B1 Environment Adaptation Competition

Foundation

45 minutes
45 marks

Page 1 of 15

Q1.

Environmental scientists study the levels of pollution in lakes and rivers. They decide how
dangerous the pollution is to organisms living in or around the water.
(a)

Water pollution is often caused by chemicals used as fertilisers.

Complete the sentences.
When it rains, fertilisers wash off fields and into rivers or lakes.
This is called ........................................................... . These fertilisers make water
plants grow rapidly. The plants become overcrowded and die.
Bacteria cause the dead plants to decay and use up ..............................................
from the water.
This complete process is called ............................................................................ .
(3)

(b)

Some students were asked to study the pollution levels in a stream running through the
school grounds.
They were given the chart shown below.

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Describe how the students would use the information in the chart to determine how
polluted the stream is.
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(4)
(Total 7 marks)

Q2.

Lichens are pollution indicators.

(a)

Complete the following sentence.

Lichens are indicators of the gas ..................................................................
(1)

The chart shows how much pollution different lichens can tolerate.

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(b)

The diagram shows the areas, J, K, L and M, in which different lichen species grew
around a factory. The factory burns coal.

(i)

In which direction does the wind blow the pollution from the factory?
Tick ( ) one box.
Wind direction

Tick
( )

From the factory towards the north

From the factory towards the east
From the factory towards the south
From the factory towards the west
(1)

(ii)

Which row in the table shows a correct distribution of lichens?

Tick ( ) one row.

Lichen in area
J

Lichen in area
K

Lichen in area
L

Lichen in area
M

Xanthoria

Diploicia

Parmelia

Ramalina

Degelia

Bryoria

Lecanora

Xanthoria

Xanthoria

Lecanora

Bryoria

Parmelia

Tick
( )

(1)
(Total 3 marks)

Q3.

Lichens are pollution indicators.

(a)

Complete the following sentence.

Lichens are indicators of the gas ..................................................................
(1)

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The chart shows how much pollution different lichens can tolerate.

(b)

The diagram shows the areas, J, K, L and M, in which different lichen species grew
around a factory. The factory burns coal.

(i)

In which direction does the wind blow the pollution from the factory?
Tick ( ) one box.
Wind direction

Tick
( )

From the factory towards the north

From the factory towards the east
From the factory towards the south
From the factory towards the west
(1)

Page 5 of 15

(ii)

Which row in the table shows a correct distribution of lichens?

Tick ( ) one row.

Lichen in area
J

Lichen in area
K

Lichen in area
L

Lichen in area
M

Xanthoria

Diploicia

Parmelia

Ramalina

Degelia

Bryoria

Lecanora

Xanthoria

Xanthoria

Lecanora

Bryoria

Parmelia

Tick
( )

(1)
(Total 3 marks)

Q4.

Emperor penguins have adaptations that help them to survive in very cold antarctic
conditions.

Emperor penguins catch fish in the sea.

Use this information and information from the drawing to explain how the Emperor penguin is
adapted to survive in the antarctic.
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(Total 3 marks)

Page 6 of 15

Q5.

Animals have adaptations that enable them to survive.

(a)

The photograph shows an echidna.

The echidna has pointed spines on its back.

Explain how these spines might help the echidna to survive.
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(2)

Page 7 of 15

(b)

The photograph shows a caterpillar.

S.J. Krasemann / Peter Arnold / Still Pictures

Explain how the caterpillars appearance might help it to survive.

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(2)

Page 8 of 15

(c)

Draw a ring around the correct answer to complete each sentence.

genetic engineering
(i)

Evolution can be explained by a theory called

mutation
natural selection

(1)

Darwin
(ii) This theory was suggested by a scientist called Charles

Lamarck
Semmelweiss

(1)

monkeys
(iii) This scientist said that all living things have evolved from

dinosaurs
simple life forms

(1)

(d)

Many religious people oppose the theory of evolution.

Give one reason why.
.....................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 8 marks)

Q6.

The drawing shows a poison-dart frog.

(a)

The poison-dart frog moves mainly by jumping.

Use information from the drawing to suggest one way in which this frog is adapted for
jumping.
.....................................................................................................................................
.....................................................................................................................................
(1)

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(b)

Use the information below to suggest how the poison-dart frog is adapted for survival.

This poison-dart frog is bright blue in colour.

Animals that eat poison-dart frogs become very sick.

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.....................................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 2 marks)

Q7.

The drawing shows a kangaroo rat.

This rat lives in hot, dry deserts.

(a)

Explain how each of the following features helps the kangaroo rat to survive in a hot, dry
desert.
(i)

It does not produce urine.

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(1)

(ii)

It lives in a burrow during the day, but comes out at night to search for food.
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(1)

(iii)

Its feet and its tail each have a large surface area.
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..........................................................................................................................
(1)

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(b)

The kangaroo rat does not sweat.

Explain why not sweating could be dangerous for the animal.
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....................................................................................................................................
(1)
(Total 4 marks)

##
The lynx is a wild cat which lives in Canada. The table shows the number of lynx trapped in a
part of Canada in certain years.

Year

Number of lynx
in thousands

1918

45

1920

25

1922

10

1924

20

1926

40

1928

50

The snowshoe hare is another wild animal found in Canada. The graph shows the number of
snowshoe hares trapped in the same years. The lynx eats the snowshoe hare.

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(a)

Draw a graph of the data in the table. The first two points have been plotted for you.
(2)

(b)

From your graph, predict how many lynx were trapped in 1925.
.......................................................................... thousand
(1)

(c)

Use the information to answer the following.

(i)

What would you expect to happen to the number of lynx trapped in 1930? Draw a ring
around your answer.
rise

fall

stay the same

(1)

(ii)

Give a reason for your answer to part (c) (i).

...........................................................................................................................
...........................................................................................................................
(1)

(d)

The lynx is a predator. What is a predator?

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(1)
(Total 6 marks)

Q9.

Greenfly feed on rose bushes. Ladybirds (predators) feed on these greenfly. The graph
shows how the population of greenfly and ladybirds in a garden change over a period of three
years.

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(a)

To gain full marks in this question you should write your ideas in good English. Put them
into a sensible order and use the correct scientific words.
Describe what happened to the population of greenfly over the three years.
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(3)

(b)

Give one factor that limits the number of ladybirds.

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(1)
(Total 4 marks)

Page 13 of 15

Q10.

The graphs give information, from a hundred years ago, about the size of the population of
snowshoe hares and lynx, which live in northern Canada. Snowshoe hares are herbivores. Lynx
are carnivores and prey on snowshoe hares.

(a)

Give three factors which can affect the size of the snowshoe hare population.
1. .................................................................................................................................
2. ................................................................................................................................
3. ................................................................................................................................
(3)

(b)

The graph for numbers of lynx shows a similar cycle to that of the snowshoe hares. The
peaks for lynx usually occur about a year later than the peaks for the snowshoe hares.
Suggest why.
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(2)
(Total 5 marks)

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