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High School Test in Science MEAP Science
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Spring 2003 Released Items
High School Test
in
Science
Released Items
Spring 2003
MEAP
MICHIGAN
EDUCATIONAL
ASSESSMENT
PROGRAM MEAP Science
2
Page
Spring 2003 Released Items
4
How can radiation produce mutations in the offspring of an exposed organism?
A
It doubles the amount of DNA within egg or sperm cells.
B
It changes recessive traits to dominant traits and vice versa.
C
It allows non-DNA proteins to control the expression of various traits.
D
It rearranges the genetic information in the DNA of an egg or sperm cell.
8
John scraped his knee. Predict what could happen if he had fewer white blood cells than
normal.
A
His body could not get enough oxygen to damaged tissues.
B
His tissues could not take advantage of glucose to produce energy.
C
His body could not manufacture proteins to mend damaged tissues.
D
His tissues could not resist infection from bacteria entering the scrape. MEAP Science
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Spring 2003 Released Items
Use the following information to answer items 10 through 13.
Mimosa pudica plant
The Mimosa pudica plant can fold and droop its small, divided leaves when stimulated by touch. At
the base of each leaf stalk is a swollen region of motor tissue called a pulyinus. When the leaf is
touched, potassium is pumped out of the cells in this region. This causes water to flow out of the
cells, which in turn causes them to lose their rigidity. Scientists have also noticed the transmission
of electrical impulses between the cells during this process. The leaves usually reopen within
minutes. Some scientists suspect that this response serves to discourage grazing animals and
flying insects from eating the plants.
10
Which function of animal nerve cells is present in the mimosa plant?
A
the ability to droop when stimulated
B
the ability to regulate photosynthesis
C
the ability to pump oxygen into blood
D
the ability to transmit electrical impulses
11
Which of the following represents an assumption made by biologists studying the mimosa
plant?
A
The swollen structure at the base of each leaf is called the pulyinus.
B
When the leaf is touched, the leaves suddenly fold together and droop.
C
The response discourages grazing animals and insects from eating the plants.
D
There are electrical pulses passing between cells during the reaction process. MEAP Science
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Spring 2003 Released Items
12
Which of the following might explain why the drooping response of the mimosa plant might
deter plant-eating insects?
A
Insects would find it difficult to stay on the leaves.
B
Insects find potassium extremely distasteful within plant matter.
C
Insects would be shocked by the electric impulses in the plants cells.
D
Insects would be washed away by the sudden flow of water in the leaves.
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING CONSTRUCTED-RESPONSE ITEM IN YOUR ANSWER
FOLDER.
13
Constructed-Response
A friend claims that although drooping might be a defense
(3 points)
mechanism for the mimosa plant, prolonged drooping
might decrease the amount of photosynthesis the plant
cells can perform.
Design a three-step procedure to test this claim.
NOTHING WRITTEN IN THIS TEST BOOKLET WILL BE SCORED. MEAP Science

Spring 2003 Released Items



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Item 13 Scoring Rubric

Acceptable Responses

STEP 1
Place both plants/groups in equal sunlight and provide the same soil, equal carbon
dioxide and water.
OR
-Place both plants/groups under the same conditions

STEP 2
Touch the experimental plant/group and do not touch or touch less the control

plant/group, causing it to droop.

STEP 3 (Student must include ONE of the following points in his or her response.)

-Compare data between groups.
-Judge differences in color, health, or life spans between groups.
-Make observations.


Scoring Guide

3 points = All three points are given correctly.
2 points = Two points are given correctly.
1 point = One point is given correctly.
0 points = Student fails to understand the task, or fails to provide a response.



MEAP Science
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Spring 2003 Released Items
18
Vampire bats can detect heat from victims through their noses. What type of electromagnetic
energy is detected by the bats nose?
A
gamma
B
infrared
C
ultraviolet
D
microwave MEAP Science
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Spring 2003 Released Items
Use the following information to answer items 21 through 24.
Simplified diagram of an Electric Canary
An electric canary is a device developed to detect pollutants in air. It uses microwaves to turn air
samples into plasma. Plasma is a high temperature state of matter, hotter than the gaseous state,
consisting of charged particles and electrons. This plasma emits light, and a vacuum-sealed light
detector identifies the wavelengths of this light. Different pollutants in the air sample cause the
plasma to emit different wavelengths of light, and are thereby detected.
21
Which of the following properties of the glass plate is important for the detection of light by
the light detector?
A
It emits visible light.
B
It reflects visible light.
C
It absorbs visible light.
D
It transmits visible light. MEAP Science
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Spring 2003 Released Items
22
The microwaves have longer wavelengths than those detected by the light detector. This
means that microwaves, when compared to the waves detected by the detector, have which
of the following?
A
higher pitch
B
higher energy
C
lower velocity
D
lower frequencies
23
Which of the following best describes the situation when the air is first heated by the
microwaves in the plasma chamber?
A
The molecules become nearly motionless.
B
The molecules form densely-packed crystal patterns.
C
The molecules move rapidly and exert pressure on the chamber walls.
D
The molecules form globular masses and lower the pressure of the chamber.
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING CONSTRUCTED-RESPONSE ITEM IN YOUR ANSWER
FOLDER.
24
Constructed-Response
An investigator places different pollutants in air samples
(3 points)
to test what pollutants can be detected by the electric canary.
What would be the investigators control group and
experimental group?
Explain why the investigation would need a control group.
NOTHING WRITTEN IN THIS TEST BOOKLET WILL BE SCORED. MEAP Science

Spring 2003 Released Items

Page 13

Item 24 Scoring Rubric


Acceptable Responses

CONTROL GROUP
The control group would be a sample without pollutants (or with known pollutants).
Note: Regular/normal air is not an acceptable response.

EXPERIMENTAL GROUP
The experimental group would be all the samples that contain pollutants (or with unknown
pollutants).

WHY (Student must include one of the following points in his or her response.)
A control group would ensure that there is no other pollutant in the air.
A control group would give a basis upon which to compare the results of the experimental
group (either to themselves, or to the control group).
A control group would make sure the electric canary is functioning properly.
A control group would inform the investigator which wavelengths indicate no pollutant.

Scoring Guide
3 points = All three points are given correctly.
2 points = Two points are given correctly.
1 point = One point is given correctly.
0 points = Student fails to understand the task.
MEAP Science
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Spring 2003 Released Items
Use the following information to answer items 36 through 39.
In the desert, where the nights can often be very cold, birds must keep their eggs warm at night.
Some desert birds, such as the mallee fowl of Australia, incubate their eggs in mounds of decaying
plants. They dig a pit and fill it partially with bark and decaying plant matter. The mallee then waits
for rain to speed up the decaying process. Shortly after, it fills the rest of the pit with sand and lays
its eggs in the sand, which is heated by the decaying plant matter. The mallee removes sand to
cool the eggs during the day.
36
Mallee eggs are warmed at night by which of the following?
A
nuclear changes
B
ultraviolet waves
C
chemical changes
D
gravitational potential energy MEAP Science
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Spring 2003 Released Items
37
The mallee eggs are heated in the sand because heat moves in which of the following
ways?
A
from a cold region to a warm region by convection
B
from a warm region to a cold region by convection
C
from a warm region to a cold region by conduction
D
from a cold region to a warm region by conduction
38
Some scientists claim that the mallee fowl has evolved large feet in order to build these
incubation mounds. What question, if answered yes, would help you believe this claim?
A
Do all birds in the desert lay eggs?
B
Do the feet of mallee fowls grow as they construct these mounds?
C
Do non-inheritable traits acquired by parents pass on to young mallee?
D
Do genetically similar birds that do not build mounds have smaller feet?
ANSWER THE FOLLOWING CONSTRUCTED-RESPONSE ITEM IN YOUR ANSWER
FOLDER.
39
Constructed-Respo