Chapter test 15　Detecting the environment

15 Detecting the environment

Note:
1 Answer ALL questions.
2 Write your answers to Section A in the boxes next to
the questions, and your answers to Sections B and C in
the spaces provided below the questions.
Time and marks
Sections A & B: 35 mins / 30 marks
Sections A to C: 40 mins / 35 marks

Multiple-choice questions
A
(10 marks, 1 mark each)
Directions: Questions 1 and 2 refer to the diagram below, which shows a section of the
human eye.
Q P

1 Which part(s) of the eye refract(s) light rays onto the retina?
A P only
B P and R only
C P, R and S only
D P, S and T only

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Chapter test 15　Detecting the environment

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Chapter test 15　Detecting the environment

2 Which of the following correctly describes the changes in structures P and Q when a person
tries to focus on a basketball moving towards him?
Curvature of P Tension of Q
A decreases increases
B increases decreases
C decreases decreases
D increases increases

Directions: Questions 3 and 4 refer to the graph below, which shows the changes in the
diameter of a person’s pupil while outdoors on a sunny day.

diameter of
pupil (mm)

time (s)

3 During which period does the light intensity increase fastest?

A 2nd to 4th second
B 4th to 6th second
C 14th to 16th second
D 16th to 18th second

4 At which time point is the person most probably putting on a pair of sunglasses?
A 2nd second
B 6th second
C 14th second
D 20th second

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Chapter test 15　Detecting the environment

5 Dilating eye drops are sometimes used in eye examinations. One type of dilating eye drops
works by causing the contracting muscles that cause pupil constriction to relax. However, it
also relaxes other muscles in the eye and the patients may have difficulty focusing on near
objects for several hours. Which of the following muscles relax after the eye drop is applied
to the eye?
(1) ciliary muscles
(2) radial muscles of the iris
(3) circular muscles of the iris
A (3) only B (1) and (2) only
C (1) and (3) only D (2) and (3) only

Directions: Questions 6 and 7 refer to the diagram below, which shows the structures of a
human ear.
P Q R

S T

6 In which structures can sensory hair cells be found?

A T only B P and T only
C Q and T only D Q, S and T only

7 Which of the following will occur if structure R is cut in an accident?

(1) Structure S will bulge and cannot vibrate freely.
(2) The person will suffer from a permanent hearing loss.

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Chapter test 15　Detecting the environment

(3) The person will not be able to turn his head.

A (2) only B (1) and (2) only
C (1) and (3) only D (2) and (3) only

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Chapter test 15　Detecting the environment

Directions: Questions 8 and 9 refer to the diagram below, which shows an experiment used
to investigate the growth response of coleoptiles treated in different ways.

agar blocks with auxins opaque cap

unilateral
light

intact intact
decapitated
coleoptile coleoptile
coleoptiles
(1) (2) (3) (4) (5) (6)

8 Which coleoptiles would grow towards the right side?

A (1) and (2) only
B (1) and (5) only
C (1), (3) and (5) only
D (1), (2), (3) and (6) only

9 Which of the following coleoptiles can be used to investigate whether the coleoptile tip is
responsible for detecting unilateral light?
A (1) and (4) only
B (1) and (6) only
C (4) and (6) only
D (4), (5) and (6) only

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Chapter test 15　Detecting the environment

10 The diagram below shows the section of a human eye.

P Q R
× × ×

Carol has short sight. Which of the following combinations correctly shows the positions
which the images of different objects are probably focused in her eye?
Near object Distant object
A P P
B P Q
C Q P
D Q R

Conventional questions
B
(20 marks)
1 Steve suffers from an eye defect. The following photographs show normal vision and the
vision of Steve.

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Chapter test 15　Detecting the environment

Photograph I: Normal vision Photograph II: Vision of Steve

a Suggest one cause of the eye defect. (1 mark)

b In the box below, draw a ray diagram to show how the eye defect can be corrected by
using appropriate lenses. (3 marks)

2 The diagram below shows an experiment set-up prepared by a scientist to test different
hypotheses on the mechanism of phototropism.
A B C

coleoptile mica uniform

unilateral tip plate light
light

mica plate

agar block 1 2 3 4 5

After two days, the scientist measured the amounts of auxins in the agar blocks. The table
below shows the results.

Agar block 1 2 3 4 5
Amount of auxins
7.1 18.3 12.6 12.4 25.8
(arbitrary units)

a Explain how the results support the hypothesis that ‘unilateral light causes auxins to
move from the illuminated side to the shaded side of the shoot’. (2 marks)

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Chapter test 15　Detecting the environment

b Agar blocks 1–4 are then placed onto four decapitated coleoptiles of the same height
respectively. In the diagram below, sketch a diagram to show the growth response of
the decapitated coleoptiles after several days in darkness. (2 marks)

1 2 3 4

c Set-up C is used to test another hypothesis which suggests that ‘auxins are broken
down by light’. Design a suitable control set-up for this investigation. Describe the
expected result if the hypothesis is to be rejected. (3 marks)

3 Paul has eye examination to test his eyesight. The photograph below shows a view of his
retina through an ophthalmoscope.

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Chapter test 15　Detecting the environment

P Q

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Chapter test 15　Detecting the environment

The graph below shows the distribution of cone cells across the retina of Paul.

number of
cells

cone
cells

P Q
distance across retina

a Identify region P. Explain your answer with reference to the graph. (2 marks)

b On the graph above, draw a line to show the distribution of rod cells across the retina.
(3 marks)

c On his way home, Paul noticed a faint star in the night sky. He looked straight at the
star and found that the star disappeared. It was only when he looked at the star at a
slight angle that the star reappeared. Based on your biological knowledge, explain the
changes mentioned above. (4 marks)

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Chapter test 15　Detecting the environment

Higher order thinking question

C
(5 marks)
4 Bone conduction headphones are becoming more popular. Sound vibrations of this kind of
headphones are transmitted directly through the temporal bone to the inner ear.

Key:
transmission of
vibrations
temporal bone
bone conduction nerve
headphone impulses

a Listening to music with in-ear headphones while crossing the roads puts pedestrians at
risk as they are unable to hear approaching vehicles. Some advertisements claim that
bone conduction headphones are safer than in-ear headphones in this regard. Justify
whether such claim is valid or not. Explain your answer. (3 marks)

b Studies have shown that age-related hearing loss is caused mainly by damage to
sensory hair cells in the ear. Can bone conduction headphones be used as a hearing aid
to older people who suffer from hearing loss? Explain your answer. (2 marks)

- End -

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Chapter test 15　Detecting the environment

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Chapter test Answers

Answers
A Multiple-choice questions
1 C 2 B 3 A 4 C 5 C
6 C 7 A 8 B 9 B 10 C

B Conventional questions
1 a The lens is too thin / the eyeball is too short. 1
b

Ray diagram of a long-sighted eye corrected by wearing a convex lens

Use of convex lens 1

Correct drawing 1
Correct title 1
2 a In set-up A, the unilateral light causes auxins to move from the illuminated side to the
shaded side. Hence, the amount of auxins in agar block 2 is higher than that in agar
block 1. 1
In set-up B, the mica plate stops the lateral movement of auxins. Thus, agar blocks 1
and 2 have the same amount / a similar amount of auxins. 1
b

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Chapter test Answers

1 2 3 4 1 2 3 4

Correct drawing:
- All the coleoptiles show an increase in height 1
- Increase in height in the correct order (2 > 3 = 4 > 1) 1
c The control set-up should be the same as C 1
except that the coleoptile tip and the agar block are placed in darkness. 1
For the hypothesis to be rejected, the amount of auxins in the agar block in the control
set-up should be the same as that in agar block 5. 1

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Chapter test Answers

3 a Yellow spot 1
It has the highest density of cone cells across the retina. 1

rod
cells
number of
cells

cone
cells

P Q
position on the retina

b
Correct drawing
- No rod cells in both regions P and Q 1
- Large numbers of rod cells on the periphery of the retina 1
Correct labelling 1
c When Paul looked straight at the star, the image of the star formed at the yellow spot
(region P), which contains only cone cells. 1
Cone cells have a pigment sensitive to light of high intensity. As the light rays emitted
by the star are of low intensity, the cone cells were not stimulated. Hence, the star
could not be seen. 1
When Paul looked at the star at a slight angle, the image formed on the periphery of the
retina, which contains rod cells. 1
Rod cells have a pigment sensitive to light of low intensity. They were stimulated by
the image of the faint star and sent nerve impulses to the brain for interpretation.
Hence, Paul could see the star.
1

C Higher order thinking question

4 a Yes. 1
The ear canals are not blocked by the bone conduction headphones. The sound of an
approaching vehicle can reach the middle ear and subsequently be detected by the
sensory hair cells in the cochlea. 1
The brain interprets the nerve impulses from the cochlea and then initializes
appropriate responses to prevent accidents from happening. 1
b No. 1

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Chapter test Answers

The vibrations that reach the cochlea cannot be detected as the sensory hair cells inside
are damaged. 1

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