Study Guide

Field 042: Agricultural Education 
Sample Selected-Response Questions

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General Test Directions

This test consists of two sections: 1) a section with selected-response questions and 2) a constructed-response section.

Each question in the first section is a selected-response question with four answer choices. Read each question and answer choice carefully and choose the  start uppercase ONE end uppercase  best answer.

Try to answer all questions. Even if you are unsure of an answer, it is better to guess than not to answer a question at all. You will  start uppercase NOT end uppercase  be penalized for guessing.

The second section of this test consists of one constructed-response assignment. You will be asked to provide a written response to the assignment. Directions for completing your written response to the constructed-response assignment appear immediately before the assignment.

You may  start uppercase NOT end uppercase  use any type of calculator or reference materials during the test session.

Sample Selected-Response Questions

Competency 0002 
Understand agricultural economic principles and policies.

1. A full-time employee of a large nursery and garden center decides to change to part time in order to buy a small farm and open a farm stand to sell the produce. Which of the following is the best example of an opportunity cost of this decision?

  1. the amount of savings that the employee must use to open the business and keep it operating
  2. the loss of income that the employee will incur as a result of the shift from full-time to part-time employment
  3. the fees and interest on loans used to purchase the land and equipment needed to start the business
  4. the difference between the expenses and revenues of the farm stand during its first year of operation

Correct Response: B. Opportunity costs occur when someone must choose among several mutually exclusive alternatives. When one alternative is chosen, the gain that might have been realized from choosing other alternatives must be sacrificed. In this case, the employee chooses to buy a small farm and sell the produce. This choice precludes continuing as a full-time employee at the garden center. Thus, one opportunity cost of the choice is the loss of income that results from switching from full- to part-time employment.

Competency 0004 
Understand animal anatomy, physiology, reproduction, and genetics.

2.  start bold Use the graph below to answer the question that follows. end bold 


   

The title of the graph is Estrous Cycle of Cattle. The horizontal axis is labeled with days of the week for 8 days, Thursday through Thursday, in equal increments. Below the days of the week, phases of the estrous cycle are indicated as follows. From the beginning of the first Thursday to the first quarter of Saturday is labeled Proestrus. The remainder of Saturday is labeled Estrous. From the beginning of Sunday to the third quarter of Wednesday is labeled Metestrus. From the remainder of Wednesday, through a break in the axis, to the end of the graph is labeled Diestrus. Above the portion labeled Estrus is a vertical gray bar the height of the graph. A solid line labeled Growing follicle starts about a quarter way up the vertical and rises to about halfway up the height of the graph in a curve that becomes gradually steeper. This curve ends at about the third quarter of Sunday and drops in a dashed vertical line to the bottom of the graph. From this point, both a solid line and a dashed line continue. The solid line is labeled Growing follicle. It rises at a shallow angle through the break in the axis and off the right edge of the graph. The dashed line is labeled New corpus luteum forming. It rises steeply toward the top of the graph to the break in the axis. After the break, the dashed line, now labeled Corpus luteum starts to regress, angles down and off the edge of the graph.


According to the graph, conception is most likely to occur if the cow is bred in the evening of which of the following days?

  1. Sunday
  2. Monday
  3. Tuesday
  4. Wednesday

Correct Response: A. In cattle, fertilization becomes possible at ovulation, which occurs approximately 12 hours after the end of estrus. In the graph above, this takes place on Sunday afternoon. Since an egg cell lives approximately 12 hours if not fertilized, this cow would need to be bred on Sunday evening to make conception likely.

Competency 0005 
Describe characteristics of animal nutrition and health.

3.  start bold Use the diagram below to answer the question that follows. end bold 


   

The title of the diagram is Life Cycle of Roundworm. At the top is a rectangular box labeled Adult roundworms in intestines. An arrow labeled Feces points from the first box to a second box labeled Large roundworm eggs. An arrow labeled Eggs develop in soil and feces points from the second box to a third box labeled Embryonated eggs. An arrow first labeled Eggs ingested, then labeled Eggs hatch and develop into adult parasites, points from the third box back to the first box.


According to the diagram, which of the following management practices would likely be the most effective and practical way to minimize parasite infestation in a flock of sheep that is fed on pasture?

  1. dividing the flock into several smaller groups
  2. rotating the flock frequently to new pastures
  3. adding antibiotics to the flock's diet
  4. removing the flock's feces on a regular schedule

Correct Response: B. According to the diagram, the eggs of this roundworm are deposited in the soil through the feces of infected animals. These eggs may then be ingested by grazing livestock. For this life cycle to continue, the eggs must be ingested while they are still viable. In an area where roundworm infestation is a problem, pasture rotation, which temporarily removes the livestock from the pasture, can be an effective and practical tool in disrupting the roundworm life cycle, as it separates the livestock from the roundworm eggs. Viable roundworm eggs are not ingested and the roundworm's life cycle is interrupted.

Competency 0005 
Describe characteristics of animal nutrition and health.

4. As part of a balanced ration for hogs, soybean meal is often used as a supplement to corn primarily to:

  1. provide a source of carbohydrates.
  2. correct the amino acid deficiencies of corn.
  3. serve as a vitamin supplement.
  4. provide the extra roughage that hogs require.

Correct Response: B. Although corn is an excellent source of carbohydrates, it lacks a number of amino acids required to produce the complete proteins that are necessary for the normal development of bones and muscles. The amino acids found in soybean meal complement those found in corn, so a diet that includes yellow corn and soybean meal, when combined in the proper proportions, will satisfy a hog's requirements for all the essential amino acids except methionine.

Competency 0007 
Identify principles of soil science.

5. A producer would like to improve the water-conserving ability of the soil on the farm's cropland. Which of the following steps would be most effective in achieving this goal?

  1. installing an irrigation system
  2. increasing the amount of chemical fertilizers used
  3. adding organic matter to the soil
  4. tilling the soil more thoroughly and frequently

Correct Response: C. In addition to supplying nutrients to growing plants, organic matter is able to absorb and hold large amounts of water. In the case of a soil that tends to dry out quickly, the addition of organic matter, often in the form of animal or green manure, slows the rate at which water drains downward out of the reach of plants or evaporates from the soil surface. This means that the water is available to the growing crop plants for a longer period of time and may reduce the amount of irrigation that is necessary.

Competency 0009 
Describe characteristics of plant nutrition and disease.

6. Which of the following is likely to be one of the operating principles of a greenhouse that uses a strategy of integrated pest management to control pests?

  1. The use of all insecticides is prohibited within the greenhouse.
  2. Plant pests are allowed to exist as long as their numbers are below the economic threshold.
  3. All plants must be grown without the use of chemical fertilizers.
  4. Nonnative plant species are grown to minimize pest populations.

Correct Response: B. Integrated pest management uses a combination of physical, chemical, and biological methods to keep pest populations at an acceptable level. The goal of integrated pest management is not to destroy all pests, but to prevent them from causing significant injury to the crop. A greenhouse operated according to principles of integrated pest management would carefully monitor pest populations, intervening to control them only when their numbers became unacceptably high.

Competency 0010 
Identify characteristics of production systems for agronomic crops, horticultural crops, and rangelands.

7. A fruit grower who is faced with limited water supplies and rising water costs would like to select an irrigation method that minimizes nonproductive water loss. Which of the following irrigation methods would best help the grower achieve this goal?

  1. flood irrigation
  2. sprinkler irrigation
  3. drip irrigation
  4. furrow irrigation

Correct Response: C. Drip irrigation delivers water to individual plants under very low pressure by means of plastic tubing. The water trickles from strategically spaced openings in the tubing. This slow but constant delivery of water reduces water loss from evaporation and runoff. In the field, drip irrigation is commonly used on crops that are widely spaced, such as fruit trees.

Competency 0011 
Understand safe and appropriate use of power equipment and small engines.

8. Most serious injuries caused by the power take-off ( P T O ) of a tractor occur when:

  1. hot metal parts of an unshielded  P T O  burn the hands of a worker who is not wearing heavy gloves.
  2. caustic fluids from the hydraulic lines of an unshielded  P T O  splash on a worker's bare arms or legs.
  3. rocks and dirt thrown up by an unshielded  P T O  strike a worker in the face or eyes.
  4. clothing, hair, or jewelry of a worker gets tangled in the rapidly rotating shaft of an unshielded  P T O .

Correct Response: D. The power take-off (P T O) of a tractor is a rapidly rotating splined driveshaft used for transmitting the power of the engine to various farm implements. Catching even a small bit of hair, clothing, or jewelry in a rotating P T O can result in serious injury because the item that is caught is rapidly wound around the shaft, pulling the person into contact with the P T O.

Competency 0011 
Understand safe and appropriate use of power equipment and small engines.

9. A large compressor that is operated by a four-stroke engine is used for spraying in an orchard. Which of the following precautions should be taken to prevent an accidental explosion of the compressor?

  1. Regularly clean and inspect the pressure-release valve and replace if necessary.
  2. Frequently inspect the air hose for leaks and repair if necessary.
  3. Perform regular tune-ups on the compressor's engine.
  4. Periodically adjust belts and pulleys and replace any that are worn.

Correct Response: A. A large compressor operated by a four-stroke engine can generate enough pressure to burst the holding tank. A pressure-release valve is a device that reduces pressure by releasing air when the pressure exceeds safe levels. Normal usage of the compressor can result in wear, along with corrosion and the accumulation of residue in the pressure valve. To avoid malfunction, the valve should be inspected and cleaned on a regular basis.

Competency 0013 
Understand ecological principles and the relationship between agriculture and the environment.

10. The concept of ecological succession can best help explain which of the following questions in agriculture?

  1. How do insect pests develop resistance to a particular pesticide that has been overused?
  2. Why are certain types of plants more likely than others to be common weeds in an agricultural field?
  3. How does soil temperature affect nutrient uptake by crop plants?
  4. Why does following a strict crop-rotation schedule help control insect pests and diseases?

Correct Response: B. Ecological succession refers to the ordered replacement of one type of vegetation with another over time. The first plants that arrive in a bare field are opportunistic annuals that grow quickly, produce many seeds, and require direct sunlight. These are replaced with perennial herbs, grasses, and shrubs, which, in turn, give way to fast-growing trees. The final stage of succession, or climax, is a stable assemblage of plants that are best suited to the local conditions of temperature, moisture, and soil fertility. In the boreal forest, the climax stage may consist largely of spruce and other conifers, while in the Great Plains, tall grasses, which are more drought resistant than trees, may form the climax state. Since most agricultural fields represent a very early stage of succession, they are typically colonized by fast-growing annual species, which we generally refer to as weeds.