8.L.

1 Practice Questions
Date:

Name:
1.

2.

Why should antibiotics be given to a person who is ill with a bacterial disease like strep throat, but not to a person
who has a viral disease like u?
A.

Antibiotics kill bacteria but not viruses.

B.

C.

Antibiotics are made by viruses.

D. Viruses are not living things.

Which is made with the help of bacteria?

A.

3.

Antibiotics make viruses grow faster.

Yogurt

B.

Cream

C.

Soap

D. Cooking oil

When the antibiotic penicillin was rst introduced, it was immediately e ective in combating staphylococcus
bacterial infections. After a number of years, there were outbreaks of staphylococcal infections that did not respond
to treatment with penicillin. The best explanation for this situation is that
A.

members of the original population of bacteria that were penicillin resistant survived and reproduced, creating
a more resistant population

B.

the bacteria that survived exposure to penicillin learned to avoid it

C.

the bacteria that caused the new outbreaks were from populations that had never been exposed to penicillin

D. during each generation, the bacteria modi ed their own DNA to increase their ability to resist penicillin and
passed this ability on to their descendants

4.

5.

People with AIDS are unable to ght multiple infections because the virus that causes AIDS
A.

weakens their immune systems

B.

produces antibodies in their blood

C.

attacks muscle tissue

D. kills pathogens

Viruses frequently infect bacteria and insert new genes into the genetic material of the bacteria. When these
infected bacteria reproduce asexually, which genes would most likely be passed on?
A.

only the new genes

B.

C.

both the original and the new genes

D. neither the original nor the new genes

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only the original genes

6.

Salmonella bacteria can cause humans to have stomach cramps, vomiting, diarrhea, and fever. The e ect these
bacteria have on humans indicates that Salmonella bacteria are
A.

7.

B.

pathogenic organisms

C.

parasitic fungi

D. decomposers

Warts result when certain viruses cause skin cells to reproduce at a high rate. This rapid reproduction of skin cells
is due to the viruses stimulating
A.

8.

predators

cellular digestion

B.

mitotic cell division

C.

synthesis processes

D. meiotic cell division

A part of the Hepatitis B virus is synthesized in the laboratory. This viral particle can be identi ed by the immune
system as a foreign material but the viral particle is not capable of causing disease. Immediately after this viral
particle is injected into a human it
A.

stimulates the production of enzymes that are able to digest the Hepatitis B virus

B.

triggers the formation of antibodies that protect against the Hepatitis B virus

C.

synthesizes speci c hormones that provide immunity against the Hepatitis B virus

D. breaks down key receptor molecules so that the Hepatitis B virus can enter body cells

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8.L.1 Practice Questions

9.

Base your answer to the following question(s) on the passage below and on your knowledge of biology.
A New Theory on Malaria Transmission
Plasmodium falciparum, one parasite that causes malaria, spreads rapidly, infecting up to 500 million
people every year. Malaria spreads when an infected mosquito bites an uninfected human, who then becomes
infected. This infected human is bitten by an uninfected mosquito, which then becomes infected. This
infected mosquito then bites and infects an uninfected human. Malaria transmission is illustrated below.

Scientists have a new idea about how this disease spreads. When the malaria parasite is passed to
humans through the bite of an infected mosquito, there is a great possibility that this action alters the
chemical scent of the human. The altered human body scent then attracts more uninfected mosquitoes, which
bite the infected person, thus spreading the disease.
To test this hypothesis, an experiment was conducted on humans infected with malaria. The results
indicate that malaria gametocytes (a stage of the parasite) may trigger the production of chemicals that change
the scent of the human. The change in human scent makes humans more appealing to mosquitoes.
Scientists are now studying ways to copy this chemical scent for use in traps that would attract
mosquitoes.
Which statement best describes the role of gametocytes in the spread of malaria?
A.

They give o

a scent that attracts infected mosquitoes.

B.

They absorb human body scents that attract mosquitoes.

C.

They release a scent into the human body.

D. They cause a chemical reaction that alters human scent.

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8.L.1 Practice Questions

10.

Base your answer(s) to the following question(s) on the graph below and on your knowledge of biology.

The greatest di erence between the incidence of measles and the incidence of bacterial pneumonia occurred in
A.

11.

1940

B.

1950

C.

1960

D. 1970

Which statement best explains a change in the incidence of disease in 1970?

A.

Children were vaccinated against measles.

B.

New drugs cured diabetes.

C.

The bacteria that cause pneumonia developed a resistance to drugs.

D. New technology helped to reduce the incidence of all three diseases.

12.

Which statement provides the best possible reason for the decrease in number of cases of bacterial pneumonia from
1940 to 1970?
A.

As a result of genetic engineering, humans became immune to the bacteria.

B.

Antibiotics were made available for the treatment of bacterial infections.

C.

The bacteria did not respond to medical treatments.

D. As a result of sexual reproduction, the bacteria evolved into a harmless form.

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8.L.1 Practice Questions

Lyme Disease
Since 1980, the number of reported cases of Lyme disease in New York State had been increasing. The vector
(carrier) of Lyme disease is the small deer tick, Ixodes dammini. The disease is spread from infected animals to ticks
that bite these animals. Humans bitten by these parasitic ticks may then become infected.
The symptoms of Lyme disease do not always occur immediately after a tick bite. An individual may develop a
skin rash several days to weeks after being bitten by a tick. Flu-like symptoms such as headaches, muscle aches, joint
pain, and fever may also develop. Generally, these symptoms clear up and the individual may not seek medical help.
Also, in some cases there may be no symptoms other than a sudden onset of arthritis. However, in a small number of
cases, if the infection is not treated, it may lead to chronic arthritis, disorders of the heart and nervous system, or in a
few cases, death. A blood test can help con rm a diagnosis, and antibiotics are e ective in treating the infection.
People may take preventative action by frequently checking themselves and their pets for ticks, tucking pant legs
into socks when walking though woods, wearing light-colored clothing to aid in spotting a tick, and using insect
repellent.

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8.L.1 Practice Questions

13.

The vector described in the reading passage is an example of

A.

14.

15.

16.

C.

an autotroph

D. a saprophyte

They reproduce both sexually and asexually.

They carry on aerobic respiration.

B.

C.

They are photosynthetic organisms.

D. They are an exception to the cell theory.

Which is the best way to help prevent the u from becoming a pandemic?
A.

getting a vaccination

B.

C.

eating fruits and vegetables

D. washing hands often

taking antibiotics

Fungi and bacteria that depend on dead organic material for their existence are classi ed as
decomposers

B.

predators

C.

omnivores

D. herbivores

Which organism lacks the ability to carry on autotrophic nutrition?

oak tree

B.

maple tree

C.

mushroom

D. fern

C.

heterotrophic

D. saprophytic

Antibiotics lower body temperature.

Bacteria that can survive without oxygen are described as

A.

19.

a predator

A.

A.

18.

B.

Which statement about viruses is true?

A.

17.

a parasite

aerobic

B.

anaerobic

Which of these describes the action of antibiotics?

A.

Antibiotics replace the immune system.

B.

C.

Antibiotics destroy viruses.

D. Antibiotics slow bacterial growth.

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8.L.1 Practice Questions

Prescribing Antibiotics

20.

Doctors need to be careful not to give their patients an antibiotic such as penicillin too often. If the same antibiotic
is prescribed too many times, it can become less e ective against bacteria. Explain fully why this is so.

21.

22.

23.

Which of these best de nes communicable diseases?

A.

They can be cured.

B.

They are caused by bacteria.

C.

They are spread to others.

D. They can spread only in winter.

How does a virus cause a person to develop a common cold?

A.

invades the host cell to reproduce

B.

removes energy from the host cell

C.

produces toxins in the host cell

D. protects the host cell from bacteria

Which of the following is one important di erence between a virus and a bacterial cell?
A.

A virus is much larger in size than a bacterial cell.

B.

A virus always causes more severe disease than a bacterial cell.

C.

A virus can never reproduce on its own, but a bacterial cell can.

D. A virus does not contain genetic material, but a bacterial cell does.

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8.L.1 Practice Questions

24.

Botulism, a type of food poisoning, is caused when bacteria release a poisonous substance. Eating even a small
amount of food that contains the poisonous substance can cause death.
This poisonous substance is called
A.

25.

27.

29.

a toxin

C.

a parasite

D. a scavenger

bacterial pneumonia.

B.

the malaria protist.

C.

the u virus.

D. viral meningitis.

Both infect host organisms.

How are parasites and viruses similar?

A.

Both are contagious diseases.

B.

C.

Both reproduce using host cells.

D. Both break down food using oxygen.

Malaria is a common disease in many countries. What is the cause of this disease?
A.

28.

B.

Antibiotics would be e ective against

A.

26.

a virus

a virus

B.

a bacterium

C.

a fungus

D. a parasite

How can the rate of an infectious disease be drastically reduced?

A.

by taking medication daily

B.

by preventing transmission between people

C.

by wearing clean clothing daily

D. by performing dental hygiene three times each day

Which statement explains a long-term health e ect of vaccinating people for a disease like in uenza or malaria?
A.

The disease would be completely eliminated.

B.

The risk of contracting the disease would be reduced.

C.

Body cells would mutate to produce a new disease strain.

D. Vaccinated individuals would become carriers of the disease.

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8.L.1 Practice Questions

30.

In the late 1800s, surgeons began washing surgical instruments with antiseptic substances to reduce the death rate
of patients. Which statement explains why surgeons adopted new cleaning procedures?
A.

They developed corrosionresistant surgical instruments.

B.

They developed medications that could stop pain during surgery.

C.

They gained an understanding about the periodic table of the elements.

D. They gained an understanding about organisms that spread disease.

31.

In the past, a speci c antibiotic was e ective in killing a certain species of bacteria. Now, most members of this
bacterial species are resistant to this antibiotic. Explain how this species of bacteria has become resistant. Your
answer must include at least the concepts of:
overproduction
variation
natural selection
adaptation to the environment

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8.L.1 Practice Questions

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8.L.1 Practice Questions
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05/20/2014

20.
Answer:

This item assesses students' understanding

of the evolution of a species in the
context of bacteria becoming resistant to
an antibiotic over time. The phenomenon
described occurs because each time the
antibiotic is used, some of the bacteria
survive. They survive because there is
variation within the species, and some
bacteria are resistant to the antibiotic.
The surviving bacteria will reproduce to
produce bacteria that are also resistant to
the antibiotic. In this way, over many
generations the bacteria will become more
resistant to the antibiotic.

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Teacher's Key
31.
Answer:

Example of correct response Due

to their rapid rate of reproduction,
more bacteria than can possibly survive
(overproduction) were produced. Due
to genetic di erences (variation), some
bacteria had genes making them resistant
to the antibiotic and so were better
adapted to an environment containing
the antibiotic. They were the ones most
likely to survive and produce the next
generation (natural selection). Over
several generations, a greater percentage
of the population was resistant (adaptation
to the environment).

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