PAST QUESTIONS CLASSIFICATION

Question 1

June 2021 P2

State two roles of the producer in the food web (2 marks)

Answer 1

1. to perform photosynthesis

2. to create food from inorganic matter

Question 2

June 2021 P2

Identify one biotic factor and one abiotic factor that would affect the organisms (2 marks)

Answer 2

1. Biotic - mouse

2. Abiotic - grass

Question 3

June 2021 P2

Explain why there are fewer organisms at the top than at the bottom of the food web (2 marks)

Answer 3

Energy that is available from one level to the next decreases. Energy flows from producer to consumer in one direction through ecosystems and is not recycled.

Question 4

June 2021 P2

Discuss two possible consequences of the hawk becoming extinct in the ecosystem (4 marks)

Answer 4

1. Competition decreases resulting in more food for the snake.
2. The mouse and rabbit are no longer prey to two predators so consumption of wildflowers and grass increases at a faster rate than it can be produced resulting in desiccation of the fields.

Question 5

June 2021 P2

Suggest two reasons why decomposers are important organisms in all food webs (2 marks)

Answer 5

1. Natural scavengers that feed saprophytically on dead and waste organic matter preventing dead matter and waste from piling up.
2. They release carbon dioxide and inorganic nutrients in the form of ions (nitrates) that are essential to plants.

Question 6

2021 June P1
Which of the following features is used to classify a group of organisms as Class Insecta?

(a) size
(b) shape
(c) colour
(d) number of segments

Answer 6

(d) number of segments

Question 7

2021 Jan P1
Which of the following characteristics is used to distinguish insects from other Arthropods?

(a) number of legs
(b) hairiness
(c) colour
(d) shape

Answer 7

(a) number of legs

Question 8

2020 July P1
Which of the following features is used to classify a group of organisms as Class Insecta?

(a) size
(b) shape
(c) colour
(d) legs

Answer 8

(d) legs

Question 9

2015 June P1
Item 1 refers to the following data recorded by students who observed some organisms in their natural habitat.

Organism I
Number of Body Segments 1
Number of Legs 4
Presence of Wings 1 pair
Colour Red

Organism II
Number of Body Segments 3
Number of Legs 8
Presence of Wings none
Colour Blue

Organism III
Number of Body Segments 3
Number of Legs 6
Presence of Wings 1 pair
Colour Black

Organism IV
Number of Body Segments 12
Number of Legs 24
Presence of Wings 1 pair
Colour Black

Which organism is MOST likely an insect?

(a) I
(b) II
(c) III
(d) IV

Answer 9

(c) III

Question 10

2014 June P2
Figure 1 shows drawings of different types of fish collected by marine biologists who are studying the distribution of organisms living in a marine ecosystem.
Construct a table in the space below to classify the fish in Figure 1 into groups using TWO visible features other than size.

Answer 10

Presence of gills = III, IV, V, VI, VII

Number of fins =

Question 11

2014 June P1 
Item 3 refers to the following list.
I. Number of legs
II. Body temperature
III. Shape of body
IV. Type of body covering

The dead remains of a previously unknown animal are found in a forest. Which of the features listed above could be used to classify the animal?

(a) I and II only
(b) III and IV only
(c) I, III and IV only
(d) II, III and IV only

Answer 11

(c) I, III and IV only

Question 12

2013 June P3
Name ONE visible feature, other than wings, shown in the organisms in Figure 1, and complete Table 2 to classify the organisms into groups, using this visible feature.

Answer 12

Name of Visible Feature
Presence or absence of antennae

Name of Group
have antennae
does not have antennae

Name of Organism in Group
(have antennae)
- butterfly
- dragon fly
- fly
- grasshopper

(does not have antennae)

• tick
• spider

Question 13

2011 June P1
Item 2 refers to the following animals which were classified using the visible characteristics listed below.
I. Shape
II. Number of wings
III. Number of legs 
IV. Number of eyes
V. Number of antennae
Which characteristics could be used to .divide the animals into two groups?
(a) I and III only
(b) II and V only
(c) III and N only
(d) IV andV only

Answer 13

(b) II and V only

Question 14

2011 Jan P3
In the leaf litter under a tree at the edge of the grassy field, the Ecominds team found organisms represented by Specimen A to Specimen D in Figure 1 below. The Ecominds team thought that they belonged to the same group, since they were all found in the leaf litter.

Identify TWO features shown in the drawings in Figure 1 that can be used to classify the organisms.

Answer 14

1. Presence or absence of antennae

2. Wings

Question 15

2008 June P2

Identify TWO features of the organisms observed in Figure 3 which could be used to classify them.

Answer 15

1. Presence or absence of antennae

2.

Question 16

2008 Jan P4
The drawings in Figure I represent five of the organisms found in a sample of the leaf litter in a forested area. Identify THREE characteristics observed in the drawings that can be used to classify the organisms.

Answer 16

1. Presence or absence of antennae
2. Number of legs
3. Body segmentation

Question 17

2007 June P1
Two organisms were found in the same tree. They were examined and their characteristics recorded as shown in the table below.

Characteristics X and Y
Hard exoskeleton yes and yes
Antennae yes and yes
Wings 0 and yes
Segmented body yes and yes
3 pairs of legs yes and 0

Which of the following statements is supported by the information in the table?

(a) Both X and Y are insects
(b) Both X and Y are arthropods but only X is an insect
(c) Xis an insect but Y is not
(d) Neither X nor Y is an insect

Answer 17

00

Question 18

2005 June P1
Item I refers to the following animals which·· were classified using the visible characteristics listed below.
I. Shape
II. Number of wings
III. Number of antennae

What other visible characteristic could be used for classification purposes?

(a) size
(b) weight
(c) tail
(d) fur

Answer 18

(c) tail