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Assessment in the Standards Movement: Middle School Samples
Sample Items for Grade Eight Proficiency Assessment (GEPA): Science

1. Which of the following statements describes the energy changes involved in an ecosystem?

  1. The largest animals usually provide the energy for smaller animals and for plants in a given ecosystem.
  2. The sun’s energy is made available to an ecosystem by the plants in that ecosystem.
  3. The energy for living plants and animals in an ecosystem comes mainly from dead animals, which are broken down by decomposers.
  4. In an ecosystem, the smaller organisms require more energy than larger organisms.
    __________________________________

Answer: The correct answer is B.

Explanation: “An ecosystem must contain a constant supply of energy which is available to all organisms within the ecosystem. The energy must flow from organism to organism through a food web.”