Key Stage 3 Science Book 3 Assessments
Variation for Survival (Orange level)
1. Which of the statements is true? [1 mark]
a) All organisms in a species are identical
b) Individuals from the same species can breed to produce fertile offspring
c) Different species do not have any features in common
d) Individuals within a species cannot breed successfully
2. What type of correlation is shown when, as one quantity increases, the other also increases? [1 mark]
a) No correlation
b) Positive correlation
c) Negative correlation
d) Discontinuous variation
3. A plant grower transfers the pollen from a plant producing small, sweet-smelling flowers onto a plant
producing large flowers without any scent. What type of flower would the breeder hope to produce? [1
mark]
a) Small flowers with no scent
b) Small, sweet-smelling flowers
c) Large flowers with no scent
d) Large, sweet-smelling flowers
4. A type of monkey has been found living in a forest. Scientists believe that natural selection over many
years has led to its tail becoming much longer. The longer tail means that the monkeys are able to hang
in the trees longer to avoid predators. How has natural selection led to this change? [1 mark]
a) Monkeys with longer tails are more fertile
b) Monkeys with longer tails are better camouflaged in the forest
c) Monkeys with longer tails are more attractive to monkeys of the opposite sex
d) Monkeys with longer tails are more likely to survive long enough to breed
5. A young girl has the same colour eyes and same shaped nose as her mother, and has freckles and red
hair like her father. Which statement explains why the girl has some features in common with her
mother and other features in common with her father? [1 mark]
a) The girl has 46 chromosomes in most cells of her body
b) The girl has inherited half of her chromosomes from her mother and half from her father
c) Each sperm cell contains only half the number of chromosomes of other cells
d) Each egg cell contains only half the number of chromosomes of other cells
© HarperCollinsPublishers 2014
Key Stage 3 Science Book 3 Assessments
6. Different species of birds have beaks of different shapes, sizes and colours. Which of these ideas is
not supported by this evidence? (1 mark)
a) Different species have a different diet
b) Different species have evolved in different ways
c) All birds have beaks
d) Different species evolved at different times
7. Match each description with the correct word. [1 mark]
Thread-like strands of DNA that carry genetic
information
Gene
Control the development of individual characteristics
Chromosome
The chemical from which chromosomes are made
Inherit
Gain from either of your parents
DNA
© HarperCollinsPublishers 2014
Key Stage 3 Science Book 3 Assessments
8. A scientist is following a recipe to extract DNA from liver cells. Unfortunately, the steps and the
reasons for each have been mixed up. Match each step in the process of extracting DNA to its purpose
[1 mark]
Sample of tissue taken
Cells are broken open
Tissue is ground
To provide a sample of cells
Salt and cleaning agent
added
Solidifies the DNA
Ethanol added
Breaks down fats and
protein
9. Choose two correct statements about a sperm cell. [1 mark]
a) A human sperm cell contains 23 pairs of chromosomes
b) A human sperm cell contains 23 single chromosomes
c) When a sperm fertilises an egg, the chromosomes from the egg and sperm form a
complete set
d) Sperm cells do not contain any chromosomes, only the egg does
10. A group of scientists have made a clone of an unusual mouse with one brown eye and one blue eye.
The mouse was cloned by nuclear transfer. Choose two statements that are true. [1 mark]
a) The chromosomes of the mice clones would be identical
b) The chromosomes of the mice clones would be similar, but not identical
c) The original mouse would have no nucleus left in its cells
d) The clone of the mouse would also have one brown and one blue eye
11. Describe and explain an example of a natural cause of extinction. [2 marks]
12. Tropical rainforests and coral reefs are the ecosystems with the greatest biodiversity on the planet.
Explain how an ecosystem with high biodiversity is more able to survive changes than an ecosystem with
low biodiversity. [2 marks]
© HarperCollinsPublishers 2014
Key Stage 3 Science Book 3 Assessments
13. A farmer wants to breed bigger cows with less fat, so that he can make more money from selling
them. Explain how he could use selective breeding to produce these cows. [2 marks]
14. A child visits a museum and sees some stuffed birds from history. He notices that a gull that lives in a
colder environment has a much thicker plumage of feathers than one that lives in a warmer
environment. Explain how natural selection has led to the thicker plumage in the bird from a colder
environment. [2 marks]
15. The table shows information about four sisters.
Annabelle and Anya are identical twins. Use ideas about genetic information to explain why Annabelle
and Anya have the same features, whereas some of their features differ from Annie and Amelia. [2
marks]
© HarperCollinsPublishers 2014
Key Stage 3 Science Book 3 Assessments
16. A single strand of DNA has been screened in a research laboratory. The order of bases is shown
below.
Explain why these results are not representative of the whole DNA molecule and comment on the rest
of the molecule. [2 marks]
17. Describe what happens to cow DNA when we eat beef, and explain how DNA testing is used to make
sure the beef we buy is labelled correctly. [4 marks]
18. A brother and sister are both left-handed. However, they have different eye colour – the boy has
brown eyes and the girl has blue eyes. Explain how fertilisation has led to this difference in eye colour.
[4 marks]
© HarperCollinsPublishers 2014