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Sample Test Questions Grades 3 and 4
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| Below are sample questions from the
Third International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS) achievement tests
in Science administered to twenty-six countries. TIMSS is a research project
sponsored by the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational
Achievement (IEA). These questions may be used in the classroom, as a tool
for evaluation, or to provide examples of test-question writing. |
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|
| Sample
Questions from Earth Science, Life Science,
Physical Science, and The
Environment |
| |
| Earth
Science |
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1. This table shows the temperature and precipitation (rain or snow)
in four different towns in the same day.
| |
Town A |
Town B |
Town C |
Town D |
| Lowest Temperature |
13 Degrees C |
-9 Degrees C |
22 Degrees C |
-12 Degrees C |
| Highest Temperature |
25 Degrees C |
-1 Degrees C |
30 Degrees C |
-4 Degrees C |
|
Precipitation (rain or snow)
|
0 cm |
5 cm |
2.5 cm |
0 cm |
|
| Where did it snow? |
| A. Town A |
| B. Town B |
| C. Town C |
| D. Town D |
| |
| Answer: B |
|
| 2. The moon produces no light, and
yet shines at night. Why is this? |
|
A. The moon reflects the light from the sun.
|
| B. The moon rotates at a very high
speed. |
| C. The moon is covered with a thin
layer of ice. |
| D. The moon has many craters. |
| |
| Answer: A |
|
| 3. Sometimes mountains can still
have snow on their tops when the snow on the lower parts of the mountains
has melted. What makes this happen? |
| |
| Answer: A correct response would
mention that the air is colder higher up on a mountain top. |
|
| 4. The sun is bigger than the moon,
but they appear to be the same size when you look at them from the Earth.
Why is this? |
| |
| Answer: A correct response would
include the idea that the sun is farther away than the moon. |
|
| 5. Which one of these refers only
to living things? |
| A. clouds, fire, rivers |
| B. fire, rivers, trees |
| C. rivers, birds, trees |
| D. birds, trees, worms |
| E. trees, worms, clouds |
| |
| Answer: D |
|
| 6. Your temperature is taken when
you are not sick. Which temperature is CLOSEST to what the thermometer would
show? |
| A. 29 Degrees C |
| B. 37 Degrees C |
| C. 100 Degrees C |
| D. 212 Degrees C |
| |
| Answer: B |
|
| 7. A baby chick grows inside an egg
for 21 days before it hatches. Where does the baby chick get it's food before
it hatches? |
| A. It is fed by the mother hen. |
| B. It doesn't need any food. |
| C. It makes it's own food. |
| D. It uses food stored in the egg. |
| E. It eats the egg shell. |
| |
| Answer: D |
|
| 8. John kept some seeds on moist
cotton in a dish. Mike put the same kind of seeds in a dish beside John's
dish, and covered them with water. After two days, John's seeds sprouted,
but Mike's did not. |
| Which is the most likely reason? |
| A. Mike's seeds needed more air. |
| B. Mike's seeds needed more light. |
| C. Mike did not put the dish in a
warm enough place. |
| D. Mike should have used a different
kind of seed. |
| |
| Answer: A |
|
| 9. Which animal produces milk for
it's young? |
| A. Chicken |
| B. Frog |
| C. Monkey |
| D. Snake |
| |
| Answer: C |
|
| 10. Birds are different from insects
in that birds have |
| A. wings |
| B. legs |
| C. eyes |
| D. eggs |
| E. feathers |
| |
| Answer: E |
|
| 11. Seeds develop from which part
of a plant? |
| A. Flower |
| B. Leaf |
| C. Root |
| D. Stem |
| |
| Answer: A |
|
| 12. What is the BEST reason for including
fruits and leafy vegetables in a healthy diet? |
|
A. They have a high water content.
|
| B. They are the best source of protein. |
| C. They are rich in materials and
vitamins. |
| D. They are the best source of carbohydrates. |
| |
| Answer: C |
|
| 13. When an animal breathes faster
and its heart beats faster, the animal is MOST likely |
| A. cold |
| B. frightened |
| C. resting |
| D. sleeping |
| |
| Answer: B |
|
| Life
Science |
| |
| 1. What is the MOST important reason
for people to use a sunscreen when they are out in the sunlight? |
| A. It protects the skin against dangerous
rays from the sun. |
| B. It makes the skin more tanned. |
| C. It makes the skin smooth. |
| D. It makes the skin feel cooler. |
| |
| Answer: A |
|
| 2. Which one of these groups contains
only animals with a backbone? |
| A. Earthworm, snake, crayfish |
| B. Spider, clam, dragonfly |
| C. Crayfish, snake, horse |
| D. Clam, fish, earthworm |
| E. Horse, snake, fish |
| |
| Answer: E |
|
| 3. Write down one thing that your
heart does that helps the other parts of your body. |
| |
| Answer: Correct answers include pumping
blood in a circulating system out to the body and back to the heart. |
|
| 4. Write down the reason why we get
thirsty on a hot day and have to drink a lot. |
| |
| Answer: A correct response would
refer to perspiration, its cooling effect, and the need to replace water. |
|
| 5. The human brain is inside the
skull. Write down one advantage of the skull being thick and strong. |
| |
| Answer: A correct response refers
to protection against concussion and injuries of the brain. |
|
| 6. Write down one reason why animals
could NOT live in a world without plants. |
| |
| Answer: A correct response shows
some understanding of the food chain. |
|
| 7. This chart shows four groups of
animals. In which group do fish belong? |
| |
Land Animal |
Water Animal |
| Does have bones |
A |
B |
| Does not have bones |
C |
D |
|
| Answer: B |
|
| 8. Write down two changes that occur
in children's bodies as they become adults. |
| |
| Answer: A correct response refers
to growth such as increases in height, weight, strength, etc. |
|
| 9. One way for animals to protect
themselves is by escaping (running, flying, or swimming away). What are
two other ways they protect themselves? |
| |
| Answer: Correct responses include
general action such as defense, attack, and fight. |
|
| 10. Keisha is pushing her bicycle
up a hill. Where does Keisha get the energy to push her bicycle? |
| A. From the food she has eaten. |
| B. From the exercise she did earlier. |
| C. From the ground she is walking
on. |
| D. From the bicycle she is pushing. |
| |
| Answer: A |
|
| 11. A powder made up of both white
and black specks is most likely to be |
| A. a solution |
| B. a pure compound |
| C. a mixture |
| D. an element |
| |
| Answer: C |
|
| 12. In a box there is a mixture of
iron fillings and sand. Which is the easiest way to separate the iron fillings
from the sand? |
| A. Pour water on the mixture. |
| B. Use a magnifying glass. |
| C. Use a magnet. |
| D. Heat the mixture. |
| |
| Answer: C |
|
| 13. Which is not used as an energy
source? |
| A. Flowing water |
| B. Iron ore |
| C. Sun |
| D. Oil |
| |
| Answer: B |
|
| Physical
Science |
| |
| 1. Which travels fastest? |
| A. A train |
| B. An airplane |
| C. Sound |
| D. Light |
| |
| Answer: D |
|
| 2. Some things were buried in wet
ground. Several years later they were dug up. Which things were most likely
to have stayed the same? |
| A. An egg shell |
| B. A plastic cup |
| C. A paper plate |
| D. An orange peel |
| |
| Answer: B |
|
| 3. Ken put a thermometer in a glass
filled with hot water. Why does the liquid inside the thermometer rise?
|
| A. Gravity pushes it up. |
| B. Air bubbles are released. |
| C. Heat from the water makes it expand. |
| D. Air pressure above the water pulls
it up. |
| |
| Answer: C |
|
| 4. Which makes its own light? |
| A. A mirror |
| B. A candle flame |
| C. A diamond ring |
| D. A magnifying lens. |
| |
| Answer: B |
|
| 5. One advantage of solar energy
is that it |
| A. does not pollute |
| B. is not renewable |
| C. is efficient in any climate |
| D. is available at all times |
| |
| Answer: A |
|
| The
Environment |
| |
| 1. Write down one example of how
computers help people do their work. |
| |
| Answer: Should refer to writing or
editing text, for example: "With a computer you can write faster and
neater." |
|
| 2. To find out whether seeds grow
better in the light or dark, you could put some seeds on a piece of paper
and |
| A. keep them in a warm, dark place |
| B. keep one group in a light place
and another in a dark place |
| C. keep them in a warm, light place |
| D. put them in a light or dark place
that is cool |
| |
| Answer: B |
|
| 3. Four children can feel and smell
an object inside a bag, but they cannot see it. Which of the following is
NOT an observation about the object? |
| A. "It is flat at one end and
round at the other." |
| B. "It smells like a peppermint." |
| C. "It has a bump on it." |
| D. "I hope it is candy." |
| |
| Answer: D |
|
| 4. Some children were trying to find
out which of three lightbulbs was the brightest. Which one of these gives
the best START towards finding the answer? |
| A. "One bulb looks bright to
me, so I already know the answer." |
| B. "All the bulbs look bright
to me, so there cannot be an answer." |
| C. "It would help if we had
a way to measure the brightness of a lightbulb." |
| D. "We can take a vote and each
person will vote for the bulb he or she thinks is the brightest." |
| |
| Answer: C |
|
| 5. Write down two different things
that people can do to help reduce air pollution. |
| |
| Answer: Could include reduced use
of airplanes, cars and motor boats or more walking, hiking, and public transportation. |
|
| 6. Write as completely as possible
why oil spills in rivers and seas are harmful to the environment. |
| |
| Answer: Could include oil kills living
things, water gets polluted, air and/or beaches get polluted. |
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