Earth Science Geology, the Environment, and the Universe

Chapter 21: Fossils and the Rock Records

Standardized Test Practice-English

1
What is the shortest division of time in the geologic time scale?
A)an epoch
B)a period
C)an era
D)an eon
2
What is at the bottom of the geologic time scale?
A)the Silurian Period
B)the oldest division of time
C)the youngest division of time
D)the Cenozoic Era
3
What is the current era?
A)Archean
B)Cenozoic
C)Paleozoic
D)Mesozoic
4
The principle of _________ states that an intrusion or fault is younger than the rocks it cuts across.
A)uniformitarianism
B)cross-cutting relationships
C)original horizontality
D)superposition
5
The __________ states that the processes that have been occurring today have been occurring since Earth formed.
A)principle of original horizontality
B)principle of uniformitarianism
C)principle of superposition
D)principle of cross-cutting relationships
6
What is an erosional contact between sedimentary and nonsedimentary rocks called?
A)a nonconformity
B)a fault
C)a disconformity
D)a lava flow
7
Which two units illustrate the presence of an angular unconformity?
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A)N & H
B)N & M
C)J & K
D)H & I
8
What isotope is used for determining the age of materials that are organic in origin?
A)carbon-14
B)thorium-232
C)uranium-238
D)potassium-40
9
Which factor could give scientists a clue about changes in Earth's atmosphere over time?
A)chemical composition of fossil sea shells
B)the amount of water in aquifers
C)signs of wind erosion on cliffs
D)sedimentary rock layers
10
Which geologic principle is used when a geologist observes an outcrop of rocks and determines that the bottom layer is the oldest?
A)uniformitarianism
B)original horizontality
C)superposition
D)inclustion
11
How old is a mammoth's tusk if there is only 25 percent C-14 remaining in the sample?
A)5700 years
B)11,400 years
C)17,100 years
D)22,800 years
12
In which of the following can original structures of an organism be preserved?
A)mold fossil
B)permineralized fossil
C)cast fossil
D)all of the above
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