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NB G4 Scientific Literacy study materials
NB G4 Scientific Literacy study resources

NB G4 Scientific Literacy practice questions

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Question 1Life Science

In a grassland food chain, which organism makes its own food using energy from sunlight?

  1. Grass Correct answer.
  2. Hawk
  3. Mushroom
  4. Rabbit

Explanation

Green plants such as grass are producers. They use sunlight, water and carbon dioxide to make sugar in a process called photosynthesis, so they do not eat other living things. Every food chain starts with a producer that passes energy on to the animals that feed on it.

Question 2Life Science

Which sequence correctly shows the life cycle of a butterfly?

  1. Chrysalis, egg, caterpillar, butterfly
  2. Egg, caterpillar, chrysalis, butterfly Correct answer.
  3. Egg, caterpillar, butterfly, chrysalis
  4. Caterpillar, egg, chrysalis, butterfly

Explanation

A butterfly goes through complete metamorphosis with four stages in a fixed order. The adult lays an egg, the egg hatches into a caterpillar that feeds and grows, and the caterpillar forms a chrysalis. Inside the chrysalis the body changes, and the adult butterfly finally emerges.

Question 3Life Science

Which part of a plant takes in most of the water the plant needs?

  1. The stem
  2. The root Correct answer.
  3. The leaf
  4. The flower

Explanation

Roots grow through the soil and are covered in tiny root hairs that absorb water and dissolved minerals. The water then travels up through the stem to reach the leaves. Leaves mainly lose water and make food, and flowers are the reproductive parts of the plant.

Question 4Life Science

A camel lives in a hot, dry desert. Which feature most helps it survive long periods when food and water are scarce?

  1. Long eyelashes that keep blowing sand out of the eyes
  2. Wide, padded feet that spread weight on the sand
  3. Blubber under the skin that holds in body heat
  4. A hump that stores fat for use when food is scarce Correct answer.

Explanation

The hump is made of fat, which the camel can break down to release energy when food is hard to find. Breaking down fat also produces some water, which helps the animal cope with drought. The other features help with heat, walking or sand, but not with stored energy.

Question 5Life Science

Which list shows the correct order in which food passes through the human digestive system?

  1. Oesophagus, mouth, stomach, large intestine
  2. Stomach, mouth, small intestine, oesophagus
  3. Mouth, oesophagus, stomach, small intestine Correct answer.
  4. Mouth, stomach, oesophagus, small intestine

Explanation

Digestion begins in the mouth, where teeth and saliva break food down. From there the food is swallowed and travels down the oesophagus to the stomach, then into the small intestine, where nutrients are taken into the blood. The large intestine comes last and removes water from the remaining waste.

Question 6Life Science

In a pond, frogs eat insects and herons eat frogs. If a disease kills most of the insects, what will most likely happen first?

  1. The heron population will grow quickly
  2. The frogs will begin to make their own food
  3. The insects will be replaced by herons
  4. Fewer frogs will survive and reproduce Correct answer.

Explanation

Frogs depend on insects for energy, so a sudden drop in insects means frogs have less food. With less energy available, fewer frogs can grow, survive and reproduce, so the frog population should fall. Animals cannot switch to making their own food, and herons cannot occupy the insects' role.

Question 7Life Science

Which feature of a young puppy is inherited from its parents rather than learned?

  1. Knowing which bowl its food is served in
  2. Sitting when its owner gives a hand signal
  3. The colour and length of its fur Correct answer.
  4. Recognising the sound of the family car

Explanation

Inherited traits are passed from parents to offspring through genes and are present from birth, such as coat colour and fur length. Learned behaviours are gained through experience and practice after the animal is born. Sitting on command, knowing a food bowl and recognising a car all depend on what the puppy experiences.

Question 8Life Science

Why are decomposers such as bacteria and fungi important in a forest ecosystem?

  1. They break down dead plants and animals Correct answer.
  2. They hunt small animals for food
  3. They make sugar from sunlight
  4. They keep the soil cold and dry

Explanation

Decomposers feed on dead plants, animals and waste and break them into simpler substances. These substances return to the soil as nutrients that living plants can absorb and use again. Without decomposers, dead material would pile up and nutrients would stay locked away from the food chain.

Question 9Life Science

A healthy green plant is kept in a dark cupboard for a week and given water and good soil. What is most likely to happen, and why?

  1. It will take in more water to replace the missing light
  2. It will grow faster because darkness saves energy
  3. It will stop making new sugar because it has no light Correct answer.
  4. It will stop needing minerals from the soil completely

Explanation

Photosynthesis needs light energy to combine water and carbon dioxide into sugar. In a dark cupboard the plant receives no light, so it cannot make new sugar and must use up the food it has stored. Water and minerals are still needed, but they cannot replace the missing light energy.

Question 10Life Science

A tadpole lives in water and eats plants, while the adult frog lives on land and eats insects. How does this difference most help the species?

  1. It helps tadpoles grow larger than other pond animals
  2. It makes frogs hatch from eggs faster than insects do
  3. It reduces competition by using different resources Correct answer.
  4. It lets the young and adults compete for the same food

Explanation

When young and adults of the same species live in different places and eat different food, they are not competing for the same resources. This means more of the young can survive because food and space are shared out across two habitats. Competition between the two stages is reduced rather than increased.

Question 11Life Science

A bean seed is planted a few centimetres underground and watered. Before its first leaves push above the soil, what supplies the young plant with energy?

  1. The water taken in from the soil
  2. The minerals absorbed by the new root
  3. The stored food inside the seed Correct answer.
  4. The sunlight reaching the buried seed

Explanation

A seed contains stored food that gives the young plant energy until its first true leaves open and begin making food using sunlight. Because the seed is buried, light cannot reach it, so light is not the energy source at this stage. Water and minerals are needed for growth, but they are raw materials rather than an energy supply.

Question 12Life Science

Which feature is shared by all mammals?

  1. They feed their young with milk Correct answer.
  2. They lay hard-shelled eggs on land
  3. Their body heat changes with the air around them
  4. They breathe only through their skin

Explanation

Mammals are the animal group whose mothers produce milk to feed their young, and they also have hair or fur. Most mammals give birth to live young rather than laying eggs. Hard-shelled eggs, breathing through skin and body heat that follows the surroundings belong to other kinds of animals.

Question 13Life Science

What is the main job of the skeleton in the human body?

  1. To carry oxygen to every part of the body
  2. To send messages from the brain to muscles
  3. To break food down into smaller pieces
  4. To support the body and protect organs Correct answer.

Explanation

The skeleton is a strong frame that holds the body upright and gives muscles something to pull against when they move bones. It also forms bony cages, such as the skull and ribs, that shield delicate organs like the brain, heart and lungs.

Question 14Life Science

In a food chain, why is there usually less energy available to animals at each higher level?

  1. Energy is destroyed when an animal is eaten
  2. Each animal uses some energy for moving and keeping warm Correct answer.
  3. Higher animals do not eat every day
  4. Plants take back energy from the animals that eat them

Explanation

At every step in a food chain, the animal that eats uses most of the energy it takes in for movement, breathing and keeping warm. Only a small share is stored in its body and passed on to the next animal. That is why less energy remains at each higher level of the chain.

Question 15Life Science

A polar bear has a thick layer of fat under its skin. How does this layer most help the bear survive in the Arctic?

  1. It stores water for the long dry season
  2. It makes the bear hard to see on snow
  3. It helps the bear float when it swims
  4. It traps heat and keeps the bear warm Correct answer.

Explanation

A thick layer of fat, called blubber, slows the loss of body heat, so the bear stays warm in freezing air and icy water. Fat also stores energy, but its main role in keeping the bear alive in the cold is insulation.

Question 16Life Science

Which sequence correctly shows the stages in the life cycle of a flowering plant?

  1. Seed, then fruit with seeds, then seedling, then adult plant with flowers
  2. Seed, then seedling, then adult plant with flowers, then fruit with seeds Correct answer.
  3. Adult plant with flowers, then seed, then fruit with seeds, then seedling
  4. Seedling, then seed, then adult plant with flowers, then fruit with seeds

Explanation

A flowering plant begins as a seed, which germinates and grows into a seedling. The seedling develops into an adult plant that forms flowers, and the pollinated flowers develop into fruit containing new seeds. The new seeds start the cycle again.

Question 17Life Science

Which body system moves oxygen and nutrients to all parts of the body?

  1. The nervous system
  2. The respiratory system
  3. The circulatory system Correct answer.
  4. The digestive system

Explanation

The circulatory system is made up of the heart, blood vessels and blood. It carries oxygen and dissolved nutrients to cells all over the body and carries waste products away. The other systems have different jobs, such as breaking down food or taking in air.

Question 18Life Science

A scientist finds a fossil fish in a layer of rock in a dry desert. What is the best conclusion to draw from this evidence?

  1. The fish walked across the desert and died there
  2. People carried the fish there from the sea
  3. Fish can live in dry sand for many years
  4. The area was once covered by water where fish lived Correct answer.

Explanation

Fossils form when the remains of living things are buried in mud or sand that later hardens into rock. A fish fossil in desert rock shows that the place was once under water. Later movements of the Earth raised the rock, and the climate changed.

Question 19Life Science

An apple farmer depends on bees to carry pollen between the blossoms. A pesticide kills most of the bees in the orchard. What is the most likely result for the apple trees that year?

  1. Fewer blossoms will be pollinated, so fewer apples will form Correct answer.
  2. The trees will grow taller because more sunlight reaches them
  3. The trees will stop needing water until the bees return
  4. The trees will make their own pollen once the bees are gone

Explanation

Apple trees need insects or other animals to carry pollen from one flower to another before fruit can form. If most bees die, many blossoms will not receive pollen. Fewer pollinated flowers means fewer apples develop that year.

Question 20Life Science

A gardener plants seeds from the same packet in two pots. Both pots get the same soil and the same amount of water, but one stands in full sunlight and the other in deep shade. After a month, the plant in the sun is taller and greener. Which statement best explains this result?

  1. The surroundings can change how a plant grows Correct answer.
  2. Plant height is not affected by light at all
  3. All differences between plants are inherited
  4. The two plants must have different sets of genes

Explanation

Both pots started with seeds from the same packet, so their genes are very similar and cannot explain the whole difference. The only major difference between the pots is the amount of light each plant receives. This shows that conditions in the surroundings affect how a plant grows.

Question 21Life Science

A dandelion seed has a small parachute of fine hairs. How does this feature most help the seed?

  1. it floats on water to a new pond
  2. it is eaten by animals and then planted
  3. it sticks to the fur of passing animals
  4. it is carried by wind to a new place Correct answer.

Explanation

Dandelion seeds have light, hair-like structures that catch the wind and carry them away from the parent plant. Moving away reduces competition and helps the seeds reach new places where they can grow.

Question 22Life Science

Which of these animals has a backbone?

  1. jellyfish
  2. snail
  3. frog Correct answer.
  4. earthworm

Explanation

A backbone is a column of bones that runs along the back of an animal. Frogs are vertebrates because they have a backbone, while worms, snails, and jellyfish do not.

Question 23Life Science

Which part of a flower produces pollen?

  1. the sepals
  2. the ovary
  3. the petals
  4. the stamen Correct answer.

Explanation

The stamen is the male part of the flower and produces pollen grains. Pollen must be moved to the female part, the ovary, before seeds can form.

Question 24Life Science

Which example best shows a learned behavior?

  1. a spider spinning a web for the first time
  2. a bear catching fish after watching its mother Correct answer.
  3. a turtle hatchling crawling straight to the sea
  4. a baby bird opening its mouth for food

Explanation

Learned behavior comes from experience or from watching others, not from instincts present at birth. The bear cub copies an adult, so catching fish is a skill it learns.

Question 25Life Science

Two kinds of birds live in the same tree and both eat caterpillars. What is most likely to happen if caterpillars become scarce?

  1. both bird species will start making their own food
  2. the tree will move to another place to grow
  3. the birds will compete for the remaining food Correct answer.
  4. the caterpillars will slowly turn into birds

Explanation

When two species need the same limited food, they compete for it. If caterpillars become scarce, both bird species will have less food and will struggle to survive.

Question 26Life Science

Which organs remove most of the waste from the blood?

  1. the stomach
  2. kidneys Correct answer.
  3. the lungs
  4. the heart

Explanation

The kidneys filter waste from the blood and remove it as urine. The lungs, stomach, and heart have other jobs in the body.

Question 27Life Science

A stalk of celery is placed in water dyed red. After a few hours, red stripes can be seen inside the stalk. What does this best show?

  1. the celery is dead and cannot take in water
  2. the leaves are taking in air from the room
  3. the celery is making red food in its leaves
  4. water moves up through tubes in the stem Correct answer.

Explanation

The red color travels up the stem, showing that water moves through tiny tubes inside it. This is how a plant transports water from its roots to its leaves.

Question 28Life Science

A new fish that eats the eggs of native fish is accidentally put into a lake. What is the most likely long-term effect on the lake ecosystem?

  1. the native fish will grow much larger than they are now
  2. the lake will soon contain many more kinds of water plants
  3. the lake will not change at all because it is very large
  4. native fish numbers may drop and other life may change Correct answer.

Explanation

A new species that eats native fish eggs can reduce the number of young native fish. This can change the food web, affecting other animals and plants in the lake.

Question 29Life Science

Some birds fly thousands of kilometres to warmer places before winter, while other animals sleep through winter. What do both behaviors help the animals do?

  1. survive when food is hard to find Correct answer.
  2. hide from predators for the rest of their lives
  3. find more sunlight to make their own food
  4. grow new feathers faster for the winter

Explanation

Migration and hibernation are both ways to cope with winter, when food is scarce and cold makes survival hard. One response is to leave, and the other is to slow the body down and stay.

Question 30Life Science

A frog may lay hundreds of eggs, but only a few become adult frogs. Why is laying many eggs useful for the species?

  1. all of the eggs will become adult frogs
  2. the eggs help the frog fly to a new pond
  3. some young survive even though many are eaten Correct answer.
  4. it keeps the pond clean and free of waste

Explanation

Many eggs are eaten by predators, so producing a large number raises the chance that at least a few young will survive. This helps the species continue even though most eggs do not become adults.

Question 31Life Science

During photosynthesis, a green plant takes in a gas from the air and uses light energy to make sugar. Which gas does the plant take in for this process?

  1. Oxygen that plants release
  2. Carbon dioxide Correct answer.
  3. Nitrogen in the air
  4. Water vapor from leaves

Explanation

Green plants use carbon dioxide and water to make sugar during photosynthesis. Oxygen is released as a by-product, so it is not the gas taken in for this process. Nitrogen is common in air but is not the main gas used in photosynthesis.

Question 32Life Science

Which group of animals has feathers and usually lays eggs with hard shells?

  1. Reptiles
  2. Mammals
  3. Birds Correct answer.
  4. Amphibians

Explanation

Feathers are a unique feature of birds, and birds lay eggs with hard shells. Mammals have hair or fur and most give birth to live young. Reptiles have scales, and amphibians have moist skin.

Question 33Life Science

What is the main job of decomposers such as mushrooms and bacteria in an ecosystem?

  1. They carry pollen from flower to flower
  2. They make their own food using sunlight and water
  3. They hunt small animals and insects for energy
  4. They break down dead material Correct answer.

Explanation

Decomposers break down dead plants, animals, and waste into simpler substances. This releases nutrients back into the soil so producers can use them again. They do not make food from sunlight or pollinate flowers.

Question 34Life Science

A butterfly develops through egg, larva (caterpillar), pupa, and adult stages. A caterpillar spends most of its time eating leaves. Why is this feeding important for the butterfly's development?

  1. It gives the caterpillar extra legs that the adult will keep
  2. It stores energy that is used during the pupa stage Correct answer.
  3. It helps the caterpillar learn to fly before adulthood
  4. It allows the caterpillar to build a hard shell for its eggs

Explanation

The caterpillar feeds heavily and stores energy and nutrients in its body. Inside the pupa, the body is reorganized into the adult form, and this change requires a large energy supply. The stored food supports that transformation.

Question 35Life Science

In a forest, light-colored moths are easy for birds to see on dark tree trunks, while dark-colored moths are harder to see. Which statement best explains why the dark moths survive better in this forest?

  1. Dark moths are less visible to hungry birds Correct answer.
  2. Dark moths lay more eggs than light moths
  3. Dark moths fly faster than light moths
  4. Dark moths find more food than light moths

Explanation

Survival depends on being able to avoid predators. On dark trunks, dark moths blend in with the background, so birds are less likely to spot and eat them. The light moths stand out and are caught more often.

Question 36Life Science

Which sequence correctly shows the path of food through the human digestive system?

  1. Mouth → stomach → small intestine → esophagus → large intestine
  2. Mouth → stomach → esophagus → large intestine → small intestine
  3. Mouth → esophagus → stomach → small intestine → large intestine Correct answer.
  4. Mouth → esophagus → small intestine → stomach → large intestine

Explanation

Food travels from the mouth down the esophagus to the stomach. It then moves into the small intestine, where most nutrients are absorbed, and finally into the large intestine. The order of these organs matters because each has a different job.

Question 37Life Science

A young bird raised alone still sings the typical song of its species. What does this observation best suggest about the song?

  1. It is a response to a particular food
  2. It is a sign that the bird is sick
  3. It is an inherited behavior Correct answer.
  4. It is a learned behavior copied from other birds

Explanation

A behavior that appears even when the bird is raised alone and has no chance to copy adults is likely inherited. Inherited behaviors are passed from parents to offspring through genes. Learned behaviors, by contrast, require experience or observation.

Question 38Life Science

A cactus has thick, fleshy stems and spines instead of broad leaves. How do these features most help the cactus survive in a desert?

  1. They help the cactus float on water
  2. They help the cactus climb over other plants
  3. They store water and reduce water loss Correct answer.
  4. They attract many insects for pollination

Explanation

Desert plants must conserve water. A thick stem can store water, and spines are modified leaves that lose very little water through tiny openings. This combination helps the cactus survive long dry periods.

Question 39Life Science

In a pond food chain, algae are eaten by water fleas, water fleas by small fish, and small fish by herons. If a disease kills most of the small fish, what is the most likely short-term effect?

  1. The heron population will immediately increase
  2. The water fleas will become producers
  3. The water flea population will increase, and herons may have less food Correct answer.
  4. The water flea population will fall because fewer fish are eating them

Explanation

Small fish are predators of water fleas, so removing many fish releases water fleas from predation. Their numbers can rise. Herons depend on small fish, so their food supply may drop.

Question 40Life Science

Two groups of bean plants are grown in identical pots under the same light. One group is watered with plain water; the other is watered with water that has dissolved salt. After two weeks, the salt-water plants are shorter and have yellow leaves. What is the best conclusion?

  1. Yellow leaves always mean the plants received too little light
  2. The amount of water was the variable being tested
  3. Salt in the water can harm bean plant growth Correct answer.
  4. Bean plants need salt to grow tall

Explanation

The two groups differ mainly in whether salt was added to the water. The salt-water plants grew poorly, so the salt is the likely cause of the harm. A fair test changes one factor at a time and compares the results.

Question 41Life Science

A plant is placed in a pot with soil. Which materials do the plant's roots take in from the soil?

  1. Sugar and starch
  2. Water and minerals Correct answer.
  3. Sunlight and air
  4. Oxygen and carbon dioxide

Explanation

Roots anchor a plant and absorb water and dissolved minerals from the soil. These materials travel up through the stem to the leaves. Sunlight is captured by leaves, and sugar is made inside the plant rather than taken from soil.

Question 42Life Science

Which group of animals has dry, scaly skin and lays eggs with leathery shells on land?

  1. Reptiles Correct answer.
  2. Fish
  3. Mammals
  4. Amphibians

Explanation

Reptiles have dry, scaly skin that helps reduce water loss, and they lay eggs with leathery shells on land. Amphibians have moist skin and usually lay eggs in water. Fish have scales and lay eggs in water, while mammals have hair and feed milk to young.

Question 43Life Science

Which body system moves oxygen and nutrients around the body?

  1. The skeletal system
  2. The circulatory system Correct answer.
  3. The digestive system
  4. The nervous system

Explanation

The circulatory system includes the heart and blood vessels. Blood carries oxygen and nutrients to cells and carries waste products away. The digestive system breaks down food, the skeletal system supports the body, and the nervous system sends messages.

Question 44Life Science

In a grassland food chain, grass is eaten by rabbits and rabbits are eaten by foxes. If all the foxes are removed, what is most likely to happen first?

  1. The rabbits will move to another habitat
  2. The grass will disappear immediately
  3. The foxes will return in one day
  4. The rabbit population will grow Correct answer.

Explanation

With no foxes to hunt them, fewer rabbits die, so more rabbits survive and reproduce. The rabbit population therefore grows first. Later, the larger rabbit population may eat more grass, but that is a result of the rabbit increase.

Question 45Life Science

A polar bear has thick white fur and a layer of fat under its skin. The bear lives on snow and ice. How does the white fur help the bear most?

  1. It hides the bear from prey. Correct answer.
  2. It makes the bear look larger.
  3. It helps the bear swim faster.
  4. It keeps the bear cool in summer.

Explanation

White fur blends with the snow and ice around the bear, making the bear harder for prey to see. This camouflage helps the bear get close to prey. The fat layer is mainly for warmth, and fur color does not make the bear swim faster.

Question 46Life Science

A bean seed is planted in soil and watered. It begins to grow. Which stage comes right after the seed sprouts and before the plant produces flowers?

  1. A fruit with seeds
  2. A flower with pollen
  3. A seedling with leaves Correct answer.
  4. A dry seed coat

Explanation

After a seed germinates, the young plant is called a seedling. It grows leaves and becomes larger before it matures and produces flowers. Fruits form after flowers are pollinated, so they come later in the life cycle.

Question 47Life Science

What is the smallest unit that can carry out all the basic activities of life?

  1. A tissue
  2. A molecule
  3. An organ
  4. A cell Correct answer.

Explanation

A cell is the smallest unit that can perform all the basic activities of life. Some living things are made of a single cell, while larger organisms are made of many cells. Tissues and organs are groups of cells working together.

Question 48Life Science

Some bacteria live inside the roots of bean plants. The bacteria help the plant take in a nutrient from the soil, and the plant gives the bacteria sugar. Which term best describes this relationship?

  1. Predation
  2. Mutualism Correct answer.
  3. Parasitism
  4. Competition

Explanation

Mutualism describes a relationship in which both organisms benefit. The bacteria receive sugar from the bean plant, and the plant receives help taking in a nutrient. Neither organism is harmed in this partnership.

Question 49Life Science

A scientist finds fish fossils in a rocky desert far from any ocean. What is the best explanation for this finding?

  1. The desert was always dry.
  2. The fossils were made by wind.
  3. Fish once lived on dry land.
  4. The area was once covered by water. Correct answer.

Explanation

Fish fossils show that fish once lived in the area. Because fish need water, finding their fossils in a desert suggests that the area was covered by water long ago. The land later changed and became dry.

Question 50Life Science

A farmer plants corn seeds at the same depth in two fields. In Field A, plants are spaced far apart. In Field B, plants are crowded close together. Both fields get the same sunlight, water, and soil. After several weeks, the plants in Field B are shorter. What is the most likely reason?

  1. The seeds in Field B were planted too deep.
  2. The plants in Field B are a different species.
  3. The crowded plants compete for light and nutrients. Correct answer.
  4. The crowded plants make too much food.

Explanation

Crowded plants must share limited resources such as light, water, and minerals in the soil. Each plant gets less of these resources, so the crowded plants grow shorter. The fields have the same planting depth and conditions, so competition is the best explanation.