Primary 4 Science Practice Paper 2

TuitionGoWhere Practice Paper — Science Primary 4

Answer Key — Diversity (Version 2 of 5)

Total Marks: 40

Section A — Multiple Choice (1 mark each × 10 = 10 marks)

1. C (Grass)

• Explanation: Grass is a living plant that grows, reproduces and needs water and sunlight. A rock, a plastic toy and a metal spoon are non-living things.
• Common mistake: Students may choose A (Rock) if they confuse natural objects with living things. Emphasise that "natural" does not always mean "living."

2. B (They can grow)

• Explanation: All living things grow at some stage in their life cycle. Not all living things can fly (e.g., trees), are green (e.g., fungi) or are large (e.g., bacteria).
• Common mistake: Selecting A or C based on familiar examples rather than universal characteristics.

3. C (River)

• Explanation: A river is made of water and does not show characteristics of life such as growth, reproduction or respiration. A butterfly, mushroom and seedling are all living things.
• Marking note: Award 1 mark for the correct answer only.

4. C (can reproduce)

• Explanation: A fish is a living thing and can reproduce to produce young. A stone cannot reproduce. Being grey, found in water or smooth are not characteristics that define living things.
• Common mistake: Students may select B because both fish and stones can be found in water, but habitat alone does not determine whether something is living.

5. C (Plants)

• Explanation: Ferns, mosses and flowering plants are all plants. They make their own food through photosynthesis and have roots, stems and leaves (or leaf-like structures).
• Marking note: Award 1 mark for the correct answer only.

6. C (They are made of plastic)

• Explanation: Being made of plastic is not a characteristic of any living thing. Living things need water, respond to changes in their environment and breathe (respire).
• Common mistake: Students may select A, thinking only animals need water. Remind them that plants also need water.

7. B (fly)

• Explanation: Both birds and bats can fly. However, a bat is a mammal, not a bird. Swimming, crawling and photosynthesising do not apply to both.
• Marking note: Award 1 mark for the correct answer only.

8. B (Mould)

• Explanation: Mould is a fungus. It feeds on dead or decaying matter and does not make its own food like plants. A rose is a plant; a grasshopper is an insect; a goldfish is an animal.
• Common mistake: Students may not be familiar with mould as a fungus. Remind them that fungi include mushrooms, mould and yeast.

9. C (characteristics)

• Explanation: Living things are classified into groups based on their shared characteristics, such as body coverings, methods of reproduction and habitats. Colour, size and shape alone are not reliable classification criteria.
• Marking note: Award 1 mark for the correct answer only.

10. C (Both are mammals)

• Explanation: Cats and dogs are both mammals — they have fur/hair, give birth to live young and feed their young milk. They do not have feathers or scales, and they do not lay eggs.
• Common mistake: Students may confuse mammals with birds (feathers) or reptiles (scales).

Section B — Short Answer (2 marks each × 6 = 12 marks)

11. State two characteristics that all living things share.

Answer: (a) They can grow. (b) They can reproduce. (Also accept: They need water / They breathe / They respond to changes / They need food.)

Marking scheme:

• 1 mark for each correct characteristic, up to 2 marks.
• Do not accept vague answers like "They move" (non-living things can also move, e.g., a car) unless qualified.

12. (a) Which two are living things?

Answer: Potted plant and goldfish.

(b) Give one reason why each is a living thing.

(i) The potted plant can grow / makes its own food / needs water. (Any valid characteristic of living things.) (ii) The goldfish can grow / can reproduce / needs food and water / breathes. (Any valid characteristic of living things.)

Marking scheme:

• (a) 1 mark — both correct answers required.
• (b) 1 mark — one valid reason for each living thing. Accept any correct characteristic of life.

13.

Marking scheme:

• ½ mark for each correct tick, up to 2 marks.
• Common mistake: Students may classify a mushroom as non-living because it does not move. Remind them that mushrooms are fungi, which are living things.

14. Explain why a car is classified as a non-living thing even though it can move.

Answer: A car cannot grow, cannot reproduce, does not need food or water, and does not breathe. Although it can move, it needs fuel and a driver — it does not move on its own using its own energy. Therefore, it does not show the characteristics of living things and is classified as non-living.

Marking scheme:

• 2 marks: Clear explanation stating that the car lacks key life characteristics (e.g., growth, reproduction, need for food/water).
• 1 mark: Partial answer — mentions one correct point but explanation is incomplete.
• 0 marks: States only "It is made of metal" without linking to characteristics of life.

15. (a) What characteristic did the pupil use to sort the animals?

Answer: The pupil sorted the animals by their body covering / type of skin — Group P animals have feathers (birds), and Group Q animals have scales or bare moist skin (reptiles/amphibians). (Also accept: whether they are birds or reptiles/amphibians.)

(b) Name one other animal that could belong to Group Q.

Answer: Lizard / Snake / Salamander / Newt / Tortoise. (Any reptile or amphibian.)

Marking scheme:

• (a) 1 mark — correct sorting characteristic identified.
• (b) 1 mark — any valid reptile or amphibian.

16. Give two ways in which a plant is different from a rock.

Answer: (a) A plant can grow, but a rock cannot grow (or grows very slowly by accumulation, not biologically). (b) A plant needs water and food to survive, but a rock does not need water or food. (Also accept: A plant can reproduce / A plant responds to changes / A plant is a living thing.)

Marking scheme:

• 1 mark for each valid difference, up to 2 marks.
• Answers must contrast a characteristic of life (plant) with the absence of that characteristic (rock).

Section C — Structured / Application (4 questions, 18 marks total)

17. (a) Name one organism that is a bird. Give a reason.

Answer:

• Organism: Duck (or Eagle)
• Reason: It has feathers. (Also accept: It has a beak / It lays eggs.)

Marking scheme: 1 mark — correct organism with a valid reason. Both parts required.

(b) Which organism is a mammal? Give a reason.

Answer:

• Organism: Dolphin
• Reason: It is a mammal because it breathes with lungs / gives birth to live young / feeds its young milk / has a smooth body without feathers or scales. (Any valid mammalian characteristic.)

Marking scheme: 1 mark — correct organism with a valid reason. Both parts required.

(c) How is the ant different from the eagle? State one difference.

Answer: The ant does not have feathers / The ant cannot fly / The ant has six legs while the eagle has two legs and two wings / The ant is an insect while the eagle is a bird. (Any valid difference.)

Marking scheme: 1 mark — any correct difference.

(d) Explain why a dolphin is not a fish.

Answer: A dolphin breathes through lungs (not gills), gives birth to live young (does not lay eggs like most fish), and feeds its young milk. These are characteristics of mammals, not fish. Although a dolphin lives in water, it is a mammal.

Marking scheme:

• 2 marks: Clear explanation with at least two correct mammalian characteristics contrasted with fish.
• 1 mark: Partial answer — one correct point made.
• 0 marks: Incorrect or no response.

18. (a) Is the object a living thing or a non-living thing?

Answer: Non-living thing.

(b) Give two observations that support your answer.

(i) It does not grow. (ii) It does not need food or water. (Also accept: It does not move on its own.)

Marking scheme:

• (a) 1 mark — correct classification.
• (b) 1 mark — two valid observations from the list. ½ mark if only one correct observation is given.

19. (a) Name two groups that animals can be further sorted into.

(i) Birds (or mammals / reptiles / amphibians / fish / insects) (ii) Mammals (or any different valid animal group from above)

(Accept any two valid animal groups: birds, mammals, reptiles, amphibians, fish, insects.)

Marking scheme: 1 mark — two correct and distinct animal groups.

(b) Give one characteristic used to tell the two animal groups apart.

Answer: Body covering (e.g., feathers vs. fur) / Method of reproduction (e.g., lay eggs vs. give birth to live young) / How they breathe (e.g., gills vs. lungs). (Any valid distinguishing characteristic for the two groups named in (a).)

Marking scheme: 1 mark — valid distinguishing feature that matches the groups named in (a).

(c) Name two groups that plants can be further sorted into.

(i) Flowering plants (or ferns / mosses / conifers) (ii) Ferns (or any different valid plant group from above)

(Accept any two valid plant groups: flowering plants, ferns, mosses, conifers.)

Marking scheme: 1 mark — two correct and distinct plant groups.

(d) State one way flowering plants are different from ferns.

Answer: Flowering plants produce flowers and seeds, while ferns do not produce flowers or seeds — ferns reproduce using spores. (Also accept: Flowering plants have true roots, stems and leaves with transport tubes, while ferns have simpler structures.)

Marking scheme: 1 mark — any valid difference.

20. (a) Sort the living things into the correct groups.

Marking scheme:

• 2 marks: All six organisms correctly placed.
• 1 mark: Four or five organisms correctly placed.
• 0 marks: Fewer than four correct.

(b) Explain why the mushroom is grouped separately from the plants.

Answer: A mushroom is a fungus. Unlike plants, fungi cannot make their own food (no photosynthesis) and they feed on dead or decaying matter. Plants make their own food through photosynthesis using sunlight, water and carbon dioxide.

Marking scheme:

• 1 mark: Correct explanation — mushroom is a fungus and does not photosynthesise / makes its own food.
• Common mistake: Students may think mushrooms are plants because they do not move. Emphasise the feeding difference.

(c) State one way in which the earthworm and the goldfish are both animals are different.

Answer: The earthworm has no legs and lives on land / in soil, while the goldfish has fins and lives in water. (Also accept: The earthworm has a segmented body while the goldfish has scales and fins / The earthworm breathes through its skin while the goldfish breathes through gills.)

Marking scheme: 1 mark — any valid difference between the two animals.

End of Answer Key

This answer key is for a TuitionGoWhere AI-generated practice paper. It is syllabus-aligned and designed for practice purposes. It is not derived from any actual examination paper.