Q1.

The diagram below shows part of a grassland food web.

(a) One year the snail population increased in the grassland area.

How could an increase in the number of snails cause the caterpillar population to
increase?

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
1 mark

(b) Snail poison can be used to control the number of snails. After some time, each owl
contains more poison than each snail.
Explain why each owl contains more poison than each snail.

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
2 marks

(c) A scientist wants to record the number of dandelion plants in the grassland area.

Describe how they could use a 1m2 quadrat to estimate the number of dandelions
growing in the grassland area.

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
2 marks

(d) The table below shows the population numbers for one food chain from the food
web.

organism number

Page 1 of 34
 dandelions 200

rabbits 20

foxes 4

Complete the pyramid of numbers on the graph paper below to represent this food
chain. Label the pyramid to show each animal.

2 marks
maximum 7 marks

Q2.
An ecosphere is a model habitat that can last for many years.
The ecosphere below is a sealed glass ball containing sea water,
green algae, bacteria, a snail and shrimps.

not to scale

(a) The ecosphere must receive plenty of light.

Explain why light is necessary for the survival of the green algae and the animals

Page 2 of 34
 in the ecosphere.

.........................................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................
3 marks

(b) When organisms in the ecosphere die, they are broken down by bacteria.
Nutrients, such as nitrates, are released back into the ecosphere.

Why is this necessary for the survival of the other organisms in the ecosphere?

.........................................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................
1 mark

(c) The table shows how the mass of oxygen dissolved in water changes with
temperature.

temperature of the mass of oxygen dissolved

water (°C) (mg/100 cm3)
15 10.2

17 9.7

19 9.3

21 9.0

23 8.7

25 8.4

27 8.1

29 7.9

This ecosphere was kept at a temperature between 17°C and 23°C.

In this ecosphere, respiration in the organisms is affected less if the temperature

falls to 15°C than if it rises to 27°C.
Use information in the table to explain this.

.........................................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................
1 mark
maximum 5 marks

Page 3 of 34
Q3.
The graph below shows how a population of fish in a lake changed over a period of
time.

(a) In which time interval, A, B, C, D or E, did the population of fish increase most
quickly?

..............

How can you tell this from the graph?

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
1 mark

(b) Which part of the graph shows when the fish began to compete with each other
for food?
Give the letter.

..............

How can you tell this from the graph?

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
1 mark

(c) What does part D of the graph show about the birth rate and the death rate of
the fish?

......................................................................................................................

How can you tell this from the graph?

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
1 mark

(d) Part E of the graph shows a population crash when all the fish died.

Suggest two reasons why a population might crash in this way.

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 1. ..................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................
1 mark

2. ..................................................................................................................

..................................................................................................................
1 mark
maximum 5 marks

Q4.
The drawings below show four living things found in a wood.

not to scale

• Caterpillars eat oak leaves.

• Owls eat blackbirds.
• Blackbirds eat caterpillars.

(a) (i) Complete the food chain for these four living things.

oak tree → ................................. → ................................. → ..................................

1 mark

(ii) Why is an oak tree called a producer?

Tick the correct box.

It loses its leaves It makes food by

in autumn. photosynthesis.

Its flowers are tiny. Its leaves will not rot.

1 mark

(b) On one oak tree, there were two types of caterpillar.

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 not to scale

All the caterpillars were eating the leaves.

The number of gypsy moth caterpillars increased.

What happened to the number of orange-striped caterpillars?

......................................................................................................................
1 mark

Explain your answer.

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
1 mark

(c) There are no caterpillars on the oak tree in winter.

Suggest a reason for this.

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
1 mark
maximum 5 marks

Q5.
Bindweed is a plant that grows tightly around other plants.
The drawing below shows bindweed growing around a rose bush.

Page 6 of 34
(a) Complete the sentences below. Choose from the words in the list.

air light support water minerals

(i) Bindweed grows as high as possible on the rose bush so that the bindweed
can get as much .................................... as possible.
1 mark

(ii) Bindweed grows around the rose bush because the rose bush provides
....................................... for the bindweed.
1 mark

(b) A gardener cut through the stem of the bindweed at X.

Two days later the bindweed above X was dead.

Why did the bindweed die?

Tick the correct box.

no air no light

no warmth no water
1 mark

(c) The gardener adds fertiliser to the soil to help her rose bushes to grow well.

What do plants get from the fertiliser?

Tick the correct box.

acids minerals

sugars vitamins
1 mark

(d) Plant roots have root hairs.

Which diagram shows a root hair?

Page 7 of 34
 Tick the correct box.

not to scale
1 mark
maximum 5 marks

Q6.
The drawing below shows an alligator.

(a) Alligators are carnivores.

What does the word carnivore mean?

.........................................................................................................................
1 mark

(b) Alligators lay eggs in nests made from plant material.

Page 8 of 34
 The eggs have tough shells containing calcium carbonate.

(i) How does the eggshell help the developing alligator to survive before it
hatches?

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
1 mark

(ii) Rotting plant material in the nest is acidic.

When the acid comes into contact with calcium carbonate in the eggshell it
makes the shell weaker.

Why does the acid weaken the eggshell?

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
1 mark

(iii) Suggest one reason why it is helpful to the developing alligator in the egg if
the eggshell becomes weaker.

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
1 mark

(c) The table below shows the percentage of female and male alligators
that hatch from the eggs when the eggs are kept at different temperatures.

temperature % eggs hatching % eggs hatching

(°C) as females as males
26 100 0

28 100 0

30 100 0

32 86 14

34 0 100

36 0 100

(i) Use the table to suggest how a zookeeper could make sure only females
hatch from the eggs.

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
1 mark

(ii) Between which two temperatures are 50% of the eggs likely to hatch as
females?
Tick the correct box.

Page 9 of 34
 between 26°C and 30°C

between 30°C and 32°C

between 32°C and 34°C

between 34°C and 36°C

1 mark
maximum 6 marks

Q7.
The drawing below shows a barn owl.
Barn owls hunt for small animals such as mice.

(a) (i) Look at the drawing of the barn owl.

Give two ways the barn owl is suited for catching small animals.

1 ............................................................

2 ............................................................

(ii) Draw a line from each animal below to the word that describes it.
Draw only two lines.

Page 10 of 34
 4 marks

(b) Young barn owls are covered with soft, fluffy feathers.

Why do the young barn owls need feathers?

.................................................................................................................................

.................................................................................................................................

(c) Barn owls build nests in farm buildings. Mice eat wheat seeds.

(i) Many old farm buildings have been knocked down so that houses can be
built on the farmland.

Give one reason why this has caused the number of barn owls to
decrease.

................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................

(ii) Suggest one reason why farmers like to have barn owls on their farms.

................................................................................................................
3 marks
maximum 7 marks

Q8.
Potatoes have just been planted in a field.
The rows of potatoes are covered with clear plastic strip.

Page 11 of 34
(a) (i) The potatoes were planted in winter.

How will the plastic strips help the potatoes to start to grow?

................................................................................................................
1 mark

(ii) Complete the sentences below with words from the list.

air heat light water

The plastic strips covering the growing potato plants must be

clear so the leaves will get enough ..........................................

The potato plants grow well because the gaps between the plastic

strips will let ...................................... and ......................................

get into the soil.

3 marks

(b) The plastic strips break down naturally after a few weeks.

Suggest why it is useful that the plastic strips break down naturally.

................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................
1 mark

(c) Aphids are insects that feed on potato leaves.

Aphids and potato plants are part of the food chain shown below.

Page 12 of 34
 not to scale

(i) Some farmers put ladybirds on their potato plants to get rid of aphids.

How do ladybirds get rid of aphids?

................................................................................................................

................................................................................................................

(ii) What else could farmers use to get rid of aphids?

Tick the correct box.

fertiliser insecticide

slug pellets weedkiller

2 marks
maximum 7 marks

Q9.
The drawings show part of a farmland food chain.

not to scale

(a) A pyramid of numbers represents the number of organisms at each stage in a

food chain.

On each line by the pyramid of numbers below, write the name of the correct
organism from the food chain above.

Page 13 of 34
 1 mark

(b) Partridges feed mainly on insects and wild plants (weeds).

Some farmers spray their crops with chemicals to kill insects and weeds.

How would this affect the number of foxes?

.........................................................................................................................

Explain your answer.

.........................................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................
1 mark

(c) Partridges build their nests on the ground among plants.

They lay up to 18 eggs in the nest.

Suggest why partridges need to lay so many eggs.

.........................................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................
1 mark

(d) Some farmers leave a strip of land around the edge of each field which they do
not spray with chemicals.

Suggest two reasons why this will lead to an increase in the number of partridges
on these farms.

1 ......................................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................

2 ......................................................................................................................

.........................................................................................................................
2 marks
maximum 5 marks

Q10.
Sharon is riding her horse. She is wearing a riding hat.

Page 14 of 34
(a) Give the name of one organ the riding hat protects.

..........................................................
1 mark

(b) The horse is a mammal.

Give one fact about horses that shows they are mammals.

........................................................................................................................
1 mark

(c) When the horse is running, some of its organs do more work.

Draw a line from each organ to show what it does.

Draw only two lines.

1 mark

(d) The drawing shows a horsefly.

Page 15 of 34
 (i) The horsefly is an insect.
Which of the following features do insects have?
Tick the three correct boxes.

2 marks

(ii) Female horseflies bite horses and feed on their blood.

Male horseflies feed on plants.

Draw a line from each horsefly below to the word that describes the way it
feeds.
Draw only two lines.

1 mark
maximum 6 marks

Q11.
The drawing below shows a mole. Moles dig tunnels through soil.

Page 16 of 34
(a) Give one way a mole is suited for digging through soil.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
1 mark

(b) Moles are part of the food chain shown below.

plant remains worm mole owl

not to scale

(i) Which living thing in this food chain do moles eat?

...............................................................................................................
1 mark

(ii) Which living thing in this food chain is a predator of moles?

...............................................................................................................
1 mark

(c) Some people use mole-scarers to get rid of moles from their gardens.

Two different mole-scarers are shown below.

They both produce sounds that scare moles away.

Page 17 of 34
 solar-powered battery-powered
mole-scarer mole-scarer

(i) Where does the energy come from for the solar-powered mole-scarer?

..........................................................
1 mark

(ii) Suggest one reason for using a solar-powered mole-scarer instead of a

battery-powered mole-scarer.

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
1 mark

(iii) Some gardeners use poison to kill moles.

Suggest one reason for using a mole-scarer rather than poison to get rid of
moles.

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
1 mark
maximum 6 marks

Q12.
The drawings below show the trees in a woodland area at the beginning of May and at
the end of May.

Page 18 of 34
 beginning of May end of May

The graph below shows the amount of light reaching the top of the trees and the
woodland floor over one year.

(a) Why does the amount of light reaching the woodland floor decrease during May?

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
1 mark

(b) Plants grow on the woodland floor.

Explain why these plants grow bigger and faster when there is plenty of light.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................

Page 19 of 34
 2 marks

(c) Respiration takes place in the cells of all plants.

Complete the word equation for respiration.

oxygen + ................................ carbon dioxide + ................................

2 marks
maximum 5 marks

Q13.
The table below shows the number of boats used for catching herring fish in the
Norwegian Sea between 1963 and 1967.

number of
year
fishing boats

1963 16

1965 284

1967 326

The bar chart below shows the total mass of herring caught in the Norwegian Sea
between 1963 and 1967.

Use the information above to help you answer parts (a) (i), (ii) and (iii).

(a) (i) Why did the mass of herring caught increase between 1963 and 1965?

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
1 mark

(ii) Suggest why the mass of herring caught decreased between 1965 and
1967.

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................

Page 20 of 34
 1 mark

(iii) Herring cannot breed until they are four years old.
Fishing for herring was banned in the Norwegian Sea from 1972 to 1976.
Suggest one reason why fishing for herring was banned for this period.

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
1 mark

(b) The diagram below shows a food web in the Norwegian Sea.

not to scale

(i) How could a decrease in the number of herring cause a decrease in the
number of sand eels?

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
1 mark

(ii) How could a decrease in the number of herring cause an increase in the
number of sand eels?

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
1 mark
maximum 5 marks

Q14.

Page 21 of 34
(a) Tom watched birds feeding in his garden.
He spotted the birds shown below.

not to scale

Tom recorded what the birds in his garden ate.

His results are shown below.

type of food
bird
fruit nuts worms seeds

blackbird

blue tit

bullfinch

dove

sparrow

robin

Use the information in the table to answer the following questions.

(i) Tom put some pieces of fruit in his garden.

Which two birds will eat this food?

…................................................ and ...................................................

1 mark

(ii) How many types of bird eat nuts?

......................................
1 mark

(iii) Which food from the table opposite will attract the most types of bird?

.....................................
1 mark

(iv) Which bird from the table eats the most types of food?

.....................................
1 mark

(b) What are birds covered with to keep them warm?

.....................................

Page 22 of 34
 1 mark

(c) Many birds reproduce in the spring.

Suggest why birds need extra food in the spring.

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
1 mark
maximum 6 marks

Q15.
The photograph below shows some water lilies in early summer.

This diagram shows a water lily plant.

Page 23 of 34
(a) Water lilies do not grow well in moving water.

Suggest a reason for this.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
1 mark

(b) During the winter, many water lily plants do not grow new leaves.

Suggest one reason why the plants do not grow new leaves in the winter.

........................................................................................................................
1 mark

(c) (i) Give one way water lily plants are adapted to live in water.

...............................................................................................................
1 mark

(ii) Explain how this adaptation helps the water lily to grow in water.

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
1 mark

(d) In the summer, water lilies produce large yellow flowers.

The flowers float on the surface of the pond.

Page 24 of 34
 Suggest one way these colourful floating flowers help the water lily to reproduce.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
1 mark

(e) When water lilies cover the pond surface with leaves, the pond does not get as hot
during the day.

Explain why the pond does not get as hot.

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
1 mark
maximum 6 marks

Q16.
Every autumn the BBC asks people all over the UK to record when and where they see
the first ripe conkers.
The results are shown on a website.
Conkers only ripen in the autumn.

Page 25 of 34
(a) Some pupils discussed these results and made some conclusions.

Tick a box in each row to say whether the conclusion is true or false or whether you
cannot tell based on the results.

true false cannot

tell

There are more conkers in 2005 than

there have been in other years.

There are only 248 conker trees in the UK.

The most common time for the first

ripe conkers was in September.

The number of sightings decreased

between August and September.

2 marks

(b) The map shows where members of the public saw ripe conkers in the UK.

Page 26 of 34
 (i) Suggest one reason why it is a good idea to collect data by asking the public
to observe when conkers ripen.

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
1 mark

(ii) Suggest one reason why it is not a good idea to collect data by asking the
public to observe when conkers ripen.

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
1 mark

(c) The data was collected in one year.

What data would the BBC need to collect to find out if the time of year in which
conkers ripen is changing?

........................................................................................................................
1 mark

(d) Conkers ripen earlier in the south of the country than in the north.

Suggest why conkers ripen earlier in the south.

........................................................................................................................
1 mark
maximum 6 marks

Q17.

Page 27 of 34
The drawing below shows Rebekah pulling a turnip out of the ground.

(a) Which arrow, A, B, C or D, shows the direction of force of Rebekah’s hand on the
turnip?

.................
1 mark

(b) The drawing below shows root maggots eating a turnip.

The maggots damage the roots.

Damaged roots do not grow very well.

Complete the sentence below.

Damaged roots cannot take up as much ............................................... and

............................................... from the soil.

2 marks

Page 28 of 34
 (c) The drawing below shows a food chain including a rove beetle.

not to scale

Which word describes a rove beetle?

Tick the correct box.

herbivore predator

prey producer

1 mark

(d) Turnip plants make food by photosynthesis.

(i) Which part of a plant makes food?

...............................................
1 mark

(ii) What will the turnip plant use stored food for?

.............................................................................................................
1 mark
maximum 6 marks

Q18.
(a) The drawing below shows a fish.

Look at the drawing of a fish.

Describe two ways in which a fish is suited to swimming.

1 ...................................................................................................................

Page 29 of 34
 2 ...................................................................................................................
2 marks

(b) The drawing below shows a blue whale.

not to scale

A long time ago people thought that the blue whale was a fish. Now we know
that the blue whale is a mammal.

Give one way mammals are different from fish.

......................................................................................................................
1 mark

(c) A hundred years ago there were 350 000 blue whales.
Now there are only about 10 000 blue whales.
Suggest why the blue whale population has decreased.

......................................................................................................................

......................................................................................................................
1 mark

(d) The blue whale is now a protected species. Scientists catch and tag the whales
with a transmitter. Satellites can be used to track the tagged whales.

(i) What information about whales can scientists be certain to get from a satellite
tracking system?
Tick the correct box.

Page 30 of 34
 what food they eat

how often they give birth

where they travel

the sex of the whale

1 mark

(ii) Give one advantage of using a satellite tracking system to track whales.

.............................................................................................................

.............................................................................................................
1 mark
maximum 6 marks

Q19.
The picture below shows a mammal called an otter.

(a) Give one feature that only mammals have.

........................................................................................................................
1 mark

(b) Otters live by rivers.

Give one way the otter is suited for swimming.

Use the picture above to help you.

........................................................................................................................
1 mark

(c) Otter cubs are born in a burrow under the ground.

Page 31 of 34
 (i) How does this help the otter cubs survive?

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
1 mark

(ii) Why must the burrow be above the level of the water in the river?

...............................................................................................................

...............................................................................................................
1 mark

(d) Otters catch fish and birds for food.

Which word below describes an otter?

Tick the correct box.

herbivore predator

prey producer
1 mark

(e) The information below describes what some animals eat.

• Insects eat plants.

• Birds and fish eat insects.

• Otters eat fish and birds.

Complete the food web using this information.

One box has been done for you.

Page 32 of 34
 2 marks

(f) In the 1960s, the number of otters in England decreased.

To increase otter numbers, scientists released otters in pairs (one male and one
female).

Why were the otters released in pairs?

........................................................................................................................

........................................................................................................................
1 mark
maximum 8 marks

Q20.
The drawings below show a snail and a slug.

snail slug

(a) Look at the drawings above.

(i) Give one way the snail and slug are different from each other.

...............................................................................................................
1 mark

(ii) Give one way the snail and slug are the same.

...............................................................................................................
1 mark

(b) Snails produce mucus to help them move along the ground.

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 How does mucus help snails to move?
Tick the correct box.

Mucus is cold. Mucus reduces friction.

Mucus increases weight. Mucus leaves a trail.

1 mark

(c) Snails are herbivores. Thrushes and blackbirds eat snails.

Complete the food web below to show the relationship between plants, snails,
thrushes and blackbirds.

Draw arrows on the diagram.

2 marks

(d) Snails that live in woodland areas are usually brown or red.

Suggest how the colour of snails in woodland areas protects them from birds.

........................................................................................................................
1 mark
maximum 6 marks

Page 34 of 34