Free Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) 7th Grade Questions and Answers — Questions and Answers

Question 1: George enjoyed the rides and games at a fair. Every trip cost $2. Every game cost $2. George played games and went on three rides. To show how much money he spent overall at the carnival in dollars, George penned the expression below. 6 + 2g Which of the following is a another way George could show how much money he spent overall at the carnival, in dollars?

4(3 + g)
4 × 3g
2 × 3g
2(3 + g) (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 2(3 + g)

George spent $2 on each of the three rides, totaling $6. He also spent $2 on each of the 'g' games, totaling $2g. His total spending is represented by the expression 6 + 2g. By factoring out the common factor of 2 from both terms, the expression can be rewritten as 2(3 + g), which is an equivalent way to represent his total expenditure.

Question 2: Sandra is polling the pupils at her high school to determine which sport they like. Which of the following populations would she be best to poll in order to gather reliable data?

students in the cafeteria (Correct answer)
parents at a town meeting
physical education teachers
students at a football game

Correct answer: students in the cafeteria

To gather reliable data about the entire high school's preferences, Sandra needs to poll a representative sample of the student body. Students in the cafeteria are generally a diverse cross-section of the school population, making it a more random and unbiased sample compared to specific groups like parents, teachers, or students at a single sporting event, which would likely skew the results.

Question 3: In accordance with building regulations, a conference room may only hold 140 people. The space has one large table and several smaller ones. The huge table can accommodate 15 guests, while the tiny tables can accommodate 5 guests apiece. Which of the following formulas can be used to determine how many smaller tables, t, can be filled when the larger table is likewise full?

15t + 5 ≤ 140
5t + 15 ≥ 140 (Correct answer)
5t + 15 ≤ 140
15t + 5 ≥ 140

Correct answer: 5t + 15 ≥ 140

The large table accommodates 15 guests. Each of the 't' smaller tables accommodates 5 guests, contributing 5t guests to the total. The total number of people in the room is 15 + 5t. Since the conference room may only hold 140 people, the total number of guests must be less than or equal to 140, resulting in the inequality 5t + 15 ≤ 140.

Question 4: A physician measured the medication in 10 milliliters. Which of the following comes closest to the amount of drugs the pharmacist measured in teaspoons? (5 milliliters in 1 teaspoon)

50 teaspoons
15 teaspoons
2 teaspoons (Correct answer)
0.5 teaspoon

Correct answer: 2 teaspoons

The problem states that 5 milliliters (ml) is equivalent to 1 teaspoon. To convert 10 milliliters to teaspoons, you divide the total milliliters by the conversion factor. Therefore, 10 ml divided by 5 ml/teaspoon equals 2 teaspoons.

Question 5: The proprietor of a store figures out the sale price of each CD player by using the formula below (r – 0.2r). The term "r" in the statement refers to the CD player's usual pricing. Which of the following describes the expression's equivalent?

1.2r
0.9r
0.1r
0.81r (Correct answer)

Correct answer: 0.81r

The expression (r – 0.2r) represents the original price 'r' reduced by 20% of 'r'. This simplifies to 1r - 0.2r = 0.8r. However, 0.8r is not among the options, and the provided correct answer is 0.81r. This suggests a potential error in the question's formula or the given options, as 0.81r is not mathematically equivalent to (r - 0.2r).

Question 6: What expression in the list below has a value of 1.25?

-(-2.5)(-0.5)
(-2.5)(-0.5) (Correct answer)
-(2.5)(0.5)
(2.5)(-0.5)

Correct answer: (-2.5)(-0.5)

To find the expression with a value of 1.25, we evaluate each option. Option B, (-2.5)(-0.5), involves multiplying two negative numbers. The product of two negative numbers is always positive, and 2.5 multiplied by 0.5 equals 1.25, making it the correct choice.

Question 7: Which of the following is NOT a regular sentence?

Many children played on the swings, slides, and climbing gym.
The principal called the parent to thank her.
Out the door ran two dogs, one cat, a tiny mouse, and a little boy. (Correct answer)
The angry businessman was late for his noon meeting.

Correct answer: Out the door ran two dogs, one cat, a tiny mouse, and a little boy.

A 'regular sentence' typically refers to one with a standard subject-verb-object (SVO) word order. Option C, 'Out the door ran two dogs, one cat, a tiny mouse, and a little boy,' uses an inverted sentence structure where the adverbial phrase ('Out the door') comes first, followed by the verb ('ran') and then the subject. While grammatically correct, this inverted order makes it deviate from a regular, straightforward sentence structure.

Question 8: Which demonstrates that Harry owns the backpack?

Harry’s backpack (Correct answer)
Harrys backpack
Harrys’s’ backpack
Harrys' backpack

Correct answer: Harry’s backpack

To show possession for a singular noun like 'Harry,' an apostrophe followed by an 's' ( 's ) is used. 'Harry’s backpack' correctly indicates that the backpack belongs to Harry. The other options either misplace the apostrophe or are grammatically incorrect for showing singular possession.

Question 9: The pupils neatly stacked _________ books on the table. A good pronoun to use is.

they’re
her
there
their (Correct answer)

Correct answer: their

The sentence requires a possessive pronoun that refers to the plural noun 'pupils.' 'Their' is the correct possessive pronoun, indicating that the books belong to the pupils. 'They’re' is a contraction of 'they are,' and 'there' refers to a place, neither of which expresses possession.

Question 10: For "Steve and Shelly," receiving the honor was exciting. What term may you substitute for the ones that are underlined?

they
we
them (Correct answer)
her

Correct answer: them

The phrase 'Steve and Shelly' functions as the object of the preposition 'For.' When replacing an object with a pronoun, an objective pronoun is required. 'Them' is the correct objective pronoun for multiple people, making it the appropriate substitute for 'Steve and Shelly' in this context.

Question 11: Which of the following is accurate?

The money stolen from the largest bank in town.
Two or three miles down the highway at the traffic light.
Because she waited too long to call for help.
The road leads to the state assembly building. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: The road leads to the state assembly building.

An accurate sentence must be a complete thought, containing both a subject and a predicate. Options A, B, and C are sentence fragments because they lack a complete predicate or a main clause that expresses a full idea. Option D, 'The road leads to the state assembly building,' is a complete and grammatically correct sentence with a subject ('The road') and a predicate ('leads to the state assembly building').

Question 12: Following Peter into the trees were six dogs carrying rawhide bones. Which word is NOT a plural noun that is underlined?

dogs
trees
Peter (Correct answer)
bones

Correct answer: Peter

A plural noun refers to more than one item or entity. In the sentence, 'trees,' 'dogs,' and 'bones' are all plural nouns. 'Peter,' however, is a singular proper noun, referring to one specific person, and therefore is not a plural noun.

Question 13: Which pronoun is not properly used in this sentence?

The usher escorted him to his chair.
Two of the girls put on skirts.
“Hand her them books,” she said. (Correct answer)
They copied their notes for other students.

Correct answer: “Hand her them books,” she said.

In the sentence 'Hand her them books,' the pronoun 'them' is used incorrectly as a demonstrative adjective modifying 'books.' The correct demonstrative adjective to refer to specific items would be 'those' or 'these.' Alternatively, the sentence could be rephrased as 'Hand those books to her' or 'Hand them to her.'

Question 14: An element is a material composed entirely of one kind of atom. A molecule is created when two or more atoms combine to form one unit. How are molecules different from elements?

Molecules are made up of elements.
Elements do not have atoms.
Molecules contain two or more atoms, and elements contain one atom. (Correct answer)
They have the same number of atoms.

Correct answer: Molecules contain two or more atoms, and elements contain one atom.

The passage clearly defines an element as being composed of 'one kind of atom' and a molecule as being created 'when two or more atoms combine to form one unit.' This distinction directly highlights that molecules are made up of multiple atoms, while elements are fundamental substances consisting of only one type of atom.

Question 15: All life is made up of cells. The human body has millions of distinct types of cells. Further research into the structure of cells may result in a cancer treatment, according to scientists. Every day, scientists do new research in labs. Which of the following statements most accurately sums up the supposition?

Cells make up all living things.
Scientists continue their research in the laboratories everyday.
There are millions of different types of cells in the human body.
Scientists believe that further study of the make-up of cells can lead to a cure for cancer. (Correct answer)

Correct answer: Scientists believe that further study of the make-up of cells can lead to a cure for cancer.

The passage states, 'Further research into the structure of cells may result in a cancer treatment, according to scientists.' This sentence directly expresses the scientists' belief or supposition regarding the potential outcome of cell research. The other options are factual statements from the passage but do not represent the specific supposition mentioned.

Question 16: Before they fall, leaves often undergo color changes. Chlorophyll, the green pigment needed in photosynthesis, degrades as autumn approaches. Other yellow and orange pigments emerge from leaves as chlorophyll is lost to the environment. Although the green chlorophyll kept these pigments from being seen, they were always present in the leaves. Some leaves also contain red pigments, which when chlorophyll is destroyed also become visible. What causes the fall coloration of green leaves?

chlorophyll changes into red pigment
the amount of yellow pigment stays the same
chlorophyll breaks down (Correct answer)
the amount of orange pigment increases

Correct answer: chlorophyll breaks down

The passage explains that 'Chlorophyll, the green pigment needed in photosynthesis, degrades as autumn approaches.' As this green pigment breaks down, it no longer masks the other yellow and orange pigments that were always present in the leaves, allowing them to become visible and cause the fall coloration.

Free Iowa Test of Basic Skills (ITBS) 7th Grade Questions and Answers

George enjoyed the rides and games at a fair.
Every trip cost $2.
Every game cost $2.
George played games and went on three rides.
To show how much money he spent overall at the carnival in dollars, George penned the expression below. 6 + 2g Which of the following is a another way George could show how much money he spent overall at the carnival, in dollars?