Primary 3 Science Practice Paper 2

TuitionGoWhere Practice Paper — Science Primary 3

Answer Key: Diversity (Version 2 of 5)

Section A: Multiple Choice (10 marks)

1. (b) A potted plant

• A potted plant is a living thing because it can grow, reproduce, and needs water, air, and food. The other options are non-living objects.
• [1 mark] for correct answer.

2. (b) They need water to survive.

• All living things need water to survive. Not all living things can fly, are large, or make sounds.
• [1 mark] for correct answer.

3. (c) Fungus

• A mushroom is a type of fungus. It is not a plant, animal, or bacteria.
• [1 mark] for correct answer.

4. (b) A wooden chair

• A wooden chair is made from wood, which came from a tree (a living thing). It is now non-living. The ant, fish, and flower are all currently living.
• [1 mark] for correct answer.

5. (d) Amphibian

• A frog is an amphibian. It can live both in water and on land.
• [1 mark] for correct answer.

6. (c) They are made of plastic.

• Being made of plastic is not a characteristic of living things. Options (a), (b), and (d) are all true characteristics of living things.
• [1 mark] for correct answer.

7. (c) They can grow and reproduce on their own.

• Non-living things cannot grow or reproduce by themselves. They can be moved, be heavy, and be found in nature.
• [1 mark] for correct answer.

8. (c) Orchid

• An orchid is a flowering plant. Ferns and mosses are non-flowering plants. A mushroom is a fungus, not a plant.
• [1 mark] for correct answer.

9. (c) Fungus

• Yeast is a type of fungus. It is a microscopic living organism.
• [1 mark] for correct answer.

10. (b) All living things need air, water, and food.

• This is the only correct statement. Not all living things can move from place to place (e.g., plants), have legs, or are animals.
• [1 mark] for correct answer.

Section B: True or False (5 marks)

11. F (False)

• A toy car is non-living. It only moves when an external force (a person) pushes it. It cannot grow, reproduce, or respond to stimuli on its own.
• [1 mark] for correct answer.

12. T (True)

• All living things need food, water, and air to survive. This is one of the key characteristics of living things.
• [1 mark] for correct answer.

13. T (True)

• A rock is a non-living thing. It does not grow, reproduce, or need food and water to survive.
• [1 mark] for correct answer.

14. F (False)

• There are both flowering plants (e.g., orchids, sunflowers) and non-flowering plants (e.g., ferns, mosses).
• [1 mark] for correct answer.

15. T (True)

• Bacteria are living things. They grow, reproduce, and respond to their environment. They are simply too small to be seen without a microscope.
• [1 mark] for correct answer.

Section C: Short Answer (15 marks)

16. List three characteristics of living things. [2 marks]

Accept any three of the following (or equivalent wording):

• They can grow.

• They can reproduce (produce young/offspring).

• They need water to survive.

• They need food to survive.

• They need air to survive.

• They can move by themselves.

• They respond to changes in their surroundings.

• [2 marks] for any three correct characteristics.

• [1 mark] for two correct characteristics.

• [0 marks] for one or no correct characteristics.

17. Classify each item as Living or Non-living. [3 marks]

• [3 marks] for all five correct.
• [2 marks] for three or four correct.
• [1 mark] for one or two correct.
• [0 marks] for none correct.

18. Mei Lin at West Coast Park.

(a) Which are living things? Give two answers. [2 marks]

Correct answers: Sea gull and Coconut tree.

• [2 marks] for both correct answers.
• [1 mark] for one correct answer.
• [0 marks] for no correct answers.

Common mistake: Students may include "sandcastle" or "plastic bag" — these are non-living. A sandcastle does not grow or reproduce; a plastic bag is a man-made object.

(b) State one characteristic of living things shown by one organism named in (a). [1 mark]

Accept any one valid characteristic linked to the organism:

• Sea gull: It can move by itself / It needs food and water / It can reproduce / It can grow.

• Coconut tree: It can grow / It needs water and air / It can reproduce (produces coconuts with seeds).

• [1 mark] for any one correct characteristic linked to a living thing named in (a).

• [0 marks] for no answer or an incorrect characteristic.

19. Explain why a candle flame is not a living thing. Give two reasons. [2 marks]

Accept any two of the following (or equivalent reasoning):

• A candle flame cannot reproduce (it cannot produce baby flames on its own in the biological sense).

• A candle flame does not need food or water to survive — it needs wax and oxygen, but not in the way living things need nutrients.

• A candle flame cannot respond to stimuli like living things do.

• A candle flame does not grow in the way living things grow (it gets bigger with more wax, but this is not biological growth).

• A candle flame cannot move by itself.

• [2 marks] for two correct and distinct reasons.

• [1 mark] for one correct reason.

• [0 marks] for no correct reasons.

Common mistake: Students may say "it is not alive" without explaining why. Reasoning must reference characteristics of living things.

20. Study the list: robin, mushroom, goldfish, fern, ant

(a) Which organism is a fungus? [1 mark]

Answer: Mushroom

• [1 mark] for correct answer.

(b) Which organism is a non-flowering plant? [1 mark]

Answer: Fern

• [1 mark] for correct answer.

(c) Name one characteristic that ALL the organisms in the list share as living things. [1 mark]

Accept any one of the following (or equivalent wording):

• They all need water to survive.

• They all need food to survive.

• They all need air to survive.

• They all can grow.

• They all can reproduce.

• They all respond to changes in their surroundings.

• [1 mark] for any one correct characteristic shared by all living things.

• [0 marks] for no answer or an incorrect response.

Total: 30 marks

Marking Notes for Tutors

• Section A (Q1–10): Award 1 mark per correct MCQ answer. No partial credit.
• Section B (Q11–15): Award 1 mark per correct True/False. Accept "True"/"False" or "T"/"F".
• Section C (Q16–20): Award marks as indicated per sub-part. Accept equivalent scientific wording. Do not penalise minor spelling errors if the scientific meaning is clear.
• Common misconceptions to watch for:
  • Students may think anything that moves is living (e.g., toy cars, clouds).
  • Students may not recognise fungi (mushrooms, mould, yeast) as living things.
  • Students may think non-flowering plants are non-living.
  • Students may confuse "growth" in non-living things (e.g., inflating a balloon) with biological growth.