BECE 2002 (Paper A) Integrated Science Past Questions and Answers

Paper 1: Objectives

1. The gas usually used in fire extinguishers is
   1. A. Carbon dioxide
   2. B. Carbon monoxide
   3. C. Hydrogen
   4. D. Oxygen
   Answer: A
2. The physical change(s) that take(s) place when a piece of ice is heated continuously for a long time can be represented by
   1. A. Solid → Vapour
   2. B. Vapour → Solid → Liquid
   3. C. Solid → Liquid → Vapour
   4. D. Liquid → Vapour
   Answer: C
3. The chemical formula H2 represents
   1. A. Two atoms of hydrogen
   2. B. Two neutrons of hydrogen
   3. C. Two ions of hydrogen
   4. D. Two molecules of hydrogen
   Answer: A
4. The dissolution of sugar in water is a physical change because the sugar
   1. A. Cannot be seen in water
   2. B. Cannot be separated from the water
   3. C. Can be separated from the water
   4. D. Can be tested in the water
   Answer: C
5. Which of the following statements is true at the boiling point of water?
   1. A. The mass of the water remains the same
   2. B. The temperature increases
   3. C. The temperature remains constant
   4. D. The volume of the water increases
   Answer: C
6. When matter changes state from gas to liquid there is
   1. A. A decrease in mass
   2. B. A decrease in volume
   3. C. An increase in pressure
   4. D. An increase in temperature
   Answer: B
7. The energy possessed by a compressed spring is a
   1. A. Chemical energy
   2. B. Kinetic energy
   3. C. Magnetic energy
   4. D. Potential energy
   Answer: D
8. A ball is dropped from a height to the ground. The energy possessed by the ball just before it strikes the ground is called
   1. A. Heat energy
   2. B. Kinetic energy
   3. C. Potential energy
   4. D. Sound energy
   Answer: B
9. Which of the following statements about a force are true?
   
   I. It causes moving objects to stop
   
   II. It causes stationary objects to move
   
   III. It can change the direction of motion
   
   IV. It can change the shape of an object
   1. A. I and II only
   2. B. III and IV only
   3. C. I, II and III only
   4. D. I, II, III and IV
   Answer: D
10. A body of mass 50 kg falls through a height of 5 m. If the acceleration due to gravity is 10 ms-2, calculate the loss in potential energy.
    1. A. 50 J
    2. B. 250 J
    3. C. 500 J
    4. D. 2500 J
    Answer: D

Answers and solutions for questions 11 to 40 are free in the BECE Past Questions app, with timed practice and offline study.

On an iPhone? Download on the App Store

On Android? Get it on Google Play

11. Which of the following substances can be used as an electrical insulator?
    1. A. Copper
    2. B. Graphite
    3. C. Plastic
    4. D. Zinc
12. Gaps are left between railway lines to
    1. A. Prevent contraction
    2. B. Prevent rusting
    3. C. Allow for expansion
    4. D. Enable a train to stop
13. A beak and claws are protective structures of a
    1. A. Crab
    2. B. Hawk
    3. C. Lion
    4. D. Snake
14. An example of a parasite which lives in the intestine of an animal is
    1. A. Guinea worm
    2. B. Jigger
    3. C. Plasmodium
    4. D. Tapeworm
15. The best way to prevent guinea worm disease is by
    1. A. Boiling drinking water
    2. B. Putting camphor in drinking water
    3. C. Putting drinking water in a refrigerator
    4. D. Sieving drinking water
16. Malaria parasites enter the human body through
    1. A. Breathing contaminated air
    2. B. Drinking contaminated water
    3. C. Mosquito bites
    4. D. Tsetse fly bites
17. Human beings are omnivorous because they eat
    1. A. Both cooked and raw food
    2. B. Only flesh
    3. C. Only fruits
    4. D. Both plants and animals
18. The characteristic that distinguishes living things from non-living things is that, living things
    1. A. Are able to move, non-living things are not
    2. B. Are of different sizes, non-living things have the same size
    3. C. Can manufacture their own food, non-living things cannot
    4. D. Have a definite form, non-living things have irregular forms
19. Animals depend on plants for food because
    1. A. Animals do not need to drink water
    2. B. Only plants can make their food from simple substances
    3. C. Only plant food can satisfy animals
    4. D. Plants are available everywhere
20. Which of the following animals has a body temperature which changes with the temperature of the surroundings?
    1. A. Butterfly
    2. B. Crow
    3. C. Rabbit
    4. D. Toad
21. The farming practice which would improve soil fertility is
    1. A. clean weeding
    2. B. crop rotation
    3. C. continuous cropping
    4. D. mono cropping
22. The best soil for plant growth consists of correct proportion of
    1. A. clay, gravel and sand
    2. B. clay and humus
    3. C. clay, humus and sand
    4. D. clay and sand
23. The by-product of photosynthesis is
    1. A. carbon dioxide
    2. B. starch
    3. C. oxygen
    4. D. water
24. Blood circulates to all parts of the human body with the help of the
    1. A. heart
    2. B. kidney
    3. C. lungs
    4. D. liver
25. The end-product of the digestion of carbohydrates is
    1. A. amino acids
    2. B. fatty acids
    3. C. glucose
    4. D. glycogen
26. The central nervous system is made up of the
    1. A. brain and nerves
    2. B. brain and spinal cord
    3. C. veins and nerves
    4. D. skull and spine
27. Which of the following organs are used for excretion?
    
    I. Lung
    
    II. Skin
    
    III. Kidney
    
    IV. Heart
    1. A. I and IV only
    2. B. II and III only
    3. C. III and IV only
    4. D. I, II and III only
28. The plant structures used for gaseous exchange are the
    1. A. leaves
    2. B. tendrils
    3. C. thorns
    4. D. roots
29. Digestion of starch in humans starts from the
    1. A. gullet
    2. B. ileum
    3. C. mouth
    4. D. stomach
30. The male sex cell is the
    1. A. penis
    2. B. scrotum
    3. C. sperm
    4. D. testis
31. Which of the following seeds is dispersed by explosive mechanism?
    1. A. Coconut
    2. B. Cotton
    3. C. Okro
    4. D. Orange
32. The ear is the organ for detecting
    1. A. colour
    2. B. heat
    3. C. scent
    4. D. sound
33. Which of the following substances is a digestive juice?
    1. A. Blood
    2. B. Bile
    3. C. Sweat
    4. D. Tear
34. An example of a disease transmitted through air is
    1. A. bilharzia
    2. B. cholera
    3. C. measles
    4. D. typhoid
35. Which of the following diseases can be caused by a housefly?
    1. A. Dysentery
    2. B. Elephantiasis
    3. C. Scabies
    4. D. Sleeping sickness
36. The part of the body of an animal that is usually affected by tuberculosis is the
    1. A. heart
    2. B. lung
    3. C. liver
    4. D. intestine
37. The irregular emptying of the bowels is the cause of
    1. A. constipation
    2. B. diarrhea
    3. C. headache
    4. D. stomach ache
38. The farther away a planet is from the sun, the
    1. A. colder the planet
    2. B. hotter the plant
    3. C. shorter the time it takes to go round the sun
    4. D. shorter the length between day and night
39. The instrument used to measure relative humidity is
    1. A. anemometer
    2. B. barometer
    3. C. hygrometer
    4. D. manometer
40. How many days does the moon take to go round the earth?
    1. A. 31
    2. B. 30
    3. C. 29
    4. D. 27

Paper 2: Theory

1. (a) (i) Name four characteristics of non-living things.
   
   (b) Mention two functions of each of the following parts of a plant:
   
   (i) leaves
   
   (ii) roots
   
   (c) Classify the following actions as voluntary or involuntary:
   
   (i) eating
   
   (ii) walking
   
   (iii) sneezing
   
   (iv) laughing
   
   (d) (i) Explain the difference between a physical change and a chemical change.
   
   (ii) Write down the chemical equation for the preparation of carbon dioxide in the laboratory.
   
   (e) (i) What is a machine?
   
   (ii) Write down an expression for the efficiency of a machine.
2. (a) (i) Mention four female sexual characteristics of a human being.
   
   (ii) Name two sense organs in mammals.
   
   (iii) Give one function of each of the sense organs named.
   
   (b) Define each of the following terms:
   
   (i) compound
   
   (ii) mixture
   
   (c) List the particles that make up an atom.
   
   (d) State the energy changes that take place in each of the following processes:
   
   (i) An orange falls from a tree to the ground.
   
   (ii) A carpenter hits a nail with a raised hammer.
3. (a) (i) State three human activities that can cause an increase in soil erosion.
   
   (ii) Give three ways of preventing soil erosion in agriculture.
   
   (b) Describe briefly how a mixture of sand and common salt could be separated.
   
   (c) (i) Define work.
   
   (ii) State the unit of work.
   
   (d) (i) Distinguish between heat and temperature.
   
   (ii) State the units of heat and temperature.
4. (a) Name the organism that causes each of the following diseases:
   
   (i) cholera
   
   (ii) malaria
   
   (iii) tuberculosis
   
   (iv) ringworm
   
   (b) State one method of preventing each of the diseases in (a) above.
   
   (c) A ray of light hits the surface of a plane mirror at an angle of 55°.
   
   (i) Draw a ray diagram showing the normal, incident ray, and the reflected ray.
   
   (ii) What is the angle of reflection for the ray?
   
   (d) State two properties of the image formed in a plane mirror.
   
   (e) Write the chemical names of each of the following compounds:
   
   (i) MgCl2
   
   (ii) FeS
   
   (iii) NH4OH
   
   (iv) AgCl

Worked solutions to the theory questions are free in the app.

On an iPhone? Download on the App Store

On Android? Get it on Google Play