,MULTIPLE CHOICE. Choose the one alternative that best completes the statement or answers the question.
1) Scientific inquiry is based on
A) cultural biases or traditions.
B) information found in a gossip magazine.
C) natural causes.
D) stories that are passed down through generations.
Answer: C
2) Which of the following is an example of a natural cause?
A) Mice arise from discarded garbage.
B) Epilepsy is a disease caused by uncontrolled firing of nerve cells in the brain.
C) Maggots appear spontaneously on rotting meat.
D) If you sneeze, you will die.
Answer: B
3) Science cannot answer certain faith-based questions because
A) faith-based beliefs are impossible to either prove or disprove.
B) there aren't enough variables.
C) faith requires deductive reasoning.
D) scientists are not able to study human behavior.
Answer: A
4) Which of the following is FALSE about scientific theories?
A) They can be either supported or modified by new observations.
B) They are used to support observations using deductive reasoning.
C) They are firmly established and cannot be refuted.
D) They are developed by inductivereasoning.
E) They have been thoroughly tested.
Answer: C
5) Which of these would be an example of a NON-scientific study?
A) NASA sends tadpoles up in the space shuttle to see how gravity affects their development.
B) People are immunized with different vaccines to determine their relative effectiveness against the flu
virus.
C) A study determines differences in the species composition in two parks.
D) Consumers are asked which tomato variety produces the best-tasting spaghetti sauce.
E) A company uses different advertising methods for a product to determine which one produces the most
sales.
Answer: D
6) The scientific method includes all of the following EXCEPT
A) an observation.
B) a hypothesis.
C) a testabletheory.
D) experimentation.
E) conclusions.
Answer: C
1
, 7) We use the scientific method every day. Imagine that your car doesn't start one morning before school. Which of
these is a reasonable hypothesis regarding the problem?
A) If I put gas in my car, it will start.
B) I should change the battery or the starter.
C) I should add a quart of oil.
D) I should check whether the lights were left on and drained the battery.
E) I'm going to be late.
Answer: A
8) A scientific theory
A) is a general explanation for natural phenomena.
B) is less reliable than ahypothesis.
C) will never be changed.
D) is an educated guess.
Answer: A
9) A scientific explanation that is conditional and requires more investigation is called a(n)
A) fact.
B) hypothesis.
C) control.
D) observation.
E) theory.
Answer: B
10) A carefully formulated scientific explanation that is based on extensive observations and is in accord with
scientific principles is called a
A) postulate.
B) theory.
C) hypothesis.
D) control.
E) fact.
Answer: B
11) All of the following are features of the scientific method EXCEPT
A) repeatable by other scientists.
B) deductive reasoning.
C) observation and experimentation.
D) hypothesis formulation.
E) supernatural causes.
Answer: E
12) Suppose you are testing a treatment for AIDS patients and find that 75% respond well, whereas 25% show no
improvement or a decline in health. You should
A) begin work on developing a new drug.
B) review the results, modify the drug or the dosage, and repeat the experiment.
C) conclude that only 75% of AIDS patients should be treated.
D) discontinue experimentation with this treatment because 25% of patients did not improve.
E) conclude that you have proven the effectiveness of the drug.
Answer: B
2
, 13) Alexander Fleming observed a colony of mold that inhibited the growth of nearby bacteria. What was the
hypothesis proposed by Fleming to explain this result?
A) The bacteria changed their DNA when growing near the mold.
B) The mold produced a substance that killed nearby bacteria.
C) The mold used all of the nutrients so that the bacteria couldn't grow.
D) The mold was dead.
Answer: B
14) Imagine that 1 milliliter of an experimental drug diluted in a saline solution is injected into 20 pregnant mice to
determine possible side effects. Which of the following is a suitable control for this experiment?
A) 20 pregnant mice injected with 1 milliliter ofsaline
B) 20 pregnant mice injected with 2 milliliters of thedrug
C) 20 non-pregnant mice injected with 1 milliliter of the drug
D) 20 male mice injected with 1 milliliter of thedrug
E) 20 male mice injected with 1 milliliter of saline
Answer: A
15) Which of the following statements is a hypothesis rather than a theory?
A) Modern organisms descended from preexisting life-forms.
B) Female birds prefer to mate with male birds that have longer tails.
C) Matter is composed of atoms.
D) Living things are made of cells.
Answer: B
16) Which of the following is TRUE regarding faith-basedbeliefs and scientific theories?
A) Faith-based beliefs can become scientific theories.
B) Both faith-based beliefs and scientific theories can be proven.
C) Scientific theories are not modifiable, but faith-based beliefs are.
D) Any and all scientific theories can be disproven, but faith-based beliefs cannot.
E) Any and all faith-based beliefs can be disproven, but scientific theories cannot.
Answer: D
17) Which is the correct sequence of increasing organization?
A) Cell, tissue, organ, organ system
B) Organ, tissue, cell, molecule
C) Organelle, tissue, cell, organ
D) Molecule, cell, organelle, organ
E) Atom, molecule, tissue, cell
Answer: A
18) Which of the following levels of organization is the most inclusive (i.e., includes the most life-forms)?
A) Community
B) Species
C) Biosphere
D) Ecosystem
E) Population
Answer: C
3
1) Scientific inquiry is based on
A) cultural biases or traditions.
B) information found in a gossip magazine.
C) natural causes.
D) stories that are passed down through generations.
Answer: C
2) Which of the following is an example of a natural cause?
A) Mice arise from discarded garbage.
B) Epilepsy is a disease caused by uncontrolled firing of nerve cells in the brain.
C) Maggots appear spontaneously on rotting meat.
D) If you sneeze, you will die.
Answer: B
3) Science cannot answer certain faith-based questions because
A) faith-based beliefs are impossible to either prove or disprove.
B) there aren't enough variables.
C) faith requires deductive reasoning.
D) scientists are not able to study human behavior.
Answer: A
4) Which of the following is FALSE about scientific theories?
A) They can be either supported or modified by new observations.
B) They are used to support observations using deductive reasoning.
C) They are firmly established and cannot be refuted.
D) They are developed by inductivereasoning.
E) They have been thoroughly tested.
Answer: C
5) Which of these would be an example of a NON-scientific study?
A) NASA sends tadpoles up in the space shuttle to see how gravity affects their development.
B) People are immunized with different vaccines to determine their relative effectiveness against the flu
virus.
C) A study determines differences in the species composition in two parks.
D) Consumers are asked which tomato variety produces the best-tasting spaghetti sauce.
E) A company uses different advertising methods for a product to determine which one produces the most
sales.
Answer: D
6) The scientific method includes all of the following EXCEPT
A) an observation.
B) a hypothesis.
C) a testabletheory.
D) experimentation.
E) conclusions.
Answer: C
1
, 7) We use the scientific method every day. Imagine that your car doesn't start one morning before school. Which of
these is a reasonable hypothesis regarding the problem?
A) If I put gas in my car, it will start.
B) I should change the battery or the starter.
C) I should add a quart of oil.
D) I should check whether the lights were left on and drained the battery.
E) I'm going to be late.
Answer: A
8) A scientific theory
A) is a general explanation for natural phenomena.
B) is less reliable than ahypothesis.
C) will never be changed.
D) is an educated guess.
Answer: A
9) A scientific explanation that is conditional and requires more investigation is called a(n)
A) fact.
B) hypothesis.
C) control.
D) observation.
E) theory.
Answer: B
10) A carefully formulated scientific explanation that is based on extensive observations and is in accord with
scientific principles is called a
A) postulate.
B) theory.
C) hypothesis.
D) control.
E) fact.
Answer: B
11) All of the following are features of the scientific method EXCEPT
A) repeatable by other scientists.
B) deductive reasoning.
C) observation and experimentation.
D) hypothesis formulation.
E) supernatural causes.
Answer: E
12) Suppose you are testing a treatment for AIDS patients and find that 75% respond well, whereas 25% show no
improvement or a decline in health. You should
A) begin work on developing a new drug.
B) review the results, modify the drug or the dosage, and repeat the experiment.
C) conclude that only 75% of AIDS patients should be treated.
D) discontinue experimentation with this treatment because 25% of patients did not improve.
E) conclude that you have proven the effectiveness of the drug.
Answer: B
2
, 13) Alexander Fleming observed a colony of mold that inhibited the growth of nearby bacteria. What was the
hypothesis proposed by Fleming to explain this result?
A) The bacteria changed their DNA when growing near the mold.
B) The mold produced a substance that killed nearby bacteria.
C) The mold used all of the nutrients so that the bacteria couldn't grow.
D) The mold was dead.
Answer: B
14) Imagine that 1 milliliter of an experimental drug diluted in a saline solution is injected into 20 pregnant mice to
determine possible side effects. Which of the following is a suitable control for this experiment?
A) 20 pregnant mice injected with 1 milliliter ofsaline
B) 20 pregnant mice injected with 2 milliliters of thedrug
C) 20 non-pregnant mice injected with 1 milliliter of the drug
D) 20 male mice injected with 1 milliliter of thedrug
E) 20 male mice injected with 1 milliliter of saline
Answer: A
15) Which of the following statements is a hypothesis rather than a theory?
A) Modern organisms descended from preexisting life-forms.
B) Female birds prefer to mate with male birds that have longer tails.
C) Matter is composed of atoms.
D) Living things are made of cells.
Answer: B
16) Which of the following is TRUE regarding faith-basedbeliefs and scientific theories?
A) Faith-based beliefs can become scientific theories.
B) Both faith-based beliefs and scientific theories can be proven.
C) Scientific theories are not modifiable, but faith-based beliefs are.
D) Any and all scientific theories can be disproven, but faith-based beliefs cannot.
E) Any and all faith-based beliefs can be disproven, but scientific theories cannot.
Answer: D
17) Which is the correct sequence of increasing organization?
A) Cell, tissue, organ, organ system
B) Organ, tissue, cell, molecule
C) Organelle, tissue, cell, organ
D) Molecule, cell, organelle, organ
E) Atom, molecule, tissue, cell
Answer: A
18) Which of the following levels of organization is the most inclusive (i.e., includes the most life-forms)?
A) Community
B) Species
C) Biosphere
D) Ecosystem
E) Population
Answer: C
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