EST Paper 2

Section A
[25 marks]

You are advised to spend about 50 minutes on this section

Question 1 - 25

Each question is based on a given stimulus. Study the information carefully and choose
the best answer. Then shade the answer in the answer sheet provided

Question 1
Read the text below and answer the questions that follow.

The teeth in our mouths are made of enamel. Tooth enamel resembles bone in that it is
made of mineral crystals in a mesh of protein. However, enamel has a higher mineral
content than bone, so it is even harder.

1. From the text we can conclude that

A protein is found only in bone
B bone does not have any mineral content
C enamel and bone are both made of mineral crystals
D a higher mineral content is the reason why bone is harder than enamel

Question 2
Read the text below and answer the questions that follow.

Sunspots are depressions in the sun’s surface. A typical sunspot has two regions: a dark
umbra and a surrounding penumbra. The umbra temperature is about 4 000 K, whereas
the penumbra is at temperatures between 5 000 K and 6 000 K.

2. Based on the text above, which of the following statements is true ?

A In a sunspot, the umbra encloses the penumbra

B The penumbra has a temperature range of 1 000 K.
C Sunspots are protrusions on Earth’s surface.
D The umbra has a higher temperature than the penumbra.

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Question 3
Study the table below and answer the question that follow.

Earth Mars
Average
distance from 150 000 000 228 000 000
the sun
Orbital period 365 687
(days)
Rotational 24 hours 24 hours 37
period minutes

Based on the statistics above, we can conclude that

A Mars has shorter days than Earth does

B Earth takes longer time to orbit the Sun
C Mars is further away from the Sun than Earth is
D There is a distance of 780 000 km between Earth and Mars

Questions 4 and 5
Read the text below and answer the questions that follow.

All human cells have a nucleus with 46 chromosomes. The exceptions to this are
gametes-reproductive cells, which divide in such a way as to cut that number in half.
The 46 chromosomes in somatic cells are copies of the 23 from the mother’s egg and
the 23 from the father’s sperm.

4 How many chromosomes does a gamete cells have ?

A 23 B 46 C 69 D 92

5. What are somatic cells ?

A Gametes B Egg cells C Sperm cells D Non-reproductive cells

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Question 6
Read the text below and answer the question that follow.

“The Origin of Species “ was one long argument based on three great facts and two
deductions drawn from them. The first fact is that all living things vary. The second
is that all living groups tend to increase in geometric ratio. The third is that the
numbers of a species tend to nevertheless remain constant. From these facts,
Charles Darwin drew his two crucial deductions: there is a struggle for existence ;
and in that struggle the fittest survives.

6 Based on three great facts, Darwin concluded that

A all living things vary

B in the struggle for existence, the fittest survives
C the numbers of a species remain fairly constant
D all living groups tend to increase in geometric ratio

Questions 7 and 8
Read the text below and answer the questions that follow.

The greenhouse effect is a phenomenon that keeps our planet warm because of the
heat trapping ability of certain atmospheric gases, notably carbon dioxide, methane,
nitrous oxide and chlorofluorocarbons. The gases allow short-wavelength radiant
energy from the Sun to reach Earth’s surface. But they block the long wavelength
infrared radiation that the heated surface emits. By doing this, the atmosphere traps
heat near the. surface of the Earth

7. The word “they” in the passage refers to

A atmospheric gases
B short wavelength radiant energy
C long-wavelength infrared radiation
 8. As a result of the greenhouse effect,

A the Earth’s temperature will increase

B the Earth’s temperature will decrease
C the Earth’s temperature will remain constant

Question 9
Read the text below and answer the question that follow.

Gregor Johann Mendel was an Austrian scientist and monk who discovered the basic
principles of heredity through carefully controlled experiments in cross-breeding. From
his youth, Mendel had been addicted to the study of Nature. In a small garden, Mendel
began experimenting with crosses in peas. He soon discovered that when he crossed
certain varieties, the same characteristics kept appearing with surprising regularity.
Through further experimentation, he demonstrated how individual traits are transmitted
from parent to offspring.

9 What did Mendel discover through his experiments ?

A He discovered that he was a brilliant scientist.

B He discovered that he was addicted to the study of Nature
C He discovered that certain characteristics are passed from parents to their
young
D He discovered that different varieties of flowers could be crossed with each
other

Question 10
Read the text below and answer the question that follow.

Nature converts glucose into cellulose through an extra-ordinary process called

polymerization – the process which transforms small molecules into giant molecules.
To produce one molecule of cellulose, thousands of glucose molecules link themselves
together in a long chain, each of them giving up two atoms of hydrogen and one atom
of oxygen. In other words, a molecule of water is expelled when two glucose molecules
are joined together.
 10. Which of the following is true?

A Glucose molecules become molecules of water when they join together.

B Cellulose is converted to glucose through a process called polymerization.
C Polymerization is a process that transforms small molecules into giant
molecules.

Question 11
Read the text below and answer the question that follow.

It is the attractive forces between water molecules which make water a liquid at
normal temperatures. Without the attractive forces between its molecules, water
would be a gas at normal temperature. Stronger forces of attraction make water into
ice.

11 In which of the following states is the attractive force between water molecules
the strongest ?

A Gas B Steam C Solid D Liquid

Question 12

Read the text below and answer the question that follow.

A thermostat is a device for maintaining a steady temperature. It works on the bimetal

principle. It is used for many purposes in which temperature control is necessary.

12 Which of the following home appliances does not make use of a thermostat ?

A Electric fan C Air conditioner

B Electric iron D Automatic rice cooker

Question 13
Read the text below and answer the question that follow.

Enzymes are important in living things They make the reactions occur more
quickly. Enzymes help to build up or break down molecules in a step by step way.

13 Which of the following about enzymes is not true ?

A Enzymes help to build up molecules.

B Enzymes helps movements of molecules
C Enzymes help reactions occur faster
D Enzymes help to break down molecules

Question 14
Read the text below and answer the question that follow

Malnutrition refers to a diet with insufficient nutrients which are necessary foe good
health. Deficiency of any essential nutrient in the diet can lead to deficiency disease, an
example of which is beri-beri.

14 Which of the following diseases is caused by a lack of vitamin B complex in the

diet?

A Plague B Leprosy C Beri-beri D Elephantises

Question 15
Read the text below and answer the question that follow

Amphibians and reptiles are cold blooded vertebrates. They can be found on land
and in water. An amphibian has moist skin while a reptile is covered by dry scales.
An amphibian lays eggs which have no shells, but the eggs of a reptile have shells.
The eggs of amphibians are fertilized internally.

15 Based on the text above, amphibians and reptiles are different because

A of their different habitat

B they have different blood types
C they have different types of scales
D of the way their eggs are fertilized
 Question 16
Study the chart below and answer the question that follow

Smoking By 6 years

Spouse smoking By 1 year

Air Pollution By 6 months

Inhaling Pesticides By 1 month

Natural Radiation By 8 days

Common health hazards and how a person’s life can be shortened.

16. From the chart above, radiation from the Sun has the least effect on a person’s

A life style . B lifespan. C general health. D natural resistance.

Question 17
Read the text below and answer the question that follows.

Smog manifests as a brown haze in the air in urban areas. It forms when automobile
and industrial exhausts are trapped over a particular area.

17 The word exhausts means

A releases B locations C emissions D contaminants

Question 18

Read the sentence below and the questions that follows

Internet data is transmitted around the world faster than ever but how quickly it reaches
your home depends on the bandwidth which is the amount of digital data transmitted
per second

18 The expression digital data refers to

A width of the band C amount of information

B online information

Question 19

Read the information below and then answer the question that follows.

Aluminium is a common metal. Aluminium oxide ore is called bauxite. Aluminium

and oxygen atoms are held very tightly in aluminium oxide.You have to put in lots
of energy to split the aluminium oxide, for example by heating it to very high
temperatures.

19 The expression held very tightly means

A bunched together. C bonded very tightly

B grouped together D heated up together

Question 20
Read the text below and answer the question that follows.

A simple solution consists of a substance to be dissolved, called the solute,and the

solvent, the liquid that dissolves the solute. In other words, solutions are groups of
molecules that are mixed up in a completely even distribution. These solutions are
homogenous systems. Examples of homogenous are salt and sugar dissolved in
water. Other mixtures may have a higher concentration on one side of the liquid
than others. These are called non-homogenous mixtures such as silt and chalk
powder in water.

20 Which of the following substances would form a homogenous mixture ?

A Chalk powder and water

 B Table salt and water

C Silt and water

Question21
Read the text below and answer the question that follows.

Antibiotics are drugs designed to destroy bacteria. They break down the cell walls
to allow your immune cells to go in and destroy the bacteria. One of the first
antibiotics discovered was developed from a fungus named Penicillium found on an
orange.

21 Antibiotics help in fighting bacterial infections by

A attacking the bacteria itself

B destroying the bacterial cell walls
C activating your immune cells
D joining the attack with the immune cells

Question 22
Read the text below and answer the question that follows.

The biological virus cannot reproduce itself. It invades a cell and uses the cell
machinery to replicate itself. In some cases, the cell is overrun by the new viral
particles until it bursts, hence releasing the virus to invade other cells. A computer virus
is like the biological virus in some ways. A computer virus attaches itself to some
programme or document to get it executed. Once it is running, it is able to infect other
programmes and documents.
22 The similarity between a biological virus and a computer virus lies in the

A in the structural make up

B mode of reproduction

C way it operates

Question 23
Read the text below and answer the text that follows.

Magnetic storage designs are coming up with products that use cartridge with capacity
measured in megabytes and portable hard drives that are measured in gigabytes. One
gigabyte is equivalent to 1000 megabytes.

23 We can infer from the above text that portable hard drives have

A a longer life span C a bigger storage capacity

B a better storage system D a more reliable back up system

Question 24

Read the sentence below and answer the question that follow

Artificial intelligence can be defined as the branch of computer science which aims at making
computers behave like humans.

24Artificial intelligence can be explained as a set of computer codes designed to

________
Aspects of human intelligence in a computer.

A simulate B stimulate C substitute D synchronise

25 Read the description of the process below and answer the question that follows.

How a Photocopier Works

The drum coated with selenium is first given a static electric charge. Light
moves along the original, exposing it a bit at a time onto the rotating drum.
Toner powder brushes against the drum and only sticks to parts that have kept
their static electric charge.
 Copy paper is charged up to attract the toner powder of the drum.
The copy is heated to melt the toner into the paper.

Which of the flow processes best represents how a photocopier works ?

A Expose develop stick charge heat

B Expose develop transfer heat fix

C Charge expose develop transfer fix

D Charge move expose stick heat

SECTION B
(5 marks)
You are advised to spend 10 minutes on this section.

Questions 26 – 30

Dry ice is frozen carbon dioxide, a normal part of the Earth’s atmosphere. It is the
gas that we exhale during breathing and the gas that plants use in photosynthesis. It is
also the same gas commonly added to water to make soda water. Dry ice is particularly
useful for freezing and keeping things frozen because of its very cold ____26__ . Dry
ice is widely used because it is simple to freeze and easy to handle using
__27_____gloves. Dry ice changes directly from a solid to a gas in normal atmospheric
_28____ without going through a wet liquid stage.
Commercial shippers of _____29__ goods often use dry ice even for non frozen
goods. Dry ice gives more than twice the cooling ___30____ per pound of weight and
three times the cooling energy per volume than regular water ice. It is often mixed with
regular ice to save shipping weight extend the cooling energy of water ice.

26 A weather 29 A durable
B condition B tangible
C temperature C reusable
D perishable
27 A thin C water-proof
B insulated 30 A effect
B feeling
28 A situations C conditions C energy
B arrangements D strength