Name:
Date:
Class:
How to use this worksheet. Read each passage, graph, and data table before you answer. Choose the
best answer and write its letter on the answer line.
- Every question has a Nudge — a hint about how to think it through. It does not give the answer away. Try the question first; read the nudge only if you get stuck.
- Base every answer on evidence in the passage or the data — not on memory or opinion. After each item, write in your own words why you picked that answer.
- No calculator is needed. Suggested time: about 55 minutes, but accuracy and reasoning matter more than speed.
PASSAGE 1 · LIFE SCIENCENatural Selection and Antibiotic Resistance
When a population of bacteria is exposed to an antibiotic, most bacteria are killed. However, a small number may carry a random genetic mutation that allows them to survive the drug. These resistant bacteria reproduce, passing the resistance trait to their offspring. Over many generations, the bacteria population can become dominated by resistant strains, making the antibiotic far less effective. This process does not require bacteria to adapt on purpose; the mutation already existed by chance before the antibiotic was ever introduced. Overuse and incomplete courses of antibiotics speed up this process by killing weaker, non-resistant bacteria while leaving more resistant survivors to reproduce.
1.What is the central idea of this passage?
- A. Bacteria intentionally change their genes to survive antibiotics.
- B. Antibiotic resistance spreads through natural selection acting on random mutations that already existed.
- C. Antibiotics become weaker over time due to chemical breakdown in storage.
- D. All bacteria in a population are equally likely to survive any antibiotic.
Nudge — A central idea must cover the whole passage, not one small detail. Watch for wording that the passage flatly contradicts — such as "intentionally" or "all... equally."
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
2.According to the passage, when did the resistance-causing mutation first appear in the bacteria population?
- A. By random chance, before the antibiotic was ever introduced.
- B. Immediately after the bacteria were first exposed to the antibiotic.
- C. Only after several incomplete courses of antibiotics were given.
- D. Resistance mutations never actually appear; bacteria simply tolerate the drug.
Nudge — "According to the passage" means the answer is written there. Find the sentence that says the mutation "already existed" — note when it says that happened relative to the antibiotic.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
3.Based on the passage, why might stopping a course of antibiotics early (before finishing all doses) contribute to antibiotic resistance?
- A. It gives bacteria more time to develop entirely new species.
- B. It causes the antibiotic itself to become chemically less effective.
- C. It leaves more of the partially resistant survivors alive to reproduce, increasing resistance in the population.
- D. It has no effect, since resistance is determined only by mutation rate.
Nudge — This is cause and effect. Re-read the last sentence about incomplete courses: which bacteria get left behind to reproduce when you stop early?
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
4.The process described in this passage is best described as an example of which broader biological principle?
- A. Spontaneous generation.
- B. Genetic engineering.
- C. Photosynthesis.
- D. Natural selection.
Nudge — Name the pattern: survivors with a helpful trait live, reproduce, and pass it on, so the trait spreads. Match that pattern to the term you already know for it.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
5.A population of bacteria that has never been exposed to a particular antibiotic is treated with that antibiotic for the first time. A few bacteria happen to already carry a resistance mutation by chance. Based on the passage, what is the most likely outcome?
- A. All bacteria, resistant or not, will be killed equally by the antibiotic.
- B. The resistant bacteria are likely to survive and reproduce, so future generations will include more resistant bacteria.
- C. The antibiotic will lose its effectiveness on contact with any bacteria.
- D. The resistant bacteria will lose their mutation once the antibiotic is removed.
Nudge — Apply the passage's mechanism to this new case. If a few already carry resistance, who survives the drug and gets to reproduce next?
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
6.Why does this passage's explanation matter for public health?
- A. It shows that overprescribing or misusing antibiotics can accelerate the evolution of drug-resistant bacteria.
- B. It proves that antibiotics are no longer useful for treating any infections.
- C. It shows that bacteria can think and choose to resist medication.
- D. It demonstrates that resistance only matters in laboratory settings, not in patients.
Nudge — Match your choice to what the passage actually says about overuse and incomplete courses. Be wary of any option that overreaches with an all-or-nothing claim the passage never makes.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
PASSAGE 2 · DATA ANALYSISCore Body Temperature During and After Moderate Exercise
A person's core body temperature was recorded every 10 minutes during and after a session of moderate aerobic exercise. The person exercised from 0 to 40 minutes and then rested (recovered) from 40 to 80 minutes. Resting (baseline) temperature before exercise was 98.6°F. Use the data in Table 1 to answer Questions 7–12. (Illustrative data modeled on typical core-temperature responses to moderate aerobic exercise.)
Table 1. Core body temperature over 80 minutes
| Time (minutes) |
Core body temperature (°F) |
Activity |
| 0 | 98.6 | Exercise begins (baseline) |
| 10 | 99.3 | Exercising |
| 20 | 99.9 | Exercising |
| 30 | 100.5 | Exercising |
| 40 | 100.9 | Exercise ends (peak) |
| 50 | 100.4 | Recovery (rest) |
| 60 | 99.9 | Recovery (rest) |
| 70 | 99.1 | Recovery (rest) |
| 80 | 98.7 | Recovery (rest) |
Temperature rose while the person exercised (0–40 minutes), peaked as exercise ended, then declined during recovery (40–80 minutes) back toward the 98.6°F baseline.
7.According to the data, at what point in time did core body temperature reach its highest value?
- A. 40 minutes
- B. 50 minutes
- C. 60 minutes
- D. 80 minutes
Nudge — Scan the temperature column for the single largest value, then read across that row to find its time. Don't let the later recovery readings distract you — you want the one clear high point.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
8.Which statement best describes the overall pattern shown in the data?
- A. Temperature stayed constant throughout the entire 80 minutes.
- B. Temperature dropped steadily for the full 80 minutes.
- C. Temperature rose briefly, then stayed at its peak for the rest of the time shown.
- D. Temperature rose during exercise, then gradually decreased back toward baseline after exercise ended.
Nudge — Describe the shape from start to finish. Check each option against both halves of the table — the first 40 minutes and the last 40. The right answer must match both.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
9.Body temperature did not drop back to baseline immediately after exercise ended at the 40-minute mark. Based on the data, which explanation best accounts for this delay?
- A. The body's thermometer-like sensors stopped working temporarily after exercise.
- B. Cooling mechanisms, such as sweating and increased blood flow to the skin, take time to bring temperature back down.
- C. Core body temperature cannot decrease once it has increased.
- D. The exercise must not have actually ended at 40 minutes.
Nudge — The data show a gradual, not instant, drop. Pick the option that explains a slow return. Cross out any choice the table itself proves false (temperature clearly does decrease after 40 minutes).
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
10.Based on the data, which statement is most accurate about body temperature at the 80-minute mark?
- A. It had nearly, but not completely, returned to its pre-exercise baseline.
- B. It had dropped below the original baseline temperature.
- C. It was still at its highest recorded value.
- D. It had returned to exactly the same value as at 0 minutes.
Nudge — Compare two exact numbers: the reading at 80 minutes and the reading at 0 minutes. Are they identical, is one below the other, or is 80 just close to baseline?
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
11.Between which two consecutive time points did core body temperature drop the most?
- A. 40 to 50 minutes
- B. 50 to 60 minutes
- C. 60 to 70 minutes
- D. 70 to 80 minutes
Nudge — Work out each subtraction one interval at a time and write the size of each drop in the margin. Compare the four differences — the largest number wins.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
12.This pattern of body temperature rising in response to a disturbance (exercise) and then being brought back toward a stable baseline is a clear example of which concept?
- A. Genetic mutation.
- B. Natural selection.
- C. Plate tectonics.
- D. Negative feedback maintaining homeostasis.
Nudge — Which term names a system that is pushed off its set point and then corrects itself back toward it? Picture the whole rise-then-return shape in the table and ask which concept describes that self-correcting behavior.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
PASSAGE 3 · PHYSICAL SCIENCEEnergy Transformation and the Roller Coaster
Energy cannot be created or destroyed; it can only change from one form to another. This is known as the law of conservation of energy. For example, when a roller coaster car is lifted to the top of a hill, it gains gravitational potential energy. As the car descends, this potential energy converts into kinetic energy, the energy of motion, causing the car to speed up. Some energy is also converted into heat and sound due to friction between the car and the track, and air resistance. Because of this friction, a roller coaster can never return to a height greater than its starting point without an additional source of energy, such as a motor.
13.What is the main idea of this passage?
- A. Energy changes form but the total amount of energy in a system remains constant, aside from losses to the surroundings.
- B. Roller coasters create new energy as they descend each hill.
- C. Friction adds extra usable energy to a moving roller coaster car.
- D. Potential energy and kinetic energy are unrelated forms of energy.
Nudge — The main idea must fit the opening rule of the passage. Any option that says energy is created or added breaks that rule, so eliminate it.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
14.According to the passage, what happens to a roller coaster car's potential energy as it goes down a hill?
- A. It disappears completely.
- B. It converts into kinetic energy, increasing the car's speed.
- C. It converts directly into electrical energy.
- D. It remains unchanged throughout the descent.
Nudge — This is stated directly. Find the sentence about the car descending and note which form the energy turns into and what that does to the car's speed.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
15.According to the passage, what role does friction play in the roller coaster's motion?
- A. Friction increases the car's total mechanical energy.
- B. Friction has no measurable effect on the system.
- C. Friction converts some of the car's mechanical energy into heat and sound.
- D. Friction only affects the car while it is at the top of a hill.
Nudge — Locate the sentence that mentions friction. It names two forms of energy the motion turns into. Match those to the option — don't confuse "converts into" with "increases."
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
16.Based on the passage, why can't a roller coaster car (without a motor) return to a height greater than where it started?
- A. Gravity becomes stronger as the ride continues.
- B. Friction continuously removes usable mechanical energy from the system as heat and sound.
- C. The car gains extra mass as it moves along the track.
- D. Kinetic energy is destroyed each time the car goes downhill.
Nudge — Remember the opening rule: energy is transformed, not destroyed. Look for the reason the passage actually gives, and set aside any choice that breaks that rule or invents new physics.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
17.A pendulum is set swinging and gradually loses height with each swing until it eventually stops. Based on the passage, which explanation best accounts for this?
- A. Friction and air resistance gradually convert the pendulum's mechanical energy into heat and sound rather than destroying it.
- B. The pendulum's energy is destroyed a little more with each swing.
- C. The pendulum gains potential energy with each swing, which slows it down.
- D. Gravity only acts on the pendulum during its first swing.
Nudge — Apply the roller-coaster idea to a new object. Energy is transformed, not destroyed. Choose the option that transforms the pendulum's energy the same way friction did for the car.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
18.This passage is best understood as an explanation of which scientific principle?
- A. The law of conservation of mass.
- B. Newton's third law of motion.
- C. The law of conservation of energy.
- D. The theory of plate tectonics.
Nudge — The passage names its own principle in the second sentence. Match the whole passage to that named law, not to a law about mass or motion.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
PASSAGE 4 · EARTH & SPACE SCIENCEPlate Tectonics and Earthquakes
Earth's outer layer is broken into large sections called tectonic plates, which float on a layer of slowly flowing, semi-molten rock beneath them. These plates move only a few centimeters per year, but over millions of years this movement has shaped continents, ocean basins, and mountain ranges. At plate boundaries, plates may collide, pull apart, or slide past one another. Collisions can push rock upward to form mountains, such as the Himalayas. When plates slide past each other, friction can cause the rock to lock in place until enough stress builds up to make it suddenly slip, releasing energy as an earthquake. Most earthquakes and volcanic activity occur near these plate boundaries.
19.What is the main idea of this passage?
- A. Tectonic plates move quickly, reshaping Earth's surface within a few years.
- B. Earth's plates are fixed in place and never move.
- C. The slow movement of tectonic plates over millions of years has shaped Earth's major surface features.
- D. Earthquakes occur randomly across Earth's surface with no connection to plate boundaries.
Nudge — The main idea must fit the whole passage, not one detail. Notice how the text pairs "a few centimeters per year" with "millions of years," and be cautious of any option that contradicts that slow-but-powerful picture.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
20.According to the passage, how do mountain ranges such as the Himalayas form?
- A. Plates pulling apart from one another.
- B. Plates colliding and pushing rock upward.
- C. Volcanic ash settling over thousands of years.
- D. Ocean currents eroding coastal rock.
Nudge — This is stated. Find the sentence that names the Himalayas and read what kind of plate movement it says builds mountains.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
21.Based on the passage, what directly causes an earthquake at a boundary where plates slide past one another?
- A. A sudden increase in the rate of plate movement to several meters per year.
- B. Magma rising rapidly to the surface.
- C. Locked rock suddenly slipping after enough stress has built up, releasing energy.
- D. The plates permanently fusing together.
Nudge — Follow the chain in the "slide past" sentence: rock locks, stress builds, then something happens that releases energy. The direct cause is that final step, not the slow buildup before it.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
22.A city is located very close to a boundary where two tectonic plates slide past one another. Based on the passage, this city faces an elevated risk from which natural hazard in particular?
- A. Earthquakes.
- B. Hurricanes.
- C. Droughts.
- D. Tornadoes.
Nudge — Apply the passage to a real place. Find the sentence about plates sliding past one another and note the hazard it names, then ask which of the other options the passage never ties to plate boundaries at all.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
23.Which inference about the global distribution of earthquakes and volcanic activity is best supported by the passage?
- A. Earthquakes and volcanic activity are spread evenly and randomly across Earth's surface.
- B. Earthquakes and volcanic activity occur exclusively in the middle of tectonic plates, far from boundaries.
- C. Earthquakes and volcanic activity are concentrated near tectonic plate boundaries rather than distributed randomly.
- D. Earthquakes and volcanic activity have no relationship to the structure of Earth's outer layer.
Nudge — An inference is supported by, but goes slightly beyond, a stated fact. Start from the last sentence ("most... occur near these plate boundaries") and pick the option that matches without exaggerating into "exclusively" or "randomly."
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
24.Which statement best summarizes the overall point of the passage?
- A. Tectonic plates are unrelated to the formation of mountains or earthquakes.
- B. The slow, ongoing movement of tectonic plates drives the formation of major geologic features and hazards like earthquakes and mountains.
- C. Earthquakes are entirely unpredictable and have no identifiable cause.
- D. Mountains form only through volcanic eruptions, not through plate collisions.
Nudge — A good summary must cover the whole passage — both mountains and earthquakes. Read each option against that test, and be suspicious of sweeping absolute words that overstate what the passage claims.
My answer:
Why I picked this (in my own words):
Extended Response — Analyze Cause and Effect in Natural Systems
25. In a well-developed response of 4–6 paragraphs, explain how cause-and-effect relationships drive change in natural systems, using at least two of the sources in this test as evidence. Consider how a system (biological, physical, or geological) responds to a disturbance or pressure over time.
- Include a clear thesis statement.
- Reference ideas from at least two stimuli (antibiotic resistance, body-temperature regulation, energy transformation, or plate tectonics).
- Explain at least one specific cause-and-effect relationship in detail, including the mechanism involved.
- End with a concluding statement connecting your examples to a general principle of how natural systems respond to change.
Nudge — Plan before you write. (1) Write a one-sentence thesis naming a cause and its effect in a natural system. (2) Pick your two strongest sources — for example, how exercise (cause) pushes body temperature up and homeostasis brings it back, or how antibiotic use (cause) selects for resistant bacteria (effect). (3) Explain the mechanism step by step, not just the outcome. (4) Close by naming the general principle your examples share.
Reflection
Take a few minutes to reflect. This helps you spot what to review before test day.
1. Which questions did you need the nudge for, and which type was hardest — reading a passage, reading the data table, or applying a concept to a new scenario?
2. Which one science topic or skill from this worksheet will you review before test day?
3. What test-taking strategy worked well for you on this practice?