MIDTERM EXAM IN EARTH SCIENCE (CORE)

SY 2022 - 2023

Name: _________________________________ Section: ___________ Date: ___________ Score: __________

Instructions: Choose the correct answer by encircling the letter of your choice.
1. The following describes the chemical composition and physical structure of the universe EXCEPT
________.
A. Hydrogen, helium, and lithium are the three most abundant elements.
B. The universe is still expanding, forming new stars, and contains decaying star corpses.
C. Heavier elements were produced later by stars through nuclear fusion or the explosion of the star
during its death. D. All of the above
2. According to the big bang theory, the universe began as an explosion and is still expanding. This theory
is supported by observations that the stellar spectra of distant galaxies show a ____.
A. Shift toward the blue end of the spectrum
B. Concentration in the green portion of the spectrum
C. Shift toward the red end of the spectrum
D. Concentration in the yellow portion of the spectrum
3. In the 1700s Emanuel Swedenborg, Immanuel Kant, and Pierre-Simon Laplace independently thought
of a rotating gaseous cloud that cools and contracts in the middle to form the sun and the rest into a
disc that become the planets. This theory even failed to account for the distribution of angular
momentum in the solar system.
A. Nebular Hypotheses C. Encounter Hypotheses
B. Protoplanet Hypotheses D. None of the above

4. All of the following are large scale features of the solar system EXCEPT _______. A. All planets revolve
around the sun.
B. Most planets rotate prograde plane.
C. Orbits of the planets elliptical and are on the same.
D. All planets are located at regular intervals from the Sun.
5. What makes Earth distinct from the other planets?
A. Only Earth has an atmosphere and moderate temperatures on the surface.
B. Earth is the only planet that orbits clockwise around the sun.
C. Earth is the only planet with an atmosphere.
D. Only Earth is spherical in shape.
6. Critique this statement: Earth is the only body in the solar system that supports life because it is the
third planet from the sun.
A. The statement is partly true because being the third planet from the sun means temperatures on
Earth are not too hot nor too cold.
B. The statement leaves out the fact that life on Earth is only possible because of Earth's magnetic
field.
C. The statement makes no mention of the fact that Earth has one moon.
D. The statement is not correct because other planets support life too.
7. Mercury, Venus, Earth, and Mars are all inner planets. Identify one unique characteristic of Earth that
makes life possible here.
A. Earth is rocky and dense. C. Earth has liquid water.
B. Earth rotates on its axis. D. Earth has craters.
8. It is a set of interconnected components that are interacting to form a unified whole.
A. System B. Orbit C. Stars D. Universe
9. The following explains how the Earth’s spheres interact EXCEPT _____.
A. Evaporation from the hydrosphere provides the medium for cloud and rain formation in the
atmosphere. The atmosphere brings back rainwater to the hydrosphere.
B. Water provides the moisture and medium for weathering and erosion of rocks on in the
geosphere. The geosphere, in turn, provides the platform for ice melts and water bodies to flow
back into the oceans.
C. The atmosphere provides the geosphere with heat and energy needed for rock breakdown and
erosion. The geosphere, in turn, reflects the sun's energy back into the atmosphere.
D. The troposphere receives gases, heat, and sunlight (energy) from the atmosphere. It receives
water from the hydrosphere and a living medium from the geosphere.
10. The data table below shows the density of four different mineral samples.

A student accurately measured the mass of a sample of one of the four minerals to be 299.4 grams and
its volume to be 73.6𝑐𝑚3. Which mineral sample did the student measure?
A. Corundum B. Galena C. Hematite D. Quartz
11. A student created the table below by classifying six minerals into two groups, A and B, based on a single
property.

Which property was used to classify these minerals?

A. Color B. Luster C. Chemical Composition D. Hardness
12. In which set are rock drawings
labeled with their correct rock types?

A. C.

B. D.
13. The diagram below represents geological processes that act continuously in Earth to form different rock
types.

Which table correctly classifies each rock type?

 C.

D.
A.

B.

14. Minerals are an important resource that comes from the earth. Which is NOT an example of a mineral?
A. Iron B. Salt C. Coal D. Chlorophyll
15. Preserving and protecting the natural environment is called _____.
A. Science B. Sustainability C. Conservation D. Rehabilitation
16. Potentially leading to the discovery of mineralization is _______.
A. Regional Reconnaisance C. Feasibility study
B. Project design D. Detailed exploration
17. The mineral exploration cycle includes five stages. Region selection, organization and budgeting is part
of ________.
A. Regional Reconnaisance C. Feasibility study
B. Project design D. Detailed exploration
18. The main role of mining industry is
A. To develop awareness in which people could exploit and work metals
B. Associated with exploration and colonial expansion
C. Economic collapse and environmental pollution
D. Driven by capital-centered economics
19. Which among the following is one way to prevent or lessen the environmental impact that results from
the exploitation, extraction, and use of mineral resources?
A. Stricter regulations or policies in controlling mining
B. Penalize and detain violating miners, either large or small-scale miners, for doing the smallest
violations
C. Mandatory tree-planting and other environmental-friendly conditions to be imposed on large and
small-scale mining firms D. All of the above
20. Which is a way we can protect our environment?
A. Litter B. Recycle C. Pollute D. Contaminate
21. Fossil fuels are derived from which of the following sources?
A. Organic matter trapped in sedimentary rock
B. Non-organic matter in metamorphic rock
C. Organic matter trapped in igneous rock
D. Organic matter on the crusts surface
22. Coal, a common fossil fuel, is formed from which of the following types of organic matter? A.
Freshwater algae
B. Marine organisms
C. Bodies of dead animals
D. Tree trunks, leaves, and freshwater plants
23. The process that will occur in the power station and the efficiency of each conversion is shown below.

The law of conservation of energy means that the plant will ____. A.
Convert all the energy in the natural gas to electricity.
B. Be highly efficient in converting one form of energy into another.
 C. Convert all the energy in the natural gas into other forms of energy.
D. Be sustainable since it will conserve unneeded energy for future use.
24. The world faces an energy crisis because _________. A. The world demand for energy will increase.
B. The world oil production will peak and begin to decline.
C. The shortages and the resulting escalation of prices can shock the economic and political
order. D. All of the above

25. The following activities in the environment contribute to human survival.

• cleansing of water resources
• breakdown and absorption of pollutants
• soil formation and protection
These activities can best be described as
A. Ecosystem services. C. Population diversity.
B. Ecosystem diversity. D. Environmental control.

26. Energy can be conserved by _________.

A. Co-generation in automobiles, especially in SUVs
B. Replacing compact florescent with tungsten bulbs
C. Replacing mass transit with more and larger roads for cars and trucks
D. Co-generation in power plants, fuel efficient transportation, re-engineered appliances
27. In the Latrobe Valley, east of Melbourne, an electricity generation company is planning to replace a
thermal power station fired by brown coal with a thermal plant fired by natural gas. An environmental
advantage of natural gas over brown coal as the energy source is that natural gas ____ A.
Is more plentiful in the area than brown coal.
B. Produces less water vapor than brown coal when burned.
C. Is cheaper than brown coal as supplied to the Latrobe Valley.
D. Produces less carbon dioxide emissions than brown coal for equivalent energy when burned.
28. Earth is the only planet where water in its liquid form exists. As seen from space, Earth looks mostly
blue and white because of water, snow, ice, and clouds on its surface. How is water distributed on
Earth?
A. Water is distributed across earth. Most water in the Earth’s atmosphere and crust comes from the
world ocean’s saline seawater, while freshwater accounts for only 25% of the total.
B. The distribution of water on the Earth’s surface is extremely uneven. Only 3% of water on the
surface is fresh; the remaining 97% resides in the ocean.
C. Most of the Earth’s water is freshwater, it contains 97% of the water on Earth while 3% of it comes
from saltwater.
D. All the water that exists on our planet, roughly 95% is saltwater and less than 5% is freshwater.
Majority if Earth’s freshwater is stored in ice caps and glaciers.
29. Which of the following statements helps to explain why fresh water is a limited resource?
A. Most of the Earth’s water is salt water
B. About 71% of the Earth’s surface is covered by water
C. Most of the Earth’s fresh water is not liquid water usable by humans
D. Both a and c
30. More than 97% of the water on the earth is found in the oceans. The second largest compartment in
the global hydrologic cycle is the ice at the poles and in glaciers. The rest of the earth's water is mostly
in the _____.
A. Rivers B. Lakes C. Soil Moisture D. Groundwater
31. Throughout the world, there is an increasing pressure in Earth’s water resources. This is mainly due to
how human activities have sped up and caused climate change and variation in natural conditions. How
can people’s activities affect water quality?
A. Movement of large number of people from the countryside to foreign countries
B. Population growth- particularly in water-long regions
 C. Demands for greater food security and higher living standards
D. Decreased competition between different uses of water resources
32. The production of electricity that occurs in the hydroelectricity system ______. A. Is low in efficiency
because water is heated up during the process.
B. Is low in efficiency since many steps are involved in the conversion process.
C. Results in the loss of water due to friction through the tunnels and aqueducts in the system.
D. Is highly sustainable, because the water can be used in irrigation systems after passing through the
power station.
33. A farmer is using a crop duster to help spray chemicals on his crops to kill insects. The chemicals the
farmers use seeps into the soil and drains into the nearby river. How does this affect the animals the
animals that love in the
river? A. They swim away
B. They get sick or die
C. They change color
D. The chemicals give them more
energy
34. What are some of the problems associated with overdrawing surface water with aquifer depletion?
A. The problems with aquifer depletion include dropping the water table. This can result in wells going dry
and the water quality changes also with aquifer depletion. Overdrawing ground water can result in land
subsidence.
B. The problems with overdrawing ground water include the water dropped. This can result in lakes and
streams to dry, and the water quality changes also with aquifer depletion. Overdrawing ground water
can result in water subsidence.
C. Pumping water out of the ground faster than it is replenished over the long-term. The volume of
groundwater in storage is decreasing. D. All of the above
35. Which one of the following is an effective way of conserving water?
A. Turn off the water after wetting the toothbrush
B. Eat less water-intensive foods
C. Recycle water
D. All of the above
36. Which one of the following is the best way to conserve water?
A. Taking shower with less water
B. Taking shower with more water
C. Not taking shower
D. Using other liquids instead of water for shower
37. A prospective homeowner has purchased a 1/2-hectare parcel of land on which she wants to build a
fourbedroom house. The builder tells her she must have "perc tests" run on several portions of the lot.
The purpose of these tests is ______________.
A. To help the builder design the footer drains for the house
B. To help determine where a dry basement can be excavated
C. To help determine where the septic tank drain field can be located
D. To help determine how deep to install the artificial drainage system
38. To be suitable as a medium for plant growth, soils are expected to provide plant roots with six
necessities. These are the water, protection from toxins, temperature moderation, physical support,
ventilation, and nutrient elements.
A wind uprooting a tree growing on a shallow, wet soil is an example of the failure of the soil to provide
sufficient which of the following necessities to the tree's roots?
A. Physical support C. Nutrient elements B. Temperature moderation D. Protection
from toxins
39. Soil conservation can be best achieved by having ______.
A. Wind screens C. Good plant covers B. Low rainfall D. Restricted Human Activity
40. Why are earthworms important in soils?
A. Earthworms inhibit gaseous exchange killing other bacteria which can be harmful to plants
 B. Earthworms produce fluids which enrich the soil aiding for nitrogen to be present for plant growth
C. Earthworms ingest soil and excrete soil which allows for some chemicals to be bio-available for plant
growth
D. Earthworms are segmented which means that they cause more caverns for other bacteria and
microbes to be present underground
41. Why is organic matter (humus) an important part of soil?
A. It helps to improve water infiltration
B. It can break down organic pollutant
C. It is rich in nutrients, which is important for fertility D. It converts nitrogen in the air into nitrates used
by plants
42. Which of the following is true? A. There is no real waste in nature
B. The apparent waste from one process becomes input to another
C. All processes of production and consumption produce waste
D. All of the above
43. Material that is synthetic or not able to be broken down is called _____.
A. Biodegradable C. Trash
B. Non-biodegradable D. Hazardous waste
44. Solid waste is the most common variety of of items found everywhere. Students drink from bottled
waters, teachers use papers in making exams, people drink canned soda and almost all buildings have
ceramic tiles. How do these solid waste materials affect people’s health and the environment?
A. It contaminates water due to waste dumping or leakage from landfill sites
B. It releases chemical waste into the environment that leads to chemical poisoning
C. It causes toxic exposure after use
D. It causes harmful diseases when not disposed properly
45. Every day, people are using different kinds of household products that may affect people’s health and
the environment. Some of which are plastic and paper wares, detergents, left-over food, and even toxic
and flammable items. In what way, these waste products can be minimized?
A. Segregate waste products according to its content
B. Look for the packaging and predict if it is recyclable or not
C. Recyclable and organic waste materials should be disposed in landfills
D. Solid waste should be sorted in recycle bins
46. Over the years, waste materials are gradually increasing. Which of the following is NOT an effect of
waste mismanagement?
A. Looking for big lots of lands as damping sites for wastes to reduce environmental dumping
B. Poor waste management as source of under development around societies surrounding a particular
area
C. Water-proof waste materials pose danger to aeration system of the soil hindering agriculture
D. Following the hierarchical process namely 3R’s as process of minimization.
47. Every day, people are using different kinds of products as part of their daily life. In what way the
production of these wastes be reduced at home?
A. Make use of disposable containers rather than plastic bags
B. Start going to the grocery and make a meal plan
C. Buy loads of cheap products instead of disposable stuff that are expensive.
D. Cancel unnecessary mails and subscriptions to avoid clutter
48. The community is strengthening its plans and measures in implementing ways in minimizing waste
materials. The following are part of the implementation EXCEPT.
A. Solid waste management and recycling
B.Reuse, Reduce and Recycle
C.Management of collection, segregation, and movement of solid waste stream D. Waste minimization
and cost reduction