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Primary 3 Science Semestral Assessment 2 (End of Year) Paper 4
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Questions
TuitionGoWhere Practice Paper - Science Primary 3
TuitionGoWhere Secondary School (AI)
Subject: Science
Level: Primary 3
Paper: SA2 (End-of-Year Examination) — Version 4 of 5
Duration: 60 minutes
Total Marks: 50
Name: ___________________________
Class: ___________________________
Date: ___________________________
Instructions
- Answer ALL questions.
- Write your answers in the spaces provided.
- For multiple-choice questions, shade the correct oval (●) on the answer sheet or write the letter in the space provided.
- Do not write on the barcode area.
- The use of calculators is not allowed.
Section A: Multiple Choice Questions (10 × 2 marks = 20 marks)
Questions 1–10. Each question is worth 2 marks. Choose the most accurate answer.
1. Which of the following is a living thing?
(a) A wooden chair
(b) A plastic toy car
(c) A butterfly
(d) A metal spoon
Answer: ___________
2. Which characteristic is shared by all living things?
(a) They can fly.
(b) They can grow.
(c) They are green in colour.
(d) They live on land.
Answer: ___________
3. The table below shows four objects.
| Object | Moves by itself | Grows | Needs water |
|---|---|---|---|
| P | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Q | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| R | ✓ | ✗ | ✗ |
| S | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ |
Which object is most likely a living thing?
(a) P
(b) Q
(c) R
(d) S
Answer: ___________
4. Which of the following is a non-living thing?
(a) A mushroom
(b) A goldfish
(c) A cloud
(d) A fern
Answer: ___________
5. A student says, "A car is a living thing because it moves." Which statement best explains why this is wrong?
(a) Cars do not need air.
(b) Only animals can move.
(c) Cars cannot move by themselves without fuel and a driver.
(d) Cars are made of metal.
Answer: ___________
6. Which group of organisms are all animals?
(a) Fern, moss, mushroom
(b) Goldfish, eagle, frog
(c) Mould, yeast, bacteria
(d) Rose, grass, sunflower
Answer: ___________
7. Which of the following is a flowering plant?
(a) Fern
(b) Moss
(c) Orchid
(d) Mushroom
Answer: ___________
8. A living thing responds to changes in its surroundings. Which is an example of this?
(a) A rock rolling down a hill.
(b) A plant growing towards sunlight.
(c) A balloon getting bigger when inflated.
(d) Ice melting into water.
Answer: ___________
9. Which of the following is NOT a characteristic of living things?
(a) They reproduce.
(b) They need food and water.
(c) They are made of metal.
(d) They respond to changes.
Answer: ___________
10. Study the list below.
- Mushroom
- Mould
- Yeast
- Bacteria
All the organisms above belong to which group?
(a) Plants
(b) Animals
(c) Fungi and bacteria
(d) Non-living things
Answer: ___________
Section B: True or False (5 × 1 mark = 5 marks)
Questions 11–15. Write T for True or F for False in the space provided. Each question is worth 1 mark.
11. A teddy bear is a living thing because it has eyes and a nose.
Answer: ___________
12. All living things need air, water, and food to survive.
Answer: ___________
13. A fern is a non-flowering plant.
Answer: ___________
14. Bacteria are living things even though we cannot see them with our eyes alone.
Answer: ___________
15. A balloon that is being inflated is growing, so it is a living thing.
Answer: ___________
Section C: Short Answer Questions (10 marks)
Questions 16–18. Answer in the spaces provided.
16. The table below lists four items. For each item, put a tick (✓) if it is a living thing and a cross (✗) if it is a non-living thing. (4 marks)
| Item | Living (✓) or Non-living (✗) |
|---|---|
| Kitten | |
| Potted plant | |
| Wooden ruler | |
| Earthworm |
17. Give two characteristics that all living things share. (2 marks)
(a) _______________________________________________________________
(b) _______________________________________________________________
18. A student found an object in the garden. It is small, brown, and does not move. The student said it was non-living.
Explain one reason why the student might be wrong. (2 marks)
Section D: Structured / Application Questions (15 marks)
Questions 19–20. Answer in the spaces provided. Show your reasoning clearly.
19. The diagram below shows four organisms: a frog, a fern, a mushroom, and a goldfish.
(Descriptions in place of diagrams: Organism A — a frog that lives near water and on land; Organism B — a fern with green fronds and no flowers; Organism C — a mushroom growing on a log; Organism D — a goldfish swimming in a pond.)
(a) Classify each organism into the correct group. Write the letter (A, B, C, or D) in the table below. (4 marks)
| Group | Organism(s) |
|---|---|
| Animal | |
| Plant | |
| Fungus |
(b) State one characteristic that Organism A (frog) shares with Organism D (goldfish) as living things. (1 mark)
(c) Organism B (fern) does not produce flowers. Is it still a plant? Explain your answer. (2 marks)
20. A group of students went on a nature walk. They recorded what they saw in the table below.
| Item seen | Moves by itself | Grows over time | Needs water | Responds to touch |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Squirrel | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Rock | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Venus flytrap | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ | ✓ |
| Plastic bottle | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ | ✗ |
| Mould on bread | ✗ | ✓ | ✓ | ✗ |
(a) Which items in the table are living things? Give a reason for each. (4 marks)
(b) The mould on bread does not move by itself and does not respond to touch. Explain why it is still considered a living thing. (2 marks)
(c) A student says the rock is living because it is found in nature. Explain why this statement is incorrect. (2 marks)
— End of Paper —
Answers
TuitionGoWhere Practice Paper — Science Primary 3
SA2 Answer Key — Version 4 of 5
Section A: Multiple Choice Questions (10 × 2 marks = 20 marks)
1. (c) A butterfly
Reasoning: A butterfly is an animal and a living thing. A wooden chair, plastic toy car, and metal spoon are non-living things.
2. (b) They can grow.
Reasoning: All living things grow. Not all living things can fly (e.g., plants), are green (e.g., animals), or live on land (e.g., fish).
3. (a) P
Reasoning: Object P shows all three characteristics — it moves by itself, grows, and needs water — which are key traits of living things. Q shows none. R moves but does not grow or need water (likely a toy or machine). S grows and needs water but does not move by itself (likely a plant, but P is the strongest candidate as it shows the most characteristics).
4. (c) A cloud
Reasoning: A cloud is made of water droplets and is non-living. A mushroom is a fungus (living), a goldfish is an animal (living), and a fern is a plant (living).
5. (c) Cars cannot move by themselves without fuel and a driver.
Reasoning: Living things move by themselves. A car requires an external source (fuel and a driver) to move, so it does not meet the criterion of moving independently.
6. (b) Goldfish, eagle, frog
Reasoning: All three are animals. Option (a) includes only plants and fungi. Option (c) lists fungi and bacteria. Option (d) lists only plants.
7. (c) Orchid
Reasoning: An orchid is a flowering plant. Ferns and mosses are non-flowering plants. A mushroom is a fungus, not a plant.
8. (b) A plant growing towards sunlight.
Reasoning: This is a living thing (a plant) responding to a stimulus (light). A rock rolling is caused by gravity (external force), a balloon inflating is caused by air being pumped in (external), and ice melting is a physical change (non-living).
9. (c) They are made of metal.
Reasoning: Being made of metal is not a characteristic of living things. Living things reproduce, need food and water, and respond to changes.
10. (c) Fungi and bacteria
Reasoning: Mushroom, mould, and yeast are fungi. Bacteria are a separate group of microorganisms. Together, they belong to fungi and bacteria — neither plants nor animals.
Section B: True or False (5 × 1 mark = 5 marks)
11. F
Reasoning: A teddy bear may look like it has body parts, but it cannot grow, reproduce, or respond to changes. It is non-living. Having eyes and a nose does not make something alive.
12. T
Reasoning: All living things need air, water, and food to survive. This is one of the key characteristics of living things.
13. T
Reasoning: A fern reproduces by spores and does not produce flowers. It is classified as a non-flowering plant.
14. T
Reasoning: Bacteria are living organisms. They are microscopic and cannot be seen with the naked eye alone, but they grow, reproduce, and need food and water.
15. F
Reasoning: A balloon getting bigger when inflated is due to air being pumped in from outside. This is not biological growth. The balloon does not need food, water, or air to survive, and it cannot reproduce.
Section C: Short Answer Questions (10 marks)
16. (4 marks — 1 mark each)
| Item | Living (✓) or Non-living (✗) |
|---|---|
| Kitten | ✓ |
| Potted plant | ✓ |
| Wooden ruler | ✗ |
| Earthworm | ✓ |
Marking note: Award 1 mark for each correct classification. A kitten (animal), potted plant (plant), and earthworm (animal) are living things. A wooden ruler (made from wood but no longer alive) is non-living.
17. (2 marks — 1 mark each)
Accept any two of the following:
- They can grow.
- They can reproduce.
- They need water, food, and air to survive.
- They can move by themselves.
- They respond to changes in their surroundings.
Marking note: Award 1 mark for each correct characteristic. Answers must describe a characteristic shared by ALL living things. "They can fly" or "They are green" are incorrect as they do not apply to all living things.
18. (2 marks)
Sample answer: The object might be a living thing that is very small or not moving at the moment, such as a snail resting, a seed, or a tiny insect. Some living things do not move quickly or may appear still.
Marking note: Award 2 marks for a clear explanation that identifies a living thing that could be mistaken for non-living (e.g., a seed, a snail, a small insect, a plant). Award 1 mark for a partially correct answer. Accept any reasonable explanation.
Section D: Structured / Application Questions (15 marks)
19. (7 marks total)
(a) (4 marks — 1 mark per correct row)
| Group | Organism(s) |
|---|---|
| Animal | A and D |
| Plant | B |
| Fungus | C |
Marking note: Award 1 mark for each correctly completed row. A (frog) and D (goldfish) are animals. B (fern) is a plant. C (mushroom) is a fungus.
(b) (1 mark)
Accept any one of the following:
- Both need water to survive.
- Both need food to survive.
- Both can grow.
- Both can reproduce.
- Both respond to changes in their surroundings.
Marking note: Award 1 mark for any valid shared characteristic of living things.
(c) (2 marks)
Sample answer: Yes, the fern is still a plant. It has leaves (fronds), makes its own food through photosynthesis, and needs water and sunlight to grow. Not all plants need flowers to be classified as plants. Ferns are non-flowering plants that reproduce by spores.
Marking note: Award 1 mark for stating "yes" and 1 mark for a valid explanation (e.g., it has leaves/fronds, makes its own food, needs water/sunlight, or reproduces by spores).
20. (8 marks total)
(a) (4 marks — 2 marks per living thing with reason)
Living things in the table:
- Squirrel — It moves by itself, grows over time, needs water, and responds to touch. It shows all characteristics of living things. (2 marks)
- Venus flytrap — It moves by itself (closes when touched), grows over time, needs water, and responds to touch. It is a living plant. (2 marks)
- Mould on bread — It grows over time and needs water. Even though it does not move by itself or respond to touch, it shows some characteristics of living things and is a living organism (fungus). (Accept as living — included in reasoning below)
Marking note: Award 2 marks for each correctly identified living thing with a valid reason. Squirrel and Venus flytrap are the clearest answers. Mould is also living — if students identify it, accept with appropriate reasoning. Award partial marks (1 mark) for identifying a living thing without a reason or with an incomplete reason.
(b) (2 marks)
Sample answer: Mould is still a living thing because it can grow (it spreads over the bread) and it needs water and food (from the bread) to survive. It is a type of fungus. Not all living things need to move or respond to touch to be considered alive.
Marking note: Award 2 marks for mentioning that mould grows and needs water/food, and identifying it as a fungus. Award 1 mark for mentioning only one characteristic.
(c) (2 marks)
Sample answer: The rock is not a living thing. Although it is found in nature, it does not grow, does not need food, water, or air, cannot reproduce, and does not respond to changes. Being found in nature does not make something alive — only things that show the characteristics of living things are classified as living.
Marking note: Award 2 marks for clearly stating the rock is non-living and giving at least two valid reasons (e.g., does not grow, does not need food/water/air, cannot reproduce). Award 1 mark for a partially correct answer.
— End of Answer Key —
Mark Summary
| Section | Marks |
|---|---|
| A: Multiple Choice (10 × 2) | 20 |
| B: True or False (5 × 1) | 5 |
| C: Short Answer | 10 |
| D: Structured / Application | 15 |
| Total | 50 |