The Precambrian Earth
Practice Test
1.
__________ are rocks that have alternating bands of fine-grained quartz and iron oxides.
SC.D.1.4.4
a.
Red beds
b.
All Archean rocks
c.
Sedimentary rocks
d.
Banded iron formations
2.
What process is primarily responsible for the formation of Earth's oceans?
SC.D.1.4.4
a.
sea-floor spreading
b.
plate tectonics
c.
evolution
d.
outgassing
3.
Why don't Archean and Proterozoic rocks have iron oxides?
SC.D.1.4.4
a.
there wasn't any iron in rocks of that age
b.
there wasn't any free oxygen in the atmosphere
c.
there weren't any stromatolites at that time
d.
there was too much iron to be oxidized
4.
What evidence supports the hypothesis that Earth is 4.6 billion years?
SC.D.1.4.3
a.
the age of rocks from the Moon
b.
the age of meteorites
c.
the age of zircon grains in granitic crustal rocks
d.
all of the above answers are correct
5.
What is the name of the first supercontinent?
SC.D.1.4.3
a.
Baltica
b.
Pangaea
c.
Rodinia
d.
Laurentia
6.
What event caused the extinction of acritarchs near the end of the Proterozoic?
SC.D.1.4.3
a.
formation of ozone
b.
global warming
c.
outgassing
d.
the Varagnian glaciation
7.
__________ are the building blocks of proteins.
SC.F.1.4.1
a.
DNA and RNA
b.
Amino acids
c.
Cyanide molecules
d.
Formaldehyde molecules
8.
Fossils of __________ from late Proterozoic rocks are found in all parts of the world.
SC.D.1.4.3
a.
the Burgess Shale fauna
b.
trilobites
c.
the Ediacaran fauna
d.
corals
9.
What are areas called that contain cores of Archean and Proterozoic rock?
SC.D.1.4.2
a.
Archean shields
b.
Precambrian shields
c.
Canadian shields
d.
continental crust
10.
The energy and nutrients necessary for the origin of life can be found near __________.
SC.D.1.4.3
a.
magma chambers
b.
transform faults
c.
trenches
d.
hydrothermal vents
11.
How are microcontinents fused together?
SC.D.1.4.2
a.
by seams called orogens
b.
by molten rock
c.
the erosion of mountains
d.
by seams called faults
12.
How were asteroids and meteorites a heat source for Precambrian Earth?
SC.D.1.4.1
a.
Their gravitational contraction generated energy.
b.
Their radioactive decay of isotopes generated energy.
c.
Their bombardment of Earth caused them to sink to the core.
d.
Their impact on Earth generated energy.
13.
What was the original composition of Earth's atmosphere?
SC.D.1.4.4
a.
water vapor and methane
b.
nitrogen and carbon dioxide
c.
ammonia and hydrogen
d.
hydrogen and helium
14.
According to the map, which areas of North America were most affected by the formation of the Canadian Shield?
SC.D.1.4.3
a.
the Southwest
b.
Alaska
c.
the Midwest
d.
the Pacific Coast
15.
What substance in Earth's atmosphere protects organisms from UV radiation?
SC.D.1.4.1
a.
methane
b.
ozone
c.
water vapor
d.
ammonia
16.
The oldest rocks on Earth are __________.
SC.D.1.4.3
a.
3.96 to 3.8 billion years old
b.
1.6 to 1.8 million years old
c.
3.5 billion years old
d.
1 to 2 billion years old
17.
Which type of cell shown in the figure existed first?
SC.D.1.4.3
a.
it is impossible to tell
b.
B
c.
A
d.
both came into existence at the same time
18.
Why is the age of a zircon grain older than the age of the sandstone that it was found in?
SC.D.1.4.3
a.
because of the principle of included fragments
b.
It is much more stable than the sandstone.
c.
It is much less stable than the sandstone.
d.
because of the principle of superposition
