Primary 5 Science Diversity Quiz

Primary 5 Science Quiz - Diversity (Answer Key)

Total Marks: 50

Section A: Multiple-Choice Questions (10 × 2 marks = 20 marks)

1. Answer: B
Explanation: Mould, yeast, and mushroom are all fungi. Moss is a non-flowering plant (bryophyte). Fern is a non-flowering plant (pteridophyte). Bacteria belong to kingdom Monera. Viruses are non-living and not classified in any kingdom.
Marks: 2

2. Answer: A
Explanation: Ferns are non-flowering plants (reproduce by spores). Goldfish have a backbone → vertebrates. Grasshoppers are insects without a backbone → invertebrates.
Marks: 2

3. Answer: B
Explanation: Bread mould, mushroom, and yeast reproduce by spores. Bacteria reproduce by binary fission (not spores). Not all can be seen with naked eye (bacteria, yeast are microscopic). Not all make their own food (fungi and bacteria are decomposers/heterotrophs). Not all are microorganisms (mushroom is macroscopic).
Marks: 2

4. Answer: B
Explanation: The plant has fibrous roots, parallel leaf venation, and no flowers. These are characteristics of non-flowering plants (specifically monocots like grasses, but since no flowers are present, it is classified as non-flowering). Flowering plants produce flowers. Fungi and bacteria do not have roots, stems, or leaves.
Marks: 2

5. Answer: C
Explanation: Earthworms are invertebrates (no backbone). Snakes, frogs, and birds are vertebrates (have backbones).
Marks: 2

6. Answer: B
Explanation: Following the flowchart: Has backbone → Yes → Has feathers? No → Has hair/fur? Yes → Mammal. Mammals have hair/fur and give birth to live young (except monotremes).
Marks: 2

7. Answer: B
Explanation: All living things need air, food, and water to survive. Not all living things move from place to place (plants are stationary). Not all reproduce by laying eggs (mammals give live birth, plants produce seeds/spores). Not all have backbones (invertebrates lack backbones).
Marks: 2

8. Answer: C
Explanation: Ferns are non-flowering plants that make their own food (have chlorophyll) and reproduce by spores. Organism R has both ✓ for "Makes its own food" and "Has chlorophyll", but no ✓ for "Reproduces by spores" — wait, the table shows R has ✓ for "Makes its own food" and "Has chlorophyll", but not for "Reproduces by spores". Let me re-read: P has ✓ for makes food and chlorophyll. Q has ✓ for reproduces by spores. R has ✓ for makes food and chlorophyll. S has ✓ for reproduces by spores. Ferns make food (photosynthesis), have chlorophyll, AND reproduce by spores. None of the organisms show all three. But R is the only one that makes food AND has chlorophyll (plant characteristics). The question asks "most likely a fern". Ferns reproduce by spores, so the table might be incomplete or the question expects R as the plant that makes food and has chlorophyll. Actually, looking again: P and R both make food and have chlorophyll. But only Q and S reproduce by spores. A fern does all three. This might be a trick question where no organism perfectly matches, but R is the only plant-like one (makes food, has chlorophyll). However, standard P5 knowledge: ferns reproduce by spores. Let me reconsider — perhaps the table shows characteristics they HAVE, and a fern would have all three. Since no organism has all three, but R has two plant characteristics, and the question says "most likely", R is the best answer among the choices as it shows plant characteristics.
Correction: Actually, looking at typical exam questions, ferns are non-flowering plants that reproduce by spores. The table might be showing which characteristics each organism has. Organism R makes food and has chlorophyll (plant traits). But it doesn't show spore reproduction. However, P also makes food and has chlorophyll. The difference might be that P is a flowering plant (reproduces by seeds, not spores), while R is a non-flowering plant like a fern. Since the table doesn't show reproduction for P and R, we infer from the options. Standard answer: R.
Marks: 2

9. Answer: C
Explanation: Mushrooms are fungi — they lack chlorophyll (cannot photosynthesize), grow on decaying matter (saprotrophs), and reproduce by spores. Mosses and ferns are plants (have chlorophyll). Algae have chlorophyll.
Marks: 2

10. Answer: C
Explanation: Leaves have stomata for gas exchange (taking in CO₂, releasing O₂). Roots absorb water and minerals. Stems transport substances and provide support. Flowers are for reproduction.
Marks: 2

Section B: Structured Questions (5 × 4 marks = 20 marks)

11.
(a) Both are living things / Both are made of cells / Both carry out life processes (respiration, reproduction, etc.)
Marks: 1

(b) Organism A is unicellular (single-celled) while Organism B is multicellular (many-celled). / Organism A has a flagellum for movement while Organism B is a plant fixed in place. / Organism A is a protist while Organism B is a plant.
Marks: 1

(c) Euglena is a living thing because it carries out all life processes: it feeds (can photosynthesize and ingest food), respires, reproduces (by binary fission), responds to stimuli (moves towards light using its eyespot and flagellum), grows, and excretes waste.
Marks: 2 (1 mark for listing life processes, 1 mark for explaining Euglena does them)

12.

Marking: 1 mark per correct organism in each group. All three fungi must be correct for 2 marks; both non-flowering plants must be correct for 2 marks. Partial credit: 1 mark if 2/3 fungi correct; 1 mark if 1/2 non-flowering plants correct.

13.
(a) Pollination and fertilisation / Fertilisation
Marks: 1

(b) The flower is the reproductive part of the plant. It produces male (pollen) and female (ovules) reproductive cells. After pollination and fertilisation, the flower develops into fruit containing seeds.
Marks: 1

(c) Method 1: Wind dispersal — Example: Dandelion / Angsana / Grass
Method 2: Animal dispersal — Example: Love grass / Rambutan / Papaya
(Other acceptable methods: Water dispersal — Coconut; Explosive dispersal — Touch-me-not / Rubber tree; Splitting — Pea pod)
Marks: 1 per method + example (2 marks total)

14.
(a) Bat
Marks: 1

(b) Has hair / Breathes with lungs / Gives birth to live young (any two)
Marks: 2 (1 mark each)

(c) Frog has moist skin; Penguin has feathers.
Marks: 1

15.
(a) Fungi
Marks: 1

(b) It cannot make its own food (heterotrophic / saprotrophic) — it obtains nutrients by decomposing dead matter. It reproduces by spores. (Any two)
Marks: 2 (1 mark each)

(c) Mould / Yeast / Mushroom / Toadstool / Bracket fungus
Marks: 1

Section C: Open-Ended Questions (2 × 5 marks = 10 marks)

16.
(a) Plant X: Flowering Plant
Plant Y: Flowering Plant
Plant Z: Non-flowering Plant
Marks: 3 (1 mark each)

(b) Plant X has net-like (reticulate) leaf venation, while Plant Y has parallel leaf venation.
Marks: 1

(c) Plant Z (fern) is a plant — it has chlorophyll and can make its own food through photosynthesis. Fungi do not have chlorophyll and cannot make their own food; they are decomposers that obtain nutrients from dead/decaying matter.
Marks: 1

17.
(a) (i) Monera
(ii) Protista
(iii) Fungi
(iv) Plantae
(v) Animalia
Marks: 3 (1 mark per 2 correct, or 0.6 each — typically 3 marks for all 5 correct, 2 marks for 3-4 correct, 1 mark for 1-2 correct)

(b) Bacteria are prokaryotes (no nucleus), while Amoeba is a eukaryote (has a nucleus). / Bacteria belong to kingdom Monera; Amoeba belongs to kingdom Protista.
Marks: 1

(c) Plants are autotrophs (make their own food by photosynthesis using chlorophyll). Fungi are heterotrophs (saprotrophs) — they obtain food by secreting enzymes onto dead/decaying matter and absorbing the digested nutrients.
Marks: 1

18.
(a) Reptile
Marks: 1

(b) Whales are mammals because they have hair (at some stage of life), breathe air using lungs (not gills), give birth to live young, and feed their young with milk. Fish have gills, scales, lay eggs, and do not produce milk.
Marks: 2 (1 mark for mammal characteristics, 1 mark for contrast with fish)

(c) Similarity: Both are vertebrates (have backbones) / Both are cold-blooded / Both lay eggs (generally).
Difference: Amphibians have moist, permeable skin and typically undergo metamorphosis (aquatic larval stage with gills); Reptiles have dry, scaly skin and do not undergo metamorphosis (young resemble adults).
Marks: 1 + 1

19.
(a) To find out the conditions needed for bread mould to grow. / To investigate the effect of moisture, temperature, and light on mould growth.
Marks: 1

(b) Set-up A (warm) and Set-up B (cold) — both have moisture and are dark.
Marks: 1

(c) Set-up C has dry bread (no moisture). Mould needs moisture to grow.
Marks: 1

(d) Repeat the experiment (have multiple set-ups for each condition) to ensure results are consistent / reliable. / Use the same type and size of bread in all set-ups. / Control other variables like type of bread, amount of water, etc.
Marks: 1

(e) Decomposers break down dead organisms and waste materials into simpler substances, returning nutrients to the soil for plants to reuse.
Marks: 1

20.
(a) Grasshopper, Rabbit, Mouse
Marks: 1 (all three needed)

(b) The population of mice may increase because snakes are predators of mice. With snakes removed, there is less predation on mice, so more mice survive and reproduce.
Marks: 2 (1 mark for "increase", 1 mark for correct explanation linking predator-prey relationship)

(c) Decomposers break down dead organisms and waste, recycling nutrients back into the environment for producers (plants) to use.
Marks: 1

(d) Flowering plants produce flowers / produce seeds enclosed in fruits / reproduce by seeds.
Marks: 1

Total: 50 marks

Marking Notes for Teachers:

• Accept scientifically correct alternative answers.
• For open-ended questions, award marks for key concepts/keywords.
• Deduct marks for incomplete explanations only if the question specifically asks for explanation.
• In Q8, if a student argues that no organism perfectly matches a fern, accept with valid reasoning.
• In Q17(a), award partial credit for partially correct kingdom classifications.