Secondary 1 Monthly Test

BIOLOGY

Name- Time allowed – 1:30 hour

Sec 1 Online 50 Marks

1. Choose the correct answers to the following statements. [10]

i. What is an effect of pollution by nuclear fall-out?

A deforestation

B global warming

C increased mutation rate

D eutrophication

ii. The diagram shows energy transfer through a food chain. The labelled arrows represent the
energy transfers.

Which energy transfers are shown by the labelled arrows?

A X is heat energy transfer and Z is chemical energy transfer.

B Y is chemical energy transfer and X is light energy transfer.

C X is chemical energy transfer and Y is heat energy transfer.

D Z is heat energy transfer and W is light energy transfer.

Which row shows the correct labels?

iv. What is an example of a characteristic that shows discontinuous variation in humans?

A blood group

B body mass

C height

D width of hand

v. Which process is carried out by bacteria in the root nodules of leguminous plants?

A decomposition

B denitrification

C nitrification

D nitrogen fixation
vi. Which adaptation may be present in a xerophyte?

A leaves with small surface area and large numbers of stomata

B little or no xylem tissue and leaves with large surface area

C stomatal hairs and rolled leaves

D thin or no cuticle and deep roots

vii. What is not a reason for conservation programmes?

A to introduce new species

B to maintain nutrient cycles

C to maintain resources

D to protect vulnerable environments

viii. What is least likely to result from deforestation?

A increase in flooding

B increase in species

C loss of habitats

D loss of soil

ix. Some disease-causing bacteria survive treatment with an antibiotic.

Which statement about the surviving bacteria is correct?

A The antibiotic will work better on the next generation of bacteria.

B The bacteria have undergone a process of natural selection.

C The bacteria will now be resistant to all antibiotics.

D The resistance of the bacteria is a result of selective breeding.

How many organisms feed at more than one trophic level?

A0 B1 C2 D3

2. (a) Plants are adapted for survival in many different ways.

Figure shows a plant that lives in water.

The leaves of the plant float on the surface of the water.

Suggest how the leaf of this plant is adapted for floating on water.

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 (b) Figure shows a plant that has sharp thorns on its stem.

Suggest how thorns help this plant survive.

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(c) Plants compete with each other for resources.

Give one resource that plants compete for.

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3. The map shows Christmas Island.

Christmas Island is in the Indian Ocean, 400 km from any other land.
 Many years ago, Christmas Island rats lived on the island.

The island was the only place in the world where this rat species lived.

(a) The Christmas Island rats became extinct a number of years after a ship had visited the
island.

Some Black rats of a different species had jumped off the ship onto the island.

The Black rats started to breed very quickly.

Suggest two reasons why the introduction of Black rats resulted in the extinction of
Christmas Island rats.

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(b) What are the two causes of genetic variation in a population of organisms?

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(c)The theory of evolution describes a process which leads to changes in the characteristics of
a population over time.

Name this process.

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4. Ecosystems contain different species that are dependent on each other.

(a) What term is used to describe all the species living together in an ecosystem?

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(b) Figure shows a pyramid of biomass for the grassland.

Explain why the trophic level for bison has a larger biomass than the trophic level for
wolves.

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(c) Moose, Alces americanus, shown in Fig., are large herbivores that primarily live in northern
parts of North America. They have a varied diet that includes young shoots of willow trees
and aquatic plants.
 Isle Royale is a large island in Lake Superior in the United States where there is a
population of moose that has been studied by ecologists for a long time. The animals’ only
predator is the wolf.

The island has a population of wolves that has changed in numbers over the years.

Draw a food chain for the organisms in the passages above.

[2]

(d) Figure shows part of the carbon cycle.

Name the process A, B and D.

D ………………………………………………… [3]

(e) Nitrogen is an essential element for plant growth. Most plants can only use nitrogen
in the form of nitrate ions. Only legumes that have bacteria living in their root nodules can
use nitrogen from the air.
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5. Fig. shows an area of forest where some of the trees have been cut down.

(a) Explain the reasons why forests may be cut down as shown in Fig.
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(b) The woodland is a conservation area.

(c) It is predicted that wild fish stocks will decrease and become depleted because of
overfishing.

Suggest ways in which governments can try to maintain the stocks of wild fish.

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 (d) Describe how the over-use of nitrate fertilisers can cause eutrophication.

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6 (a) Explain why antibiotics, such as penicillin, affect bacteria but not viruses.
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(b) Describe how the use of antibiotics can be managed to reduce the development of

resistant strains of bacteria.

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(c) Coat colour in cats is an example of discontinuous variation.

(i) Explain why coat colour is an example of discontinuous variation.

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(ii) State one example of continuous variation in humans.

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(d) A farmer wanted to use selective breeding to produce goats with a high milk yield.

Fig. shows a goat being milked.

Describe the stages in selective breeding to develop goats with a high milk yield.

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