Key Stage 3 Science Book 3 Assessments
Our Health and the Effects of Drugs
Answers
1. Why is cannabis less addictive than tobacco? [1 mark]
d)
Difficulty level: moderate
Skill level: knowledge
2. Why do alcoholics sometimes develop a yellow colour in their skin? [1 mark]
b)
Difficulty level: difficult
Skill level: knowledge
3. Cholera spreads in a similar way to typhoid. How can governments drastically reduce the spread of
cholera?
[1 mark]
c)
Difficulty level: moderate
Skill level: application
4. HIV attacks a person’s T-cells. Why are HIV sufferers more prone to infections from other microbes?
[1 mark]
b)
Difficulty level: difficult
Skill level: application
5. Four red paper discs, A-D, were soaked in four different antibiotic solutions and placed on an agar
plate. The agar plate contained bacteria, grown from a swab taken from a door handle near an
operating theatre in a hospital. The grey area shows bacterial growth, while the white areas show no
growth.
Which is the most effective antibiotic against the bacteria cultured on this plate? [1 mark]
a)
Difficulty level: moderate
Skill level: evaluation
© HarperCollinsPublishers 2014
Key Stage 3 Science Book 3 Assessments
6. In 1998, a research paper incorrectly claimed that there was a link between autism and the measles,
mumps and rubella vaccine (MMR). The subsequent media storm led to a vast reduction in the number
of children vaccinated against MMR.
The graph shows the relationship between the percentage of children given the MMR vaccine and the
number of reported cases of measles.
What relationship between the MMR vaccine and measles is shown? [1 mark]
a)
Difficulty level: difficult
Skill level: evaluation
7. Match the drinks to the units of alcohol. [1 mark]
50 ml of vodka (40 per cent ABV)
2.0 units
75 ml of coffee liquor (17 per cent ABV)
1.3 units
Pint of real ale (4 per cent ABV)
2.3 units
Pint lager (5.5 per cent ABV)
3.1 units
Difficulty level: moderate
Skill level: application
8. Match the sentences about lung cancer and smoking to the correct endings. [1 mark]
Most lung cancer is thought to be caused by __
smoking regularly for a long period of
time
Some smokers don’t get cancer because of __
genetic factors
You may get lung cancer from __
passive smoking
Smokers often continue to smoke, despite the risk
as they are addicted to __
the nicotine in cigarettes
Difficulty level: difficult
Skill level: knowledge
© HarperCollinsPublishers 2014
Key Stage 3 Science Book 3 Assessments
9. The bacteria that causes tuberculosis in the lungs causes inflammation and coughing. What cells
would you expect to present in much greater number than normal in the lungs? Choose two answers. [1
mark]
b), c)
Difficulty level: moderate
Skill level: application
10. Why is it not advisable for an alcoholic to go ‘cold turkey’? Choose two answers. [1 mark]
b), c)
Difficulty level: moderate
Skill level: knowledge
11. What are the similarities and differences between bacteria, viruses and fungi cells? [4 marks]
(the answer should contain four of the following)
1) They all contain genetic material
2) They all separate themselves from their environment
3) Bacteria have cell walls
4) Fungi have a dedicated nucleus
5) Viruses do not have any cell parts/structures
6) Fungi contain a vacuole
7) Bacteria have pili or flagella
8) Viruses are often classed as not living as they can’t reproduce on their own
Difficulty level: moderate
Skill level: knowledge
12. What kind of changes can occur in the bodies of drug addicts? Give two examples. [2 marks]
(the answer should contain two of the following)
1) Both physiological and emotional changes can occur in drug addicts; these vary depending on the
type of drug used
2) Physiological effects include: depressed or rapid breathing; slow or rapid heart rate; the brain can
show differences in structure and chemical production levels; the person’s memory, coordination
(motor skills) and decision making may all be affected
3) Emotional effects include: changes in mood (e.g. aggressive behaviour and/or depression and suicidal
thoughts); when on drugs, the person may exhibit hyperactivity, confidence or paranoia; when not on
drugs, addicts may experience a state of anxiety, stress and/or depression
Difficulty level: moderate
Skill level: knowledge
© HarperCollinsPublishers 2014
Key Stage 3 Science Book 3 Assessments
13. Describe some of the negative effects of drug use or addiction on the individual user and on society
as a whole. [2 marks]
(the answer should contain one ‘individual’ effect and one ‘societal’ effect)
Individual: Can cause the break-up of families.
Individual: Health issues such as contraction of HIV from shared needles or infections from injecting
Individual: Any physiological or emotional problem
Individual: Any other valid point
Societal: Cost of treating addicts or placing them in prison.
Societal: Crime: policing costs, damage and theft of property and emotional costs to victims of crime
Societal: Higher instances and risks of infection transmission (HIV and hepatitis)
Societal: Reduced employment/productivity
Difficulty level: difficult
Skill level: knowledge
14. Four red paper discs, A-D, were soaked in four different antibiotic solutions: Disc B was soaked in
methicillin and A, C and D in some other kinds of antibiotic solutions. They were then placed on an agar
plate.
The agar plate contained bacteria, grown from a swab taken from a patient who had developed an
infection after surgery. The grey area shows bacterial growth, while the white areas show no growth.
Why should the hospital be concerned about the results? [2 marks]
(the answer should contain two of the following)
1) The antibiotics are not very effective – bacteria around B and C have not been affected/killed by the
antibiotic, and there is only a small inhibition of growth around A and D
2) The bacteria is resistant to B and C and possibly generating a resistance to A and D
3) This is a concern to the hospital, because these antibiotics will not be of any use to the surgery
patient as they will not treat the infection
4) If it is a vigorous strain of bacteria then it might kill people as it is more likely to be able to spread
without any means of controlling it
5) The bacteria might be a ‘superbug’ such as MRSA (note: there are different kinds of MRSA and they
are not universally resistant to all antibiotics and not necessarily more virulent that other forms of
Staphylococcus aureus)
Difficulty level: moderate
Skill level: evaluation
© HarperCollinsPublishers 2014
Key Stage 3 Science Book 3 Assessments
15. A bacteriophage is a virus which infects bacteria. A particular type of bacteriophage called T4 is
about 0.2 µm long and infects E.Coli, a rod-shaped bacterium which is about 2 µm in length. Calculate
how many T4 bacteriophages would fit length ways, nose to tail, into the E.Coli. Show your workings. [2
marks]
(the answer should contain two of the following)
1) 2 divided by 0.2
2) equals 10
Difficulty level: difficult
Skill level: evaluation
16. Claims that the measles, mumps and rubella (MMR) vaccine was linked to autism have led to a
decrease in the number of children vaccinated against these diseases. More recently it was shown that
there is no link between the MMR vaccine and autism. Explain why, even though the number of
children vaccinated with the MMR vaccine is rising, the number of children getting these diseases is still
rising. [4 marks]
(the answer should contain four of the following)
1) If you are not vaccinated you are not protected against the disease
2) A vaccination program is usually only successful at controlling a disease if a high number are
vaccinated
(about 95 per cent)
3) If the number vaccinated is lower than this 95 per cent, then the diseases are still likely to spread
4) The more people who get the vaccination, the more protection society in general will have
5) However, not everybody needs to take it – if a high enough percentage does, this will usually stop
outbreaks and therefore the disease will be less likely to spread, even for the people who haven’t been
vaccinated
Difficulty level: moderate
Skill level: application
17. One hospital has decided to use copper handles on their door as they believe it will transmit less
bacteria to visitors, patients and staff. Suggest how you might assess the effectiveness of copper
handles, compared with other materials, at reducing bacterial growth. [4 marks]
(the answer should contain the following)
1) Conduct a study which compares copper with steel, plastic and any other material
2) Take cotton swabs of the handles that have been placed in the same location for the same length of
time
3) The swabs are then used to inoculate an agar plate with the bacteria
4) Bacteria are incubated for the same length of time and the plates are assessed for number of bacteria
present
Difficulty level: difficult
Skill level: application
© HarperCollinsPublishers 2014