Mawhiba

Grade 8 Mock Exam / Answer key

Question 1

A dietician is a scientist who advises people on how to choose their foods to stay healthy. If a
person’s diet contains more energy than they use, the excess energy is converted to body fat.
People often diet to get rid of the stored fat.

 What might a dietician suggest for a person needing a weight-reducing diet?

 Suggest any recommended diet plan. Analyze how it is designed to reduce energy intake.

Students can choose any recommended diet plan to lose weight. Students’ answers will vary
but good plans should include the following tips:

Eat a high-protein breakfast. Eating a high-protein breakfast has been shown to reduce

cravings and calorie intake throughout the day.

Avoid sugary drinks and fruit juice. These are the most fattening things you can put into
your body, and avoiding them can help you lose weight

Drink water a half hour before meals. One study showed that drinking water a half hour
before meals increased weight loss by 44% over 3 months

Eat soluble fiber. Studies show that soluble fibers may reduce fat, especially in the belly
area.

Eat mostly whole, unprocessed foods. Base most of your diet on whole foods. They are
healthier, more filling and much less likely to cause overeating.

Eat your food slowly. Fast eaters gain more weight over time. Eating slowly makes you feel
fuller and boosts weight-reducing hormones

Eat multiple small food portions through the day.

Make sure to include fruits (vitamins) in your daily diet

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Question 2

Enzymes are a key part of the biotechnology industry.: for example, they are important in the
manufacture of foods such as apple juice and bread and in the process of analyzing and
synthesizing DNA in gene technology. Research the uses of enzymes in industry.

Students’ answers will vary but good answers should include the following:

 Enzymes are widely used in the textile industry

 The food and drink industry have to be one of the largest markets for enzymes

 Protease enzyme – used in the manufacturing of baby foods to pre- digest proteins
 Lipase – can be used in conjunction with protease in biological detergents in order to
break down and digest the substances in stains into smaller and more water- soluble
substances
 Carbohydrase – Can be used to convert starch syrup into sugar syrup.
 enzymes for the baking, alcohol and brewing industries

 Enzymes are also used in the pulp and paper industry

 Enzymes are used in detergents and in personal care and hygiene

 Genetic engineering (production of some medicines) and production of recombinant

plasmids depend mainly on restriction enzymes.

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Question 3

The halogens are elements found in group 7 of the periodic table on the right-hand side. Provide
some background data about the halogens and their compounds. Do the beneficial effects of the
halogens in the world outweigh the harm they can cause?

Students’ answers will vary but good answers should include the following:

The halogens are located on the left of the noble gases on the periodic table. These five
toxic, non-metallic elements make up Group 17 of the periodic table and consist of: fluorine (F),
chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), iodine (I), and astatine (At).

Although astatine is radioactive and only has short-lived isotopes, it behaves similar to iodine
and is often included in the halogen group. Because the halogen elements have seven valence
electrons, they only require one additional electron to form a full octet. This characteristic makes
them more reactive than other non-metal groups.

The beneficial effects of the halogens in the world outweigh the harm they can cause. Examples
include:

Fluorine: Although fluorine is very reactive, it serves many industrial purposes. Fluoride is also
added to toothpaste and drinking water to help reduce tooth decay.

Chlorine: Chlorine has many industrial uses. It is used to disinfect drinking water and swimming
pools. Sodium hypochlorite (NaClO) is the main component of bleach. Hydrochloric acid,
sometimes called muriatic acid, is a commonly used acid in industry and laboratories.

Bromine: Bromine is used in flame retardants because of its fire-resistant properties. It also

found in the pesticide methyl bromide, which facilitates the storage of crops and eliminates the
spread of bacteria

Iodine: Iodine is important in the proper functioning of the thyroid gland of the body. If the body
does not receive adequate iodine, a goiter (enlarged thyroid gland) will form. Table salt now
contains iodine to help promote proper functioning of the thyroid hormones. Iodine is also used
as an antiseptic.

Astatine: Because astatine is radioactive and rare, there are no proven uses for this halogen
element. However, there is speculation that this element could aid iodine in regulating the
thyroid hormones. Also, 211At has been used in mice to aid the study of cancer.

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Question 4

Magnet is any material capable of attracting iron and producing a magnetic field outside itself.
By the end of the 19th century all the known elements and many compounds had been tested
for magnetism, and all were found to have some magnetic property. Discuss how magnets have
helped doctors in their diagnosis in recent times.

Students’ answers will vary but good answers should include the following:

 Magnets are found in some commonly used medical equipment such as and Magnetic
Resonance Imaging machines. MRIs use powerful magnetic fields to generate a radar-
like radio signal from inside the body, using the signal to create a clear, detailed picture
of bones, organs and other tissue (images of both hard and soft body tissues). An MRI
magnet is very strong – thousands of times more powerful than common kitchen
magnets.

 MRI has helped doctors find tumors in different organs

 MRI has helped doctors finding blockages in the heart

 Magnetic nanoparticles can be used for the detection of cancer

(The magnetic nanoparticles are coated with antibodies targeting cancer cells or proteins.
The magnetic nanoparticles can be recovered, and the attached cancer-associated
molecules can be assayed to test for their existence)

 Magnetic nanoparticles can be conjugated with carbohydrates and used for detection of
bacteria