. Group 4
Mercury is a liquid metal that is used
in many thermometers. The mercury in
the thermometer rises because it --
1. is sucked upward by vacuum
2. expands when heated
3. is compressed by air pressure
4. increases in density when heated
Which of these could cause a decrease
in the number of squirrels in a
population?
1. An increase in cooperation with birds in the area
2. An increase in the squirrels' territory
3. An increase in competition with the other nut-eating animals
4. An increase in the squirrels' food supply
1. 4-5 micrometers
2. 7-8 micrometers
3. 10-11 micrometers
4. 12-13 micrometers
Which level of organization below is
the most basic or primary level of
organization?
1. Cell
2. Tissue
3. Organ
4. Organ system
Ellen noticed that she often sneezes
when she visits her friend Robert, who
has a cat and a parrot. Ellen wonders
if she may have allergies to Robert's
pets and decides to conduct a scientific
investigation. What should Ellen do
next?
1. Ellen should tell Robert that she cannot visit him until he gives away his pets.
2. Ellen should visit Sue who has a horse, a dog, a goldfish, and a hamster.
3. Ellen should call her doctor and insist that she needs shots for allergies.
4. Ellen should visit a friend who has only cats and one who has only parrots.
Because burning fossil fuels creates
much pollution, alternatives are being
investigated. What might limit the use
of wind as a major energy source?
1. The strength of the wind varies.
2. Wind machines have huge blades to capture the wind.
3. Turbines and generators in the wind machines create electricity.
4. Wind power does not create pollution.
Sponges are classified as animals
because they cannot --
1. move from place to place
2. make their own food
3. get rid of waste products
4. catch their own food
1. Alternating current
2. Short circuit
3. Series circuit
4. Parallel circuit
Which of the following is a physical
property of copper?
1. Ductile, can be drawn into a wire
2. Liquid at room temperature
3. Readily reacts with water to form an acid
4. Readily reacts with oxygen
Northern garter snakes exhibit a
unique behavior in which they gather
in deep dens by the hundreds or
thousands. They then coil together in a
huge ball. This behavior could help
to --
1. reduce heat loss
2. increase camouflage
3. locate food sources
4. increase oxygen consumption
When plants perform photosynthesis,
they use sunlight to produce food. This
is an example of light energy being
converted to --
1. heat energy
2. electrical energy
3. mechanical energy
4. chemical energy
Mendel's early work with pea plants
demonstrated a significant genetic
discovery. The crossing of homozygous
tall pea plants always resulted in tall
plants and demonstrated that tallness
in pea plants is a trait that is --
1. blended
2. dominant
3. mutated
4. recessive
1. 1
2. 2
3. 3
4. 4
Which of the following is an example of
kinetic energy?
1. A baseball moving from the pitcher to the catcher
2. A rock sitting on the top of a large hill
3. A pendulum at the top of its swing
4. A new flashlight battery
Many scientists believe that nuclear
fusion will become a possible energy
source within the next 10 years. What
resource would be most effective in
tracking the progress of this energy
source?
1. The local newspaper
2. A chemical encyclopedia
3. A physics textbook
4. Scientific periodical
1. unlike charges
2. like charges
3. neutral charges
4. no charges
1. Soil
2. Rivers
3. Animals
4. Plants
Which of these processes helps extract
energy from food?
1. Reproduction
2. Digestion
3. Excretion
4. Circulation
Which of these is a change in chemical
composition?
1. A lake freezes solid.
2. Gravel, sand, and water are mixed.
3. A copper bar is rolled into a flat sheet.
4. Vinegar bubbles when baking soda is added.
1. Use the same shoe on each surface
2. Use boards of the same thickness
3. Use the same shoe size for each type of shoe
4. Use shoes with soles designed for sports
1. Earth
2. Mars
3. Mercury
4. Venus
1. eat bacteria
2. give off toxic wastes
3. take in minerals through their gills
4. get their energy from other animals
1. Point 1
2. Point 2
3. Point 3
4. Point 4
1. 6 centimeters
2. 12 meters
3. 50 meters
4. 300 meters
Most of the hereditary information
within the cell is carried in the --
1. ribosomes
2. vacuoles
3. chromosomes
4. Golgi bodies
The time in which the Earth makes one
revolution around the sun is
approximately one --
1. year
2. season
3. month
4. day
Which picture illustrates the structure
of a molecule of water?
1. Ruby-throated Hummingbird-nectar;
  Red-tailed Hawk-insects;
  Yellow-bellied Sapsucker-rodents
2. Ruby-throated Hummingbird-insects;
  Red-tailed Hawk-nectar;
  Yellow-bellied Sapsucker-rodents
3. Ruby-throated Hummingbird-rodents;
  Red-tailed Hawk-nectar;
  Yellow-bellied Sapsucker-insects
4. Ruby-throated Hummingbird-nectar;
  Red-tailed Hawk-rodents;
  Yellow-bellied Sapsucker-insects
1. N
2. Al
3. Si
4. P
In which biome would you find the
most variety of life?
1. Tundra
2. Desert
3. Grassland
4. Rain forest
Tearing paper is an example of a --
1. physical change
2. chemical change
3. chemical reaction
4. solution

Grade 8: Science (2003 VDOE Released Items)

Multiple-Choice ExerciseContent © 2003 Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Education; Permission to Use Granted by VDOE; Author of Activity: Tami Maloney; All rights reserved. No commercial, for-profit use of this material is allowed. E-mail comments and questions to Tami Maloney.

Multiple-Choice Exercise
Content © 2003 Commonwealth of Virginia Department of Education; Permission to Use Granted by VDOE; Author of Activity: Tami Maloney; All rights reserved.
No commercial, for-profit use of this material is allowed. E-mail comments and questions to Tami Maloney.