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Diagnostic Evaluation
SCIENCE

Name:_________________________________________________ Date:_______/ Sept / 2020

Grade: 9NO Basic Sup. Parallel: _____________

Points: ____________/30 Grade:_______ /10 Time allotted: 60 minutes

Teacher:

Instructions and materials

● Avoid looking at or speaking to others.

● All attempts at academic dishonesty will be dealt with according to LOEI.
● Please read and follow the instructions for each section CAREFULLY.
● Read all questions and begin by answering the questions that are more familiar to you
and then come back to the questions that you need more time with.
● For this assessment you will need the following materials:
○ black or blue pen
● GOOD LUCK! :)

THE QUESTION PAPER CONSISTS OF TWO PARTS, EVALUATING OBJECTIVES 3

AND 5:

OBJECTIVE 3 TOTAL /17

OBJECTIVE 5 TOTAL /13

TEST TOTAL /30

Do not turn over this page and start the test until instructed to do so.

__________________ ____________________ ___________________

TEACHER AREA HEAD COORDINATION/VR
Propiedad de Liceo Campoverde, ©Copyright todos los derechos reservados, septiembre 2017. Avenida Simón Bolívar Km 2 1/2 Sector Tanda. Fono: (593) (2) 288 9632
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Objective 3 Research and Communication
Objective 5 Data Analysis and Making Conclusions

Study the text below.

RED BLOOD CELL COUNT AND ALTITUDE

The amount of oxygen in the atmosphere decreases with increasing altitude. This is shown in the
image below.

Lack of oxygen is the principal reason why it is so difficult to climb high mountains without a
period of acclimatization. Many climbers who attempt to reach the summits of the high
mountains of Ecuador, such as Chimborazo and Cotopaxi, fail because they suffer altitude
sickness.

Oxygen is required by all living organisms, including humans, to help break down glucose sugar
and release the energy which is stored in the sugar. This is the energy we need to live. The
breaking down of sugar is a reaction known as cell respiration and can be shown like this:

SUGAR + OXYGEN  CARBON DIOXIDE + WATER + ENERGY

__________________ ____________________ ___________________
TEACHER AREA HEAD COORDINATION/VR
Propiedad de Liceo Campoverde, ©Copyright todos los derechos reservados, septiembre 2017. Avenida Simón Bolívar Km 2 1/2 Sector Tanda. Fono: (593) (2) 288 9632
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People who live at altitude or who have acclimatized properly for a long period of time, often have
more red blood cells in their blood than people who live at sea level. Red blood cells contain a
protein called haemoglobin. It is haemoglobin in red cells which picks up oxygen in the lungs
and carries it around the body, releasing it in the muscles and elsewhere, ready for cell respiration.

At high altitude and at low oxygen pressure, the human body responds by producing more of a
natural chemical called erythropoeitin (EPO), which stimulates red blood cells to reproduce
faster. After a period of acclimatization, the blood will contain many more red blood cells. This
adaptation allows more oxygen to be carried in the blood.

Table 1 below shows the average number of red blood cells in the blood of people living at
different altitudes.
Altitude Average number of red blood cells
(metres) (millions/mm3 of blood)
Sea level (0) 5.1
1,500 5.3
3,000 5.4
4,500 5.6
6,000 5.9
7,500 6.2

(Readings are the average for 10 male adults of the same age who have lived at each altitude for
at least 6 months.)

Endurance sports players and athletes often attend altitude training camps for some weeks or
months before coming back down to sea level to take part in major competitions. Others sleep in
altitude or hypoxic tents, where oxygen pressure is artificially kept low. This sort of preparation
is legal.

EPO can also be made in a laboratory. Some athletes inject themselves with artificially-made EPO
to obtain the same benefits but without having to train at altitude. This is a form of blood doping
and is illegal in sports.

__________________ ____________________ ___________________

TEACHER AREA HEAD COORDINATION/VR
Propiedad de Liceo Campoverde, ©Copyright todos los derechos reservados, septiembre 2017. Avenida Simón Bolívar Km 2 1/2 Sector Tanda. Fono: (593) (2) 288 9632
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Tasks and Questions Objective 5 Data Analysis and Making Conclusions
1 Draw a line graph to show the change on the average number of red blood cells with
increasing altitude.
(5 points)

2 Calculate the average increase in red blood cells with each 1,500 metre increase in altitude.
(2 points)

3 Explain why at each altitude:

i. The average of 10 male adults of the same age was taken
ii. The male adults have lived at that altitude for at least four months
(2 points)

4 The amount of oxygen present in the air decreases with increasing altitude. Red blood cells
contain the substance haemoglobin which combines with oxygen in the lungs and carries it to
the tissues. Using this information, explain:
i The results in the Table 1
ii The fact that many top endurance athletes include several months of training at
high altitude as part of their preparation for a major event.
(4 points)

Tasks Objective 3 Research and Communication

The text contains 12 highlighted and underlined words and phrases. Select any one of the words or
phrases and make a short research about that topic, producing an A4 sized poster presentation,
according to the rubric below.

__________________ ____________________ ___________________

TEACHER AREA HEAD COORDINATION/VR
Propiedad de Liceo Campoverde, ©Copyright todos los derechos reservados, septiembre 2017. Avenida Simón Bolívar Km 2 1/2 Sector Tanda. Fono: (593) (2) 288 9632