Content Benchmark L.8.B.5
Students know diseases can result from defects in body systems or from damage caused
by infection. E/S
Sample Test Questions
1st Item Specification: Understand the general ways that diseases are spread among
organisms.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
1. The explanation that diseases are caused by microorganism is known as the
A. cell theory.
B. immune theory.
C. germ theory.
D. infection theory.
2. Which of the following factors would NOT help you remain healthy?
A. Wash your hands frequently
B. Exercise several times a week
C. Maintain a healthy diet
D. Smoke tobacco regularly
3. What is the first line of defense to prevent pathogens from entering the body?
A. Red blood cells
B. White blood cells
C. Antigens
D. Skin
4. Individuals “catch a cold” because they
A. were exposed to a virus.
B. went to bed with wet hair.
C. go outside without a jacket.
D. swim in cold water.
5. Which of the following microbe’s existence was confirmed with the invention of the
electron microscope?
A. Bacteria
B. Protista
C. Fungi
D. Viruses
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
6. Why was the invention of the electron microscope important in understanding
infectious disease?
A. Identifying pathogens is important to prevent and treat diseases.
B. It allowed scientists to see bacteria and protists for the first time.
C. Observing organisms gave scientists clues for developing antibiotics.
D. It led to the development of antibiotic resistant bacteria.
7. An outbreak of the influenza virus has occurred at a school. What is the best advice
for the staff and students, which have contracted the flu, to reduce the spread of the
virus?
A. Immediately visit a doctor for a prescription of antibiotics.
B. Remain at home until they no longer have symptoms.
C. Wash their hands prior to eating lunch in the cafeteria.
D. Take antibiotics from a previous illness until they can see a doctor.
2nd Item Specification: Understand the general ways that disease affects individual
organisms.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
8. A breakdown in the function of a living organism is
A. vaccination.
B. disease.
C. immunity.
D. medicine.
9. Organisms that cause disease are
A. pathogens.
B. toxins.
C. genetics.
D. symptoms.
10. Exposure to a weakened or mild form of a pathogen to produce immunity is a(n)
A. fever.
B. interferon.
C. vaccine.
D. antibiotic.
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
11. A student became sick after sharing a drink with an infected classmate who did not
show any symptoms of being sick. The infected classmate is most likely
A. a carrier for the disease.
B. a vector for the disease.
C. developed antibiotic resistance.
D. maintains a healthy diet.
12. How do viruses cause damage to organisms?
A. Release toxins as they carry out life processes
B. Grow and block the flow of blood
C. Remove nutrients from the digestive system
D. Destroy cells as they multiply
3rd Item Specification: Recognize that some diseases are caused by many different
types of infections (e.g. virus- influenza, AIDS; bacteria- pneumonia, strep throat;
protista- malaria; fungus- athletes foot)
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
13. The microorganisms primarily responsible for food poisoning are
A. viruses.
B. protists.
C. fungi.
D. bacteria.
14. Some diseases such as malaria and the plague are spread by organisms that infect
others without experiencing the sickness. The organisms that spread disease are
known as
A. vectors.
B. mutagens.
C. antibodies.
D. carcinogens.
15. Which of the following is an example of a vector and the disease that it spreads?
A. Bacteria and strep throat
B. Shoes and athletes foot
C. Mosquitoes and malaria
D. Hospitals and pneumonia
16. After visiting a public swimming pool, a person develops an itchy and inflamed
infection on their feet. What disease did the person most likely develop?
A. Athletes foot
B. Ringworm
C. Strep throat
D. Pneumonia
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
17. Malaria is a disease that is caused by a protist known as Plasmodium. When a
mosquito bites a person infected with malaria, then bites a healthy person, the
malaria-causing pathogens can infect the healthy person. What is the vector in this
case?
A. Human
B. Plasmodium
C. Mosquito
D. Blood
18. The table below describes the patient and the symptoms they are experiencing. Use
the table to answer the question below.
Patient
1
2
3
4
Description of Symptoms
A student recently ate food from a damaged food container and is now
experiencing difficulty seeing, swallowing and breathing.
A food handler in a rural area does not have access to proper toilet
facilities. He now has a high fever, chills, cramps, and blood in stool.
A 6 year-old child had cold-like symptoms for several days, then
developed a red rash all over her body and became dehydrated.
A traveler went to a country with poor water treatment and no proper
toilet facilities. She exhibits vomiting, muscle cramps, and dehydration.
Cholera is a highly infectious disease common in areas where sanitation is poor.
Symptoms include severe diarrhea, vomiting, extreme dehydration, and muscle
cramps. What patient is most likely experiencing cholera?
A. Patient 1
B. Patient 2
C. Patient 3
D. Patient 4
4th Item Specification: Identify that some diseases are infectious, others may be
inherited, and some result from a breakdown of body systems.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
19. Which of the following is NOT an infectious disease?
A. Influenza
B. Strep throat
C. Chicken pox
D. Cancer
20. An infectious disease may NOT be transmitted by
A. being bitten by an insect.
B. inheriting a gene mutation.
C. shaking hands with an infected person.
D. improperly cleaned surgical instruments.
21. Inherited disorders can be caused by
A.
B.
C.
D.
gene mutations.
changing one’s diet.
drinking contaminated water.
eating contaminated food.
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
22. If a child is born with a genetic disorder, but the mother and father do not have the
disorder, then how did the child develop the disorder?
A. The child was exposed to an infectious agent at birth.
B. The child has an allergy to an environmental agent.
C. The disorder is caused by a recessive trait and both parents are carriers.
D. The disorder is caused by a dominant trait that both parents possess.
23. Why are antibiotics ineffective for treating viral infections?
A. Antibiotics work by interfering with bacterial cell processes.
B. Antibiotics treat the symptoms and not the cause of the infection.
C. Viruses have different cell walls than bacteria.
D. Viruses contain genetic material that is resistant to medicine.
5th Item Specification: Know defects in body systems can be related to congenital,
autoimmune, or environmental conditions.
Depth of Knowledge Level 1
24. Autoimmune diseases result when the immune system
A. overreacts to allergens in the environment.
B. is weakened by the presence of a virus.
C. no longer functions at all.
D. fails to distinguish itself from foreign material.
25. Which of the following is NOT an environmental factor that affects the health of a
person?
A. Toxic waste in land fills
B. Exposure to solar radiation
C. Poor water quality
D. Improved air quality
Depth of Knowledge Level 2
26. One type of allergic reaction results in the constriction of the bronchial tubes, which
interferes with the passage of air into the lungs. This type of allergic reaction is most
closely associated with
A. pneumonia.
B. strep throat.
C. asthma.
D. lung cancer.
27. A construction worker is informed by his doctor that he has developed lung cancer.
What working conditions most likely contributed to his illness?
A. Removing asbestos tiles from homes.
B. Installing artificial turf in yards.
C. Consuming large quantities of fish.
D. Overexposure to ultraviolet sunlight.
28. Pregnant women are told by their doctors to limit the amount of fish in their diet.
Doctors are concerned the fetus may be affected by high concentrations of what
element in the environment?
A. Lead
B. Mercury
C. Oxygen
D. Nitrogen
Constructed Response L.8.B.5
1. A group of students took potato salad made with mayonnaise to a picnic on a very hot
day. Explain how eating the potato salad could cause food poisoning. Describe
something that could be done to the potato salad to prevent the people who eat it from
getting food poisoning, and why this would work.
Content Benchmark L.8.B.5
Students know diseases can result from defects in body systems or from damage caused
by infection. E/S
Answers to Sample Test Questions
1. C, DOK Level 1
2. D, DOK Level 1
3. D, DOK Level 1
4. A, DOK Level 1
5. D, DOK Level 1
6. A, DOK Level 2
7. B, DOK Level 2
8. B, DOK Level 1
9. A, DOK Level 1
10. C, DOK Level 1
11. A, DOK Level 2
12. D, DOK Level 2
13. D, DOK Level 1
14. A, DOK Level 1
15. C, DOK Level 1
16. A, DOK Level 1
17. C, DOK Level 2
18. D, DOK Level 2
19. D, DOK Level 1
20. B, DOK Level 1
21. A, DOK Level 1
22. C, DOK Level 2
23. A, DOK Level 2
24. D, DOK Level 1
25. D, DOK Level 1
26. C, DOK Level 2
27. A, DOK Level 2
28. B, DOK Level 2
Constructed Response L.8.B.5 Score Rubric:
3 Points
Response addresses all parts of the question clearly and correctly.
The potato salad may cause food poisoning if it is not refrigerated. As the
temperature of the potato salad increase, the rate that the microbes
reproduce in the salad also increases. Over time, the bacteria in the potato
salad will increase and if the students eat the potato salad then they may get
sick because the bacteria produce toxins that harm people. If the potato
salad was refrigerated, then the bacteria would not reproduce as quickly
and the students would not get food poisoning.
2 Points
Response addresses all parts of the question and includes only minor
errors.
1 Point
Response does not address all parts of the question.
0 Points
Response is totally incorrect or no response provided.