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Rocks Sample Test: Multiple Choice
Rocks Sample Test: Multiple Choice
Rocks Sample Test: Multiple Choice
Multiple Choice
Identify the letter of the choice that best completes the statement or answers the question.
____ 1. Igneous rock that cools very quickly when it forms may have a texture that is
a. smooth and shiny with no visible grain.
b. multicolored and banded.
c. coarse grained.
d. made up of jagged grains.
____ 2. When all the grains in a rock are large and easy to see, the rock is described as
a. extrusive.
b. fine grained.
c. coarse grained.
d. nonbanded.
____ 3. Rock that forms from the cooling of magma below the surface or lava at the surface is called
a. sedimentary rock.
b. metamorphic rock.
c. igneous rock.
d. coarse-grained rock.
____ 4. Where does most metamorphic rock form?
a. at the surface
b. just below the surface
c. in ocean waters
d. deep underground
____ 5. Igneous rock that formed from lava that erupted onto Earth’s surface is called
a. extrusive rock.
b. intrusive rock.
c. clastic rock.
d. sedimentary rock.
____ 6. The most abundant intrusive rock in the continental crust is
a. slate.
b. granite.
c. flint.
d. quartzite.
____ 7. Which igneous rock has large crystals surrounded by smaller crystals?
a. pegmatite
b. porphyry
c. rhyolite
d. granite
____ 8. The process by which sediment settles out of the water or wind carrying it is
a. compaction.
b. cementation.
c. deposition.
d. erosion.
____ 9. To describe a rock’s texture, geologists determine
a. the color and density of the rock.
b. how the rock formed.
c. the size, shape, and pattern of the rock’s grains.
d. how many minerals the rock contains.
____ 10. A sedimentary rock made up of rock fragments with rounded edges is called
a. shale.
b. sandstone.
c. conglomerate.
d. breccia.
____ 11. The sedimentary rock formed when water deposits tiny particles of clay in very thin, flat layers is called
a. gypsum.
b. shale.
c. limestone.
d. calcite.
____ 12. Chalk formed from sediments made of skeletons of microscopic living things in the ocean must be a(n)
a. clastic rock.
b. organic rock.
c. chemical rock.
d. igneous rock.
____ 13. What forms the structure called a coral reef?
a. skeletons of coral animals
b. deposits of coral rocks
c. cementation of crystals
d. particles of clastic rocks
____ 14. What happens to a coral reef if the sea level rises or if the sea floor sinks?
a. It dies.
b. It is not affected.
c. It continues to grow upward.
d. It grows downward.
____ 15. Over time, coral buried by sediments can turn into
a. granite.
b. limestone.
c. coal.
d. atolls.
____ 16. Because plate movements have raised ancient sea floors above sea level,
a. there is less coral than there used to be.
b. coral reefs are only found in the deep ocean.
c. limestone that began as coral reefs can be found on the continents.
d. all remains of ancient coral reefs have been lost.
____ 17. Heat and pressure deep beneath Earth’s surface can change any rock into
a. chemical rock.
b. gemstones.
c. metamorphic rock.
d. sedimentary rock.
____ 18. The heat that changes a rock into metamorphic rock comes from
a. the heat of the mantle.
b. the sun.
c. movements in the crust.
d. chemical rocks in the crust.
____ 19. Geologists classify metamorphic rock according to
a. the exterior color of the rock.
b. the overall shape of the rock.
c. the arrangement of the grains that make up the rock.
d. the degree of hardness of the rock.
____ 20. The texture of a metamorphic rock that has grains arranged in parallel layers is described as
a. foliated.
b. jagged grained.
c. coarse grained.
d. nonfoliated.
____ 21. Metamorphic rocks that are nonfoliated
a. split into layers.
b. do not split into layers.
c. have mineral grains lined up in parallel layers.
d. usually have a rougher texture.
____ 22. A series of processes on Earth’s surface and in the crust and mantle that slowly changes rocks from one kind
to another is called
a. erosion.
b. crystallization.
c. the rock cycle.
d. evaporation.
____ 23. Which of the following is NOT one of the possible stages in the rock cycle?
a. volcanic activity
b. erosion
c. smelting
d. melting
____ 24. What step in the rock cycle would be required to change granite into sandstone?
a. Granite particles settle on the ocean floor.
b. Lava flows melt the granite sediment.
c. Pieces of the granite melt when they return to the mantle by subduction.
d. Magma hardens into granite sediment.
____ 25. What are the two most useful metamorphic rocks?
a. sandstone and quartzite
b. marble and slate
c. limestone and breccia
d. granite and shale
____ 26. Erosion on a mountain range that was pushed up as a result of two continental plates colliding will lead to the
formation of
a. igneous rock.
b. metamorphic rock.
c. magma.
d. sedimentary rock.
____ 27. During the rock cycle, a collision between two continental plates could force one plate down toward the heat
of the mantle, producing
a. coarse-grained rock.
b. metamorphic rock.
c. igneous rock.
d. sedimentary rock.
____ 28. The sedimentary rock breccia is made up of
a. rock fragments with sharp edges.
b. skeletons of ocean organisms.
c. plant remains.
d. large crystals.
____ 29. The process in which dissolved minerals crystallize and glue particles of sediment together is
a. compaction.
b. cementation.
c. deposition.
d. erosion.
____ 30. Generally, a rock is made up of
a. large crystals.
b. a mixture of minerals and other materials.
c. small crystals.
d. a compound of several elements.
Modified True/False
Indicate whether the sentence or statement is true or false. If false, change the identified word or phrase to make the
sentence or statement true.
____ 31. Plate movements drive the process of erosion by pushing rock back into the mantle, where it melts and
becomes magma again. _________________________
____ 32. Each major group of rocks follows only one pathway in the rock cycle. _________________________
____ 33. Granite is an igneous rock made up of the minerals quartz, mica, feldspar, and hornblende.
_________________________
____ 34. Particles of minerals called grains give a rock its texture. _________________________
____ 35. Igneous rocks that formed beneath Earth’s surface are extrusive rocks. _________________________
____ 36. High pressure can change an igneous rock into a(n) sedimentary rock. _________________________
____ 37. The most common extrusive rock is basalt. _________________________
____ 38. The small particles of rock or the remains of living things that make up sedimentary rocks are called cement.
_________________________
____ 39. Rocks made up of broken pieces of other rocks are called clastic rocks. _________________________
____ 40. A metamorphic rock that has grains arranged in bands is said to be nonfoliated.
_________________________
Completion
Complete each sentence or statement.
41. A series of processes known as the ____________________ slowly changes rocks from one kind to another
kind.
42. The uplift, folding, and faulting that move rocks through the rock cycle are caused by movements of Earth’s
tectonic ____________________.
43. The skeletons of tiny ocean animals grow together to form ____________________, structures that are found
only in warm, clear ocean waters.
44. The texture of slate is said to be ____________________ because its mineral particles can be seen only with a
microscope.
45. Some of the sedimentary rock called ____________________ is made from ancient coral reefs buried by
sediments.
46. A coral reef is made of ____________________, a mineral that forms the skeletons of coral animals.
47. In the rock cycle, melted rock from the ____________________ moves upward when oceanic plates move
apart.
48. An igneous rock that is formed from lava is called a(n) ____________________ rock.
49. Dissolved minerals and particles of sediment stick together to form sedimentary rock in a process called
____________________.
50. As layer upon layer of sediments are deposited, the process of ____________________ presses them together.
51. Foliated and nonfoliated are terms used to describe the texture of ____________________ rocks.
52. During the 1800s, the igneous rock called ____________________ was widely used in the United States to
build bridges and public buildings.
53. Chemical reactions, pressure, and ____________________ can cause sedimentary rock to change to
metamorphic rock.
54. Coal is an example of a(n) ____________________ rock, a sedimentary rock that forms where thick layers of
plant and animal remains are deposited.
55. Metamorphic rocks such as marble and quartzite are said to be ____________________ because their mineral
grains are not arranged in parallel layers or bands.
56. Sediment settles out of moving water by the process of ____________________.
57. When seas or lakes evaporate, a type of sedimentary rock called a(n) ____________________ rock can form.
58. The carrying away of rock fragments by water, wind, or ice is called ____________________, an important
process in the formation of sedimentary rocks.
59. The sedimentary rock called ____________________ is used in making cement.
60. Small, solid pieces of material that come from rocks or living things are called ____________________.
Short Answer
Essay
73. Compare and contrast the formation of coarse-grained and fine-grained igneous rock. Give an example of
each.
74. Describe how the three major types of sedimentary rocks are formed.
75. Explain why limestone that began as coral can be found on land.
76. Explain why metamorphic rock rarely forms at Earth’s surface.
77. Describe what geologists do to determine the mineral composition of a rock.
78. How are rocks related to minerals? What is the difference in how rocks and minerals are classified?
79. Which group of rocks is most likely to contain fossils? Why?
80. Explain how a grain of sand that washes up on a beach could end up some day as lava pouring from a
volcano.
Rocks Sample Test
Answer Section
MULTIPLE CHOICE
MODIFIED TRUE/FALSE
COMPLETION
41. ANS: rock cycle
SHORT ANSWER
61. ANS:
A metamorphic rock could become magma as a result of a collision involving an ocean plate. During
subduction, any rock carried on the plate would return to the mantle and melt, forming magma.
ESSAY
73. ANS:
Both types of igneous rock form from the cooling of molten rock. Coarse-grained igneous rocks form when
the cooling rate is slow, allowing large crystals to form. They tend to be intrusive, forming from magma
below the surface. Fine-grained igneous rocks form when the cooling rate is fast, allowing only small crystals
to form. They are usually extrusive, forming from lava above the surface. Examples of coarse-grained igneous
rocks include granite and pegmatite. Examples of fine-grained igneous rocks include rhyolite and basalt.