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8 &SCIENCE CONCEPTSSCIENCE ITEMS

SCIENCE CONCEPTSSCIENCE ITEMS

The Science Concepts and Science Items book contains the released TIMSS science assessment items. These are the released items from the 1995 and 2003 assessments (as distinct from the secure items, which are kept confidential so that they may be used in subsequent cycles to monitor trends).

Guide to Using the Science Concepts and Science Items Materials

The materials contained in this book can be used in a number of ways as a tool to assist teachers in making a formative assessment of student knowledge and skills. Some of these ways include the following:

Teacher-designed formative assessments. A teacher might, for example, decide to examine how well his or her class can understand complex information. In such a case, the first step would be to review the questions in Science Concepts and Science Items, selecting the ones of interest. Ready-to-use versions of these items can be found in the Science Items book. The teacher can print these items or present them to students on an overhead. Student responses can be scored by referring to the appropriate page in Science Concepts and Science Items. The teacher can also compare the overall percentage of students responding correctly to the international benchmark for that item.

Feedback on teaching. To the extent that the items coincide with concepts taught, the teacher might follow the same process to gain rapid feedback on the success of the teaching episode.

Understanding misunderstandings. Again, a teacher might decide to examine the incorrect or partially correct responses of the class for insight into any general misunderstandings, with a view to re-teaching a particular topic or skill.

Identifying individual difficulties. In the same way, the teacher might use the items to identify particular difficulties experienced by individual students, as the basis for some remedial teaching or focused practice.

18680.0206 55

Guide to the Content and Layout of This Book

This book contains the released items from both TIMSS 1995 and TIMSS 2003. Due to slight revisions in terminology and released information between cycles, the format for the items in each cycle differs slightly. Each item appears on a single page and is accompanied by a number of descriptors.

1999 Content Domains:• Earth science• Life science• Physics• Chemistry• Environmental and resource issues• Scientific enquiry and the nature of science

2003 Content Domains:• Chemistry • Earth science • Environmental science • Life science • Physics

1999 Cognitive Domains:• Understanding simple information• Understanding complex information• Theorizing, analyzing and solving problems• Using tools, routine procedures and science processes• Investigating the natural world

2003 Cognitive Domains:• Factual knowledge • Conceptual understanding • Reasoning and analysis

Take a look at Layers of Earth, the name given to the first item in this book. As specified in boxes at the top of the page, the content domain for this item is earth science and the cognitive domain is understanding simple information. Looking at Litmus test, the first item from TIMSS 2003 (page 75), the content domain (chemistry) and the cognitive domain (conceptual understanding) are also accompanied by the Main Topic (acids and bases).

International item numbers identify each item. This number appears just below the item box.

Correct answers are shown beneath each item. These correct answers take two forms:

• Letter code. This form is used for the correct response on multiple-choice items. Layers of Earth provides an example of the letter code type—the correct answer is C.

• Scoring guide. This form is used to assist in scoring write-in responses. Life on other planets (J09) further along in the Earth Science domain (page 11), provides an example of the scoring guide approach, indicating the general nature of correct and incorrect responses. In some cases, partial credit may be awarded and these items will provide guidelines for fully correct, partially correct, and incorrect responses.

Sample student responses are provided for TIMSS 2003 extended response items. An example of an actual U.S. fourth-grade student’s response is provided for each scoring category. See item S032057 on page 76.

International benchmarks are provided in a table next to each item. These consist of statistics on the percentage of students in each country who answered the question correctly. The countries are ordered in terms of this percentage. The international average is included as well, and this display also indicates which countries scored significantly higher, significantly lower, and not significantly different from this international average.

TIMSS 1999 8th-Grade Science Concepts and Science Items

Content Domain Cognitive Domain

Earth ScienceUnderstanding Simple

Information

Correct Response: C

Item Number: B01

Overall Percent Correct

3

Layers of Earth

Country average vs.

International average:

Higher �Not different OLower �

Slovenia 96 �Slovak Republic 95 �Canada 94 �Bulgaria 94 �Netherlands 93 �Finland 93 �England 93 �United States 92 �Hungary 92 �Italy 91 �Czech Republic 91 �Russian Federation 90 �Australia 90 �New Zealand 89 �Japan 89 �Belgium (Flemish) 89 �Hong Kong, SAR 88 �Korea, Rep. of 85 �Chinese Taipei 84 OSingapore 84 OLithuania 83 OLatvia (LSS) 83 OInternational Average 82Israel 80 OMoldova 79 OJordan 79 �Malaysia 78 �Macedonia, Rep. of 77 �Cyprus 77 �Turkey 75 �Chile 74 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 72 �Thailand 72 �Romania 70 �Philippines 67 �Tunisia 67 �Indonesia 64 �South Africa 61 �Morocco 54 �



Earth ScienceUsing Tools, Routine Procedures

and Science Processes

Correct Response: A


4

Elevation diagram of wind/temperature

Item Number: B05

Country average vs.



Hungary 69 �Slovak Republic 65 �Slovenia 62 �Netherlands 62 �Israel 59 �Latvia (LSS) 59 �Canada 57 �Finland 56 �Bulgaria 55 �Lithuania 55 �Korea, Rep. of 55 �Czech Republic 55 �New Zealand 54 �Japan 54 �Belgium (Flemish) 50 OAustralia 49 OUnited States 49 ORussian Federation 49 OTurkey 47 OInternational Average 47Jordan 47 OEngland 44 ORomania 44 OChinese Taipei 44 OMacedonia, Rep. of 44 OMoldova 44 OCyprus 43 OHong Kong, SAR 42 �Philippines 41 �Chile 41 �Italy 38 �Morocco 37 �Malaysia 37 �Thailand 34 �South Africa 32 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 31 �Singapore 30 �Indonesia 30 �Tunisia 25 �



Earth ScienceUsing Tools, Routine Procedures


Correct Response: B

Item Number: D03


5

Contour map showing river

Country average vs.



Chinese Taipei 61 �Hong Kong, SAR 61 �Slovenia 59 �Belgium (Flemish) 53 �Australia 53 �Japan 52 �Malaysia 51 �England 51 �Korea, Rep. of 50 �Russian Federation 50 �Netherlands 49 �Finland 48 �United States 48 �Canada 46 �Singapore 44 OHungary 44 �Slovak Republic 43 OBulgaria 41 ONew Zealand 41 OCzech Republic 40 OLithuania 38 OLatvia (LSS) 37 OInternational Average 37Moldova 32 OMacedonia, Rep. of 28 �Thailand 26 �Turkey 26 �Romania 26 �Israel 25 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 23 �Italy 21 �Cyprus 21 �South Africa 21 �Jordan 19 �Indonesia 18 �Morocco 17 �Philippines 16 �Tunisia 16 �Chile 14 �



Earth ScienceUnderstanding Complex

Information

Correct Response: A


6

Oxygen equipment on mountain tops

Item Number: F05

Country average vs.



Singapore 95 �Hong Kong, SAR 94 �Chinese Taipei 94 �Korea, Rep. of 93 �Czech Republic 92 �Canada 92 �Netherlands 91 �Slovak Republic 91 �Bulgaria 91 �Malaysia 90 �United States 90 �England 90 �Hungary 90 �Belgium (Flemish) 90 �Australia 90 �Finland 90 �New Zealand 87 �Slovenia 87 �Russian Federation 84 �Israel 80 OLithuania 80 OInternational Average 79Iran, Islamic Rep. 79 OItaly 78 OThailand 76 OMacedonia, Rep. of 75 OChile 75 OJapan 74 �Cyprus 70 �Romania 70 �Latvia (LSS) 69 �Indonesia 67 �Turkey 65 �Moldova 64 �Jordan 63 �Tunisia 56 �Philippines 48 �South Africa 44 �Morocco 39 �

Why do mountain climbers use oxygen equipment at the topof the world's highest mountains?

A. There is less oxygen in the air at great heights.

B. There is little nitrogen in the air at great heights.

C. There is a hole in the ozone layer.

D. There is no air at the top of very high mountains.




Information

Correct Response: A

Item Number: H03


7

Why moon shines

Country average vs.



Hong Kong, SAR 96 �Singapore 95 �Chinese Taipei 95 �Bulgaria 93 �Netherlands 91 �Japan 89 �England 88 �Malaysia 87 �Canada 87 �Belgium (Flemish) 86 �United States 86 �Finland 86 �Hungary 86 �Czech Republic 86 �New Zealand 84 OCyprus 84 OTurkey 84 OAustralia 83 OLatvia (LSS) 83 OSlovak Republic 83 OJordan 83 OIran, Islamic Rep. 82 OInternational Average 81Russian Federation 81 OKorea, Rep. of 80 OMacedonia, Rep. of 80 OSlovenia 79 OThailand 78 ORomania 78 OIndonesia 76 �Italy 75 �Moldova 75 �Philippines 73 �Israel 72 �Lithuania 72 �Tunisia 71 �Morocco 64 �Chile 64 �South Africa 57 �

The Moon produces no light, and yet it shines at night. Whyis this?

A. The Moon reflects the light from the Sun.

B. The Moon rotates at very high speed.

C. The Moon is covered with a thin layer of ice.

D. The Moon has many craters.




Information

Correct Response: A


8

Diagram of soil layers

Item Number: H04

Country average vs.



Macedonia, Rep. of 76 �Russian Federation 76 �Slovenia 75 �Czech Republic 71 �Lithuania 67 �Romania 63 �Belgium (Flemish) 63 �Hungary 60 �Latvia (LSS) 59 �Slovak Republic 57 �Italy 53 ONetherlands 53 OKorea, Rep. of 53 �Moldova 51 OAustralia 50 OJapan 50 OCanada 50 OBulgaria 50 OThailand 49 OEngland 48 OInternational Average 48Finland 48 OCyprus 47 OChile 47 ONew Zealand 46 OPhilippines 44 OSingapore 43 OTunisia 42 �Indonesia 41 �United States 40 �Morocco 36 �South Africa 35 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 34 �Jordan 32 �Turkey 29 �Chinese Taipei 28 �Israel 28 �Malaysia 22 �Hong Kong, SAR 15 �




Information

Correct Response: C

Item Number: J01


9

Earth's plates over millions of years

Country average vs.



Hungary 93 �Canada 91 �Australia 89 �Slovak Republic 89 �Singapore 89 �Chinese Taipei 87 �Czech Republic 87 �England 86 �Hong Kong, SAR 85 �United States 84 �Korea, Rep. of 83 �Slovenia 82 �Finland 82 ONetherlands 81 ONew Zealand 81 OBelgium (Flemish) 81 OBulgaria 81 OLatvia (LSS) 80 OLithuania 80 ORussian Federation 80 OMoldova 80 OJapan 79 �Italy 77 ORomania 75 OThailand 75 OInternational Average 75Chile 73 OIsrael 73 OMalaysia 68 �Cyprus 68 OMacedonia, Rep. of 67 �Turkey 65 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 61 �Indonesia 60 �Jordan 56 �Philippines 55 �Tunisia 52 �South Africa 32 �Morocco 29 �

Which BEST describes the movement of the plates thatmake up Earth's surface over millions of years?

A. They moved for millions of years but have now stopped.

B. They stayed the same for millions of years but are nowmoving.

C. They have been continually moving.

D. They have never moved.




Information

Correct Response: C


10

Factor explaining seasons on Earth

Country average vs.



Japan 52 �Hong Kong, SAR 48 �England 44 �Italy 44 �Australia 41 �Chinese Taipei 40 �Canada 38 �New Zealand 38 �United States 37 �Finland 34 OBulgaria 34 OKorea, Rep. of 30 OSlovak Republic 30 ORussian Federation 30 OSlovenia 29 OCzech Republic 28 OIsrael 28 ONetherlands 27 OInternational Average 26Lithuania 26 OMalaysia 25 OCyprus 24 OHungary 23 OBelgium (Flemish) 22 OMoldova 22 OThailand 21 OTurkey 18 �Singapore 18 �Morocco 18 �Jordan 17 �Romania 17 �South Africa 15 �Chile 15 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 13 �Latvia (LSS) 13 �Tunisia 13 �Philippines 13 �Macedonia, Rep. of 12 �Indonesia 7 �

Which of the following is an important factor in explainingwhy seasons occur on Earth?

A. Earth rotates on its axis.

B. The Sun rotates on its axis.

C. Earth's axis is tilted.

D. The Sun's axis is tilted.

Item Number: J06

Item Number: J09



11

Life on other planets

SCORING

Note: A correct response must clearly indicate the reason why a condition listed in the table

makes it hard for humans to live on Proto. Responses referencing insufficient (too little,

less, not enough, etc.) oxygen with or without explicitly mentioning breathing will be given

credit due to the assumption of common knowledge. If more than one reason is given,

assign credit corresponding to the first correct reason.

Correct Response

• States that there would be insufficient (too little, less, not enough, etc.) oxygen (to breath).

• States that the atmospheric pressure would be too low with an explanation based on low

air/oxygen levels or effects of lower boiling point, etc.

• States that there is no ozone layer to protect people (against star’s UV radiation).

• States that no cloud cover means no (low) water.

• States that it is too cold (due to distance from the star).

• Other correct.

Incorrect Response

• Merely repeats information in table and/or stem with no explanation.

• States that it is too hot due to no ozone layer.

• States that there is little (no) gravity (confuses atmospheric pressure with gravity).

• Other incorrect (including crossed out/erased, stray marks, illegible, or off task).


Earth ScienceTheorizing, Analyzing

and Solving Problems

Country average vs.



Slovak Republic 89 �Singapore 86 �Australia 83 �Hungary 83 �Canada 82 �England 82 �Netherlands 81 �Latvia (LSS) 80 �New Zealand 80 �Finland 80 �Chinese Taipei 79 �Slovenia 78 �United States 78 �Belgium (Flemish) 77 �Korea, Rep. of 77 �Czech Republic 75 ORussian Federation 73 �Italy 70 OHong Kong, SAR 70 OJapan 69 OLithuania 67 OMalaysia 67 OInternational Average 66Bulgaria 65 OTunisia 64 OThailand 62 OIsrael 62 OJordan 59 OIndonesia 59 OMacedonia, Rep. of 58 OChile 57 �Cyprus 51 �Moldova 51 �Romania 48 �Turkey 47 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 45 �Philippines 26 �Morocco 25 �South Africa 21 �

Item Number: R04



12

Atmospheric conditions in jets

SCORING

Note: A correct response must include an explanation identifying an atmospheric condition

that is different at high altitudes and why it must be controlled for. Responses referencing

low oxygen level (too little, less, not enough) with or without explicitly mentioning breathing

will be given credit due to the assumption of prior knowledge.

Correct Response

• Refers to controlling for low oxygen level and/or little air (“thin atmosphere”) in order to

breath.

• Refers to controlling for low atmospheric pressure with explanation relating to the effect on

humans.

• Refers to controlling for low atmospheric temperature.

• Other correct.

Incorrect Response

• Mentions pressure, temperature or oxygen with incorrect or no further explanation.

• Mentions gravity.

• Refers only to effects of wind, air currents, or turbulence, etc.




Information

Country average vs.



Slovak Republic 65 �Chinese Taipei 55 �Belgium (Flemish) 51 �Canada 50 �Australia 49 �Thailand 47 �Russian Federation 46 �Singapore 46 �Korea, Rep. of 45 �Lithuania 45 �New Zealand 45 �England 44 �Finland 42 OBulgaria 40 OLatvia (LSS) 38 OSlovenia 38 OHong Kong, SAR 35 OIndonesia 35 OItaly 34 OInternational Average 33Hungary 33 OIsrael 32 OMoldova 31 OCzech Republic 29 OMacedonia, Rep. of 28 OJapan 28 ORomania 27 OTurkey 25 �Netherlands 24 OMalaysia 23 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 23 �Cyprus 21 �Tunisia 17 �United States 17 �Jordan 17 �Chile 10 �Philippines 6 �South Africa 5 �Morocco 2 �

Jet aircraft typically fly at altitudes of approximately 10,000meters. Atmospheric conditions at this altitude are differentfrom those at ground level. Write down one difference thatexists and explain why it must be controlled for in order for people to survive inside jet aircraft.

Item Number: Z02



13

Diagram of rain from sea

SCORING

Note: A fully correct response must show clear evidence of the following 4 steps:

(i) Evaporation of water from the sea

(ii) Condensation (as clouds)

(iii) Transportation (from sea to land)

(iv) Precipitation.

The steps do not have to be indicated on a labeled diagram for full credit, but the drawing

and/or accompanying explanatory text must be clear with respect to the direction of water

flow. Steps (ii) and (iii) may be clearly indicated as two steps (e.g. formation of clouds and

transportation by wind) or as a single step showing a series of clouds extending over land

and sea.

Correct Response

•Response includes a diagram indicating all 4 steps (i, ii, iii and iv above) and direction of

water flow.

•No diagram is shown, but response includes a complete and correct textual description of the

water cycle.

•Other fully correct.

Partial Response

• As in correct response but evaporation is unclear or omitted.

• As in correct response but condensation is unclear or omitted.

• As in correct response but transportation is unclear or omitted.

• As in correct response but precipitation is unclear or omitted.

• Other partially correct.

Incorrect Response

• Response clearly indicates evaporation and/or condensation only.

• Response clearly indicates precipitation only (may also show clouds).



Earth ScienceTheorizing, Analyzing


Country average vs.



Belgium (Flemish) 77 �Singapore 76 �England 74 �Hungary 67 �Malaysia 66 �Australia 66 �Netherlands 65 �Russian Federation 64 �New Zealand 60 �Canada 58 �Slovenia 56 �Japan 54 �Finland 52 �Czech Republic 47 OKorea, Rep. of 43 OChinese Taipei 43 OItaly 42 OThailand 41 OJordan 41 OLatvia (LSS) 41 OInternational Average 40Cyprus 35 OSlovak Republic 35 OChile 27 �Romania 26 �Macedonia, Rep. of 26 �Tunisia 25 �Turkey 25 �Lithuania 20 �Philippines 19 �Indonesia 17 �Moldova 14 �Israel 14 �United States 13 �South Africa 11 �Bulgaria 11 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 10 �Morocco 5 �

Draw a diagram to show how water from the sea can fall asrain on land.



Life ScienceUnderstanding Complex

Information

Correct Response: C


14

Pulse/breathing rate after exercise

Item Number: B04

Country average vs.



Japan 98 �Hungary 97 �Singapore 96 �Netherlands 95 �Belgium (Flemish) 95 �England 95 �Slovenia 95 �Korea, Rep. of 95 �Lithuania 95 �Canada 94 �Chinese Taipei 94 �Finland 94 �Czech Republic 94 �Australia 94 �Hong Kong, SAR 93 �Tunisia 92 �Slovak Republic 92 �Bulgaria 92 �Latvia (LSS) 92 �United States 91 �New Zealand 90 �Malaysia 89 ORussian Federation 89 OItaly 89 OCyprus 88 OInternational Average 87Thailand 87 OIsrael 86 OMacedonia, Rep. of 86 OMoldova 85 ORomania 84 OChile 83 �Indonesia 83 �Jordan 83 �Turkey 79 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 79 �Philippines 59 �Morocco 58 �South Africa 36 �

Immediately before and after running a 50 meter race, yourpulse and breathing rates are taken. What changes would youexpect to find?

A. no change in pulse but a decrease in breathing rate

B. an increase in pulse but no change in breathing rate

C. an increase in pulse and breathing rate

D. a decrease in pulse and breathing rate

E. no change in either



Life ScienceUnderstanding Simple

Information

Correct Response: C

Item Number: D05


15

Sensory messages to the brain

Country average vs.



Czech Republic 89 �Netherlands 83 �Bulgaria 82 �Thailand 82 �Latvia (LSS) 82 �Korea, Rep. of 80 �Lithuania 80 �Belgium (Flemish) 79 �Slovenia 78 �Slovak Republic 78 �Russian Federation 78 �Hungary 78 �Tunisia 76 �Japan 75 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 74 �England 74 �Chinese Taipei 72 OMoldova 72 OFinland 71 OAustralia 71 OMacedonia, Rep. of 71 OUnited States 71 OIsrael 70 OInternational Average 69Singapore 68 OCanada 68 OHong Kong, SAR 67 OIndonesia 66 OItaly 64 OJordan 64 ORomania 64 ONew Zealand 61 �Malaysia 60 �Cyprus 53 �Turkey 53 �Philippines 45 �Morocco 42 �South Africa 36 �Chile 35 �

Sensory messages are taken to the brain by

A. arteries and veins

B. arteries and hormones

C. nerves and hormones

D. muscles and veins




Information

Correct Response: A


16

Seed development from plant part

Item Number: D06

Country average vs.



Czech Republic 94 �Slovak Republic 93 �Latvia (LSS) 92 �Lithuania 89 �Hungary 87 �Russian Federation 86 �Romania 85 �Slovenia 84 �Japan 83 �Moldova 82 �Italy 82 �Singapore 82 �Finland 82 �Belgium (Flemish) 80 �Macedonia, Rep. of 80 �Indonesia 80 �Bulgaria 78 �Korea, Rep. of 77 �Netherlands 72 OInternational Average 71Hong Kong, SAR 69 OThailand 69 OAustralia 68 OIran, Islamic Rep. 68 OMalaysia 67 OJordan 67 ONew Zealand 65 �Tunisia 65 �England 63 �Chinese Taipei 63 �Canada 61 �Chile 57 �Cyprus 57 �United States 57 �Turkey 56 �Israel 52 �Philippines 39 �South Africa 36 �Morocco 34 �

Seeds develop from which part of a plant?

A. Flower

B. Leaf

C. Root

D. Stem




Information

Correct Response: B

Item Number: F01


17

Characteristic of mammal

Country average vs.



Slovenia 89 �Japan 86 �Bulgaria 85 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 84 �Hong Kong, SAR 83 �Slovak Republic 81 �Chinese Taipei 80 �Latvia (LSS) 80 �Cyprus 80 �Czech Republic 79 �Malaysia 78 �Hungary 78 �Korea, Rep. of 77 �Singapore 77 �Russian Federation 76 ORomania 73 OThailand 71 OFinland 71 OBelgium (Flemish) 70 OLithuania 70 OMacedonia, Rep. of 70 OInternational Average 70Italy 70 OChile 68 OMoldova 68 OTunisia 67 OCanada 66 �Turkey 65 �United States 65 �Indonesia 64 �Jordan 63 �Australia 63 �Netherlands 62 �Israel 60 �New Zealand 54 �England 52 �South Africa 46 �Morocco 45 �Philippines 30 �

A small animal called the duckbilled platypus lives inAustralia. Which characteristic of this animal shows that itis a mammal?

A. It eats other animals.

B. It feeds its young milk.

C. It makes a nest and lays eggs.

D. It has webbed feet.




Information

Correct Response: A


18

Interpretation of senses

Item Number: F03

Country average vs.



Bulgaria 91 �Hong Kong, SAR 91 �Singapore 86 �Malaysia 85 �United States 85 �Netherlands 83 �Russian Federation 82 �England 81 �New Zealand 81 �Canada 81 �Chinese Taipei 80 �Moldova 78 �Turkey 78 �Hungary 76 �Australia 72 �Finland 69 OLithuania 67 OCzech Republic 67 OInternational Average 65Chile 65 OLatvia (LSS) 65 OMacedonia, Rep. of 65 ORomania 63 OIndonesia 61 OIsrael 60 �Philippines 58 �Jordan 58 �Korea, Rep. of 55 �Japan 54 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 50 �Italy 44 �Slovenia 43 �Morocco 43 �Belgium (Flemish) 40 �South Africa 32 �Thailand 30 �Tunisia 24 �

Humans interpret seeing, hearing, tasting and smelling in the

A. brain

B. spinal cord

C. receptors

D. skin




Information

Correct Response: A

Item Number: H01


19

NOT a function of blood

Country average vs.



Thailand 90 �Chinese Taipei 88 �Czech Republic 88 �Hungary 85 �Japan 84 �United States 83 �Canada 81 �England 81 �Slovak Republic 81 �Finland 80 �Australia 80 �Bulgaria 79 �Netherlands 79 �Korea, Rep. of 77 �Belgium (Flemish) 77 �Italy 77 �Hong Kong, SAR 76 �Russian Federation 75 OSingapore 74 OSlovenia 73 ONew Zealand 72 OInternational Average 70Lithuania 69 OChile 69 ORomania 66 OMacedonia, Rep. of 65 OIsrael 64 �Jordan 63 �Latvia (LSS) 58 �Malaysia 57 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 56 �Moldova 56 �Indonesia 53 �Turkey 51 �Philippines 50 �Tunisia 44 �Morocco 43 �South Africa 35 �

Which of these is NOT a function of the blood?

A. Digesting food

B. Protecting against disease

C. Carrying waste materials away from the cells

D. Carrying oxygen to different parts of the body




Information

Correct Response: D


20

Role of vitamins

Item Number: H02

Country average vs.



Latvia (LSS) 95 �Russian Federation 95 �Hungary 95 �Netherlands 93 �Korea, Rep. of 92 �Slovenia 90 �Slovak Republic 89 �Finland 88 �Bulgaria 87 �Belgium (Flemish) 87 �Malaysia 86 �Lithuania 86 �Czech Republic 84 �Indonesia 84 �England 83 �Italy 83 �Australia 83 �Canada 82 OSingapore 80 OThailand 79 OChile 79 OInternational Average 78United States 78 ONew Zealand 76 OIsrael 75 ORomania 74 OJordan 73 �Macedonia, Rep. of 71 �Moldova 71 �Chinese Taipei 71 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 70 �Turkey 69 �Hong Kong, SAR 69 �Cyprus 68 �Philippines 68 �Japan 65 �Morocco 59 �Tunisia 54 �South Africa 35 �

What are vitamins?

A. Substances that break down food

B. Bacteria that people get when they eat some foods

C. Substances that people make from protein

D. Substances that people need in small amounts in orderfor their bodies to function normally




Information

Correct Response: A

Item Number: J02


21

Feature shared by all insects

Country average vs.



Canada 81 �United States 78 �England 78 �New Zealand 76 �Netherlands 75 �Australia 74 �Japan 72 �Hungary 66 �Singapore 62 �Turkey 58 �Latvia (LSS) 58 OChinese Taipei 57 �Finland 55 OKorea, Rep. of 54 OItaly 53 OHong Kong, SAR 51 ORussian Federation 50 OIsrael 50 OInternational Average 49Slovenia 49 OBelgium (Flemish) 46 OBulgaria 45 OMalaysia 45 OCzech Republic 43 OSouth Africa 41 �Indonesia 39 �Romania 37 �Cyprus 36 �Macedonia, Rep. of 36 �Thailand 36 �Moldova 36 �Lithuania 32 �Philippines 32 �Chile 32 �Jordan 29 �Slovak Republic 29 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 25 �Tunisia 19 �Morocco 18 �

What feature is shared by ALL insects?

A. External skeleton

B. Two pairs of wings

C. Jumping legs

D. Stinging mechanism




Information

Correct Response: C


22

Reason for protein in diet

Item Number: J07

Country average vs.



Chinese Taipei 62 �Finland 61 �Malaysia 60 �Belgium (Flemish) 54 �Hong Kong, SAR 53 �Slovenia 53 �Thailand 50 �Indonesia 49 �Czech Republic 47 �Singapore 45 �Hungary 44 �Slovak Republic 42 �Korea, Rep. of 41 �Russian Federation 38 OItaly 36 OIran, Islamic Rep. 36 OCyprus 34 OInternational Average 33England 33 OLatvia (LSS) 29 OJapan 29 OAustralia 27 OJordan 27 OBulgaria 26 OIsrael 24 �Chile 24 �Morocco 23 �Lithuania 22 �Tunisia 22 �Netherlands 22 �Canada 22 �New Zealand 21 �Moldova 20 �United States 20 �Turkey 20 �Romania 16 �Philippines 16 �Macedonia, Rep. of 11 �South Africa 11 �

The BEST reason for including protein in a healthy diet isbecause it is the main source of

A. energy for the body

B. fiber for digestion

C. raw materials for cell growth and repair

D. vitamins for fighting disease




Information

Correct Response: D

Item Number: L02


23

Large leaves on seedlings

Country average vs.



Thailand 92 �Japan 89 �Korea, Rep. of 88 �Slovenia 84 �Hong Kong, SAR 83 �Finland 82 �Italy 82 �Singapore 81 �Hungary 80 �Slovak Republic 80 OLithuania 79 OEngland 79 ORussian Federation 79 �Malaysia 78 �Czech Republic 77 OTurkey 73 OCanada 73 ORomania 73 OBulgaria 73 OCyprus 73 OInternational Average 72Chinese Taipei 71 ONetherlands 70 OChile 69 OBelgium (Flemish) 69 OJordan 68 OAustralia 68 OMacedonia, Rep. of 67 OIran, Islamic Rep. 66 OIsrael 66 OLatvia (LSS) 65 OTunisia 65 �United States 63 �Moldova 63 �New Zealand 62 �Indonesia 62 �Philippines 55 �Morocco 42 �South Africa 38 �

What is the primary function of the large leaves found onseedlings growing in a forest?

A. To provide shade for the root systems

B. To get rid of excess water that is entering through the roots

C. To allow for leaf damage by insects

D. To gather as much light as possible for photosynthesis




Information

Correct Response: A


24

Physical characteristic of prey

Item Number: L03

Country average vs.



Belgium (Flemish) 64 �Japan 61 �Korea, Rep. of 55 �England 54 �New Zealand 50 �Netherlands 50 �Finland 48 �Malaysia 46 �Chinese Taipei 46 �Australia 45 �United States 43 OCanada 42 OSlovenia 40 OCzech Republic 40 OInternational Average 37Lithuania 37 OItaly 37 OBulgaria 35 OMoldova 35 OSlovak Republic 34 OSingapore 34 ORussian Federation 34 OHong Kong, SAR 34 OJordan 34 OCyprus 33 OTurkey 32 OMacedonia, Rep. of 30 OIndonesia 29 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 29 �Romania 29 OSouth Africa 28 �Israel 27 �Chile 25 �Tunisia 24 �Thailand 23 �Hungary 22 �Philippines 22 �Morocco 16 �

Which one of the following characteristics is most likely tobe found in mammals that are preyed on by other mammalsfor food?

A. Eyes on the sides of the head

B. Teeth that are long and pointed

C. Claws on the feet

D. Ears that cannot move




Information

Correct Response: C

Item Number: L05


25

Wolves marking territory

Country average vs.



Finland 92 �Korea, Rep. of 91 �Canada 89 �Latvia (LSS) 86 �Australia 84 �Russian Federation 84 �Japan 83 �Belgium (Flemish) 81 �Netherlands 80 �New Zealand 80 �Hungary 79 �United States 78 �England 75 �Czech Republic 74 �Lithuania 72 �Slovak Republic 71 �Bulgaria 71 �Italy 70 �Chile 66 �Thailand 65 OSlovenia 63 OInternational Average 60Hong Kong, SAR 54 OChinese Taipei 50 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 49 �Malaysia 46 �Romania 45 �Israel 44 �Singapore 44 �Moldova 44 �Macedonia, Rep. of 34 �Indonesia 33 �Jordan 33 �Turkey 32 �Philippines 31 �Cyprus 27 �South Africa 26 �Tunisia 19 �Morocco 19 �

When male wolves place their scent on trees, they mostlikely are doing this in order to

A. attract female wolves

B. attract prey

C. mark their territory against other wolves

D. mark the location of food supplies

Item Number: L08



26

Complete food web

SCORING

Note: There are two possible food webs that are accepted as correct. An alternative, but less pre-

ferred, food web with the hawk (3) and snake (4) reversed is also scored as correct.

Correct Response

• Four placed correctly: 2,1,4,3 or names of animals/plants (corn, caterpillar, snake, hawk)

as shown in the diagram above.

• Same as above but with hawk and snake reversed.

Incorrect Response




Information

Country average vs.



Chinese Taipei 89 �Singapore 89 �Korea, Rep. of 85 �Malaysia 84 �England 75 �Bulgaria 70 �Hungary 70 �Japan 68 �Russian Federation 67 �Indonesia 66 �Romania 65 OHong Kong, SAR 64 �Canada 63 OBelgium (Flemish) 62 OCzech Republic 60 OAustralia 60 ONetherlands 58 OThailand 58 OFinland 57 OMoldova 56 OUnited States 56 OInternational Average 55Slovak Republic 54 OJordan 51 OLatvia (LSS) 50 OMacedonia, Rep. of 48 OSlovenia 48 OItaly 48 ONew Zealand 48 OPhilippines 39 �Lithuania 37 �Cyprus 37 �Turkey 36 �Tunisia 36 �Israel 35 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 35 �Chile 28 �Morocco 16 �South Africa 12 �

Item Number: N02



27

Food web: effect of crop failure

SCORING

Note: A correct response must include a feasible explanation directly relating the predicted

change in robin population to the effect of corn crop failure on prey/predator relationships

indicated in the food web. Responses do not have to use the specific terms decrease,

increase, and same, as long as the explanation is clear with respect to the effect on the

robin population. If more than one effect is given, assign credit corresponding to the first

correct explanation.

Correct Response

• Robin population may decrease. Explanation based on predators (snakes/hawks) eating

more robins if mice die.

• Robin population may increase. Explanation based on predators (snakes/hawks) dying due to

lack of food (mice).

• Robin population would stay the same with a feasible explanation.

• Other acceptable explanation.

Incorrect Response

• Robin population would decrease. Incorrect explanation based on robins starving if snakes

die (confuses prey/predator relationship).

• Robin population would decrease. Incorrect explanation based on the robin needing corn to

survive.

• Robin population would stay the same. Incorrect explanation based on the robins not needing

corn to survive or not being connected to corn in the food web. (Does not consider the effect

of predators.)

• Mentions only that the whole food web will be upset and/or all the animals will die.



Life ScienceTheorizing, Analyzing


Country average vs.



Singapore 72 �Chinese Taipei 55 �Korea, Rep. of 54 �England 46 �Belgium (Flemish) 45 �Australia 44 �Canada 38 �New Zealand 38 �Hong Kong, SAR 36 �Netherlands 36 OUnited States 35 �Malaysia 31 ORussian Federation 30 OJapan 28 OHungary 28 OFinland 26 OInternational Average 26Czech Republic 26 OSlovenia 23 OTurkey 23 OItaly 22 OSlovak Republic 21 OMacedonia, Rep. of 21 OLatvia (LSS) 20 OBulgaria 20 OIndonesia 19 �Romania 19 OPhilippines 17 �Israel 15 �Lithuania 14 �Thailand 14 �Tunisia 13 �Cyprus 13 �Jordan 12 �Chile 11 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 9 �Moldova 8 �South Africa 3 �Morocco 2 �




Information

Correct Response: A


28

Bacteria to convert milk to yogurt

Item Number: N03

Country average vs.



Japan 86 �Chinese Taipei 86 �Korea, Rep. of 75 �Hong Kong, SAR 73 �Russian Federation 73 �Czech Republic 71 �Jordan 71 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 67 �Cyprus 65 �Turkey 64 �Finland 64 �Bulgaria 62 OItaly 62 OSlovak Republic 61 OMoldova 60 OLatvia (LSS) 59 ONetherlands 58 OLithuania 58 OThailand 57 ORomania 56 OInternational Average 54Slovenia 54 OMacedonia, Rep. of 54 OCanada 52 OTunisia 52 OHungary 47 OEngland 44 �Australia 44 �New Zealand 43 �United States 43 �Morocco 42 �Israel 40 �Indonesia 37 �Singapore 36 �South Africa 35 �Malaysia 34 �Philippines 27 �Chile 26 �Belgium (Flemish) 24 �

Which of the following organisms are used to convert milk toyogurt?

A. Bacteria

B. Protozoa

C. Viruses

D. Algae




Information

Correct Response: B

Item Number: N05


29

Bone meal for plant growth

Country average vs.



Latvia (LSS) 82 �Thailand 81 �Singapore 80 �Lithuania 79 �Hungary 78 �Malaysia 75 �Russian Federation 74 �Finland 73 �Chinese Taipei 72 �Czech Republic 69 �Japan 67 �Slovenia 65 �Canada 65 �Italy 60 OUnited States 60 OMoldova 59 OEngland 59 OHong Kong, SAR 58 OKorea, Rep. of 58 ONew Zealand 58 OTunisia 57 OBulgaria 57 OAustralia 57 OInternational Average 56Iran, Islamic Rep. 52 OBelgium (Flemish) 51 ORomania 49 OSlovak Republic 45 �Turkey 44 �Macedonia, Rep. of 44 �Netherlands 43 �Cyprus 42 �Chile 41 �Jordan 39 �Indonesia 34 �Philippines 31 �Israel 30 �South Africa 27 �Morocco 19 �

Some plants grow better if bone meal (ground-up bones) isspread around their roots. What does bone meal supply toplants that makes them grow better?

A. Energy

B. Minerals

C. Vitamins

D. Carbon dioxide

E. Water




Information

Correct Response: A


30

Definition of tissue

Item Number: N06

Country average vs.



Bulgaria 67 �Russian Federation 61 �Chinese Taipei 60 �Slovenia 57 �Lithuania 56 �Cyprus 56 �Korea, Rep. of 54 �Czech Republic 52 OSlovak Republic 52 �Macedonia, Rep. of 50 �Jordan 49 �Belgium (Flemish) 47 ORomania 47 OUnited States 46 ONetherlands 46 OMoldova 46 OHungary 44 OCanada 42 OIsrael 41 OEngland 41 OInternational Average 41Singapore 40 OItaly 38 OAustralia 37 OHong Kong, SAR 37 OJapan 37 OLatvia (LSS) 36 ONew Zealand 33 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 30 �Finland 30 �Philippines 29 �Morocco 27 �Turkey 26 �Malaysia 25 �Thailand 24 �Chile 23 �Indonesia 22 �Tunisia 21 �South Africa 17 �

Tissues are found in living things. What is the definition of atissue?

A. A group of cells with similar structure and function

B. A group of cells with different structure and function

C. A group of organelles contained inside a cell

D. A group of substances that make up the walls of a cell




Information

Correct Response: D

Item Number: N08


31

Mammal/lizards living in cold regions

Country average vs.



Russian Federation 62 �Bulgaria 59 �Korea, Rep. of 58 �Japan 56 �Netherlands 53 �Canada 52 �Hong Kong, SAR 51 �Chinese Taipei 49 �Slovak Republic 49 OThailand 49 �United States 47 �Singapore 47 OAustralia 46 OLatvia (LSS) 45 OLithuania 44 OItaly 44 OFinland 43 OCzech Republic 41 OInternational Average 40England 40 ONew Zealand 40 OBelgium (Flemish) 39 OHungary 39 OMalaysia 39 ORomania 38 OCyprus 35 OPhilippines 35 OIsrael 34 OMoldova 32 �Slovenia 30 �Chile 30 �Jordan 29 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 28 �Indonesia 27 �Macedonia, Rep. of 27 �Tunisia 24 �Turkey 23 �Morocco 21 �South Africa 15 �

Which statement best explains why mammals are found invery cold regions of the world but lizards are not?

A. Both mammals and lizards are cold-blooded, butmammals have fur to keep them warm.

B. Both mammals and lizards are warm-blooded, but lizardsget too cold when they shed their skin.

C. Since mammals, but not lizards, are warm blooded, theirbody temperature will adjust to match the externaltemperature.

D. Since mammals, but not lizards, are warm-blooded, theywill maintain their body temperature using heat frommetabolic processes.

Content Domain Cognitive DomainTIMSS 1999 8th-Grade Science Concepts and Science Items





32

Tree growth

Item Number: P03

SCORING

Note: A correct response is based on trees increasing in height as a result of growth at the tips

of stems/branches (apical meristem) and trunk growth only resulting in increased diameter.

Responses should be scored as correct if either of these two factors are included.

Correct Response

• Mentions that trees grow in height at the tips of stems/branches. (May also mention trunk

growth increasing in diameter.)

• Mentions ONLY that the trunk grows in width or diameter but not height (without mentioning

growth of the stem or branches).

• Other correct.

Incorrect Response

• Mentions only that the trunk does not grow (is dead).

• Mentions that the nail stops or prevents growth.


Country average vs.



Belgium (Flemish) 65 �Finland 64 �Canada 59 �Australia 57 �Japan 57 �Netherlands 56 �New Zealand 56 �Thailand 55 �Slovak Republic 55 �England 55 �Chinese Taipei 53 �Moldova 53 �Hungary 50 OSingapore 49 OCzech Republic 48 ORussian Federation 48 OCyprus 47 OSlovenia 45 OUnited States 45 OTurkey 44 OItaly 43 OLatvia (LSS) 42 OInternational Average 41Hong Kong, SAR 40 OIsrael 38 OIran, Islamic Rep. 37 OLithuania 36 ORomania 36 OMalaysia 33 �Korea, Rep. of 33 �Chile 30 �Bulgaria 29 �Jordan 24 �Indonesia 23 �Tunisia 22 �Macedonia, Rep. of 21 �Philippines 9 �South Africa 8 �Morocco 2 �

Ethan hammered a nail into the trunk of a young tree.Explain why the nail was still at the same height from theground twenty years later even though the tree had grownto a height of 22 meters.

Item Number: P04



33

Hibernating animals



Information

Country average vs.



Lithuania 77 �Hungary 75 �Czech Republic 75 �Slovak Republic 74 �Bulgaria 72 �Thailand 69 �Finland 67 �Russian Federation 66 �Latvia (LSS) 64 �Indonesia 63 �Slovenia 54 OMoldova 54 ONetherlands 54 OSingapore 53 OAustralia 51 OChinese Taipei 50 OCyprus 50 OIran, Islamic Rep. 50 OItaly 50 OCanada 50 OMalaysia 49 OInternational Average 48Belgium (Flemish) 48 OUnited States 47 OHong Kong, SAR 47 ORomania 46 OIsrael 44 ONew Zealand 33 �England 33 �Jordan 31 �Macedonia, Rep. of 30 �Chile 30 �Philippines 29 �Japan 28 �Turkey 25 �Tunisia 23 �Korea, Rep. of 22 �South Africa 20 �Morocco 16 �

Animals hibernate to survive cold weather and poor foodsupplies. Which of the following occurs in animals when theyhibernate?

A. Their blood stops circulating.

B. Their body temperature increases.

C. Their body fat remains constant.

D. Their rate of metabolism decreases.

Correct Response: D

Item Number: P06



34

Digestion in stomach

SCORING

Note: To be correct, a response must name a specific digestive substance found in the stomach

(enzyme, hydrochloric acid, or gastric juices) with or without a full description of its function. A

general response related to “acid” will be accepted as correct, but an incorrect acid will be

scored as incorrect.

Correct Response

• Names enzyme, hydrochloric acid or gastric juices with an explanation based on breaking

down food (particles) or protein.

• Names enzyme, hydrochloric acid or gastric juices without a complete explanation.

• Names acid with or without a complete explanation (does not explicitly name hydrochloric

acid).

• Other correct.

Incorrect Response

• Names an incorrect acid not involved in digestion in stomach (lactic acid, amino acid,

sulfuric acid, etc.).

• Names a substance (or body part) not found in the stomach but involved in digestion

(saliva, bile salts, bacteria, intestines, etc.).

• Mentions digesting (breaking down) food but no specific substance or body part is named.




Information

Country average vs.



Slovak Republic 75 �Czech Republic 64 �Hong Kong, SAR 64 �Slovenia 62 �Romania 62 �Moldova 60 �Hungary 59 �Latvia (LSS) 57 �Singapore 56 �Bulgaria 55 �Netherlands 54 OChinese Taipei 54 �Russian Federation 54 �Japan 53 �England 51 �Australia 49 OLithuania 49 ONew Zealand 49 OUnited States 46 OBelgium (Flemish) 46 OCanada 43 OKorea, Rep. of 42 OThailand 41 OInternational Average 41Macedonia, Rep. of 39 OJordan 37 OItaly 35 OFinland 34 OMalaysia 29 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 26 �Chile 24 �Indonesia 22 �Israel 19 �Cyprus 14 �Turkey 13 �Tunisia 6 �Philippines 6 �South Africa 4 �Morocco 1 �

What digestive substance is found in the stomach? Whatdoes it do?

Item Number: R03D



35

Two outcomes of introducing new species

SCORING

Note: Each of the two outcomes are scored separately. The same score may be used twice,

since they are based on general outcome categories. However, if the two outcomes are

essentially the same, the second outcome should be scored as incorrect. If only one out-

come is given, the second should be scored as incorrect.

Correct Response

• Mentions competition with native species (e.g. overpopulation, eating the limited food supply).

• Mentions new species introducing diseases (bacteria, parasites, etc.).

• Mentions effects of predation (new species killing off existing species or vice-versa).

• Mentions that the new species cannot survive in the lake (extinction due to inhospitable habi-

tat).

• Mentions upsetting food web or ecological balance.

• Mentions mating with existing species.

• Other correct.

Incorrect Response

• Response too general.




Information

Country average vs.



Australia 74 �New Zealand 60 �Slovak Republic 58 �Canada 57 �Singapore 57 �Thailand 57 �England 56 �Finland 56 �Latvia (LSS) 53 �Chinese Taipei 52 �Belgium (Flemish) 50 �Moldova 48 ONetherlands 47 OIsrael 47 ORussian Federation 46 OLithuania 46 OHungary 44 OSlovenia 43 OBulgaria 43 OUnited States 42 OInternational Average 40Italy 40 OJapan 39 ORomania 36 OTunisia 35 OCyprus 35 OCzech Republic 34 OKorea, Rep. of 33 �Malaysia 32 �Macedonia, Rep. of 30 �Hong Kong, SAR 29 �Chile 28 �Indonesia 23 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 22 �Turkey 22 �Jordan 21 �Morocco 19 �South Africa 8 �Philippines 7 �

A new species of fish was released into a lake. State twounwanted outcomes that could arise from the introduction ofthis new species.

1.

2.



36

Importance of trees/sun in rain forest




Country average vs.



Singapore 93 �Australia 91 �Canada 90 �England 88 �Chinese Taipei 87 �Korea, Rep. of 87 �Thailand 87 �Belgium (Flemish) 86 �United States 85 �New Zealand 83 �Finland 83 �Japan 83 �Hong Kong, SAR 82 �Slovak Republic 80 �Hungary 79 �Netherlands 79 OCyprus 79 �Malaysia 79 �Latvia (LSS) 79 �Slovenia 78 OTunisia 77 �Czech Republic 76 OInternational Average 72Indonesia 72 OItaly 71 OJordan 69 ORussian Federation 64 �Lithuania 63 �Turkey 61 �Bulgaria 60 �Romania 60 �Israel 59 �Philippines 59 �Moldova 56 �Macedonia, Rep. of 49 �Chile 48 �Morocco 44 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 42 �South Africa 30 �

Item Number: X02A

SCORING

A: Scoring for Trees

Note: If student response refers to oxygen/carbon dioxide cycle, score as correct even if other

reasons are given. If more than one reason is given, assign credit corresponding to the

first correct reason.

Correct Response

• Trees produce oxygen and/or use carbon dioxide.

• Trees provide food or energy.

• Trees provide a place to hide/shelter.

• Trees provide shade or protection from the Sun.

• Other correct.

Incorrect Response

• Response too vague.


A. The Tree

B. The Sun



37

Importance of trees/sun in rain forest




Country average vs.



Singapore 91 �Canada 88 �Australia 88 �Korea, Rep. of 86 �Japan 85 �Thailand 84 �England 84 �Chinese Taipei 82 �New Zealand 82 �Finland 81 �Belgium (Flemish) 81 �United States 81 �Hong Kong, SAR 79 �Latvia (LSS) 79 �Malaysia 78 �Slovenia 77 �Netherlands 76 �Tunisia 69 OCzech Republic 69 OJordan 68 OInternational Average 68Slovak Republic 67 OCyprus 66 OIndonesia 65 OHungary 64 OItaly 62 ORussian Federation 60 �Philippines 59 �Romania 57 �Turkey 56 �Lithuania 56 �Israel 55 �Moldova 55 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 48 �Bulgaria 48 �Chile 46 �Macedonia, Rep. of 44 �Morocco 35 �South Africa 28 �

Item Number: X02B

SCORING

B: Scoring for Sun

Note: If response refers explicitly to photosynthesis, score as correct even if other reasons are given.

If more than one reason is given, assign credit corresponding to the first correct reason.

Correct Response

• Sun is needed for photosynthesis (by plants).

• Sun is needed in order for chlorophyll in plants to produce food. (Does not explicitly

mention photosynthesis).

• Sun provides energy and/or is needed for plant growth. (No mention of photosynthesis or

chlorophyll).

• Sun provides heat (warmth) or maintains the temperature. (No mention of photosynthesis or

chlorophyll).

• Sun provides light and/or enables animals to see.

• Other correct.

Incorrect Response



A. The Tree

B. The Sun



PhysicsUnderstanding Simple

Information

Correct Response: B


38

Energy released from car engine

Item Number: B02

Country average vs.



Hungary 76 �Korea, Rep. of 74 �Russian Federation 72 �Bulgaria 71 �Slovenia 67 �England 67 �Finland 66 �Czech Republic 66 �Israel 65 �Japan 64 �Canada 63 �Netherlands 63 OCyprus 63 �Moldova 62 OSlovak Republic 61 OSingapore 60 OTurkey 60 ORomania 59 OUnited States 59 OAustralia 59 OLatvia (LSS) 59 ONew Zealand 58 OInternational Average 58Jordan 56 OThailand 56 OIran, Islamic Rep. 54 OItaly 53 OLithuania 52 �Chinese Taipei 52 �Philippines 51 �Malaysia 50 �Belgium (Flemish) 49 �Hong Kong, SAR 49 �Macedonia, Rep. of 48 �Tunisia 46 �Indonesia 42 �Morocco 40 �South Africa 40 �Chile 34 �

Most of the chemical energy released when gasoline burns ina car engine is not used to move the car, but is changed into

A. electricity

B. heat

C. magnetism

D. sound



PhysicsTheorizing, Analyzing


Correct Response: C

Item Number: B03


39

Greatest density from mass/volume table

Country average vs.



Chinese Taipei 52 �Hong Kong, SAR 50 �Korea, Rep. of 47 �Finland 46 �Belgium (Flemish) 46 �Israel 44 �Singapore 44 �Japan 42 �Netherlands 38 �Hungary 36 �Russian Federation 35 OBulgaria 35 OSlovak Republic 32 OSlovenia 32 OCanada 32 OMalaysia 31 OLatvia (LSS) 30 OLithuania 30 OCzech Republic 29 OInternational Average 28Australia 25 ORomania 25 OMacedonia, Rep. of 24 OMoldova 23 OUnited States 23 �Italy 23 �Turkey 21 �Cyprus 21 �Thailand 20 �Philippines 19 �England 19 �Jordan 18 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 17 �South Africa 17 �New Zealand 17 �Chile 11 �Tunisia 10 �Indonesia 8 �Morocco 7 �




Information

Correct Response: A


40

Color reflecting most light

Item Number: B06

Country average vs.



Belgium (Flemish) 94 �Hungary 94 �Slovak Republic 92 �Netherlands 92 �Singapore 91 �Slovenia 91 �Czech Republic 90 �Russian Federation 90 �Australia 89 �England 89 �Chinese Taipei 89 �Lithuania 88 �Malaysia 87 �Japan 87 �Bulgaria 86 �Romania 86 OLatvia (LSS) 86 �Hong Kong, SAR 85 �Finland 85 OIsrael 85 �Canada 83 OUnited States 83 OInternational Average 82Italy 82 ONew Zealand 81 OPhilippines 80 OKorea, Rep. of 78 �Indonesia 78 �Macedonia, Rep. of 77 �Cyprus 76 �Moldova 75 �Turkey 75 �Chile 75 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 73 �Thailand 73 �Tunisia 73 �Jordan 70 �South Africa 69 �Morocco 56 �

The walls of a building are to be painted to reflect as muchlight as possible. What color should they be painted?

A. White

B. Red

C. Black

D. Pink



PhysicsUnderstanding Complex

Information

Correct Response: B

Item Number: D01


41

Light rays through magnifying glass

Country average vs.



Japan 88 �Chinese Taipei 73 �Bulgaria 70 �Russian Federation 67 �Korea, Rep. of 61 �Singapore 54 �Malaysia 52 �Lithuania 51 �Finland 50 �Czech Republic 49 OSlovak Republic 49 OMoldova 48 OAustralia 48 OHungary 47 ONetherlands 47 OCanada 46 �Hong Kong, SAR 43 ORomania 43 OInternational Average 42Slovenia 41 OBelgium (Flemish) 41 ONew Zealand 40 OThailand 40 OIran, Islamic Rep. 39 OLatvia (LSS) 38 OChile 37 �Jordan 37 �United States 36 �Italy 34 �Morocco 31 �Israel 31 �England 29 �Cyprus 28 �Indonesia 24 �Turkey 23 �Tunisia 21 �Macedonia, Rep. of 20 �Philippines 19 �South Africa 14 �




Information

Correct Response: C


42

Magnetic substances

Item Number: D02

Country average vs.



Hungary 92 �Czech Republic 91 �Bulgaria 91 �Korea, Rep. of 90 �Singapore 89 �England 89 �Slovak Republic 88 �Russian Federation 88 �Japan 85 �Slovenia 84 �Australia 83 �Lithuania 82 �Finland 82 �Canada 81 �Romania 79 �Macedonia, Rep. of 78 �Belgium (Flemish) 78 �Chinese Taipei 77 �Malaysia 75 OJordan 75 ONetherlands 74 OHong Kong, SAR 74 ONew Zealand 73 OItaly 73 OUnited States 72 OInternational Average 72Moldova 71 OTurkey 70 OCyprus 69 OIsrael 67 OThailand 58 �Latvia (LSS) 58 �Chile 53 �Tunisia 53 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 52 �Indonesia 47 �South Africa 36 �Morocco 29 �Philippines 27 �




Information

Correct Response: C

Item Number: D04


43

Sequence of energy changes

Country average vs.



Singapore 77 �Hungary 74 �Chinese Taipei 72 �England 71 �Slovak Republic 67 �Cyprus 67 �Russian Federation 67 �Australia 67 �Israel 66 �Hong Kong, SAR 66 �Italy 66 �Belgium (Flemish) 65 �Netherlands 65 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 65 �Thailand 64 �United States 64 �Bulgaria 64 OJapan 63 �New Zealand 61 OCanada 61 OKorea, Rep. of 60 OSlovenia 59 OInternational Average 59Jordan 58 ORomania 56 OTunisia 55 �Czech Republic 55 OLatvia (LSS) 54 OMoldova 53 OIndonesia 53 �Malaysia 52 �Lithuania 51 �Macedonia, Rep. of 51 �Chile 50 �Morocco 48 �Finland 45 �Philippines 39 �Turkey 36 �South Africa 20 �




Information

Correct Response: A


44

Why light-colored clothes are cooler

Item Number: F02

Country average vs.



Hungary 88 �Netherlands 88 �Chinese Taipei 87 �Belgium (Flemish) 86 �Czech Republic 86 �Slovak Republic 85 �Korea, Rep. of 85 �Hong Kong, SAR 84 �Singapore 83 �Russian Federation 83 �Slovenia 81 �Japan 79 �Malaysia 79 �Australia 77 �Latvia (LSS) 77 �Lithuania 75 �England 74 �Israel 72 �Bulgaria 71 OFinland 71 �Canada 69 OMacedonia, Rep. of 69 OInternational Average 65United States 61 OItaly 61 ORomania 58 OIran, Islamic Rep. 58 �New Zealand 55 �Moldova 55 �Indonesia 52 �Cyprus 52 �Jordan 47 �Philippines 43 �Thailand 39 �Morocco 38 �Chile 37 �Turkey 34 �Tunisia 31 �South Africa 18 �

On a warm sunny day, you will feel cooler wearing light-colored clothes because they

A. reflect more radiation

B. prevent sweating

C. are not as heavy as dark clothes

D. let more air in




Information

Correct Response: B

Item Number: H05


45

Energy stored in food

Country average vs.



Singapore 55 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 53 �Japan 45 �Malaysia 44 �England 42 �Korea, Rep. of 41 �Hong Kong, SAR 39 �Finland 38 �Philippines 38 �Jordan 34 �Australia 33 �Indonesia 32 �Russian Federation 29 OUnited States 26 OChinese Taipei 25 ONew Zealand 25 OInternational Average 24Canada 23 OBulgaria 22 OThailand 21 OHungary 19 �Netherlands 19 �Czech Republic 18 �Macedonia, Rep. of 18 �Italy 18 �Slovak Republic 17 �Cyprus 16 �South Africa 15 �Latvia (LSS) 15 �Slovenia 14 �Turkey 14 �Moldova 14 �Morocco 12 �Chile 11 �Romania 11 �Lithuania 11 �Israel 11 �Belgium (Flemish) 9 �Tunisia 6 �

People get energy from the food they eat. Where does theenergy stored in food come from?

A. Fertilizer

B. The Sun

C. Vitamins

D. The soil




Information

Correct Response: C


46

Evaporation rate by surface area

Item Number: J04

Country average vs.



Singapore 98 �Hungary 95 �Korea, Rep. of 95 �Russian Federation 95 �Czech Republic 94 �Japan 94 �Slovak Republic 94 �Hong Kong, SAR 93 �Moldova 93 �Bulgaria 93 �Malaysia 93 �Chinese Taipei 93 �England 92 �Canada 91 �Australia 90 �Latvia (LSS) 90 �Lithuania 90 OIsrael 89 �Netherlands 89 ORomania 88 OCyprus 88 ONew Zealand 88 OJordan 87 OFinland 86 OThailand 85 OInternational Average 84Belgium (Flemish) 84 OUnited States 84 OSlovenia 83 OMacedonia, Rep. of 83 OIndonesia 75 �Tunisia 75 �Turkey 74 �Chile 72 �Italy 70 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 69 �Philippines 60 �South Africa 53 �Morocco 45 �




Information

Correct Response: D

Item Number: J05


47

Gravity acting on rocket

Country average vs.



Slovak Republic 68 �Czech Republic 65 �Hungary 65 �Finland 53 �Singapore 49 �Chinese Taipei 48 �Lithuania 48 �Slovenia 46 �United States 46 �Russian Federation 46 OAustralia 45 �Canada 45 OEngland 43 OMoldova 42 OJapan 40 ONew Zealand 39 ONetherlands 39 OInternational Average 36Jordan 36 OBulgaria 35 OThailand 30 OIran, Islamic Rep. 30 OCyprus 30 ORomania 29 OKorea, Rep. of 29 �Belgium (Flemish) 29 �Philippines 27 �Israel 26 �Italy 25 �Hong Kong, SAR 24 �Latvia (LSS) 24 �Chile 23 �Turkey 22 �Malaysia 21 �Macedonia, Rep. of 19 �Tunisia 19 �Morocco 17 �South Africa 15 �




Information

Correct Response: D


48

Sunscreen to protect against radiation

Item Number: J08

Country average vs.



Chinese Taipei 94 �Singapore 91 �Hungary 87 �Thailand 86 �Australia 85 �Hong Kong, SAR 84 �Slovenia 84 �New Zealand 80 �Japan 79 �Slovak Republic 79 �Korea, Rep. of 77 �Finland 77 �Chile 76 �Czech Republic 75 �Netherlands 75 �Canada 75 �Indonesia 72 �Lithuania 70 �United States 69 �Italy 68 ORussian Federation 65 OBelgium (Flemish) 64 OEngland 64 OBulgaria 62 OInternational Average 62Philippines 57 OLatvia (LSS) 54 OMalaysia 54 �Romania 48 �Moldova 45 �Jordan 43 �Israel 39 �Macedonia, Rep. of 36 �Tunisia 33 �Turkey 32 �Cyprus 26 �South Africa 18 �Morocco 18 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 17 �

Sunscreen is used to protect the skin from exposure to whichtype of solar radiation?

A. Visible

B. X-rays

C. Infrared

D. Ultraviolet

E. Microwaves




Information

Correct Response: D

Item Number: L01


49

Rotating forces on wheel

Country average vs.



Japan 76 �Hungary 74 �Lithuania 72 �Latvia (LSS) 72 �Czech Republic 69 ONetherlands 69 OFinland 69 �Slovenia 69 ORussian Federation 68 OThailand 67 OBulgaria 67 OItaly 66 OCanada 66 OSlovak Republic 66 OBelgium (Flemish) 64 OKorea, Rep. of 63 ORomania 63 OUnited States 62 OMoldova 62 OInternational Average 62Hong Kong, SAR 62 OEngland 61 OChile 60 OAustralia 60 OSingapore 60 OJordan 60 ONew Zealand 59 OTunisia 58 OMalaysia 58 OChinese Taipei 58 OCyprus 57 OTurkey 57 OIsrael 57 OMorocco 55 OIran, Islamic Rep. 54 �Macedonia, Rep. of 54 OIndonesia 52 �Philippines 49 �South Africa 36 �

A uniform wheel is free to rotate on its axle at its center. It is acted on by twoforces in the same plane. Each force has the same size, equal to 5N (Newtons).In which case will the wheel rotate?

Item Number: L04



50

Efficiency of machines

SCORING

Note: A correct response must identify B and include an explanation based on the concept of

energy efficiency (ratio of energy output to energy input) that compares the volume of

water pumped for an equivalent volume of gasoline used for the two machines.

Responses based ONLY on comparing the amount of gasoline used OR the amount of

water pumped by the machines without considering the ratio of water/gasoline are scored

as incorrect. No credit is lost for missing/incorrect units or for minor computational errors,

provided the correct conclusion and explanation are given.

Correct Response

• B. With correct explanation based on the concept of energy efficiency (B uses less gasoline

than A for an equivalent volume of water pumped).

Incorrect Response

• B. It uses less gasoline (no comparison of efficiency based on volume of water pumped).

• B. Other incorrect/inadequate or no explanation.

• A. It removes more water in 1 hour (no comparison of efficiency based on gas used).

• A. Other incorrect/inadequate or no explanation.



PhysicsTheorizing, Analyzing and

Solving Problems

Country average vs.



Netherlands 58 �Korea, Rep. of 52 �Belgium (Flemish) 51 �Slovak Republic 50 �Singapore 49 �Australia 49 �Japan 46 �Chinese Taipei 44 �Canada 43 �New Zealand 42 �England 42 �Finland 40 OLithuania 38 OHungary 38 OIsrael 35 OSlovenia 33 ORussian Federation 33 OHong Kong, SAR 32 OInternational Average 31Czech Republic 30 OUnited States 30 OThailand 28 OBulgaria 28 OCyprus 27 OLatvia (LSS) 26 OItaly 23 ORomania 22 OIran, Islamic Rep. 21 �Macedonia, Rep. of 20 �Malaysia 20 �Indonesia 20 �Moldova 19 �Jordan 19 �Tunisia 19 �Turkey 17 �Chile 8 �Morocco 7 �Philippines 4 �South Africa 3 �




Information

Correct Response: C


51

Complete circuits

Country average vs.



Hong Kong, SAR 84 �Russian Federation 82 �Belgium (Flemish) 81 �Chinese Taipei 80 �Singapore 79 �Israel 79 �Korea, Rep. of 78 �Netherlands 78 �Hungary 74 �Australia 73 �Malaysia 72 �Czech Republic 72 OSlovak Republic 71 OJordan 70 OCyprus 69 OFinland 68 OJapan 68 OThailand 65 OSlovenia 65 OEngland 65 OTunisia 65 OUnited States 64 OInternational Average 64New Zealand 64 OLithuania 63 OCanada 60 OBulgaria 57 ORomania 57 OItaly 56 �Morocco 56 �Latvia (LSS) 56 OIndonesia 52 �Chile 50 �Moldova 48 �Macedonia, Rep. of 48 �Turkey 46 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 43 �Philippines 42 �South Africa 33 �

The following diagrams show a battery and a bulb connected by wires tovarious materials.

Item Number: N01




Solving Problems

Correct Response: D


52

Balancing 10 and 5 liter buckets

Item Number: N09

Country average vs.



Japan 88 �Russian Federation 87 �Korea, Rep. of 87 �Finland 86 �Slovenia 84 �Chinese Taipei 84 �Netherlands 83 �Latvia (LSS) 82 �Czech Republic 82 �Hungary 81 �Australia 80 �Slovak Republic 80 �Thailand 78 �Lithuania 78 OCanada 78 �Singapore 77 OBelgium (Flemish) 77 ONew Zealand 77 OBulgaria 76 OMalaysia 76 OUnited States 73 OHong Kong, SAR 72 OInternational Average 71Romania 70 OEngland 70 OItaly 69 OTurkey 69 OIndonesia 66 �Chile 63 �Moldova 62 �Macedonia, Rep. of 62 �Philippines 58 �Israel 56 �Tunisia 52 �Cyprus 50 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 47 �Morocco 34 �South Africa 33 �

Which picture shows the best way for the man to balance a ten-liter bucket ofwater and a five-liter bucket of water?

Item Number: N10



53

Flashlights with white/black reflectors

SCORING

Note: A correct response must identify Roddy’s and include an explanation based on the

relative reflectivity of the white and black cardboard. Credit is given both for responses

explicitly mentioning the higher reflectance of the white cardboard and/or the higher

absorptance of the black cardboard as well as responses communicating this concept

using less scientific terminology.

Correct Response

• Roddy's. With correct explanation based on the higher reflectivity of the white cardboard

(or lower reflectivity/higher absorption of the black cardboard).

[Explicitly refers to absorption and/or reflectivity.]

• Roddy’s. Explanation based on the concept of higher reflectivity but using other terminology.

[Does not explicitly refer to absorption/reflection properties.]

• Other correct.

Incorrect Response

• Roddy’s with an inadequate/incorrect or no explanation.

• Stephanie's. With or without explanation.




Solving Problems

Country average vs.



Chinese Taipei 59 �Singapore 58 �Russian Federation 57 �Malaysia 55 �England 54 �Hungary 52 �Netherlands 52 OBelgium (Flemish) 51 �Japan 50 �Czech Republic 48 �Canada 47 �Lithuania 47 OAustralia 47 OSlovenia 47 OBulgaria 45 OUnited States 45 OFinland 44 OKorea, Rep. of 43 OJordan 43 OSlovak Republic 42 ONew Zealand 41 OLatvia (LSS) 41 OIndonesia 40 OThailand 40 OInternational Average 39Hong Kong, SAR 38 OMacedonia, Rep. of 37 OTunisia 35 OItaly 34 OTurkey 32 �Cyprus 26 �Romania 25 �Israel 24 �Moldova 22 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 21 �Chile 17 �Morocco 16 �Philippines 12 �South Africa 11 �




Solving Problems

Correct Response: D


54

Determination of speed from graph

Item Number: P01

Country average vs.



Hong Kong, SAR 82 �Chinese Taipei 78 �Belgium (Flemish) 78 �Singapore 77 �Netherlands 75 �Malaysia 71 �Finland 71 �Australia 69 �Slovak Republic 69 �Canada 68 �Czech Republic 66 �Thailand 65 �Latvia (LSS) 62 OLithuania 62 OJapan 61 ONew Zealand 60 OHungary 59 OSlovenia 57 OEngland 56 OInternational Average 54Russian Federation 51 OUnited States 50 OIsrael 49 OTunisia 49 OMoldova 47 OItaly 47 OSouth Africa 47 �Bulgaria 47 OMacedonia, Rep. of 44 �Romania 42 �Korea, Rep. of 41 �Cyprus 41 �Chile 37 �Turkey 36 �Morocco 34 �Jordan 32 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 30 �Indonesia 30 �Philippines 25 �

Item Number: P02



55

Amount of light on wall and ceiling

SCORING

Note: A correct response is based on the same amount of light reaching both the ceiling and the

wall but being more spread out (less bright) on the ceiling. Correct responses must identi-

fy NO and include an explanation that states that the light is the same or that

indicates that the light is just more spread out (less bright) on the ceiling without explicitly

stating same. If the explanation merely repeats information that is in the stem, it is scored

as incorrect even if NO is checked. If a response indicates that there is less light on the

ceiling, the explanation must include a correct reason based on more air absorption/ scatter-

ing at a greater distance to be correct. Responses that indicate less light at a greater dis-

tance without further explanation should be scored as incorrect.

Correct Response

• No. Explains that the same amount of light reaches the wall and ceiling. (May also refer to

light being more spread out on the ceiling or less concentrated/focused/bright).

• No. Explains (or shows in a diagram) that light is (only) more spread out (less bright) at a

greater distance. (Does not explicitly state that the light is the same.)

• No. Explains that less light reaches the ceiling because of more air absorption/scattering

at a greater distance.

• No. Other correct explanation.

Incorrect Response

• No. States that less light reaches the ceiling with inadequate explanation related to distance

from source. (Does not include explanation of less light due to air absorption or scattering as

in third correct response).

• No. Other incorrect/inadequate or no explanation. (Includes explanations that merely

paraphrase the stem).

• Yes. Explanation based on light being bigger or more spread out.

• Yes. Other incorrect/inadequate or no explanation.




Solving Problems

Country average vs.



Chinese Taipei 52 �Hong Kong, SAR 40 �Korea, Rep. of 36 �Israel 36 �Australia 35 �Canada 35 �Singapore 34 �Cyprus 34 �Slovak Republic 32 OFinland 32 OHungary 32 �United States 31 �Macedonia, Rep. of 31 OLatvia (LSS) 30 ONew Zealand 29 OEngland 29 OBelgium (Flemish) 28 ONetherlands 26 OSlovenia 25 OInternational Average 24Lithuania 24 OCzech Republic 23 OThailand 22 OIran, Islamic Rep. 22 OBulgaria 20 OMoldova 20 ORussian Federation 20 OItaly 19 OJapan 19 OTurkey 18 OIndonesia 14 �Romania 13 �Tunisia 13 �Chile 12 �Jordan 11 �Malaysia 8 �South Africa 3 �Philippines 3 �Morocco 2 �

James turns on a flashlight in his bedroom and shines it onhis wall one meter away to produce a small circle of light.He then shines the flashlight on his ceiling two meters awayto produce a larger circle of light.

a) Does more light reach the ceiling than the wall?(Check one)

Yes

No

b) Explain your answer.




Information

Correct Response: C


56

Appearance of red dress in green light

Item Number: R02

Country average vs.



Singapore 63 �Hungary 57 �Japan 55 �Malaysia 53 �Korea, Rep. of 51 �Australia 49 �Netherlands 48 OSlovenia 48 �United States 47 �Canada 45 �England 44 OChinese Taipei 44 OCzech Republic 43 ONew Zealand 40 ORussian Federation 39 OIndonesia 38 OSlovak Republic 38 OInternational Average 37Belgium (Flemish) 36 OLatvia (LSS) 35 OLithuania 35 OCyprus 35 OThailand 35 OBulgaria 35 OFinland 35 OItaly 35 OIsrael 33 OHong Kong, SAR 32 OChile 29 �Jordan 28 �Moldova 28 �Tunisia 28 �Macedonia, Rep. of 27 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 26 �Romania 24 �Philippines 23 �Turkey 22 �South Africa 20 �Morocco 18 �

As a play begins, white stage lights shine on an actresswearing a red dress. Suddenly, the lights go off and a greenlight is shone on the actress. The dress looks black. Whydoes the dress look black?

A. The dress reflects the green part of light.

B. The dress absorbs the red part of light.

C. The dress absorbs the green part of light.

D. The dress reflects the black part of light.

Item Number: X01



57

Conversion of electrical/light energy

SCORING

Note: A correct response must identify more and include a correct explanation based on electrical

energy being converted to heat or a more general description of energy losses or low

efficiency. Responses that include explanations based on heat, energy losses or low

efficiency but with an incorrect application to the problem by checking less are scored

as incorrect.

Correct Response

• MORE. With an explanation based on (much) energy being converted to heat.

• MORE. With other correct explanation of energy (power) loss or low efficiency.

[Must clearly indicate that “some” energy goes elsewhere].

• MORE. Other correct explanation.

Incorrect Response

• MORE. Incorrect/inadequate or no explanation.

• SAME. Explanation is based on the concept of conservation of energy without considering

energy losses.

• LESS. Explanation based on heat, energy losses or low efficiency but with an incorrect appli-

cation.

• LESS. Any other incorrect or no explanation.




Solving Problems

Country average vs.



Singapore 21 �England 16 �Russian Federation 16 �Hungary 14 �Slovenia 13 �Chinese Taipei 12 �Hong Kong, SAR 12 �Belgium (Flemish) 11 �Macedonia, Rep. of 11 OIran, Islamic Rep. 10 OSlovak Republic 10 ONetherlands 10 OJapan 10 OAustralia 9 OKorea, Rep. of 8 OCanada 8 OCzech Republic 8 OInternational Average 8Bulgaria 7 ONew Zealand 7 OTunisia 6 OTurkey 6 OFinland 6 OLatvia (LSS) 6 OLithuania 5 OItaly 5 OIsrael 5 �Romania 4 �Cyprus 4 �United States 4 �Jordan 4 �Moldova 4 �Malaysia 3 �Thailand 3 �Morocco 3 �Indonesia 2 �South Africa 2 �Chile 1 �Philippines 0 �

Electrical energy is used to power a lamp. How does theamount of electrical energy used compare to amount of lightenergy produced?

a) The amount of electrical energy used is:(Check one)

more than the amount of light energy produced.

less than the amount of light energy produced.

the same as the amount of light energy produced.

b) Give a reason to support your answer.

Item Number: Z03



58

Heat expansion of balloons

SCORING

Note: A correct response is based on an increase in gas volume (or internal gas pressure) as

a result of increased temperature. Credit is given for both higher-level responses relating to

the increased kinetic energy of helium atoms as a function of temperature as well as more

general responses relating to increased internal gas pressure and/or gas volume. An

increase in temperature does not have to be explicitly mentioned in order to receive cred-

it. Responses referring ONLY to the balloon expanding or to the effect of temperature on

the balloon without further explanation of the gas behavior are scored as incorrect.

Correct Response

• Mentions explicitly that (as the gas in the balloon heats up), the helium (gas) atoms

(particles, molecules) move faster (collide more frequently) causing the pressure inside

the balloon to increase and/or the volume to increase (expand).

• Mentions that the pressure of the gas inside the balloon increases and/or the volume

of the gas increases (expands). (No mention of gas atoms/molecules).

• Other correct.

Incorrect Response

• Mentions only that the sun heats the helium (gas) and/or causes the balloon to expand.

[No reference to the pressure/volume changes in the gas.]

• Mentions pressure and/or volume with inadequate explanation.

• Mentions only the effect of heat (from Sun) on the balloon material (rubber, latex).

• Refers to (individual) atoms or molecules expanding (or growing).



PhysicsTheorizing, Analyzing


Country average vs.



Korea, Rep. of 50 �Finland 49 �Netherlands 46 �Singapore 46 �Lithuania 41 �Japan 37 �Australia 36 �Russian Federation 35 �Hungary 34 �New Zealand 33 �Thailand 33 �Chinese Taipei 33 �Czech Republic 33 OJordan 32 OEngland 32 OUnited States 31 OSlovak Republic 30 OSlovenia 30 OCanada 28 OBelgium (Flemish) 26 OInternational Average 26Bulgaria 25 OLatvia (LSS) 24 OItaly 24 OMacedonia, Rep. of 24 OMalaysia 21 OHong Kong, SAR 19 �Romania 17 �Moldova 17 �Tunisia 16 �Turkey 15 �Israel 15 �Morocco 14 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 14 �Chile 6 �Cyprus 6 �Indonesia 5 �South Africa 3 �Philippines 1 �



ChemistryUnderstanding Simple

Information

Correct Response: E


59

Best reason for painting iron surfaces

Country average vs.



Chinese Taipei 91 �Finland 83 �Russian Federation 81 �Hungary 81 �Singapore 81 �Netherlands 80 �Hong Kong, SAR 79 �Jordan 78 �England 76 �Bulgaria 76 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 76 �Lithuania 74 �Slovak Republic 73 �Korea, Rep. of 73 �Canada 72 OAustralia 72 OCzech Republic 72 ORomania 71 OThailand 70 OSlovenia 70 OJapan 70 OBelgium (Flemish) 70 OLatvia (LSS) 69 OInternational Average 67New Zealand 66 OUnited States 66 OIsrael 66 OMalaysia 66 OItaly 65 OMacedonia, Rep. of 65 OChile 64 OCyprus 62 �Turkey 58 �Philippines 48 �Moldova 47 �Indonesia 47 �Tunisia 44 �South Africa 26 �Morocco 24 �

Paint applied to an iron surface prevents the iron from rusting.Which ONE of the following provides the best reason?

A. It prevents nitrogen from coming in contact with the iron.

B. It reacts chemically with the iron.

C. It prevents carbon dioxide from coming in contact with theiron.

D. It makes the surface of the iron smoother.

E. It prevents oxygen and moisture from coming in contactwith the iron.

Item Number: F06




Information

Correct Response: A


60

Burning wood absorbs/releases energy

Item Number: H06

Country average vs.



Chinese Taipei 82 �Hungary 77 �Finland 75 �Macedonia, Rep. of 74 �Hong Kong, SAR 70 �England 68 �Singapore 68 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 66 �Canada 66 �Korea, Rep. of 65 �Russian Federation 65 �Malaysia 65 �United States 64 �Netherlands 64 OBulgaria 63 �Belgium (Flemish) 61 �Lithuania 61 OJapan 59 OIsrael 58 OAustralia 58 OTurkey 58 ONew Zealand 58 OSlovenia 57 OInternational Average 55Italy 54 OCyprus 54 OSlovak Republic 54 OMoldova 53 OJordan 51 OCzech Republic 47 �Romania 46 �Thailand 43 �Latvia (LSS) 40 �Indonesia 36 �Chile 33 �Philippines 30 �Tunisia 25 �South Africa 20 �Morocco 17 �

If you are burning wood, the reaction will

A. release energy

B. absorb energy

C. neither absorb nor release energy

D. sometimes release and sometimes absorb energy,depending on the kind of wood

Item Number: J03



61

Compounds, molecules and atoms

SCORING

Correct Response

• Compounds - Molecules - Atoms

Incorrect Response

• Compounds - Atoms - Molecules

• Molecules - Atoms - Compounds



ChemistryUnderstanding Complex

Information

Country average vs.



Singapore 69 �Bulgaria 67 �Slovak Republic 65 �Japan 63 �Russian Federation 61 �Korea, Rep. of 60 �Czech Republic 60 �Chinese Taipei 57 �Macedonia, Rep. of 56 �Italy 55 �Lithuania 54 OSlovenia 54 OMalaysia 53 �Australia 53 OLatvia (LSS) 52 OCanada 51 OUnited States 51 OEngland 49 OMoldova 48 OIran, Islamic Rep. 46 OHungary 46 OInternational Average 46Finland 44 OIsrael 43 ONetherlands 42 OBelgium (Flemish) 41 ONew Zealand 41 OPhilippines 41 OChile 39 �Hong Kong, SAR 38 �Jordan 36 �Romania 33 �Indonesia 30 �Thailand 30 �Cyprus 29 �Tunisia 27 �Turkey 23 �Morocco 15 �South Africa 10 �

The words organs, tissues, and cells can be used in thefollowing sentence:

Lungs are organs composed of tissues which are made up ofcells.

Use the words molecules, atoms, and compounds to completethe following sentence:

Sugars are ______________________ composed of______________________ which are made up of____________________.



ChemistryUsing Tools, Routine Procedures


Correct Response: B


62

Filtration of mixtures

Item Number: L06

Country average vs.



Czech Republic 64 �Slovak Republic 62 �Lithuania 54 �Finland 54 �Latvia (LSS) 53 �Hungary 52 �Korea, Rep. of 51 �Russian Federation 50 �Canada 50 �Singapore 50 �Slovenia 48 �Netherlands 48 OChinese Taipei 46 �Romania 42 OJapan 42 OMalaysia 42 OAustralia 41 ONew Zealand 39 OInternational Average 39United States 39 OCyprus 39 OHong Kong, SAR 38 OBulgaria 37 OMoldova 34 OEngland 34 OTunisia 34 OBelgium (Flemish) 33 OIsrael 32 �Italy 30 �Thailand 30 �Philippines 29 �Turkey 28 �Macedonia, Rep. of 27 �South Africa 27 �Jordan 24 �Chile 21 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 19 �Indonesia 15 �Morocco 12 �




Information

Correct Response: C

Item Number: N07


63

Example of chemical reaction

Country average vs.



Chinese Taipei 87 �Japan 76 �Hong Kong, SAR 72 �England 66 �Singapore 64 �Netherlands 64 �Russian Federation 60 �Korea, Rep. of 59 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 58 �Malaysia 57 �Finland 56 OHungary 56 OCanada 55 OBulgaria 54 OJordan 54 OSlovenia 54 OAustralia 53 ORomania 52 OUnited States 52 OInternational Average 49Belgium (Flemish) 49 OThailand 49 OItaly 48 OLatvia (LSS) 47 OCzech Republic 47 OSlovak Republic 47 ONew Zealand 42 OMacedonia, Rep. of 40 �Cyprus 40 �Chile 37 �Lithuania 37 �Indonesia 35 �Moldova 34 �Turkey 32 �Israel 31 �Philippines 30 �Morocco 30 �Tunisia 23 �South Africa 18 �

Which is an example of a chemical reaction?

A. Water boiling

B. Sugar dissolving

C. Nails rusting

D. Wax melting

Item Number: R05



64

Small pieces of wood burn faster

SCORING

Note: A correct response is based on the concept of increased surface area in the smaller

pieces resulting in faster burning (reaction with oxygen). Credit is given both for higher-

level responses indicating increased availability of oxygen/air or surface area in the

chopped wood pieces as well as less sophisticated responses describing only that more

wood is exposed to the flame and can, therefore, burn simultaneously.

Correct Response

• Mentions that there is more wood (surface area) in contact with oxygen or air in the smaller

pieces. [Explicitly mentions availability to oxygen/air.]

• Mentions effect of increased surface area in the chopped wood pieces. [Explicitly mentions

surface area, surface, or area. No mention of oxygen/air.]

• Mentions that when chopped, more parts of the wood are exposed to flame (ignite, catch fire)

and all the small pieces can burn simultaneously. [No explicit mention of oxygen/air or sur-

face area.]

• Other correct.

Incorrect Response

• Refers only to relative rates of burning (burning through). [Does not refer explicitly to

surface area, oxygen/air, or simultaneous burning.]

• Refers only to the relative rate of ignition (catching on fire, heating up). [Does not refer explic-

itly to surface area, oxygen/air, or simultaneous burning.]

• Mentions only the need for oxygen/air. [Incorrect/inadequate or no connection to increased

availability in chopped wood.]



ChemistryTheorizing, Analyzing


Country average vs.



Slovak Republic 53 �Moldova 53 �Chinese Taipei 50 �Finland 39 �Russian Federation 33 OHungary 32 �Latvia (LSS) 32 OSlovenia 31 OMacedonia, Rep. of 31 ONetherlands 30 ONew Zealand 30 OEngland 30 OBulgaria 29 OAustralia 29 OCzech Republic 29 OBelgium (Flemish) 28 OKorea, Rep. of 28 OSingapore 27 OIran, Islamic Rep. 25 OInternational Average 24Canada 23 OIndonesia 23 OMalaysia 21 ORomania 21 OLithuania 20 OJordan 18 �United States 18 �Israel 17 �Turkey 15 �Hong Kong, SAR 14 �Italy 13 �Cyprus 13 �Thailand 13 �Philippines 10 �Chile 9 �Tunisia 9 �South Africa 7 �Japan 5 �Morocco 2 �

A large log of wood will burn more slowly than the same logchopped into smaller pieces. Explain why.

Item Number: Z01A



65

Galvanization of steel

SCORING

A: Scoring for why steel is galvanized

Note: A correct response must explicitly reference rusting, corrosion, oxidation, or comparable

term.

Correct Response

• Explicitly refers to rusting, corrosion, or oxidation.

Incorrect Response

• Mentions only the general structural properties of steel (hardness, strength, durability, etc.).

[No mention of rusting, corrosion, oxidation, or equivalent].

• Mentions protection from weather, water, air, etc. [No mention of rusting, oxidation, corrosion,

or equivalent.]

• Mentions only protecting the surface (repeats information in stem).





Country average vs.



Chinese Taipei 77 �Singapore 66 �Korea, Rep. of 63 �England 57 �Finland 56 �Australia 56 �Canada 56 �Hong Kong, SAR 56 �Hungary 54 �Belgium (Flemish) 54 �Slovak Republic 48 �New Zealand 48 �United States 46 �Malaysia 46 �Jordan 44 OThailand 43 OSlovenia 40 OCzech Republic 38 OJapan 38 OInternational Average 37Bulgaria 35 ORomania 32 OMacedonia, Rep. of 32 OItaly 31 ONetherlands 31 OLatvia (LSS) 29 �Russian Federation 28 �Indonesia 28 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 27 �Tunisia 24 �Israel 23 �Turkey 21 �Cyprus 20 �Chile 16 �Lithuania 16 �Moldova 11 �Philippines 10 �South Africa 6 �Morocco 3 �

A steel manufacturer uses a chemical process called'galvanization' to protect the surface of steel beams that areused to construct high-rise buildings. It takes a crew of steelworkers 8 hours to 'galvanize' a large batch of steel.

a) Why MUST the surface of the steel be protected?

b) A new 'galvanization' process is developed that shortensthe procedure to 4 hours. Describe two consequences of thesteel manufacturer switching to the shorter 'galvanization' process.

1.

2.

Item Number: Z01D



66

Galvanization of steel

SCORING

B: Scoring for new process

Correct Response

• Mentions that there is more profit (or lower cost) for the manufacturing company.

• Mentions greater efficiency/productivity or that more steel/buildings can be produced (faster).

• Mentions unemployment or lower pay for workers.

• Mentions any other worker-related consequence.

• Mentions that the new method might be inferior to the old (shorter process saves time at the

expense of quality; unproven method compared to old reliable one).

• Other correct.

Incorrect Response

• Mentions only that the new process is shorter or takes 4 hours (less time).

[Merely reports information given in stem.]




Country average vs.



Korea, Rep. of 45 �Netherlands 42 �Singapore 41 �Canada 37 �Japan 36 �Thailand 35 �Finland 34 �Belgium (Flemish) 32 �New Zealand 31 �Slovak Republic 30 �Australia 27 �England 26 OUnited States 26 �Hungary 25 OHong Kong, SAR 22 OChinese Taipei 21 OSlovenia 21 OMalaysia 20 OInternational Average 20Bulgaria 18 OLatvia (LSS) 17 OCzech Republic 16 OJordan 15 OIsrael 13 �Tunisia 13 �Italy 12 �Cyprus 11 �Macedonia, Rep. of 11 �Lithuania 11 �Turkey 10 �Indonesia 9 �Moldova 8 �Chile 7 �Romania 7 �Russian Federation 5 �South Africa 3 �Philippines 3 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 2 �Morocco 1 �

A steel manufacturer uses a chemical process called'galvanization' to protect the surface of steel beams that areused to construct high-rise buildings. It takes a crew of steelworkers 8 hours to 'galvanize' a large batch of steel.

a) Why MUST the surface of the steel be protected?

b) A new 'galvanization' process is developed that shortensthe procedure to 4 hours. Describe two consequences of thesteel manufacturers switching to the shorter 'galvanization' process.

1.

2.



Environmental

and Resource Issues

Understanding Complex

Information

Correct Response: D

Item Number: F04


67

Area where soil is washed away

Country average vs.



Chinese Taipei 92 �Singapore 88 �Slovak Republic 85 �Hong Kong, SAR 85 �Netherlands 83 �Korea, Rep. of 83 �Malaysia 81 �Russian Federation 80 �Japan 79 �England 78 �Australia 78 �Canada 76 �Cyprus 76 �Latvia (LSS) 75 �Slovenia 75 �Tunisia 74 �Czech Republic 73 OIndonesia 73 �United States 73 ONew Zealand 71 OHungary 70 OThailand 69 OBelgium (Flemish) 68 OFinland 68 OInternational Average 68Lithuania 66 OJordan 65 ORomania 65 OIsrael 63 OItaly 59 �Macedonia, Rep. of 55 �Bulgaria 52 �Chile 52 �Moldova 50 �Turkey 49 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 44 �Morocco 42 �Philippines 39 �South Africa 26 �

Rain and running water can wash away soil. From whicharea is soil most likely to be washed away?

A. A sloping area with bushes

B. A flat area with grasses

C. A flat area that is barren

D. A sloping area that is barren



Environmental

and Resource Issues


Information

Correct Response: B


68

Effectiveness of insecticides

Item Number: L07

Country average vs.



Chinese Taipei 76 �Hong Kong, SAR 74 �Hungary 70 �Singapore 69 �Japan 68 �Australia 66 �United States 62 �Netherlands 61 �Canada 60 �Russian Federation 60 OFinland 57 OSlovenia 57 OCzech Republic 57 OEngland 56 ONew Zealand 56 OBelgium (Flemish) 53 OLithuania 51 OIsrael 51 OBulgaria 50 OItaly 50 OThailand 49 OInternational Average 48Romania 48 OKorea, Rep. of 47 OSlovak Republic 45 OTurkey 43 OMoldova 42 OIran, Islamic Rep. 38 �Chile 38 �Latvia (LSS) 38 �Macedonia, Rep. of 37 �Philippines 33 �Jordan 32 �Cyprus 31 �Indonesia 27 �South Africa 25 �Malaysia 24 �Tunisia 21 �Morocco 20 �

Insecticides are used to control insect populations so that theydo not destroy crops. Over time, some insecticides become lesseffective at killing insects, and new insecticides must bedeveloped. What is the most likely reason insecticides becomeless effective over time?

A. Surviving insects have learned to include insecticides as afood source.

B. Surviving insects pass their resistance to insecticides totheir Soffspring.

C. Insecticides build up in the soil.

D. Insecticides are concentrated at the bottom of the foodchain.

Item Number: P05D



69

Two reasons for famine

SCORING

Note: Each of the two reasons must be scored separately. The same score can be used twice.

However, if the reasons described are essentially the same, or an extension of the same

idea, or if only one reason is given, the second reason should be scored as incorrect.

Correct Response

• Mentions agriculturally-related factors (soil depletion, overgrazing, erosion, poor farming tech-

niques).

• Mentions natural disasters or weather-related factors (floods, earthquakes, rain distribution,

drought, temperature, sun, etc.).

• Mentions crop disease, insect infestation or other pests.

• Mentions overpopulation or consumption.

• Mentions specific social/economic/political factors.

• Mentions pollution or other contamination.

• Other correct.

Incorrect Response

• Mentions ONLY a lack or need of food (or other responses related to a general definition of

famine).




Environmental

and Resource Issues


Information

Country average vs.



Singapore 73 �Slovenia 72 �Slovak Republic 70 �Hong Kong, SAR 66 �Chinese Taipei 66 �Moldova 59 �Finland 55 �Australia 55 �Belgium (Flemish) 54 OCanada 53 �Thailand 52 �New Zealand 48 OLatvia (LSS) 47 OJordan 46 OCzech Republic 44 OCyprus 43 OInternational Average 42Turkey 42 OBulgaria 41 OItaly 41 OEngland 41 OMalaysia 40 ONetherlands 39 OKorea, Rep. of 39 OJapan 39 ORussian Federation 38 OChile 37 OUnited States 36 OIndonesia 34 �Israel 33 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 33 �Romania 32 �Hungary 31 �Tunisia 29 �Lithuania 26 �Morocco 25 �Philippines 16 �Macedonia, Rep. of 14 �South Africa 8 �

What are two reasons why famine (a great shortage of food)occurs?

1.

2.



Environmental

and Resource Issues

Understanding Simple

Information

Correct Response: A


70

Result of global warming

Item Number: R06

Country average vs.



Japan 67 �Hong Kong, SAR 59 �Chinese Taipei 58 �Lithuania 57 �Singapore 56 �Australia 52 �Bulgaria 49 �Italy 48 �Korea, Rep. of 47 �Hungary 44 �New Zealand 43 �Cyprus 42 �Slovak Republic 42 ORussian Federation 38 OSouth Africa 37 OLatvia (LSS) 35 OInternational Average 33England 33 OBelgium (Flemish) 33 ONetherlands 33 OCzech Republic 32 OCanada 31 OFinland 31 OUnited States 30 OMoldova 29 OSlovenia 28 OMacedonia, Rep. of 25 �Israel 23 �Romania 22 �Morocco 22 �Jordan 20 �Malaysia 18 �Chile 16 �Philippines 16 �Turkey 15 �Thailand 13 �Tunisia 11 �Indonesia 10 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 9 �

What is predicted to be a result of global warming?

A. Rising ocean level

B. More severe earthquakes

C. Larger volcanic eruptions

D. Thinning ozone layer



Scientific Inquiry

and the Nature of ScienceInvestigating the Natural World

Correct Response: C

Item Number: N04


71

Evaporation of vinegar and oil

Country average vs.



England 78 �Singapore 78 �Netherlands 76 �United States 76 �Australia 70 �Israel 67 �New Zealand 67 �Hungary 64 �Canada 64 �Korea, Rep. of 59 �Japan 50 OItaly 49 OJordan 49 OBelgium (Flemish) 49 OHong Kong, SAR 49 OCzech Republic 49 OInternational Average 48Malaysia 46 OBulgaria 45 OFinland 45 OMacedonia, Rep. of 44 OChinese Taipei 44 OIndonesia 42 OIran, Islamic Rep. 42 OTurkey 41 �Latvia (LSS) 41 OSlovak Republic 40 OLithuania 39 OSlovenia 39 �Morocco 38 �Philippines 38 �Chile 38 �Cyprus 36 �Romania 30 �South Africa 29 �Russian Federation 29 �Thailand 28 �Tunisia 27 �Moldova 19 �

Two open bottles, one filled with vinegar and the other witholive oil, were left on a window sill in the Sun. Several dayslater it was observed that the bottles were no longer full. What can be concluded from this observation?

A. Vinegar evaporates faster than olive oil.

B. Olive oil evaporates faster than vinegar.

C. Both vinegar and olive oil evaporate.

D. Only liquids containing water evaporate.

E. Direct sunlight is needed for evaporation.



Scientific Inquiry

and the Nature of Science

Understanding Simple

Information

Correct Response: C


72

Replication of measurements

Item Number: P07

Country average vs.



Korea, Rep. of 87 �Chinese Taipei 73 �Japan 61 �Thailand 60 �Israel 57 �Hong Kong, SAR 56 �Lithuania 52 �Turkey 51 �Slovak Republic 50 �Latvia (LSS) 46 OSingapore 46 OCzech Republic 46 OFinland 45 ORomania 44 OBulgaria 43 OSlovenia 43 ORussian Federation 41 OInternational Average 40United States 39 OMoldova 39 OTunisia 35 OEngland 35 OJordan 34 OCanada 34 OChile 33 �Australia 33 �Macedonia, Rep. of 32 �Hungary 31 �Belgium (Flemish) 31 �Netherlands 30 �New Zealand 29 �Indonesia 29 �Philippines 29 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 29 �Cyprus 28 �Malaysia 26 �Italy 24 �South Africa 20 �Morocco 11 �

The primary reason scientists repeat the measurements theytake during experiments is so that they can

A. check that the equipment is working

B. list all the results in a table

C. estimate experimental error

D. change the experimental conditions



Scientific Inquiry


Correct Response: B

Item Number: R01


73

Bacteria/mold experiment

Country average vs.



Chinese Taipei 80 �Japan 70 �Italy 67 �Israel 63 �Bulgaria 58 �Thailand 55 �Canada 52 �United States 47 �Hungary 42 OChile 42 �Netherlands 42 OMorocco 41 OLithuania 41 OAustralia 39 OBelgium (Flemish) 36 OTunisia 36 OCyprus 36 OInternational Average 35New Zealand 32 OSlovenia 32 OHong Kong, SAR 32 OSlovak Republic 30 OSouth Africa 29 �Singapore 28 OKorea, Rep. of 25 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 25 �Jordan 22 �Macedonia, Rep. of 22 �England 19 �Malaysia 18 �Philippines 18 �Latvia (LSS) 16 �Romania 14 �Indonesia 11 �Finland 11 �Russian Federation 10 �

Alexander Fleming noticed that bacteria growing on a plate ofagar did not grow next to a mold that was growing on the sameplate. He wrote in his laboratory report: "The mold may be producing a substance that kills bacteria." This statement isbest described as

A. an observation

B. a hypothesis

C. a generalization

D. a conclusion

Item Number: X03



74

Heart rate experiment design

SCORING

Note: A fully correct procedure may or may not include a separate materials list in order to

receive full credit. If a materials list is not included, then time measurements must be

explicitly referenced within the procedure (e.g. ‘time how long it takes’). Partial credit

is given for responses where one of the criteria for a correct response is not completely

satisfied.

Correct Response

• Describes a procedure in which: i) Somebody (or self) measures “normal” pulse or heart rate

at rest (using a timer or watch). ii) Subject does an exercise (physical activity). iii) The time

interval is measured from completion of exercise until pulse rate returns to “normal”.

• Other fully correct.

Partial Response

• As in correct response, but no mention of beginning (‘normal’) pulse measurement.

• As in correct response, but no mention of measuring the time interval after exercise until

pulse returns to normal.

• Other partially correct with one criterion not completely satisfied.

Incorrect Response

• No procedure given; only mentions materials.

• Describes a minimal procedure not satisfying two or more of the criteria stated in correct

response.

• Refers only to how to measure the heart (pulse) rate.



Scientific Inquiry


Country average vs.



Singapore 32 �England 31 �Australia 30 �Korea, Rep. of 30 �New Zealand 28 �Canada 26 �Chinese Taipei 24 �Belgium (Flemish) 23 �United States 21 �Hong Kong, SAR 20 �Netherlands 20 OJapan 19 �Czech Republic 19 �Finland 17 �International Average 12Hungary 11 OIsrael 9 �Slovak Republic 8 �Slovenia 8 �Macedonia, Rep. of 7 �Latvia (LSS) 7 �Italy 6 �Cyprus 6 �Lithuania 6 �Russian Federation 6 �Jordan 5 �Indonesia 5 �Turkey 4 �Thailand 4 �Moldova 4 �Romania 3 �Bulgaria 3 �Chile 2 �Malaysia 2 �Morocco 2 �Tunisia 2 �Philippines 2 �Iran, Islamic Rep. 2 �South Africa 1 �

Suppose you want to investigate how long it takes for theheart rate to return to normal after exercising. Whatmaterials would you use and what procedures would youfollow?

75

Main TopicContent Domain Cognitive Domain


Country average vs. International average:

Higher pNotdifferent OLower q


CheMIsTry AcidsandBases ConceptualUnderstanding

Litmustest

Item Number: S032057S032057

A solution of hydrochloric acid (HCl) in water will turn blue litmus paperred. A solution of the base sodium hydroxide (NaOH) in water will turn redlitmus paper blue. If the acid and base solutions above are mixed in theright proportion, the resulting solution will cause neither red nor bluelitmus paper to change color.

Explain why the litmus paper does not change color in the mixed solution.

sCOrINGNote:Toreceivecredit,responsesmustrefertoneutralizationorachemicalreactionthatresultsinproductsthatdonotreactwithlitmuspaper.

Correct response

• Explanationrefersexplicitlytotheformationofwater(andsalt)fromtheneutralizationreaction.Examples: Hydrochloric acid and sodium hydroxide will mix together to form water and salt,

which is neutral. The hydrogen ions combine with the hydroxide ions to form water, so the litmus paper

does not change color.

• Explanationrefersexplicitlytoneutralization (or equivalent), but the specific reaction is not mentioned.Examples: When you mix acid and alkali, the mixture becomes neutral and has a pH of 7. The HCl neutralizes the NaOH, and the NaOH neutralizes the HCl. The mixed solution is neutral, so litmus paper does not react. Acid + base = neutral solution There is a neutralization reaction.

• Explanationreferstoachemicalreactiontakingplace(implicitlyorexplicitly)toformproductsthatdonotreactwithlitmuspaper(orsimilar).[Neutralizationisnotexplicitlymentioned.]Examples: The acid and base react, and the new chemicals do not react with litmus paper. The chemicals that change the litmus paper must have a chemical reaction to each other. Therefore they will not change the color of the paper anymore. They form a new solution that has different properties and doesn’t react with litmus.

• Othercorrect.

Incorrect response

• Mentionsonlythatacidandbaseare“balanced”,“opposites”,“canceleachother”,orsimilar.Examples: The acid and base are opposites and counteract so they cancel each other out. The acid tries to turn it red and the base just turns it blue again at the same time. Because they’re balanced out and equal.

• Otherincorrect(includingcrossedout/erased,straymarks,illegible,orofftask).

Chinese Taipei 73 pHong Kong, SAR 66 pJapan 64 pSingapore 56 pMalaysia 50 pHungary 46 pEngland 39 pKorea, Republic of 39 pSweden 34 pEgypt 31 pScotland 25 OEstonia 25 ONorway 25 ORussian Federation 23 OSlovak Republic 22 OBulgaria 21 OInternational average 21 pMoldova, Rep. of 21 OJordan 20 OArmenia 20 OPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 20 ORomania 18 OUnited States 17 qIsrael 16 qLithuania 15 qCyprus 15 qMacedonia, Republic of 14 qSlovenia 14 qNew Zealand 13 qBahrain 13 qLatvia 13 qAustralia 13 qItaly 12 qIran, Islamic Republic of 12 qSerbia and Montenegro 12 qLebanon 9 qChile 7 qNetherlands 7 qBelgium (Flemish) 5 qGhana 4 qMorocco 4 qPhilippines 3 qSouth Africa 3 qIndonesia 3 qSaudi Arabia 2 qTunisia 2 qBotswana 2 q

76

student responses


Litmustest(continued)Item Number: S032057

Correct response:

Incorrect response:

Correct response:

77






CheMIsTry ChemicalChange ConceptualUnderstanding

Fanning a wood fire

Item Number: S012003

B

S012003

Fanning can make a wood fire burn hotter because the fanning

a makes the wood hot enough to burn

b adds more oxygen needed for burning

c increases the amount of wood there is to burn

d provides the energy needed to keep the fire going

Japan 94 pSweden 93 pHungary 91 pHong Kong, SAR 90 pChinese Taipei 88 pNetherlands 87 pEstonia 86 pNorway 85 pNew Zealand 84 pAustralia 84 pEngland 83 pItaly 83 pScotland 82 pRussian Federation 82 pBelgium (Flemish) 82 pSingapore 81 pUnited States 80 pBulgaria 80 pLatvia 79 pMalaysia 78 pSlovak Republic 78 pKorea, Republic of 76 pIsrael 76 pSlovenia 76 pRomania 73 OLithuania 72 OInternational average 70 OMoldova, Rep. of 67 OIran, Islamic Republic of 66 OSerbia and Montenegro 64 qJordan 64 qCyprus 62 qMacedonia, Republic of 61 qChile 60 qArmenia 58 qIndonesia 57 qBahrain 56 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 55 qEgypt 53 qMorocco 50 qTunisia 49 qLebanon 46 qSaudi Arabia 43 qGhana 38 qPhilippines 35 qBotswana 34 qSouth Africa 33 q

Correct response:

78







Reactionsreleasingenergy


C

S022188

Some chemical reactions absorb energy, while others release energy. Of thechemical reactions in burning coal and exploding fireworks, which willrelease energy?

a Burning coal only

b Exploding fireworks only

c Both burning coal and exploding fireworks

d Neither burning coal nor exploding fireworks

Chinese Taipei 77 pHong Kong, SAR 74 pSingapore 68 pScotland 65 pUnited States 65 pEstonia 64 pEngland 62 pTunisia 61 pPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 59 pIsrael 59 pIran, Islamic Republic of 59 pMalaysia 58 pSlovak Republic 58 pAustralia 57 pCyprus 57 pNew Zealand 56 OChile 56 pPhilippines 55 pJordan 54 OHungary 53 OLatvia 53 ORussian Federation 52 OInternational average 52 OSweden 51 OSlovenia 50 OEgypt 50 ONorway 49 OLithuania 49 ORomania 47 qGhana 47 qBelgium (Flemish) 47 qLebanon 47 OItaly 47 qMacedonia, Republic of 46 qArmenia 46 qSaudi Arabia 45 qBahrain 44 qMoldova, Rep. of 44 qNetherlands 42 qBotswana 42 qJapan 41 qIndonesia 40 qSerbia and Montenegro 39 qKorea, Republic of 38 qSouth Africa 36 qBulgaria 36 qMorocco 35 q

Correct response:

79







Chemicalchangeinvolvingelements


C

S022198

Which is a chemical change?

a Element 1 is polished to form a smooth surface.

b Element 2 is heated and evaporates.

c Element 3 develops a white, powdery surface after standing in air.

d Element 4 is separated from a mixture by filtration.

Chinese Taipei 73 pSingapore 60 pHong Kong, SAR 52 pMalaysia 51 pHungary 48 pJordan 47 pIran, Islamic Republic of 47 pEngland 46 pJapan 45 pKorea, Republic of 44 pNetherlands 43 pPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 41 pArmenia 40 pRussian Federation 39 pBulgaria 39 OAustralia 39 pBelgium (Flemish) 38 OSlovenia 36 ONew Zealand 34 OItaly 34 OInternational average 34 OScotland 33 OUnited States 33 OMoldova, Rep. of 33 OEstonia 32 OCyprus 32 OIsrael 30 qTunisia 30 qLebanon 30 qSerbia and Montenegro 30 qMacedonia, Republic of 30 qNorway 29 qSouth Africa 28 qPhilippines 28 qEgypt 28 qBotswana 27 qLatvia 27 qBahrain 25 qRomania 24 qIndonesia 24 qSaudi Arabia 22 qSweden 22 qSlovak Republic 21 qGhana 19 qLithuania 19 qMorocco 15 qChile 15 q

80






CheMIsTry ChemicalChange ReasoningandAnalysis

Candlesburningin3jars


sCOrINGNote:Forfullcredit,responsesmustidentifyZandincludeanexplanationthatexplicitlymentionstheneedforoxygen(forcombustionorburning).Responsesmayalsomentionthatthesupplyrunsoutfasterinthesmallersealedjar,butitisnotrequiredforfullcredit.Responsesreferringtotheneedforair (explicitly or using non-scientific language) are given partial credit. Responses mentioning onlysmoke(fumes,carbondioxide,etc.)build-uporheatshouldbescoredasincorrect.

Correct response

• Z.Explanationreferstotheneedforoxygen(forburning).Examples: Z. The flame in the smaller jar will go out first since it has the least oxygen in it. Z. Oxygen is needed for the candle to burn. Z. It has less oxygen.

• Otherfullycorrect.

S022191

Three identical candles are placed in the three jars shown above and lit atthe same time. Jars Y and Z are then sealed with lids, and Jar X is leftopen.

Which candle flame will go out first (X, Y, or Z)? _______________

Explain your answer.

X Y Z

Netherlands 82 pEstonia 79 pSweden 78 pSingapore 78 pLithuania 75 pHungary 72 pNorway 72 pBelgium (Flemish) 71 pRussian Federation 69 pJapan 69 pEngland 66 pItaly 64 pHong Kong, SAR 62 pSlovenia 62 pChinese Taipei 60 pIsrael 58 pLatvia 57 pAustralia 57 pSlovak Republic 55 pScotland 54 pNew Zealand 53 pKorea, Republic of 52 pUnited States 48 OSerbia and Montenegro 48 OInternational average 47 OMalaysia 45 OMacedonia, Republic of 44 OLebanon 44 OBulgaria 43 OCyprus 43 qRomania 42 qTunisia 41 qJordan 38 qEgypt 34 qChile 32 qBahrain 31 qArmenia 30 qMoldova, Rep. of 29 qMorocco 28 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 27 qSaudi Arabia 23 qIran, Islamic Republic of 20 qIndonesia 12 qSouth Africa 9 qPhilippines 5 qBotswana 3 qGhana 1 q

81


Candlesburningin3jars(continued)Item Number: S022191

sCOrING(continued)Partially Correct response

• Z. Explanation refers to lack of air (gas) explicitly or using non-scientific language (e.g.suffocation,smothering,choking,etc.).(Noexplicitmentionofoxygen.)Examples: Z. The flame in the smallest jar will be suffocated first. Z. It does not have enough air to breath. Since Z is the smallest jar, it will have less air in order to burn. Z. It gets smothered as the carbon dioxide increases.

• IndicatesbothYANDZ(Y,Z;YorZ;Y/Zetc.).Explanationbasedontheneedforoxygenorair.Examples: Y and Z. The flame needs oxygen for it to burn, and both of these jars will run out of it. Y, Z. The closed jars do not get any air. Y or Z. They do not get any oxygen.

• Otherpartiallycorrect.

Incorrect response

• Zwithnoexplanationoranincorrectexplanation.Examples: Z. This jar will have the smallest flame since it is in the smallest jar. Z. The smoke cannot escape, so the flame dies. Z. The carbon dioxide level builds up too much. Z. The candle wants to let off heat, so it bursts.

• X.Explanationbasedonthecandlebeingblownout(orsimilar).Examples: X. A person walking past the candle might cause it to blow out. X. If the jar is not closed, it goes out from the wind.

• XORYwithnoexplanationoranyotherincorrectexplanation.


82


Correct response:

student responses


83



student responses(continued)

Partial response:

84


student responses(continued)


Incorrect response:

Correct response:

85






CheMIsTryClassification

andCompositionofMatterConceptualUnderstanding

NOTamixture


B

S022187

Which of the following is NOT a mixture?

a Smoke

b Sugar

c Milk

d Paint

Chinese Taipei 64 pSweden 58 pEstonia 57 pJordan 56 pNetherlands 56 pKorea, Republic of 56 pSingapore 55 pSlovak Republic 53 pHungary 51 pSlovenia 51 pAustralia 50 pPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 50 pNew Zealand 49 pNorway 49 pRussian Federation 48 pBelgium (Flemish) 48 pJapan 48 pIsrael 47 pUnited States 46 pLithuania 45 pEngland 45 pItaly 43 OScotland 40 OInternational average 40 OSerbia and Montenegro 40 OMoldova, Rep. of 40 OBahrain 39 OBulgaria 37 OSaudi Arabia 36 qLatvia 35 qLebanon 35 qHong Kong, SAR 34 qMalaysia 34 qArmenia 33 qRomania 33 qIndonesia 30 qIran, Islamic Republic of 30 qMacedonia, Republic of 30 qTunisia 29 qCyprus 28 qMorocco 27 qChile 26 qEgypt 25 qPhilippines 18 qGhana 16 qBotswana 16 qSouth Africa 15 q

Correct response:

86








Solutionhalfasconcentrated

B


S032564

David makes a solution by dissolving 10 grams of salt in 100 ml of water. Hewants a solution that is half as concentrated. What should he add to theoriginal solution to obtain a solution that is about half as concentrated?

a 50 ml of water

b 100 ml of water

c 5 grams of salt

d 10 grams of salt

Latvia 55 pHungary 50 pEstonia 50 pLithuania 46 pChinese Taipei 46 pJapan 46 pHong Kong, SAR 46 pRussian Federation 43 pSweden 42 pKorea, Republic of 40 pBelgium (Flemish) 40 pMoldova, Rep. of 40 pSingapore 40 pBulgaria 38 pNetherlands 38 pSlovenia 35 pAustralia 33 OEngland 32 ONew Zealand 32 OSerbia and Montenegro 31 ORomania 31 OInternational average 30 ONorway 30 OItaly 29 OSlovak Republic 27 OScotland 27 OUnited States 26 qSouth Africa 25 qIsrael 24 qEgypt 23 qCyprus 22 qBahrain 21 qLebanon 21 qIran, Islamic Republic of 20 qMacedonia, Republic of 18 qMalaysia 18 qGhana 18 qPhilippines 18 qSaudi Arabia 17 qMorocco 16 qBotswana 15 qIndonesia 14 qChile 13 qTunisia 13 qArmenia 12 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 0 qJordan 0 q

Correct response:

87






B


Whichsubstancesareelements



S032574

Oxygen, hydrogen, and water are substances.Which of these substances are elements?

a oxygen, hydrogen and water

b oxygen and hydrogen only

c oxygen only

d water only

Slovak Republic 76 pChinese Taipei 75 pEstonia 73 pHungary 71 pSingapore 67 pKorea, Republic of 66 pSerbia and Montenegro 66 pSlovenia 66 pIsrael 64 pJapan 64 pLithuania 64 pLatvia 64 pRussian Federation 62 pMacedonia, Republic of 60 pArmenia 58 pSweden 57 pMoldova, Rep. of 55 ONew Zealand 54 OUnited States 54 pRomania 53 OMorocco 50 OInternational average 49 OBulgaria 48 OJordan 48 OEngland 45 OGhana 45 OCyprus 45 OMalaysia 43 qAustralia 42 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 41 qScotland 40 qHong Kong, SAR 38 qItaly 38 qEgypt 37 qPhilippines 37 qBotswana 37 qBahrain 36 qNetherlands 35 qIran, Islamic Republic of 33 qChile 32 qIndonesia 32 qSouth Africa 31 qNorway 31 qLebanon 29 qSaudi Arabia 28 qBelgium (Flemish) 27 qTunisia 0 q

88








Metalcrown:densityofmetalblock


sCOrINGCorrect response

• 19.2g/cm3

• 19g/cm3[Roundstonearestwholeunit.]

Incorrect response

• Showstheset-upfordensity(mass/volume)butdoesnotcomputedensityormakesacomputationalerror.

• 125[Computesvolumebutnotdensity.]

• 19.3[Noworkshown;indicatesdensitycopiedfromtable.]

• Otherincorrect(includingcrossedout/erased,straymarks,illegibleorofftask).

S032709

The scientists decided to compare the densities of the crown and a block of

metal just like the original block. The density of a substance is the mass

of a sample of the substance divided by its volume (density = mass/volume).

The scientists found the volume of the block and computed its density based

on its known mass (2,400 g). The diagram below shows the dimensions of the

block of metal that the scientists measured.

What is the density of the block of metal?

Answer: ____________ g/cm3

5 cm

5 cm

5 cm

(not to scale)

Questions for Metal Crown continue.

Singapore 64 pHong Kong, SAR 53 pJapan 47 pChinese Taipei 43 pHungary 40 pArmenia 40 pLithuania 39 pEstonia 38 pKorea, Republic of 33 pRussian Federation 33 pBelgium (Flemish) 31 pItaly 30 pSlovak Republic 29 pLatvia 28 pNetherlands 28 pEngland 26 OSweden 26 pUnited States 25 pSlovenia 23 OMoldova, Rep. of 23 ORomania 22 OInternational average 21 OAustralia 20 OScotland 20 OSerbia and Montenegro 20 OMalaysia 18 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 17 qNew Zealand 17 OJordan 17 qMacedonia, Republic of 16 qIsrael 16 qBulgaria 11 qCyprus 10 qBahrain 10 qNorway 10 qEgypt 9 qLebanon 9 qChile 6 qBotswana 6 qIndonesia 6 qPhilippines 5 qTunisia 5 qMorocco 4 qIran, Islamic Republic of 2 qSouth Africa 2 qSaudi Arabia 1 qGhana 1 q

89

student responses


Metalcrown:densityofmetalblock(continued)Item Number: S032709

Correct response:

90


Incorrect response:

student responses (continued)

Metalcrown:densityofmetalblock(continued)Item Number: S032709

Correct response:

91






C


Substancetypeofblack/whitepowder


andCompositionofMatterFactualKnowledge

S012016

A powder made up of both white specks and black specks is likely to be

a a solution

b a pure compound

c a mixture

d an element

Lithuania 92 pHungary 90 pEstonia 90 pSlovenia 88 pSlovak Republic 88 pLatvia 84 pNetherlands 84 pSweden 84 pJapan 83 pBulgaria 82 pUnited States 82 pRomania 81 pSingapore 80 pIsrael 79 pMoldova, Rep. of 79 pChinese Taipei 79 pBelgium (Flemish) 78 pEngland 77 pAustralia 77 pKorea, Republic of 77 pRussian Federation 77 pHong Kong, SAR 75 pMacedonia, Republic of 74 OSerbia and Montenegro 74 OArmenia 74 OInternational average 72 OItaly 70 ONew Zealand 70 OMalaysia 69 OScotland 68 OTunisia 67 qJordan 67 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 66 qNorway 65 qChile 65 qBotswana 64 qEgypt 63 qLebanon 63 qBahrain 63 qMorocco 60 qIran, Islamic Republic of 60 qSaudi Arabia 59 qPhilippines 58 qCyprus 57 qGhana 52 qIndonesia 50 qSouth Africa 48 q

Correct response:

92






B


Reactionofchlorineandsodium


andCompositionofMatterFactualKnowledge

S022206

When chlorine gas reacts with sodium metal, what type of substance isformed?

a A mixture

b A compound

c An element

d An alloy

e A solution

Bulgaria 68 pCyprus 63 pBahrain 60 pLithuania 59 pChinese Taipei 59 pSlovenia 59 pSingapore 58 pJapan 56 pHungary 56 pEstonia 55 pSweden 55 pArmenia 55 pEgypt 53 pRussian Federation 53 pLatvia 51 pJordan 50 pLebanon 50 pSlovak Republic 50 pSerbia and Montenegro 50 pIsrael 49 pKorea, Republic of 49 pEngland 47 pScotland 47 pPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 45 pMacedonia, Republic of 44 OUnited States 42 OInternational average 41 OMoldova, Rep. of 37 qItaly 36 qSaudi Arabia 35 qNew Zealand 34 qRomania 33 qChile 33 qHong Kong, SAR 32 qMalaysia 32 qAustralia 32 qIndonesia 30 qTunisia 28 qGhana 26 qBelgium (Flemish) 24 qIran, Islamic Republic of 23 qPhilippines 23 qSouth Africa 18 qBotswana 13 qMorocco 13 qNetherlands 13 qNorway 11 q

93








andCompositionofMatterReasoningandAnalysis

Separation of salt/sand/iron filings mixture

S032562

Teresa is given a mixture of salt, sand, iron filings, and small pieces of cork.

She separates the mixture using a 4-step procedure as shown in the

diagram. The letters W, X, Y, and Z are used to stand for the four

components but do not indicate which letter stands for which component.

Identify what each component is by writing salt, sand, iron, or cork in

the correct spaces below.

Component W is: ______________________________

Component X is: ______________________________

Component Y is: ______________________________

Component Z is: ______________________________

W, X, Y, Z

X, Y, Z W

Y, Z +water X

Z +water Y

Step 2: Adds water andremoves thecomponentthat floats

Step 1: Uses a magnet

Step 4: Evaporates water

Step 3: Filters

X, Y, Z

Y, Z +water

Z + water

water Z

Singapore 68 pChinese Taipei 67 pJapan 58 pHong Kong, SAR 58 pEstonia 56 pKorea, Republic of 54 pHungary 51 pSlovak Republic 51 pLatvia 49 pEngland 48 pScotland 48 pNetherlands 47 pSweden 47 pLithuania 47 pNew Zealand 46 pMalaysia 46 pRussian Federation 45 pAustralia 44 pBelgium (Flemish) 44 pArmenia 42 pSlovenia 41 OItaly 39 OUnited States 35 OJordan 35 ORomania 35 OInternational average 34 OMoldova, Rep. of 34 OIsrael 33 ONorway 26 qLebanon 26 qChile 26 qIran, Islamic Republic of 25 qBahrain 23 qEgypt 22 qBulgaria 21 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 20 qSerbia and Montenegro 20 qCyprus 19 qTunisia 15 qSaudi Arabia 14 qMacedonia, Republic of 14 qIndonesia 12 qPhilippines 11 qSouth Africa 8 qBotswana 7 qMorocco 6 qGhana 6 q

94


Separation of salt/sand/iron filings mixture (continued)Item Number: S032562

sCOrINGNote:Toreceivefullcredit,responsesmustcorrectlyidentifyallfourcomponents.Partialcreditisgivenforresponsesthatlistatleasttwocomponentscorrectly.Ifacomponentislistedmorethanonce,noneoftheentriesforthatcomponentwillbeconsideredascorrect.Forexample,aresponsethatlistsIron,Salt,Salt,Saltisincorrect.

Correct response

• Identifies all four components correctly: W = iron; X = cork; Y = sand; Z = salt.

Partially Correct response

• Identifies iron and cork correctly (W and X); sand and/or salt are missing or incorrect.Examples: Iron, Cork, Salt, Sand Iron, Cork, Sand, Blank

• Identifies iron and salt correctly (W and Z); cork and/or sand are missing or incorrect.Examples: Iron, Sand, Cork, Salt Iron, Blank, Blank, Salt

• Identifies sand and salt correctly (Y and Z); iron and/or cork are missing or incorrect.Examples: Cork, Iron, Sand, Salt Blank, Blank, Sand, Salt Water, Cork, Sand, Salt

• Other partially correct (that identifies at least two components correctly).

Incorrect response

• Identifies only iron correctly (W), all other components are missing or incorrect.


95

student responses



Correct response:

96

TitleNamePulledfromItemHere(continued)Item Number: M022002A



Partially Correct response:


97




Incorrect response:

98






Item Number: S032713A

Metalcrown:whatmetalblockwasmadeof



S032713

The table below lists the density for different metals.

Metal Density (g/cm3)

Platinum 21.4

Gold 19.3

Silver 10.5

Copper 8.9

Zinc 7.1

Aluminum 2.7

A. Look at the density you computed for the block of metal. What was theblock of metal most likely made of?

Answer: ______________________________


B. The density of the crown was found to be 12.0 g/cm3. What would youreport to the king about what metal or mixture of metals the jewelerused to make the crown?

End of Metal Crown section.

Hungary 37 pSingapore 36 pJapan 36 pChinese Taipei 29 pUnited States 28 pRussian Federation 27 pEstonia 27 pLithuania 26 pBelgium (Flemish) 26 pHong Kong, SAR 23 pEngland 23 pAustralia 22 pLatvia 22 pSlovak Republic 21 pNew Zealand 21 pNetherlands 20 pSweden 18 OSlovenia 18 OScotland 18 OKorea, Republic of 18 OJordan 16 ONorway 16 OInternational average 16 ORomania 14 OMoldova, Rep. of 13 OEgypt 13 qSerbia and Montenegro 13 qArmenia 13 qItaly 12 qMalaysia 12 qIsrael 11 qMacedonia, Republic of 11 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 11 qMorocco 10 qBahrain 9 qBulgaria 8 qChile 8 qCyprus 6 qLebanon 6 qIndonesia 5 qPhilippines 4 qGhana 3 qBotswana 2 qSouth Africa 2 qTunisia 2 qIran, Islamic Republic of 1 qSaudi Arabia 1 q

99


sCOrING

CodesforIdentifyingMetalinBlockNote:Toreceivecredit,responsesmustidentifygoldANDgiveanexplanationbasedondensity.Responsesthatidentifygoldwithnoorincorrectexplanationareincorrect.Itispossiblethatadifferentmetal or metal(s) may be identified based on an incorrect density computation in the previous question. Thesetypesofresponsesmayscoredascorrect,providedtheexplanationisreasonablebasedonthecomputeddensity.

Correct response

• GOLDwithanexplanationbasedoncorrectdensitycomputedinpreviousquestion(19.2g/cm3).Examples: Gold. Because it had the closest density. Gold. The density is the same.

• Othercorrect.

Incorrect response

• GOLDwithnoexplanationorincorrectexplanationthatisNOTbasedondensity.Examples: Gold. Because that is what crowns are always made of.

• SILVER(aloneormixed).[Confusesdensityofcrownwithdensityofthemetalblock.]Examples: It is mostly silver because the density is 12 and that’s the closest one.


Metalcrown:whatmetalblockwasmadeof(continued)Item Number: S032713A

100


student responses

Metalcrown:whatmetalblockwasmadeof(continued)Item Number: S032713A

Correct response:

Incorrect response:

101






Item Number: S032713B

Metalcrown:whatcrownwasmadeof



S032713

The table below lists the density for different metals.

Metal Density (g/cm3)

Platinum 21.4

Gold 19.3

Silver 10.5

Copper 8.9

Zinc 7.1

Aluminum 2.7

A. Look at the density you computed for the block of metal. What was theblock of metal most likely made of?

Answer: ______________________________


B. The density of the crown was found to be 12.0 g/cm3. What would youreport to the king about what metal or mixture of metals the jewelerused to make the crown?

End of Metal Crown section.

Chinese Taipei 25 pHong Kong, SAR 20 pSingapore 20 pHungary 20 pKorea, Republic of 19 pSlovenia 18 pEstonia 15 pNorway 13 pLatvia 12 pSweden 12 pSlovak Republic 12 pJordan 11 pUnited States 11 pNetherlands 10 ORussian Federation 10 OLithuania 10 OArmenia 10 ONew Zealand 9 OScotland 9 OAustralia 9 OEgypt 8 OInternational average 8 ORomania 8 OMalaysia 8 OMoldova, Rep. of 8 OBelgium (Flemish) 8 OMacedonia, Republic of 6 qCyprus 5 qEngland 5 qIsrael 4 qIran, Islamic Republic of 4 qLebanon 4 qIndonesia 4 qMorocco 4 qBulgaria 4 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 4 qChile 3 qBahrain 2 qSouth Africa 2 qPhilippines 2 qJapan 1 qSaudi Arabia 1 qTunisia 1 qGhana 1 qBotswana 1 qSerbia and Montenegro 1 qItaly 1 q

102


sCOrING

CodesforReportingCompositionofCrownNote:Toreceivecredit,responsesmustindicatethatthecrowniscomposedofamixtureofmetals(alloy)ANDidentifythemetalsthatmightbeincludedbasedonthedensity(crowndensitybetweenthedensitiesofthepuremetals).Responsesthatindicatethatthecrownismadeofamixture(alloy)orisnotpuregoldwithnofurtherinformationaboutwhatothermetalsareincludedarescoredasincorrect.IfresponsesindicatethatthecrownismadeofPalladium(notinthetablebutwithadensityof12g/cm3),theyshouldbescoredascorrect.

Correct response

• Reports that the crown is made of a mixture (alloy) AND names specific metal(s) that might be included(reasonablecompositionbasedondensity).Examples: The jeweler used some silver as well as gold. It might have had some copper mixed in because that would lower the density and the

cost. The jeweler most likely used all silver except for a thin coat of gold to make it look pure

goldeventhoughitwasn’t.

• Othercorrect.

Incorrect response

• Reports only that the crown is made of a mixture or is NOT pure gold (or similar); NO specific metalsarenamed.Examples: The jeweler didn’t use the block of metal that the king gave him. The jeweler used four more metals to make the crown.

• ReportsSILVER(densityclosestto12g/cm3).Examples: The metal used is silver.

• Reportsanincorrectmixtureofmetalsbasedonadditivedensities.Examples: It’s silver and aluminum (10.5 + 2.7) Mixture of silver and aluminum as their density adds up to 12.0 approximately. Copper and aluminum.


Metalcrown:whatcrownwasmadeof(continued)Item Number: S032713B

103

student responses


Metalcrown:whatcrownwasmadeof(continued)Item Number: S032713B

Correct response:

Incorrect response:

Correct response:

104






CheMIsTryParticulateStructure

ofMatterConceptualUnderstanding

Atomsremovedfromchair


C

S012040

If you took all of the atoms out of a chair, what would be left?

a The chair would still be there, but it would weigh less.

b The chair would be exactly the same as it was before.

c There would be nothing left of the chair.

d Only a pool of liquid would be left on the floor.

Lithuania 78 pSweden 73 pSingapore 69 pEstonia 68 pUnited States 68 pHungary 67 pKorea, Republic of 66 pJapan 65 pEngland 64 pArmenia 64 pLatvia 62 pSlovenia 62 pRussian Federation 60 pIsrael 60 pSlovak Republic 59 pAustralia 59 pNew Zealand 55 OScotland 55 ONorway 54 OItaly 53 OChinese Taipei 52 OBahrain 51 OInternational average 51 ORomania 51 OPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 51 ONetherlands 50 OMacedonia, Republic of 50 OBulgaria 48 OJordan 47 OHong Kong, SAR 47 OMoldova, Rep. of 47 OEgypt 46 qChile 46 qCyprus 45 qSerbia and Montenegro 44 qLebanon 44 qBelgium (Flemish) 44 qSaudi Arabia 43 qBotswana 42 qIran, Islamic Republic of 37 qSouth Africa 35 qGhana 33 qTunisia 30 qMalaysia 30 qMorocco 29 qPhilippines 24 qIndonesia 13 q

Correct response:

105







ofMatterFactualKnowledge

Particlesinnucleusofatom


B

S012025

The nucleus of MOST atoms consists of

a neutrons only

b protons and neutrons

c protons and electrons

d neutrons and electrons

Macedonia, Republic of 79 pSlovak Republic 71 pEstonia 69 pSerbia and Montenegro 68 pSlovenia 67 pArmenia 66 pSingapore 65 pChinese Taipei 63 pRussian Federation 62 pRomania 61 pEgypt 57 pUnited States 57 pLithuania 56 pLebanon 55 pMoldova, Rep. of 54 pPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 52 pBulgaria 51 OIran, Islamic Republic of 48 ONew Zealand 48 OInternational average 47 OHungary 47 OItaly 46 OJordan 46 OIsrael 45 OBahrain 45 OIndonesia 44 OEngland 43 OKorea, Republic of 43 qPhilippines 42 qChile 42 qAustralia 41 qTunisia 40 qGhana 40 qCyprus 39 qJapan 37 qLatvia 36 qNetherlands 35 qSaudi Arabia 34 qSweden 32 qNorway 32 qScotland 32 qMorocco 31 qHong Kong, SAR 31 qBotswana 30 qMalaysia 28 qBelgium (Flemish) 27 qSouth Africa 27 q

Correct response:

106






B


Neutralatomgainselectron


ofMatterFactualKnowledge

S022202

What is formed when a neutral atom gains an electron?

a A mixture

b An ion

c A molecule

d A metal

Singapore 79 pBahrain 73 pEstonia 72 pSlovak Republic 71 pArmenia 71 pLithuania 71 pHungary 71 pSlovenia 69 pLebanon 69 pRussian Federation 69 pIsrael 64 pSerbia and Montenegro 61 pEgypt 61 pIran, Islamic Republic of 60 pSweden 60 pRomania 60 pPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 58 pMacedonia, Republic of 58 pChile 58 pJordan 58 pBulgaria 56 pChinese Taipei 54 pHong Kong, SAR 51 OGhana 50 OLatvia 49 OItaly 49 OJapan 48 OInternational average 47 OUnited States 46 OMoldova, Rep. of 44 OSaudi Arabia 40 qEngland 32 qAustralia 30 qNetherlands 29 qPhilippines 28 qMalaysia 27 qScotland 26 qNew Zealand 24 qMorocco 22 qBelgium (Flemish) 22 qCyprus 22 qNorway 22 qKorea, Republic of 21 qBotswana 19 qTunisia 19 qSouth Africa 18 qIndonesia 18 q

107






SCORINGNote:AcorrectresponseisbasedontherelativedistancesofJupiterandtheMoonfromEarth.AnimplicitcomparisoniscorrectaslongasitisclearfromthestudentresponsethatagreaterdistancefromJupiterisimplied.Actualdistancesmaybeusedtoconveytherelativedifference.Thedistancesdonothavetobecompletelyaccurateaslongastherelativedistancesarecorrect.ResponsesthatmentionONLYthegreatdistanceofJupiterORtheclosedistanceoftheMoonwithoutcomparativelanguagearealsoscoredascorrect.

Correct Response

• ReferstothegreaterdistanceofJupiterand/ortheshorterdistanceoftheMoon(fromEarth),implicitlyorexplicitly.Examples: Jupiter is farther away from Earth than the Moon. The Moon is much closer than Jupiter. Jupiter is farther. It (Jupiter) is a long distance from Earth. Because Jupiter is so far away. The Moon is so close to the Earth that it looks bigger.

• Othercorrect.

Incorrect Response

• ReferstodistancebutexplanationdoesnotclearlycommunicatetheeffectofJupiter’sortheMoon’sdistanceontheappearanceofsize.Examples: Because of distance. Jupiter’s moons are closer.

• ReferstotheMoonbeingfurther,orJupiterbeingclosertoEarth.



AppearanceofJupiterandMoon

EaRTh SCIENCEEarthintheSolarSystem

andUniverseConceptualUnderstanding

S022283

The planet Jupiter is bigger than Earth’s moon but it appears to be smallerwhen viewed from Earth. Why is this?

England 92 pNetherlands 88 pEstonia 86 pAustralia 86 pNew Zealand 86 pUnited States 85 pRussian Federation 84 pKorea, Republic of 83 pNorway 83 pScotland 83 pBelgium (Flemish) 82 pSweden 81 pSingapore 81 pHungary 77 pItaly 76 pMoldova, Rep. of 76 pHong Kong, SAR 76 pJapan 75 pLatvia 75 pSlovenia 74 pArmenia 72 pLithuania 72 pMalaysia 70 pChinese Taipei 67 OSlovak Republic 66 OJordan 66 OIndonesia 66 OIsrael 66 OInternational average 65 OPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 64 OBulgaria 64 OIran, Islamic Republic of 63 OBahrain 62 OCyprus 61 OSerbia and Montenegro 56 qChile 55 qTunisia 52 qMacedonia, Republic of 47 qRomania 45 qEgypt 42 qSaudi Arabia 41 qMorocco 40 qPhilippines 39 qLebanon 35 qBotswana 18 qSouth Africa 13 qGhana 8 q

108

Student Responses


Correct Response:

Incorrect Response:

AppearanceofJupiterandMoon(continued)Item Number: S022283

Correct Response:

109








Whythemoonchangesshape


C

S032437

The shape of the moon appears to change regularly during each month.Which of the following best explains why the shape of the moon appears tochange?

a The Earth turns on its axis.

b The Moon turns on its axis.

c The Moon orbits around the Earth.

d Clouds cover the Moon.

Hong Kong, SAR 72 pMalaysia 63 pJapan 58 pSingapore 58 pNew Zealand 58 pKorea, Republic of 58 pChinese Taipei 57 pNorway 56 pHungary 55 pEstonia 54 pSerbia and Montenegro 54 pAustralia 54 OBahrain 53 OSweden 53 OChile 53 OBulgaria 53 OScotland 53 OPhilippines 53 OEngland 52 OEgypt 52 OUnited States 51 OArmenia 51 OLithuania 51 OLebanon 50 OInternational average 50 OIran, Islamic Republic of 49 OItaly 49 OJordan 49 ONetherlands 48 OIsrael 47 OSlovenia 47 OPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 47 OSaudi Arabia 47 OBelgium (Flemish) 46 qMoldova, Rep. of 45 qLatvia 45 qSlovak Republic 45 qRussian Federation 45 qGhana 44 qCyprus 43 qRomania 43 qMacedonia, Republic of 42 qSouth Africa 41 qMorocco 40 qBotswana 39 qTunisia 37 qIndonesia 31 q

110








Positionofthemoonduringsolareclipse


SCORINGNote:Toreceivecredit,theMoonshouldbelocatedbetweentheEarthandtheSunwithintheshaded

regionshowninthediagrambelow.ResponsesmayalsoshowtheshadowcastbytheMoononEarth.CreditshouldbegivenforresponsesbasedonthecorrectpositionoftheMoonevenifincorrectshadowsareshown.Becauseitisnotexplicitlyrequiredintheitem,errorsintherelativesizeordistanceofthemoonwillnotbeconsidered.

Correct Response

• MoonislocatedbetweentheSunandEarthwithintheshadedregion.

Incorrect Response

• MoonisdrawnontheothersideofEarth(lunareclipse).

• MoonisdrawnoverlappingtheSun(concentricorpartially“eclipsed”circles).


S032532

Draw the position of the Moon on the diagram below to show what is meantby an eclipse of the Sun.

Sun Earth

Armenia 93 pMalaysia 79 pHong Kong, SAR 76 pSingapore 70 pNew Zealand 69 pAustralia 68 pEstonia 66 pUnited States 66 pEngland 64 pNetherlands 63 pSweden 63 pChinese Taipei 62 pJapan 61 pIran, Islamic Republic of 61 pItaly 61 pSlovak Republic 60 pLatvia 60 pKorea, Republic of 59 pHungary 59 ORussian Federation 59 OJordan 58 OBulgaria 58 OSerbia and Montenegro 57 OPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 57 OScotland 56 OIndonesia 56 OIsrael 55 ONorway 54 OInternational average 53 OSlovenia 52 OBahrain 52 OBelgium (Flemish) 52 ORomania 49 OSaudi Arabia 46 qPhilippines 44 qCyprus 43 qEgypt 42 qChile 41 qLithuania 40 qMoldova, Rep. of 35 qLebanon 33 qMacedonia, Republic of 33 qTunisia 32 qMorocco 22 qGhana 19 qBotswana 17 qSouth Africa 17 q

111

Student Responses


Positionofthemoonduringsolareclipse(continued)Item Number: S032532

Correct Response:

Incorrect Response:

112







D

Directiondroppedballwillfall



S032714

The diagram above shows a person holding a ball standing at threedifferent places on Earth. If the person drops the ball, gravity will makeit fall.

Which of the following diagrams best shows the direction the dropped ballwill fall at the three different positions?

a b

c d

Correct Response:

Japan 92 pEstonia 91 pKorea, Republic of 90 pHungary 88 pSweden 87 pNetherlands 87 pMalaysia 86 pChinese Taipei 86 pNorway 84 pSlovenia 83 pRussian Federation 82 pLithuania 81 pNew Zealand 81 pHong Kong, SAR 81 pLatvia 80 pSingapore 80 pSlovak Republic 80 pAustralia 79 pSerbia and Montenegro 78 pEngland 78 pBelgium (Flemish) 77 pUnited States 75 pScotland 73 OArmenia 72 OLebanon 72 OItaly 71 OInternational average 70 ORomania 70 OIran, Islamic Republic of 67 OBahrain 67 OJordan 66 OMoldova, Rep. of 66 OIsrael 65 OPhilippines 65 qIndonesia 62 qBulgaria 61 qBotswana 61 qSaudi Arabia 61 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 58 qChile 58 qCyprus 58 qMacedonia, Republic of 54 qEgypt 51 qTunisia 47 qGhana 43 qSouth Africa 40 qMorocco 6 q

Correct Response:

113






D


Sunisanexampleofastar


andUniverseFactualKnowledge

S032150

The Sun is an example of which of the following?

a comet

b planet

c galaxy

d star

Italy 90 pNew Zealand 87 pSlovak Republic 86 pSweden 86 pUnited States 84 pAustralia 83 pChile 83 pBulgaria 83 pEngland 82 pSerbia and Montenegro 80 pNorway 80 pScotland 79 pLithuania 79 pLatvia 78 pRussian Federation 77 pEstonia 75 pSlovenia 74 pBelgium (Flemish) 65 pNetherlands 65 pHong Kong, SAR 65 pMacedonia, Republic of 62 OJordan 61 OMoldova, Rep. of 61 ORomania 60 OInternational average 60 OBahrain 60 OPhilippines 59 OHungary 58 OSingapore 56 qMalaysia 54 qChinese Taipei 54 qIran, Islamic Republic of 52 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 52 qEgypt 51 qArmenia 48 qLebanon 47 qCyprus 43 qBotswana 41 qSouth Africa 41 qIndonesia 40 qJapan 37 qSaudi Arabia 33 qGhana 33 qMorocco 29 qKorea, Republic of 29 qIsrael 26 qTunisia 9 q

Correct Response:

114







B


andUniverseReasoningandAnalysis

ThesurfacetemperaturesofVenusandMercury

S032301

The table shows some information about the planets Venus and Mercury.

Time toAverage Mean Distance Revolve AroundSurface Atmospheric from the Sun the Sun

Temperature (°C) Composition (millions of km) (Number of Days)

Venus 470 Mostly 108 225Carbon Dioxide

Mercury 300 Trace amounts 58 88of gases

Which of the following best explains why the surface temperature of Venusis higher than that of Mercury?

a There is less absorption of sunlight on Mercury because of the lack ofatmospheric gases.

b The high percentage of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere of Venuscauses a greenhouse effect.

c The longer time for Venus to revolve around the Sun allows it toabsorb more heat from the Sun.

d The Sun's rays are less direct on Mercury because it is closer tothe Sun.

Korea, Republic of 70 pHong Kong, SAR 69 pChinese Taipei 69 pSingapore 60 pUnited States 49 pAustralia 48 pJapan 47 pEgypt 46 pSweden 46 pNew Zealand 45 pEngland 44 pLithuania 44 pEstonia 43 pIsrael 41 pHungary 41 pScotland 40 OSlovenia 39 OLatvia 38 OItaly 38 ONetherlands 38 OSlovak Republic 38 OBelgium (Flemish) 38 ORussian Federation 37 OInternational average 36 OSerbia and Montenegro 34 ONorway 34 OIran, Islamic Republic of 33 OBulgaria 33 OMalaysia 31 qChile 30 qCyprus 30 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 28 qBahrain 28 qRomania 28 qPhilippines 28 qJordan 28 qBotswana 24 qMoldova, Rep. of 24 qLebanon 24 qSouth Africa 23 qGhana 22 qTunisia 19 qSaudi Arabia 18 qIndonesia 16 qMorocco 16 qMacedonia, Republic of 15 qArmenia 15 q

Correct Response:

115






B


Truestatementofmountainage

EaRTh SCIENCEEarthProcesses,Cycles

andHistoryConceptualUnderstanding

S012013

The pictures show two different mountains. The mountains in Picture A arerough and jagged. The mountains in Picture B are smooth and rounded.

Which statement about these mountains is probably true?

a The mountains in Picture A are older.

b The mountains in Picture B are older.

c The mountains are about the same age but were formed in different ways.

d The mountains are about the same age but are in different hemispheres.

Picture A Picture B

Iran, Islamic Republic of 58 pItaly 58 pMacedonia, Republic of 55 pMoldova, Rep. of 51 pRussian Federation 50 pHungary 50 pLithuania 47 pEstonia 44 pLatvia 44 pRomania 44 pArmenia 43 pKorea, Republic of 42 pSlovenia 42 pSweden 41 pBelgium (Flemish) 38 pUnited States 36 pBulgaria 35 pMorocco 34 OSlovak Republic 33 ONorway 32 OInternational average 30 OEngland 29 ONetherlands 28 OAustralia 27 OScotland 25 qTunisia 24 qJapan 22 qEgypt 22 qChinese Taipei 21 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 21 qMalaysia 21 qHong Kong, SAR 20 qJordan 19 qLebanon 19 qIsrael 19 qNew Zealand 18 qSerbia and Montenegro 15 qPhilippines 14 qSouth Africa 14 qCyprus 13 qBahrain 13 qSingapore 12 qGhana 12 qChile 11 qIndonesia 7 qSaudi Arabia 5 qBotswana 0 q

Correct Response: a

116







andHistoryConceptualUnderstanding

Pacific Ring of Fire


S032656

The diagram above shows the Pacific Ring of Fire. Earthquakes andvolcanic activity occur along the Ring of Fire. Which of the following bestexplains why?

a It is located at the boundaries of tectonic plates.

b It is located at the boundary of deep and shallow water.

c It is located where the major ocean currents meet.

d It is located where ocean temperature is the highest.

Sweden 82 pHong Kong, SAR 77 pEngland 77 pRussian Federation 76 pScotland 75 pLithuania 75 pJapan 74 pLatvia 71 pUnited States 71 pChinese Taipei 70 pItaly 70 pEstonia 69 pSlovak Republic 66 pNew Zealand 64 pAustralia 64 pNetherlands 63 pSingapore 63 pSlovenia 62 pKorea, Republic of 62 pRomania 62 pNorway 60 pBulgaria 56 pCyprus 54 pHungary 54 pMoldova, Rep. of 53 pIran, Islamic Republic of 52 pInternational average 48 OChile 44 qIsrael 42 qArmenia 42 qMacedonia, Republic of 38 qSerbia and Montenegro 37 qPhilippines 34 qIndonesia 33 qBelgium (Flemish) 31 qJordan 20 qMorocco 20 qMalaysia 18 qBahrain 17 qSaudi Arabia 16 qTunisia 15 qEgypt 14 qLebanon 13 qGhana 11 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 11 qBotswana 10 qSouth Africa 10 q

Correct Response:

117






C


SubstanceNOTafossilfuel


andHistoryFactualKnowledge

S012018

Which is NOT a fossil fuel?

a Coal

b Oil

c Wood

d Natural gas

Lithuania 87 pChinese Taipei 87 pMalaysia 86 pBahrain 83 pBulgaria 83 pSingapore 82 pJordan 77 pNetherlands 76 pEstonia 74 pBelgium (Flemish) 72 pArmenia 71 pKorea, Republic of 71 pUnited States 70 pRussian Federation 69 pSlovak Republic 68 pJapan 67 pHong Kong, SAR 67 pPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 67 pIndonesia 67 pMoldova, Rep. of 65 OEngland 64 OScotland 64 OSerbia and Montenegro 63 OItaly 62 OInternational average 62 OSlovenia 61 OBotswana 61 OEgypt 60 ORomania 59 OTunisia 58 OAustralia 57 OPhilippines 57 qLatvia 56 qLebanon 55 qChile 55 qSweden 54 qNew Zealand 53 qSaudi Arabia 52 qIsrael 52 qIran, Islamic Republic of 52 qMorocco 46 qMacedonia, Republic of 39 qNorway 36 qGhana 36 qCyprus 35 qSouth Africa 33 qHungary 25 q

Correct Response:

118








Rockatbottomoflake/ocean


C

S022041

The graph shows the progress made by a beetle moving along a straightline.

If the beetle keeps moving at the same speed, how long will it take totravel 10 cm?

a 4 seconds

b 6 seconds

c 20 seconds

d 25 seconds

Dis

tance

(cm

)

Time (seconds)

5 10 15 20 25 30

14

12

2

10

8

6

4

0

Lithuania 89 pHungary 88 pKorea, Republic of 85 pHong Kong, SAR 85 pEstonia 85 pChinese Taipei 80 pIran, Islamic Republic of 80 pTunisia 74 pJapan 74 pEngland 71 pLatvia 70 pArmenia 70 pMorocco 68 pIsrael 65 pSingapore 65 pRussian Federation 65 pJordan 65 pBahrain 64 pUnited States 60 pPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 57 OItaly 56 OInternational average 54 OPhilippines 52 OAustralia 52 OMoldova, Rep. of 52 OSaudi Arabia 51 OEgypt 50 OSlovenia 47 qSerbia and Montenegro 44 qScotland 44 qNetherlands 43 qRomania 43 qCyprus 41 qMalaysia 41 qLebanon 40 qBulgaria 39 qNew Zealand 37 qBotswana 36 qSweden 34 qGhana 34 qSlovak Republic 31 qNorway 28 qIndonesia 27 qBelgium (Flemish) 26 qMacedonia, Republic of 22 qSouth Africa 22 qChile 18 q

Correct Response:

119






B


Fossilfuels



S022074

Fossil fuels were formed from

a volcanoes

b the remains of living things

c gases in the atmosphere

d water trapped inside rocks

Jordan 82 pSingapore 81 pChinese Taipei 79 pHong Kong, SAR 77 pEngland 71 pIndonesia 69 pIran, Islamic Republic of 67 pSerbia and Montenegro 66 pUnited States 65 pEstonia 64 pBotswana 61 pMacedonia, Republic of 59 pItaly 57 pHungary 57 pSweden 57 pScotland 56 OLithuania 56 pKorea, Republic of 56 pSlovenia 54 OBulgaria 53 ORomania 53 ONorway 52 OInternational average 52 OArmenia 51 OJapan 51 ONetherlands 51 OEgypt 50 OPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 49 OSlovak Republic 48 ONew Zealand 46 OAustralia 46 qIsrael 45 qMalaysia 45 qBelgium (Flemish) 45 qLatvia 44 qRussian Federation 43 qMoldova, Rep. of 43 qLebanon 42 qPhilippines 41 qBahrain 39 qChile 35 qSaudi Arabia 26 qTunisia 22 qSouth Africa 22 qCyprus 21 qGhana 19 qMorocco 0 q

Correct Response:

120







andHistoryReasoningandAnalysis

Time/temperaturetable


D

S012027

The table gives the temperature at a certain place at different times of theday for three days.

6 a.m. 9 a.m. 12 noon 3 p.m. 6 p.m.

Monday 15˚C 17˚C 20˚C 21˚C 19˚C

Tuesday 15˚C 15˚C 15˚C 5˚C 4˚C

Wednesday 8˚C 10˚C 14˚C 14˚C 13˚C

When did the wind become much colder?

a Monday morning

b Monday afternoon

c Tuesday morning

d Tuesday afternoon

e Wednesday afternoon

Japan 96 pNetherlands 93 pHungary 93 pAustralia 92 pSweden 89 pSingapore 89 pBelgium (Flemish) 89 pEngland 88 pNew Zealand 87 pKorea, Republic of 87 pHong Kong, SAR 87 pChinese Taipei 87 pEstonia 87 pMalaysia 85 pSlovenia 84 pUnited States 84 pIsrael 83 pItaly 83 pScotland 82 pSerbia and Montenegro 82 pLatvia 82 pBulgaria 79 pSlovak Republic 79 pCyprus 76 pLithuania 76 OChile 76 ONorway 75 OMacedonia, Republic of 75 OInternational average 73 ORomania 71 OJordan 69 OTunisia 69 qMoldova, Rep. of 68 ORussian Federation 68 qMorocco 65 qBahrain 63 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 60 qLebanon 57 qIran, Islamic Republic of 56 qIndonesia 44 qEgypt 43 qArmenia 39 qSaudi Arabia 36 qBotswana 35 qPhilippines 33 qSouth Africa 26 qGhana 0 q

Correct Response: a

121







Mapoftheworldwithlinesoflatitude


andHistoryReasoningandAnalysis

S032652

The diagram above shows a map of the world with the lines of latitudemarked. Which of the following places marked on the map is most likely tohave an average yearly temperature similar to location X?

a location A

b location B

c location C

d location D

X

A

BC

D 60 N

30 N

30 S

60 S

Equator

Estonia 73 pNetherlands 70 pHungary 68 pMalaysia 67 pChinese Taipei 65 pKorea, Republic of 64 pSlovak Republic 64 pSingapore 63 pSweden 61 pSlovenia 58 pItaly 57 pAustralia 55 pLatvia 53 pEngland 53 OMoldova, Rep. of 53 OUnited States 51 pSerbia and Montenegro 51 OHong Kong, SAR 51 OJapan 49 OBelgium (Flemish) 49 ONew Zealand 49 OMacedonia, Republic of 49 OIsrael 48 OBulgaria 48 OIndonesia 48 OInternational average 48 ORussian Federation 46 ORomania 45 OJordan 45 OIran, Islamic Republic of 44 qScotland 44 OBahrain 43 qNorway 42 qCyprus 42 qLithuania 42 qChile 41 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 39 qPhilippines 39 qArmenia 37 qSaudi Arabia 35 qEgypt 35 qLebanon 34 qMorocco 30 qGhana 26 qBotswana 25 qSouth Africa 21 qTunisia 20 q

Correct Response:

122






EaRTh SCIENCEEarth’sStructure

andPhysicalFeaturesFactualKnowledge

Stoneinundergroundcaves


B

S012030

Most underground caves are formed by the action of water on

a granite

b limestone

c sandstone

d shale

Slovenia 91 pSlovak Republic 85 pHungary 85 pKorea, Republic of 78 pChinese Taipei 75 pSerbia and Montenegro 74 pCyprus 63 pNetherlands 62 pBelgium (Flemish) 59 pBulgaria 58 pRomania 58 pItaly 57 pSweden 56 pMalaysia 55 pEngland 53 pMacedonia, Republic of 53 pLebanon 52 pSingapore 47 OIsrael 46 OInternational average 46 ONorway 45 OUnited States 45 OEstonia 44 OAustralia 41 qBahrain 40 qRussian Federation 40 qNew Zealand 40 qMorocco 40 qScotland 38 qPhilippines 37 qChile 36 qGhana 36 qMoldova, Rep. of 35 qBotswana 35 qJordan 32 qIran, Islamic Republic of 31 qArmenia 30 qEgypt 30 qLithuania 29 qIndonesia 28 qJapan 26 qHong Kong, SAR 25 qSouth Africa 24 qLatvia 24 qSaudi Arabia 17 qTunisia 6 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 0 q

Correct Response: a

123






Abundanceofgasesinatmosphere


andPhysicalFeaturesFactualKnowledge


S022275

Three gases found in Earth’s atmosphere are carbon dioxide, nitrogen, andoxygen. What is their order of abundance from greatest to least?

a nitrogen, oxygen, carbon dioxide

b nitrogen, carbon dioxide, oxygen

c oxygen, nitrogen, carbon dioxide

d carbon dioxide, oxygen, nitrogen

Chinese Taipei 56 pHong Kong, SAR 56 pJapan 49 pArmenia 44 pEstonia 44 pSlovak Republic 43 pPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 43 pHungary 40 pSingapore 39 pBulgaria 38 pKorea, Republic of 36 pMalaysia 34 pRomania 32 OMacedonia, Republic of 31 ORussian Federation 31 OSlovenia 30 OIsrael 30 OScotland 29 OPhilippines 29 OEgypt 28 OSerbia and Montenegro 28 OInternational average 28 OEngland 27 OLithuania 27 OLatvia 26 OIndonesia 26 OItaly 23 qGhana 23 qMoldova, Rep. of 22 qSaudi Arabia 22 qJordan 21 qLebanon 21 qUnited States 21 qNetherlands 21 qNorway 20 qNew Zealand 20 qBahrain 19 qAustralia 19 qSweden 18 qBotswana 18 qCyprus 17 qMorocco 16 qSouth Africa 15 qIran, Islamic Republic of 13 qBelgium (Flemish) 12 qChile 11 qTunisia 6 q

Correct Response:

124







C

Changesinrivershape/speed


andPhysicalFeaturesReasoningandAnalysis

S012006

A small, fast-moving river is in a V-shaped valley on the slope of amountain. If you follow the river to where it passes through a plain, whatwill the river most likely look like compared with how it looked on themountain?

a Much the same

b Deeper and faster

c Slower and wider

d Straighter

Japan 84 pRussian Federation 79 pEstonia 79 pNetherlands 74 pChinese Taipei 73 pSlovenia 73 pSlovak Republic 71 pHungary 71 pBelgium (Flemish) 68 pSweden 66 pLatvia 65 pNorway 65 pIsrael 63 pSingapore 62 pRomania 62 pKorea, Republic of 61 pIran, Islamic Republic of 59 pAustralia 58 pItaly 58 pMalaysia 57 pUnited States 57 pEngland 57 pBulgaria 56 OSerbia and Montenegro 52 OScotland 52 OInternational average 52 OIndonesia 52 ONew Zealand 50 OMoldova, Rep. of 50 OLithuania 50 OArmenia 49 OHong Kong, SAR 48 qMacedonia, Republic of 46 qChile 44 qCyprus 37 qMorocco 37 qJordan 36 qTunisia 36 qPhilippines 33 qBotswana 31 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 27 qSouth Africa 26 qLebanon 26 qGhana 25 qBahrain 22 qEgypt 22 qSaudi Arabia 15 q

Correct Response:

125






a


Increasedcarbondioxideinatmosphere

ENvIRONMENTal SCIENCE

ChangesinEnvironment FactualKnowledge

S012017

The burning of fossil fuels has increased the carbon dioxide content of theatmosphere. What is a possible effect that the increased amount of carbondioxide is likely to have on our planet?

a A warmer climate

b A cooler climate

c Lower relative humidity

d More ozone in the atmosphere

Singapore 83 pJapan 80 pHong Kong, SAR 72 pNetherlands 71 pMalaysia 67 pSweden 66 pKorea, Republic of 65 pEngland 65 pAustralia 64 pNorway 62 pChinese Taipei 62 pScotland 62 pEstonia 58 pUnited States 56 pNew Zealand 56 pHungary 56 pIndonesia 52 pIsrael 51 pItaly 48 OLatvia 47 OMoldova, Rep. of 46 OBelgium (Flemish) 45 OInternational average 45 OIran, Islamic Republic of 45 OSlovenia 44 ORussian Federation 43 OBulgaria 43 OSlovak Republic 43 OCyprus 42 OChile 40 qRomania 40 qMacedonia, Republic of 35 qArmenia 35 qLithuania 34 qPhilippines 32 qMorocco 32 qSerbia and Montenegro 30 qBotswana 27 qSouth Africa 23 qLebanon 21 qJordan 21 qGhana 21 qBahrain 18 qEgypt 17 qTunisia 17 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 15 qSaudi Arabia 11 q

Correct Response:

126








Maincauseofacidrain


C

S022240

One of the main causes of acid rain is

a Waste from nuclear power plants

b Spills from chemical manufacturing plants

c Gases from burning fossil fuels

d Gases from aerosol spray cans

Chinese Taipei 67 pSingapore 61 pHong Kong, SAR 56 pMalaysia 51 pLithuania 49 pSlovenia 47 pEngland 46 pKorea, Republic of 40 pBulgaria 40 pTunisia 39 pScotland 39 pJapan 38 pJordan 38 pCyprus 37 pEgypt 36 OBotswana 35 OAustralia 35 OUnited States 35 OArmenia 34 OEstonia 34 OInternational average 33 OLatvia 32 OSlovak Republic 32 OIndonesia 31 OPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 30 OHungary 29 OSouth Africa 29 qSweden 28 qNew Zealand 27 qSaudi Arabia 27 qPhilippines 27 qSerbia and Montenegro 26 qGhana 26 qIran, Islamic Republic of 26 qRomania 25 qNetherlands 25 qBahrain 25 qChile 23 qRussian Federation 23 qLebanon 23 qIsrael 23 qItaly 20 qMoldova, Rep. of 19 qBelgium (Flemish) 19 qNorway 17 qMacedonia, Republic of 13 qMorocco 12 q

Correct Response:

127






C


Activitytoreduceairpollutioninacity



S032446

Which of these daily activities can most directly help reduce air pollution ina city?

a turning down the volume on the television

b using biodegradable materials

c using public transportation instead of driving

d recycling paper

Korea, Republic of 91 pHong Kong, SAR 84 pSweden 84 pSingapore 81 pChinese Taipei 79 pBelgium (Flemish) 78 pNetherlands 78 pNew Zealand 76 pHungary 75 pEngland 75 pScotland 73 pAustralia 72 pNorway 68 pIran, Islamic Republic of 67 pItaly 67 pUnited States 63 pCyprus 61 pJapan 58 OBahrain 57 OSlovenia 56 OLithuania 56 OJordan 56 OInternational average 55 OMoldova, Rep. of 55 ORussian Federation 53 OMalaysia 53 OEstonia 52 OLatvia 51 OPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 50 qLebanon 49 qSlovak Republic 47 qIsrael 46 qSaudi Arabia 44 qChile 43 qArmenia 42 qPhilippines 42 qMorocco 41 qRomania 38 qMacedonia, Republic of 38 qSerbia and Montenegro 36 qTunisia 33 qIndonesia 31 qBulgaria 25 qSouth Africa 24 qGhana 24 qBotswana 20 qEgypt 0 q

Correct Response:

128






D


Nonrenewablenaturalresource


UseandConservationofNaturalResources

ConceptualUnderstanding

S012042

Oil is an example of a natural resource that is not renewable. Which isanother example of a nonrenewable resource?

a Wood

b Seawater

c Sunlight

d Coal

Singapore 86 pHong Kong, SAR 80 pChinese Taipei 79 pEngland 69 pKorea, Republic of 69 pScotland 68 pJordan 65 pItaly 61 pPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 60 pLebanon 60 pBulgaria 59 pEstonia 59 pUnited States 59 pSlovenia 58 pLithuania 58 pRomania 57 pIndonesia 56 pMoldova, Rep. of 56 ONetherlands 56 OEgypt 55 OAustralia 55 OHungary 55 OSaudi Arabia 55 ONew Zealand 53 OInternational average 52 OBotswana 52 OSlovak Republic 52 ORussian Federation 51 OMalaysia 51 OBahrain 50 ONorway 49 OBelgium (Flemish) 48 qSerbia and Montenegro 46 qCyprus 45 qIsrael 45 qTunisia 43 qArmenia 41 qLatvia 41 qJapan 39 qMorocco 39 qMacedonia, Republic of 37 qChile 36 qPhilippines 35 qSweden 35 qSouth Africa 33 qGhana 28 qIran, Islamic Republic of 18 q

129







Renewableenergysource




S032242

Write down one renewable energy source and describe one way that peoplemake use of it.

Energy Source: ______________________________________________________

Use:

SCORINGNote:Forcredit,responsesmustnamearenewableenergysourceordeviceandausethatindicateshowtheenergyfromthesource/deviceisapplied.CreditisNOTgivenforresponsesthatnamearenewablesource/devicewithnoorinadequatedescriptionofitsuse.

Correct Response

• Sun or sunlight(solarenergy)withacorrectdescriptionofitsuse.Examples: Sun. It is used to heat water by solar panels. Sunlight. It keeps us warm.

• Wind(windmills)withacorrectdescriptionofitsuse.Examples: Windmills. Are for grinding corns or for pumping water. Wind turbines to generate electricity.

• Water(waves,tides,waterwheels,etc.)withacorrectdescriptionofitsuse.Examples: Tidal barrage. To generate electricity. Water. To generate electricity.

• Othercorrect.Examples: Food. To give the body energy. Wood. It is used in wood stoves for cooking.

Incorrect Response

• Namesanyfossilfuel(e.g.,coal,oil,gasoline).Examples: Gas. You can use it for heating.

• Namesarenewableenergysource/devicewithnoorinadequatedescriptionofuse.Examples: Water. You can heat, freeze and melt it. Sunlight. Windmill.

• Names“light”(withoutconnectiontotheSun)withorwithoutacorrectdescriptionofuse.Examples: Light energy. It help us to see. Light.

• Otherincorrect(includingcrossedout/erased,straymarks,illegibleorofftask)Examples: Electricity. Used for cooking. Batteries. To power a torch.

Hong Kong, SAR 64 pSingapore 47 pEngland 43 pItaly 41 pJordan 40 pSlovak Republic 38 pChinese Taipei 36 pEstonia 35 pSlovenia 35 pPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 34 pHungary 34 pNew Zealand 32 pScotland 29 OUnited States 29 pSweden 29 OIsrael 27 OLebanon 27 ONetherlands 27 OIran, Islamic Republic of 27 OAustralia 27 OLatvia 26 OMalaysia 26 OLithuania 26 OInternational average 25 ORussian Federation 25 ORomania 24 OMacedonia, Republic of 23 OBelgium (Flemish) 23 ONorway 22 OBahrain 22 qCyprus 21 qKorea, Republic of 21 qSerbia and Montenegro 20 qBulgaria 19 qPhilippines 19 qEgypt 18 qIndonesia 17 qChile 17 qBotswana 15 qTunisia 14 qArmenia 13 qSaudi Arabia 12 qGhana 9 qJapan 9 qSouth Africa 7 qMorocco 4 qMoldova, Rep. of 2 q

130

Student Responses


Correct Response:

Incorrect Response:

Renewableenergysource(continued)Item Number: S032242

Correct Response:

131









Groupofrenewableenergysources


C

S032422

Which group of energy sources are ALL renewable?

a coal, oil, and natural gas

b solar, oil, and geothermal

c wind, solar, and tidal

d natural gas, solar, and tidal

Hong Kong, SAR 84 pKorea, Republic of 77 pLithuania 76 pSingapore 76 pHungary 74 pChinese Taipei 74 pEstonia 73 pItaly 70 pEngland 70 pSlovenia 68 pScotland 68 pJapan 66 pRussian Federation 63 pMalaysia 63 pSlovak Republic 62 pSweden 61 pLatvia 60 pNetherlands 60 OJordan 59 pUnited States 56 OBelgium (Flemish) 55 OArmenia 55 ONew Zealand 55 OInternational average 53 OCyprus 53 OAustralia 52 OBahrain 52 ONorway 50 ORomania 50 OPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 49 OSerbia and Montenegro 49 OLebanon 47 qEgypt 45 qBulgaria 45 qIndonesia 45 qIsrael 44 qMoldova, Rep. of 43 qMacedonia, Republic of 43 qIran, Islamic Republic of 40 qChile 40 qTunisia 30 qPhilippines 28 qBotswana 27 qMorocco 26 qSouth Africa 21 qSaudi Arabia 18 qGhana 18 q

Correct Response:

132






C


Overgrazingbylivestock



FactualKnowledge

S012005

Overgrazing of land by livestock contributes to a major problem.That problem is

a depletion of ground water

b increased pollution

c erosion of soil

d acid rain

Chinese Taipei 88 pBotswana 80 pMalaysia 79 pAustralia 74 pNetherlands 72 pEstonia 71 pSingapore 70 pHong Kong, SAR 68 pRussian Federation 67 pUnited States 65 pHungary 64 pRomania 63 pJapan 63 pIndonesia 63 pGhana 63 pJordan 63 pLatvia 61 pBelgium (Flemish) 60 pEngland 60 OItaly 59 OPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 59 OMorocco 57 OSlovenia 57 OScotland 57 OInternational average 56 ONorway 56 OIran, Islamic Republic of 56 OBulgaria 54 OArmenia 54 ONew Zealand 54 OTunisia 52 qSlovak Republic 52 OSerbia and Montenegro 51 qBahrain 48 qMacedonia, Republic of 48 qCyprus 47 qSweden 46 qChile 46 qPhilippines 45 qLithuania 45 qMoldova, Rep. of 42 qSouth Africa 36 qEgypt 34 qSaudi Arabia 33 qIsrael 32 qLebanon 17 qKorea, Republic of 0 q

133





TIMSS 2003 8th-Grade Science Concepts and Science Items S022088

The diagram shows a farm in a valley where a dam has just been built.

The presence of the dam can have both positive and negative effects onfarming in the valley.

A. Describe one positive effect of the dam on farming.

B. Describe one negative effect of the dam on farming.

Farm

Dam

Lake

River



ReasoningandAnalysis

Positive/negativeeffectofdam


Chinese Taipei 87 pKorea, Republic of 83 pNetherlands 82 pBelgium (Flemish) 79 pHong Kong, SAR 78 pUnited States 77 pJapan 77 pAustralia 75 pIran, Islamic Republic of 74 pEstonia 74 pSingapore 72 pSlovenia 72 pLatvia 72 pSlovak Republic 72 pMalaysia 71 pNew Zealand 71 pEngland 70 pItaly 67 pNorway 67 pLithuania 65 pRomania 64 OJordan 63 OIsrael 61 OIndonesia 61 OInternational average 60 OMacedonia, Republic of 59 OCyprus 59 OHungary 58 OSerbia and Montenegro 57 OScotland 57 OSweden 56 OBulgaria 55 ORussian Federation 55 qTunisia 53 qEgypt 51 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 49 qMoldova, Rep. of 49 qPhilippines 48 qArmenia 46 qSaudi Arabia 45 qBahrain 44 qBotswana 39 qMorocco 38 qChile 36 qLebanon 28 qGhana 20 qSouth Africa 11 q

134


Positive/negativeeffectofdam(continued)Item Number: S022088A

SCORING

CodesforPositiveEffectsNote:Forcredit,responsesmustclearlyindicateapositiveeffectofthedamrelatedtofarminginthevalley.

Correct Response

• Mentions that the dam prevents flooding.Examples: Without the dam, a big storm could cause a flood. There is no chance of flooding. It slows down the river so it does not overflow and ruin the crops.

• Mentionsthatthedamcontrolsthewatersupply.Examples: It stores water for the summer. The dam releases just the right amount of water. It brings more water closer to the farm. It would be easier to irrigate.

• Mentions a soil-related benefit of the dam.Examples: More top soil. Controls erosion. The ground will be more fertile because of the large supply of water.

• Mentionsthedamasasourceofpower.Examples: The farmer will have a good power supply. The farm can use the hydroelectric power for energy.

• Othercorrect.

Incorrect Response

• Mentionsapositiveeffectbutdoesnotclearlyaddresstheissueoffarmingortheeffectofthedam.Examples: It provides better drinking water. Water is good for the crops. It makes the river small for swimming and fishing.

• Givesanegativeeffect.Examples: It might prevent the farm from getting enough water. The water could become too high and overflow.

• Otherincorrect(includingcrossedout/erased,straymarks,illegible,orofftask)

135

Student Responses


Correct Response:


136


Incorrect Response:

Student Responses (continued)


137






Positive/negativeeffectofdam




S022088

The diagram shows a farm in a valley where a dam has just been built.

The presence of the dam can have both positive and negative effects onfarming in the valley.

A. Describe one positive effect of the dam on farming.

B. Describe one negative effect of the dam on farming.

Farm

Dam

Lake

River


Chinese Taipei 68 pSlovak Republic 64 pNetherlands 63 pRomania 62 pEstonia 61 pUnited States 59 pBelgium (Flemish) 57 pLatvia 57 pHong Kong, SAR 57 pIsrael 56 pNew Zealand 55 pSlovenia 55 pJordan 55 pRussian Federation 54 pIndonesia 53 pNorway 52 pAustralia 51 pIran, Islamic Republic of 50 pBulgaria 50 pLithuania 49 pSingapore 46 OEngland 46 OMalaysia 45 OBahrain 44 OItaly 44 OInternational average 44 OKorea, Republic of 41 OPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 40 qArmenia 39 qScotland 38 qJapan 38 qMacedonia, Republic of 38 qSweden 38 qPhilippines 37 qHungary 37 qSaudi Arabia 35 qTunisia 35 qMoldova, Rep. of 35 qSerbia and Montenegro 32 qChile 30 qCyprus 29 qEgypt 26 qLebanon 24 qMorocco 21 qBotswana 19 qGhana 13 qSouth Africa 11 q

138


SCORING

CodesforNegativeEffectsNote:Forcredit,responsesmustclearlyindicateanegativeeffectofthedamrelatedtofarminginthevalley.

Correct Response

• Mentions the dam breaking (resulting in flooding).Examples: If the dam breaks it could flood the valley and the crops. If there is a leak, the whole dam could flood and destroy everything.

• Mentionstheriverdryingupordecreasingwatersupply.Examples: No or less irrigation because the dam does not let the water flow through. The fields could dry out from too little water. It slows the river too much and the farm will not have enough water.

• Mentionsasoil-relatedproblemofthedam.Examples: Nutrients not replenished by flooding. The rich nutrients from the water are not coming over the fields.

• Mentionsupsettingtheecologicalbalance.Examples: The dam could alter the ecology of the farm. The dam might interfere with the farm’s ecosystem.

• Othercorrect.

Incorrect Response

• Mentionsanegativeeffectbutitdoesnotclearlyaddresstheissueoffarmingortheeffectofthedam.Examples: It bursts. It is now going to be a tourist attraction. Flooding. [Does not mention how the dam causes this.] A lot of fish will die because their habitat has been changed. The fish cannot swim upstream.

• Responseindicatesamisconceptionofhowdamsfunction(controlledreleaseofwater).Examples: The lake could overflow the top of the dam.


Positive/negativeeffectofdam(continued)Item Number: S022088B

139

Student Responses



Correct Response:

140




Incorrect Response:

141







Drinkingwaterfromseawater




S032063

Sea water contains dissolved salts and is not suitable for drinking.Describe a procedure that can be used to obtain a cup of drinking waterfrom a bucket of sea water.

SCORINGNote:Forfullcredit,responsesmustgiveaprocedurethatclearlyindicatesthemethodusedtoseparatewaterfromsaltandcollectthepurewater.Themostcommonprocedureisthedistillationmethod,butothercorrectproceduressuchasthefreezingmethodorreverseosmosismethodarepossible.Partialcreditshouldbegivenforresponsesthataddressatleasttheseparationportionofthe procedure. Responses that are based on boiling or filtering without indicating how separation of waterandsaltoccursarescoredasincorrect.

Correct Response

• Describesacorrectprocedurethatincludesthefollowingbasicsteps(mayusediagrams):i)Boiling/evaporationtoseparatewaterfromsaltii)Collectingthedistilledwater(condensation)Examples: Heat the salt water, catch the steam on a tray, drip it into a cup and the salt will be left

in the bucket and drinking water in the cup. Boil the sea water taking the steam up to a tube and letting steam turn back into water.


Partially Correct Response

Describesboiling/evaporationsteptoseparatewaterfromsalt;condensationstepisomitted.Examples: Maybe if you boiled the salt water the salt would separate from the water. Take the salt water and boil it and the steam will create great drinking water.

• States‘distillation’orsimilarbutnodescriptionoftheprocessisgiven.Examples: The best way is to use a distillation apparatus. Distill it.


Incorrect Response

• Mentionsboilingbutwithnoorincorrectindicationofseparationincluded.[May also mention filtering or other processes.]Examples: You can boil it.

• Mentions filtering to separate salt. [Response not based on boiling.]Examples: Make it go through a filter.


Singapore 35 pKorea, Republic of 22 pEstonia 21 pHong Kong, SAR 20 pEgypt 20 pJapan 19 pNew Zealand 16 pNetherlands 15 pAustralia 15 pEngland 14 pJordan 13 pIran, Islamic Republic of 12 pLithuania 12 OLatvia 11 ORussian Federation 11 OSlovak Republic 11 OIsrael 11 OScotland 10 OHungary 10 OPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 10 OBahrain 10 OSweden 10 OInternational average 10 OArmenia 9 OSlovenia 8 ONorway 8 OChinese Taipei 7 qItaly 7 qMacedonia, Republic of 7 qSaudi Arabia 7 OUnited States 6 qBulgaria 6 qMorocco 6 qCyprus 5 qRomania 5 qMalaysia 5 qBelgium (Flemish) 4 qLebanon 3 qSouth Africa 3 qChile 3 qSerbia and Montenegro 3 qTunisia 2 qGhana 2 qIndonesia 2 qPhilippines 1 qBotswana 1 qMoldova, Rep. of 0 q

142


Correct Response:

Partially Correct Response:

Student Responses

Drinkingwaterfromseawater(continued)Item Number: S032063

143


Drinkingwaterfromseawater(continued)Item Number: S032063


Incorrect Response:

Correct Response:

144





TIMSS 2003 8th-Grade Science Concepts and Science Items S012038

What is the main function of red blood cells?

a To fight disease in the body

b To carry oxygen to all parts of the body

c To remove carbon monoxide from all parts of the body

d To produce materials which cause the blood to clot

lIfE SCIENCE CellsandTheirFunctions FactualKnowledge


B

Mainfunctionofredbloodcells

Singapore 90 pEngland 84 pJapan 84 pItaly 82 pChinese Taipei 81 pMalaysia 77 pUnited States 75 pSweden 75 pAustralia 74 pNetherlands 73 pScotland 70 pNew Zealand 69 pSlovak Republic 69 pHungary 66 pLebanon 66 pIndonesia 64 pJordan 64 OKorea, Republic of 62 OIsrael 61 OBelgium (Flemish) 60 OSlovenia 60 OInternational average 60 OHong Kong, SAR 59 ONorway 58 OArmenia 57 OMorocco 56 OSaudi Arabia 56 OTunisia 54 qLithuania 54 qBahrain 53 qPhilippines 53 qEstonia 53 qSerbia and Montenegro 53 qBulgaria 52 qRussian Federation 52 qMacedonia, Republic of 52 qCyprus 50 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 50 qIran, Islamic Republic of 49 qRomania 48 qBotswana 46 qEgypt 45 qMoldova, Rep. of 39 qLatvia 39 qGhana 36 qSouth Africa 34 qChile 33 q

145






E


Plantgrowthexperiment

LIfE SCIEnCEDevelopmentandLifeCycle

ofOrganismsReasoningandAnalysis

S022235

A girl has an idea that green plants need sand in the soil for healthygrowth. In order to test her idea she uses two pots of plants. She sets up onepot of plants as shown below.

Which ONE of the following should she use for the second pot of plants?

Sunlight

Sand, soil, and water

Sunlight

Sunlight

Dark cupboard Dark cupboard

Sunlight

Sand and soil

Sand and water Sand, soil, and water Soil and water

Soil and water

a cb

d e

Correct Response:

Sweden 81 pHungary 76 pHong Kong, SAR 76 pSingapore 76 pJapan 74 pArmenia 73 pEstonia 72 pChinese Taipei 72 pNorway 72 pUnited States 70 pMoldova, Rep. of 68 pRomania 67 pAustralia 67 pScotland 66 pJordan 65 pBulgaria 65 pEngland 65 pRussian Federation 65 pItaly 64 pChile 64 pIsrael 63 pSaudi Arabia 62 ONew Zealand 62 OSerbia and Montenegro 62 OKorea, Republic of 60 ONetherlands 60 OBahrain 60 OInternational average 59 OPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 58 OSlovenia 57 OSlovak Republic 57 OLithuania 57 OCyprus 56 OEgypt 55 OMalaysia 55 OMorocco 47 qPhilippines 44 qBotswana 44 qLebanon 42 qTunisia 41 qIndonesia 39 qLatvia 39 qBelgium (Flemish) 36 qSouth Africa 34 qGhana 29 qIran, Islamic Republic of 14 qMacedonia, Republic of 0 q

Correct Response: A

146







Fossilsinsedimentaryrock

LIfE SCIEnCEDiversity,Adaptation,andNaturalSelection


S032083

The fossils that are found in the oldest layers of sedimentary rock wereformed from which types of organisms?

a only organisms that lived in the sea

b only organisms that lived on land

c only organisms that lived in the air

d organisms that lived on the land, in the sea and in the air

Japan 79 pKorea, Republic of 63 pSlovenia 55 pSweden 53 pHungary 49 pHong Kong, SAR 47 pSlovak Republic 45 pBulgaria 41 pItaly 37 pIran, Islamic Republic of 35 pNorway 34 pMalaysia 33 pNetherlands 32 OChinese Taipei 32 pIsrael 31 OEngland 30 OUnited States 29 OSerbia and Montenegro 28 OInternational average 28 OLithuania 27 OScotland 27 OEstonia 27 OMorocco 26 OAustralia 25 OBelgium (Flemish) 25 qRussian Federation 24 qSingapore 24 qRomania 23 qNew Zealand 20 qCyprus 19 qMoldova, Rep. of 19 qArmenia 19 qBotswana 17 qLebanon 17 qLatvia 17 qEgypt 17 qMacedonia, Republic of 16 qPhilippines 15 qBahrain 14 qTunisia 12 qSaudi Arabia 12 qSouth Africa 11 qChile 11 qIndonesia 10 qGhana 8 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 0 qJordan 0 q

147





GalapagosIslands:comparebeakdepthsofSpecies1and2


A. LIfE SCIEnCE Diversity, Adaptation and natural Selection Reasoning and Analysis

B.LIFeSCIeNCe Structure,FunctionandLifeProcessesinOrganisms ConceptualUnderstanding


Japan 66 pKorea, Republic of 65 pSlovenia 56 pBelgium (Flemish) 55 pHong Kong, SAR 54 pMalaysia 46 pChinese Taipei 46 pSingapore 46 pUnited States 45 pLatvia 45 pRussian Federation 44 pNew Zealand 43 pEstonia 42 pHungary 42 pArmenia 41 pAustralia 41 pSweden 39 pScotland 39 pEngland 39 pLithuania 36 pItaly 35 ONetherlands 34 ONorway 31 OInternational average 30 ORomania 29 OChile 26 OMoldova, Rep. of 26 OSlovak Republic 23 qIndonesia 22 qBulgaria 21 qEgypt 21 qIsrael 19 qJordan 19 qIran, Islamic Republic of 18 qMacedonia, Republic of 17 qCyprus 17 qMorocco 16 qBahrain 14 qSerbia and Montenegro 13 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 12 qTunisia 10 qSouth Africa 6 qSaudi Arabia 6 qPhilippines 4 qBotswana 4 qGhana 3 qLebanon 3 q

S032706_1

The Galapagos Islands contain a number of different species of finches(birds) that are thought to have developed from one species. Some species offinches eat certain types of seeds depending on their beak depth. Thediagram below shows the head of one species of finch and its beak depth.

Some of the islands have only one species living on them, while otherislands have more than one species. Species 1 lives on Los HermanosIsland. Species 2 lives on Daphne Island. The two graphs below show thepercentage of the population with different beak depths for each of the twospecies.

A. How do the beak depths of Species 1 and Species 2 compare?

beakdepth

This Galapagos Islands question continues on the next page.

Species 2 on Daphne

Beak Depth (mm)

Perc

enta

ge

of

Popula

tion

40

151050

30

10

20

Species 1 on Los Hermanos

Beak Depth (mm)

Perc

enta

ge

of

Popula

tion

40

151050

30

10

20

S032706_2

B. A wide variety of seeds exist on the islands, and both Species 1 andSpecies 2 eat seeds. Based on the beak depths of the two finch species,what would you conclude about the size of seeds that each species eats?

Questions for Galapagos Islands continue.

148


GalapagosIslands:comparebeakdepthsofSpecies1and2(continued)Item Number: S032706A

SCORInGNote:Creditwillbegivenforresponsesthatareconsistentwiththeinformationinthegraphs.Thisincludesresponsesthatarebasedonsimilarities,differences,orboth.Responsesthatindicatethatthe two species are ‘similar’ must refer to specific information from the graphs, such as the range, average,mostfrequentbeaksize(mode),etc.,inordertoreceivecredit.Responsesthatstateonlythatthetwospeciesarethe‘same’or‘similar’withnosupportinginformationareincorrect.

Correct Response

• Givesadescriptionbasedonsimilaritiesthatissupportedwithinformationinthegraphs.Examples: Both are similar in average beak size. Theyaresimilarbecausetheybothhavemostfinchesinthe11mmbeakrange.

• Givesdescriptionbasedondifferencesthatissupportedwithinformationinthegraphs.Examples: Species 1 is a little bit shorter than Species 2. Species 2 has more that are big. Species 2 has a wider range of depth than of Species 1.

• Giveadescriptionthatincludesbothsimilaritiesanddifferences.Examples: Both species have the greatest amount of birds with 11mm beak depths,

but Species 1 does not have birds with beak depths bigger than 13mm.

• Othercorrect.

Incorrect Response

• Statesonlythatthetwospeciesarethe‘same’or‘similar’withoutsupportinginformationfromthegraphs.Examples: They are nearly the same.

• Statesthatonespeciesislargerorsmallerthantheother,butdoesnotidentifywhich.Examples: One of them is a bit different on beak depth.


149

Student Responses



Correct Response:

150


Incorrect Response:



151





GalapagosIslands:sizeofseedseachspecieseats


A.LIFeSCIeNCe Diversity,AdaptationandNaturalSelection ReasoningandAnalysis

B. LIfE SCIEnCE Structure, function and Life Processes in Organisms Conceptual Understanding


Korea, Republic of 59 pJapan 51 pEstonia 51 pBelgium (Flemish) 48 pChinese Taipei 47 pLatvia 45 pHong Kong, SAR 45 pSingapore 45 pEngland 42 pSlovenia 42 pArmenia 42 pUnited States 40 pLithuania 39 pMalaysia 39 pHungary 37 pNetherlands 36 pScotland 34 pAustralia 33 ORussian Federation 32 ONew Zealand 32 OSlovak Republic 31 OSweden 29 ONorway 29 OItaly 27 OInternational average 27 OMoldova, Rep. of 26 ORomania 25 OJordan 21 qChile 20 qBahrain 18 qIsrael 17 qCyprus 15 qEgypt 15 qBulgaria 15 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 14 qMacedonia, Republic of 14 qIran, Islamic Republic of 12 qIndonesia 12 qTunisia 10 qSerbia and Montenegro 10 qMorocco 8 qLebanon 7 qBotswana 6 qSaudi Arabia 4 qSouth Africa 4 qPhilippines 2 qGhana 1 q

S032706_1

The Galapagos Islands contain a number of different species of finches(birds) that are thought to have developed from one species. Some species offinches eat certain types of seeds depending on their beak depth. Thediagram below shows the head of one species of finch and its beak depth.

Some of the islands have only one species living on them, while otherislands have more than one species. Species 1 lives on Los HermanosIsland. Species 2 lives on Daphne Island. The two graphs below show thepercentage of the population with different beak depths for each of the twospecies.

A. How do the beak depths of Species 1 and Species 2 compare?

beakdepth

This Galapagos Islands question continues on the next page.

Species 2 on Daphne

Beak Depth (mm)

Perc

enta

ge

of

Popula

tion

40

151050

30

10

20

Species 1 on Los Hermanos

Beak Depth (mm)

Perc

enta

ge

of

Popula

tion

40

151050

30

10

20

S032706_2

B. A wide variety of seeds exist on the islands, and both Species 1 andSpecies 2 eat seeds. Based on the beak depths of the two finch species,what would you conclude about the size of seeds that each species eats?


152


SCORInGNote:TheresponsetoPartBmustbeconsistentwiththecomparisonofbeaksizesgiveninPartAinordertoreceivecredit.Correctresponsescanreferexplicitlytocomparisonsofthetwo“species”ormoregenerallytoacomparisonof“birds”ofdifferentsizeswithinoracrossspecies.ItispossiblethatacorrectconclusionmaybedrawnbasedonanincorrectresponsetoPartA.

Correct Response

• Statesthatthetwospecieseatthesame(similar)typesofseeds.[ResponsetoAindicatesthatthetwospecieshavethesameorsimilarsizebeaks.]

• StatesthatSpecies2eatslargerseedsthanSpecies1.[ResponsetoAindicatesthatSpecies2islarger.]

• States only that birds (finches) with larger beaks eat larger seeds (or similar). [Noexplicitcomparisonofthetwospecies.]

• Othercorrect.

Incorrect Response

• Statesthatthetwospecieseatthesame(similar)typesofseeds,butthisconclusionisinconsistentwiththeresponsegiveninPartA.

• Statesthatonespecieseatslargerseedsthantheother,butthisconclusionisinconsistentwiththeresponsegiveninPartA.


GalapagosIslands:sizeofseedseachspecieseats(continued)Item Number: S032706B

153


Correct Response:

Student Responses


154

Student Responses

TitleNamePulledfromItemHere(continued)Item Number: M022002A


Incorrect Response:



155






LIfE SCIEnCEDiversity,AdaptationandNaturalSelection


GalapagosIslands:graphsofbeakdepthsforSpecies3and4


S032707

Two other species (Species 3 and Species 4) live on Santa Maria Island,which also has a range of seed types.

Which of the following graphs shows a range of beak depths forSpecies 3 and Species 4 that would best insure the survival of both specieson Santa Maria Island?

(Circle the letter by the correct graph.)

Explain why this range of beak depths would be best.

Species 3

Species 4

A B

P erc

enta

ge

of

Popula

tion

Beak Depth (mm)

Perc

enta

ge

of

Popula

tion

Beak Depth (mm)

End of Galapagos Islands section.

SCORInGCorrect Response

Note:Forcredit,responsesmustidentifyAwithanexplanationbasedonreducedcompetitionforfoodasaresultofbeaksizedifferences.CreditisNOTgivenforresponsesthatidentifyAwithaminimalexplanationthatindicatesacorrectinterpretationofthegraphbutrefersonlytodifferencesinbeaksize.

Correct Response

• Awithanexplanationthatrelatesthedifferenceinbeaksizetoreducedcompetition(orsimilar).Examples: With the different sized beaks they would not have to share food. One species will eat the small seeds and one will eat the large seeds. There would be no competition between the two species if they ate different seeds. They each have their own food source.

• Othercorrect.

Incorrect Response

• Awithaminimalexplanationthatrefersonlytothedifferenceinbeaksize.[Doesnotexplicitlymentioncompetitionforseedsorsimilar.]Examples: Because they are different sizes. Because Species 3 has a smaller beak size.

• Awithnoexplanationoranincorrectexplanation.Examples: Because their beaks look sharper. Because both species have a large beak to the percentage of population. It’s like the other graphs.

• Bwithnoexplanationoranincorrectexplanation.Examples: Bigger beak depths so they could eat more seeds. Both are nearly equal and are a more normal size. It’s better if they are the same size because they eat the same seeds.


Singapore 37 pChinese Taipei 36 pKorea, Republic of 26 pHong Kong, SAR 26 pScotland 26 pEstonia 25 pAustralia 25 pSweden 23 pUnited States 23 pNew Zealand 22 pBelgium (Flemish) 21 pLithuania 21 pEngland 21 pNorway 15 pSlovenia 14 OJapan 13 OSlovak Republic 12 OLatvia 12 OItaly 11 OInternational average 11 ORussian Federation 9 ONetherlands 9 OHungary 8 OIsrael 8 qRomania 8 OMalaysia 4 qChile 4 qSerbia and Montenegro 4 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 3 qJordan 3 qBulgaria 3 qBahrain 2 qSouth Africa 2 qEgypt 2 qArmenia 2 qMoldova, Rep. of 2 qMacedonia, Republic of 2 qIndonesia 1 qPhilippines 1 qBotswana 1 qIran, Islamic Republic of 1 qMorocco 1 qLebanon 1 qCyprus 1 qSaudi Arabia 1 qTunisia 1 qGhana 1 q

156

Student Responses


Correct Response:

GalapagosIslands:graphsofbeakdepthsforSpecies3and4(continued)Item Number: S032707

157


Incorrect Response:


GalapagosIslands:graphsofbeakdepthsforSpecies3and4(continued)Item Number: S032707

158






LIfE SCIEnCE ecosystems ConceptualUnderstanding

Galapagos Islands: plants/animals inhabited island first


SCORInGNote:CreditisgivenforresponsesthatcheckPLANTSandgiveanexplanationthatrefersexplicitlytophotosynthesisorplantsmakingtheirownfoodaswellthosethatreferonlytothesurvivalormodeoftransportationofplants/animals.ResponsesthatcheckANIMALSmayalsoreceivecreditwithareasonableexplanationbasedontransportationandtheavailabilityofalternativefoodsources,e.g.,fish.

Correct Response

• PLAnTSwithanexplanationbasedplantsbeingabletomaketheirownfood(photosynthesis).Examples: Plants can photosynthesize. Because plant make their own food using light, water and chlorophyll.

• PLAnTSwithanexplanationbasedonlyonsurvivalORmodeoftransportationofplants/animals.[Photosynthesisormakingfoodnotexplicitlymentioned.]Examples:Theycouldsurvivetherefirstbecauseplantsonlyneedwaterandair. Without plants there would not be animals. First the plants arrived. Then the animals can come and survive by eating the plants. Seeds could just be carried by the wind. Animals would have to swim a long distance. Seeds from South America blew to the islands.

• AnIMALSwithareasonableexplanationbasedontransportationAnDavailabilityofalternativefood sources (may be implicit based on the specific type of animal named).Examples:Birdscouldflyovertotheislandtonestandsurvivebyeatingfishfromthesea. Sealscanswimthereandliveontherockyshore.[Assumessealseatfish.]

• Othercorrect.

Incorrect Response

• PLAnTSwithnoexplanationoranincorrectexplanation.[Mayincludeacorrectstatementthatdoesnotapplytothesituation.]Examples: They just grew from the ground. Because plants grow faster and live longer. They are living organisms. Plants were on Earth before animals.

• AnIMALSwithnoexplanationoranincorrectexplanation.Examples: Birds could just eat the seeds in the ground. They are everywhere. There will be a surplus of food. Animals can move but plants cannot. Animals migrate.


S032704

Which organisms that live on land most likely inhabited theGalapagos Islands first?

(Check one box.)

C Land plants

C Land animals



Estonia 62 pArmenia 55 pSingapore 49 pNew Zealand 49 pJapan 48 pLatvia 48 pLithuania 48 pUnited States 48 pSweden 46 pNorway 44 pHungary 44 pAustralia 44 pRussian Federation 43 pBelgium (Flemish) 42 pNetherlands 42 pEngland 42 pSlovak Republic 41 pKorea, Republic of 40 pHong Kong, SAR 40 pScotland 38 pChinese Taipei 38 pMalaysia 35 OSlovenia 33 OInternational average 31 OJordan 30 OMoldova, Rep. of 29 OIsrael 25 qChile 23 qCyprus 22 qRomania 22 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 21 qItaly 21 qSerbia and Montenegro 20 qMacedonia, Republic of 19 qBulgaria 18 qBahrain 16 qLebanon 16 qIran, Islamic Republic of 15 qIndonesia 14 qEgypt 12 qTunisia 10 qMorocco 10 qSouth Africa 9 qBotswana 7 qPhilippines 6 qSaudi Arabia 1 qGhana 0 q

159

Student Responses


Galapagos Islands: plants/animals inhabited island first (continued)Item Number: S032704

Correct Response:

Incorrect Response:

160







• Referstocatspreyinguponotherorganisms,orsimilar(resultinginareductioninpopulation).Examples: They will eat the birds and other animals. The cats help them by eating the rats and mice. Their prey could become extinct.

• Othercorrect.Examples: They might pass on diseases to other animals.

Incorrect Response

• Refersonlytoaneffectonthecatwithnoexpliciteffectonotherorganisms.Examples: They cannot survive on the island. Cats might reproduce and get out of control.


Examples: The cats might eat all the plants.


GalapagosIslands:effectofcats


S032705

When settlers came to live on the Galapagos Islands, they brought withthem a number of new animals such as cats and goats. Write down oneeffect the introduction of cats and goats could have on the animals andplants already living on the islands.

A. One effect of cats:

B. One effect of goats:


Australia 68 pNew Zealand 66 pEstonia 59 pChinese Taipei 58 pArmenia 56 pSingapore 54 pSlovak Republic 52 pLithuania 49 pNetherlands 47 pRussian Federation 46 pHungary 46 pBelgium (Flemish) 46 pLatvia 45 pUnited States 45 pHong Kong, SAR 45 pEngland 45 pRomania 43 pNorway 42 OSweden 41 OScotland 41 OKorea, Republic of 40 OJapan 40 OJordan 39 OInternational average 36 OPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 36 OMalaysia 35 OSlovenia 33 OSerbia and Montenegro 33 OChile 30 qIsrael 29 qCyprus 28 qEgypt 27 qTunisia 27 qBulgaria 26 qMoldova, Rep. of 26 qItaly 24 qBahrain 23 qIran, Islamic Republic of 22 qBotswana 21 qIndonesia 20 qLebanon 16 qSouth Africa 14 qMorocco 12 qSaudi Arabia 9 qMacedonia, Republic of 8 qPhilippines 8 qGhana 0 q

161

Student Responses


GalapagosIslands:effectofcats(continued)Item Number: S032705A

Correct Response:

Incorrect Response:

162







• Refersonlytothegoatseatingplants(resultinginareductionoftheamountofplantlifeontheisland).Examples: The goats will eat all the grass on the island. It could lead to erosion if the goats clear the land by eating all the plants. Large pieces of grass will disappear as the goats eat it.

• Referstoaneffectofthegoatonotheranimals(e.g.,competitionforfood/habitat,asafoodsourceforpredators,etc.).[Note:mayalsorefertothegoatseatingplants.]Examples: The animals that eat goats would have more food. They might become a source of food. The goats will eat up the plants and the populations that depend on plants will decrease.

• Othercorrect.

Incorrect Response

• Refersonlytoaneffectonthegoatwithnoexpliciteffectonotherorganisms.Examples: Goats would have more babies. They would die because they don’t have any food.

• Otherincorrect(includingcrossedout/erased,straymarks,illegible,orofftask).Examples: Goats might eat the cats.


GalapagosIslands:effectofgoats

S032705

When settlers came to live on the Galapagos Islands, they brought withthem a number of new animals such as cats and goats. Write down oneeffect the introduction of cats and goats could have on the animals andplants already living on the islands.

A. One effect of cats:

B. One effect of goats:



Singapore 74 pAustralia 74 pChinese Taipei 73 pKorea, Republic of 70 pHong Kong, SAR 69 pEstonia 69 pNew Zealand 68 pMalaysia 63 pEngland 62 pUnited States 60 pHungary 58 pRussian Federation 58 pNetherlands 58 pScotland 57 pArmenia 57 pJapan 54 pSlovak Republic 53 pLithuania 51 pSweden 48 OLatvia 48 OJordan 48 OBelgium (Flemish) 47 OPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 45 ORomania 45 OInternational average 45 ONorway 44 OChile 41 OIsrael 38 qEgypt 37 qSlovenia 37 qSerbia and Montenegro 37 qItaly 36 qIndonesia 34 qTunisia 33 qBulgaria 32 qBahrain 32 qBotswana 31 qCyprus 27 qMacedonia, Republic of 25 qPhilippines 24 qMoldova, Rep. of 22 qLebanon 22 qIran, Islamic Republic of 20 qMorocco 15 qSaudi Arabia 11 qSouth Africa 8 qGhana 0 q

163

Student Responses


GalapagosIslands:effectofgoats(continued)Item Number: S032705B

Correct Response:

Incorrect Response:

Correct Response:

164






C


elementsthatmakeupanimalsandplants

LIfE SCIEnCE ecosystems FactualKnowledge

S03

2682

Animals and plants are made up of a number of different chemicalelements. What happens to all of these elements when animals andplants die?

a They die with the animal or plant.

b They evaporate into the atmosphere.

c They are recycled back into the environment.

d They change into different elements.

Chinese Taipei 70 pEstonia 70 pHungary 69 pSingapore 63 pSweden 61 pUnited States 60 pTunisia 55 pAustralia 54 pPhilippines 53 pNew Zealand 52 pJapan 51 pKorea, Republic of 48 pHong Kong, SAR 46 pEngland 45 pRomania 44 pIsrael 44 pItaly 44 pNorway 42 OSlovenia 40 OSlovak Republic 40 OMorocco 38 ONetherlands 38 OInternational average 38 OMacedonia, Republic of 36 OBulgaria 36 OScotland 34 OIran, Islamic Republic of 33 qRussian Federation 32 qMalaysia 32 qChile 30 qBotswana 29 qEgypt 28 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 25 qArmenia 25 qMoldova, Rep. of 24 qLatvia 24 qBelgium (Flemish) 24 qSaudi Arabia 22 qCyprus 22 qIndonesia 21 qSouth Africa 21 qJordan 21 qLithuania 20 qLebanon 20 qGhana 17 qSerbia and Montenegro 15 qBahrain 14 q

165







Communityofmice,snakesandwheatplants

LIfE SCIEnCE ecosystems ReasoningandAnalysis

S032202

The diagram above shows a community consisting of mice, snakes andwheat plants.

What would happen to this community if people killed the snakes?

SCORInGNote:Forfullcredit,responsesmustincludeanexplicitstatementoftheeffectonBOTHthemicepopulationandthewheatplants.Partialcreditisgivenforresponsesthatrefertoonebutnotbothofthese.

Correct Response

• Statesthatmice(population)willincreaseANDwheatplantswilldecrease.Examples: The population of mice would increase because there are no snakes. The increase

in mice would then cause the amount of wheat plants to decrease. Then we would get more mice and less wheat plants.

• Statesthatthemicewouldeatmore(all)ofthewheatplantsANDthatthemice(population)willdecreaseasthewheatdecreases.[Mayalsorefertotheinitialincreaseinpopulationofmice.]Examples: Mice would eat all the plants, then the plants would die out, then the mice would not

have anything to eat so then they would die. Mice would become overpopulated and eat all the wheat. Then all the mice would

starve because there is no food left.



• Statesonlythatthemicewillincrease.[Noexplicitmentionoftheeffectonwheat.]Examples: The number of mice would increase because there are no snakes to eat them. There would be lots of mice.

• Statesonlythatthemicewilleatmore(all)ofthewheatplants(orsimilar).[Noexplicitmentionoftheeffectonmice.]Examples: If people killed the snakes the mice would destroy all the wheat plants.


Incorrect Response

• Referstoaneffectonthewholecommunity(ecosystem)buttoovaguetointerpret.Examples: The whole community will be affected. The ecosystem would be unbalanced. Everything dies.


Singapore 78 pMalaysia 68 pEngland 57 pChinese Taipei 55 pEstonia 52 pAustralia 50 pSweden 48 pHungary 48 pBelgium (Flemish) 46 pNetherlands 45 pUnited States 44 pScotland 42 pSlovak Republic 41 pLithuania 41 pIran, Islamic Republic of 40 pJordan 39 pRussian Federation 38 pKorea, Republic of 38 pHong Kong, SAR 37 ORomania 37 ONew Zealand 35 OEgypt 34 OArmenia 34 OInternational average 33 OSlovenia 33 OLatvia 32 OSerbia and Montenegro 32 OMacedonia, Republic of 32 OJapan 31 ONorway 31 OIndonesia 30 OIsrael 30 qItaly 27 qMoldova, Rep. of 26 qTunisia 26 qSaudi Arabia 24 qBulgaria 22 qCyprus 18 qChile 16 qBahrain 16 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 16 qMorocco 16 qPhilippines 16 qLebanon 9 qBotswana 6 qSouth Africa 6 qGhana 3 q

166

Student Responses


Communityofmice,snakesandwheatplants(continued)Item Number: S032202

Correct Response:


167


Communityofmice,snakesandwheatplants(continued)Item Number: S032202


Incorrect Response:

Correct Response:

168






C


Leafyvegetablesimportantforhumanhealth

LIfE SCIEnCE HumanHealth FactualKnowledge

S032637

Eating leafy vegetables is important for human health. This is because leafyvegetables are a good source of which of the following?

a protein

b carbohydrates

c minerals

d fat

Korea, Republic of 65 pJapan 65 pSlovenia 63 pIsrael 62 pChinese Taipei 59 pEstonia 58 pHungary 57 pEngland 55 pNetherlands 53 pSingapore 52 pUnited States 48 pMacedonia, Republic of 46 pBelgium (Flemish) 46 pItaly 45 pNew Zealand 44 pLatvia 42 pMalaysia 41 pHong Kong, SAR 41 OBulgaria 41 OAustralia 40 OLithuania 40 OInternational average 38 OScotland 37 ORomania 34 OEgypt 34 OSerbia and Montenegro 34 qMorocco 33 OSweden 33 qMoldova, Rep. of 32 qNorway 32 qBahrain 30 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 29 qPhilippines 28 qLebanon 28 qIran, Islamic Republic of 28 qTunisia 28 qRussian Federation 28 qJordan 25 qChile 24 qArmenia 24 qSlovak Republic 24 qBotswana 23 qSaudi Arabia 20 qSouth Africa 20 qGhana 19 qIndonesia 17 qCyprus 9 q

169







Transmissionofcoldinclassroom

LIfE SCIEnCE HumanHealth ReasoningandAnalysis

S022154

Scott went to school with a cold. Several days later, half of his classmates

also had colds. What is one likely reason some classmates had colds but

others did not?

SCORInGNote:Toreceivecredit,responsesmustincludesomereferencetotransmissionof‘germs’(viruses,bacteria,etc.),eitherexplicitlyorthroughadescriptionofamethodoftransmission(sneezing/coughing,directphysicalcontact,etc.),ortodefensemechanisms(immunity,resistance,etc.).Aresponsethatincludesonlyageneralreferencetoproximitywithoutanydescriptionofamethodoftransmissionwillbescoredasincorrect.

Correct Response

• Refersexplicitlytotransmissionof‘germs’(viruses,bacteria,etc.)fromSaliltosomeclassmates(ornottoothers).Examples: Some students were hanging around Salil with him sneezing his germs onto them. The ones exposed to the virus caught it.

• Referstosomestudentshavingbetterdefensemechanisms(immunity,resistance).Examples: Some of the students have just got over a cold. Some students’ immunity was low because they went outside in the cold.

• Refers to a specific method of transmission involving physical contact or exposure without mentioninggermsexplicitly(e.g.sneezing/coughing,shakinghands,drinkingfromsameglass,breathingsameair).Examples: He sneezed on the ones that got it. They touched something Salil touched.

• Othercorrect.

Incorrect Response

• IncludesONLYageneralorvagueresponserelatingtoproximityor“catchingthecold”fromSalil.[Noexplicitdescriptionofamethodoftransmissionisgiven.]Examples: Some of his classmates did not like him so probably were not near him a lot. The ones who were his friends got it. The kids who sat by him caught the cold. Some caught it from Salil. Salil gave it to some of the class.


Chinese Taipei 84 pSlovak Republic 78 pHungary 75 pSingapore 73 pRomania 71 pSlovenia 70 pEstonia 69 pHong Kong, SAR 68 pLatvia 68 pPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 68 pBelgium (Flemish) 67 pLithuania 66 pArmenia 66 pNetherlands 65 pNorway 65 pMoldova, Rep. of 64 pSweden 63 pJordan 63 pUnited States 61 pItaly 60 pKorea, Republic of 57 pIran, Islamic Republic of 57 OIsrael 56 ORussian Federation 54 OBahrain 54 OEgypt 54 OSerbia and Montenegro 54 ONew Zealand 54 OBulgaria 53 OMacedonia, Republic of 53 OInternational average 53 OEngland 50 OChile 48 qScotland 47 qAustralia 46 qMalaysia 43 qJapan 43 qIndonesia 39 qCyprus 37 qSaudi Arabia 37 qPhilippines 34 qMorocco 31 qLebanon 24 qTunisia 18 qSouth Africa 13 qBotswana 10 qGhana 6 q

170

Student Responses


Correct Response:

Incorrect Response:

Transmissionofcoldinclassroom(continued)Item Number: S022154

Correct Response:

171






C


Soninheritstraits

LIfE SCIEnCE ReproductionandHeredity ConceptualUnderstanding

S012026

A son can inherit traits

a only from his father

b only from his mother

c from both his father and his mother

d from either his father or his mother, but not from both

Netherlands 94 pUnited States 93 pLatvia 92 pBelgium (Flemish) 92 pChinese Taipei 91 pEngland 91 pHungary 91 pNorway 90 pSweden 90 pKorea, Republic of 90 pRussian Federation 90 pLithuania 89 pRomania 88 pChile 87 pSlovak Republic 87 pItaly 87 pHong Kong, SAR 86 pScotland 86 pIsrael 85 pEstonia 85 pSlovenia 85 pBulgaria 83 pMoldova, Rep. of 83 pCyprus 82 pArmenia 82 pMacedonia, Republic of 81 pSingapore 79 OAustralia 77 OInternational average 76 OSerbia and Montenegro 75 ONew Zealand 73 OIran, Islamic Republic of 69 qEgypt 68 qJapan 65 qLebanon 65 qBahrain 64 qMorocco 63 qPhilippines 60 qJordan 60 qTunisia 60 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 57 qSaudi Arabia 52 qSouth Africa 51 qGhana 48 qMalaysia 47 qIndonesia 44 qBotswana 43 q

Correct Response:

172







Traitstransferredfromgenerations


C

S012039

Traits are transferred from generation to generation through the

a sperm only

b egg only

c sperm and the egg

d testes

Chinese Taipei 97 pHong Kong, SAR 97 pKorea, Republic of 91 pHungary 88 pEngland 88 pSweden 87 pNetherlands 86 pSingapore 86 pUnited States 86 pIsrael 85 pScotland 83 pEstonia 83 pBelgium (Flemish) 83 pChile 83 pRomania 80 pSlovak Republic 79 pItaly 79 pMalaysia 79 pNorway 78 pLatvia 77 pBulgaria 76 OPhilippines 76 OJapan 76 OSlovenia 76 OBahrain 75 ORussian Federation 74 OInternational average 74 OAustralia 73 OLithuania 72 OEgypt 71 OArmenia 71 ONew Zealand 70 OMoldova, Rep. of 68 qMacedonia, Republic of 68 qSerbia and Montenegro 67 qIndonesia 67 qMorocco 66 qTunisia 64 qCyprus 63 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 62 qJordan 57 qBotswana 57 qSaudi Arabia 52 qSouth Africa 52 qIran, Islamic Republic of 50 qGhana 50 qLebanon 37 q

Correct Response:

173






B


Biologicalcontrolofinsectpopulation


S022117

Why would male insects be treated to prevent sperm production?

a To increase the number of female insects

b To reduce the total population of insects

c To produce new species of insects

d To prevent insects from mating

United States 71 pAustralia 69 pSingapore 68 pEngland 67 pNew Zealand 66 pScotland 65 pBelgium (Flemish) 62 pSweden 60 pIsrael 59 pSlovak Republic 58 pMalaysia 57 pNetherlands 57 pJapan 54 pKorea, Republic of 53 pHong Kong, SAR 52 pBulgaria 52 pHungary 50 pLithuania 49 pEstonia 47 ONorway 47 OBotswana 46 OSerbia and Montenegro 46 OChile 45 OInternational average 44 OItaly 44 OChinese Taipei 44 OBahrain 42 OIndonesia 42 OJordan 41 qLatvia 40 qRomania 39 qSlovenia 38 qCyprus 37 qMacedonia, Republic of 34 qPhilippines 33 qRussian Federation 32 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 31 qArmenia 29 qGhana 28 qEgypt 27 qIran, Islamic Republic of 27 qMoldova, Rep. of 25 qTunisia 25 qMorocco 23 qSouth Africa 21 qLebanon 19 qSaudi Arabia 17 q

Correct Response:

174






B


Fertilizationinanimals

LIfE SCIEnCE ReproductionandHeredity FactualKnowledge

S032008

Which of the following takes place during fertilization in animals?

a production of sperm and egg

b joining of sperm and egg

c division of egg

d development of embryo

Hong Kong, SAR 88 pLithuania 87 pChinese Taipei 86 pEstonia 85 pJapan 85 pKorea, Republic of 83 pBelgium (Flemish) 82 pHungary 78 pEngland 77 pNetherlands 75 pLatvia 75 pRussian Federation 74 pIsrael 73 pSweden 72 pMorocco 69 pSlovak Republic 69 pBulgaria 68 pUnited States 67 pScotland 67 pTunisia 67 pSlovenia 66 pAustralia 65 pSingapore 64 pMalaysia 63 OInternational average 60 ONorway 60 OCyprus 57 ONew Zealand 56 OJordan 56 OItaly 55 qBahrain 54 qSerbia and Montenegro 53 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 50 qIndonesia 48 qChile 47 qMacedonia, Republic of 47 qEgypt 47 qArmenia 46 qRomania 44 qSaudi Arabia 40 qSouth Africa 39 qMoldova, Rep. of 38 qBotswana 37 qLebanon 37 qPhilippines 31 qIran, Islamic Republic of 22 qGhana 19 q

175







Bodilyprocesstopreventoverheating

LIfE SCIEnCEStructure,FunctionandLife

ProcessesinOrganismsConceptualUnderstanding

S022152

What processes take place in the human body that prevent it fromoverheating during exercise?

SCORInGNote:Ifperspirationorsweatingismentioned,scoreascorrect,evenifothercorrectresponsessuch as increased blood flow to the skin are also included.

Correct Response

• Referstoperspiration(sweating)ANDthecoolingeffectofevaporation.Examples: When people sweat, it evaporates to cool them down. Sweating. When the sweat evaporates, it cools the skin. Perspiration cools you down when it evaporates.

• Referstoperspiration(sweating),withoutexplicitlymentioningthecoolingeffectofevaporation.Examples: The body sweats. Perspiration keeps you from overheating. The perspiration cools you off and you don’t stay hot.

• Refers to increased blood flow to the skin.Examples: The blood rushes to your face and cools you down.

• Othercorrect.

Incorrect Response

• Refersonlytodrinkingwatertocooldown.

• Refers to an effect of exercise but does not specifically address overheating and/or cooling.Examples: The blood pumps faster. Breathing increases. Your body is working hard and using up more food energy.


Japan 86 pKorea, Republic of 85 pAustralia 72 pUnited States 72 pNew Zealand 69 pScotland 69 pEstonia 67 pEngland 66 pBelgium (Flemish) 63 pLithuania 61 pLatvia 61 pNetherlands 61 pHong Kong, SAR 60 pIsrael 59 pItaly 55 pHungary 55 pRussian Federation 55 pBulgaria 50 pSlovenia 48 pSingapore 48 pSweden 47 OSlovak Republic 45 OArmenia 45 OMoldova, Rep. of 44 OInternational average 44 OMalaysia 42 ORomania 42 OSerbia and Montenegro 41 ONorway 41 OChinese Taipei 39 qChile 37 qBahrain 35 qIran, Islamic Republic of 32 qSaudi Arabia 31 qMacedonia, Republic of 29 qJordan 29 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 24 qEgypt 20 qIndonesia 19 qTunisia 18 qPhilippines 18 qBotswana 17 qCyprus 15 qSouth Africa 9 qLebanon 7 qMorocco 6 qGhana 6 q

176

Student Responses


Correct Response:

Incorrect Response:

Bodilyprocesstopreventoverheating(continued)Item Number: S022152

177







ProcessesinOrganismsConceptualUnderstanding

Advantageofhavingtwoears


S022160

What is the advantage of having two ears to hear with rather than one ear?

SCORInGNote:Creditisgivenforbothhigher-levelresponsesreferencinglocatingthesourceofsoundaswellaslesssophisticatedresponsesreferencinghearingsoundsfrombothsidesandretaininghearingifoneeardoesnotfunction.

Correct Response

• Mentionsbeingabletolocatetheposition,directionand/ordistanceofthesourceofsound.Examples: By having two ears, you can actually tell where a sound came from. With two ears you could hear which direction a noise is coming from. With two ears you can judge the distance the sound is away from you. With two ears you can tell if the sound is near or far.

• Mentionshearingsoundsfrombothsides(direction)withnomentionoflocatingthesource.Examples: You can hear on both sides of you. You can hear sounds from all around, not just one side. With two ears you can hear from more than one way.

• Mentionsthatifhearingislostinoneear,theothermaystillfunction.Examples: In the result of being deaf in one ear, you have another one that is used. If you lost the hearing in one ear, the other one might still work.

• Othercorrect.

Incorrect Response

• Givesonlyageneralorvagueresponserelatingtohowwellonecanhear.Examples: You hear better. You can hear half as much with one ear. Two ears lets you hear a lot more. The volume is greater.

• Mentionsonlythathearingisuneven/unbalancedwithoneear.Examples: If you had one ear, the sound would be uneven. Your hearing would be out of balance. You hearing gets balanced better with two ears.


Sweden 70 pNetherlands 70 pNew Zealand 64 pAustralia 64 pEngland 62 pBelgium (Flemish) 61 pUnited States 58 pScotland 56 pHungary 55 pSlovenia 53 pNorway 52 pLithuania 50 pLatvia 48 pIsrael 41 pEstonia 41 pSingapore 40 pJordan 37 OEgypt 36 OKorea, Republic of 35 OInternational average 34 OMalaysia 33 OItaly 32 OHong Kong, SAR 32 OChinese Taipei 30 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 30 qMacedonia, Republic of 29 qCyprus 28 qBotswana 28 qJapan 27 qBahrain 25 qRomania 25 qRussian Federation 23 qChile 22 qMorocco 22 qSaudi Arabia 21 qSlovak Republic 21 qArmenia 20 qSerbia and Montenegro 20 qMoldova, Rep. of 19 qIran, Islamic Republic of 19 qBulgaria 16 qPhilippines 15 qLebanon 12 qSouth Africa 9 qGhana 8 qTunisia 7 qIndonesia 6 q

178

Student Responses


Advantageofhavingtwoears(continued)Item Number: S022160

Correct Response:

Incorrect Response:

Correct Response:

179






E


OrganNOTinabdomen


ProcessesinOrganismsFactualKnowledge

S012001

Which of the following organs is NOT situated in the abdomen?

a liver

b kidney

c stomach

d bladder

e heart

Chinese Taipei 94 pHungary 83 pNetherlands 83 pSweden 82 pBelgium (Flemish) 80 pSlovak Republic 78 pBulgaria 77 pMacedonia, Republic of 77 pLithuania 77 pRussian Federation 77 pArmenia 76 pHong Kong, SAR 75 pSerbia and Montenegro 75 pAustralia 74 pLatvia 74 pUnited States 73 pEstonia 71 pRomania 69 pSingapore 68 pIsrael 67 pCyprus 67 pEngland 67 pChile 66 pNew Zealand 65 pScotland 63 OInternational average 60 OSaudi Arabia 59 OBahrain 58 OJapan 58 OKorea, Republic of 52 qJordan 51 qNorway 50 qSlovenia 48 qEgypt 48 qIndonesia 47 qMorocco 46 qItaly 45 qPhilippines 45 qTunisia 45 qIran, Islamic Republic of 43 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 42 qMoldova, Rep. of 32 qBotswana 30 qLebanon 26 qSouth Africa 26 qMalaysia 23 qGhana 12 q

Correct Response:

180








Messagefromeyestobrain


D

S012014

When a person sees something, what carries the message from the eyes tothe brain?

a arteries

b glands

c muscles

d nerves

e veins

Chinese Taipei 94 pJapan 93 pHong Kong, SAR 93 pKorea, Republic of 92 pNetherlands 91 pSlovak Republic 87 pBelgium (Flemish) 86 pHungary 86 pSingapore 85 pLithuania 83 pIndonesia 81 pRussian Federation 81 pSweden 81 pSlovenia 81 pEngland 81 pAustralia 81 pIran, Islamic Republic of 81 pUnited States 80 pNew Zealand 80 pMacedonia, Republic of 79 pEstonia 79 pBulgaria 79 pSerbia and Montenegro 79 pMalaysia 79 pItaly 78 pMoldova, Rep. of 78 pLatvia 75 OScotland 74 OSaudi Arabia 74 OJordan 72 OInternational average 72 OBahrain 70 ORomania 70 OIsrael 69 OArmenia 67 qTunisia 67 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 63 qNorway 59 qPhilippines 58 qEgypt 57 qBotswana 56 qCyprus 49 qMorocco 46 qLebanon 44 qChile 36 qSouth Africa 29 qGhana 17 q

Correct Response:

181








Absorbtionoffoodintothebloodstream


D

S032386

In humans, where does the absorption of food into the blood stream mainlytake place?

a stomach

b mouth

c large intestines

d small intestines

Singapore 71 pJapan 58 pArmenia 44 pJordan 43 pMalaysia 42 pSlovenia 38 pHong Kong, SAR 37 pSweden 35 pMoldova, Rep. of 34 pChinese Taipei 33 pSaudi Arabia 33 pEgypt 33 pMorocco 31 OBelgium (Flemish) 30 OPhilippines 29 ONew Zealand 29 OKorea, Republic of 29 OBahrain 29 OSlovak Republic 28 OInternational average 28 OPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 28 ONetherlands 27 OAustralia 27 OUnited States 27 ORussian Federation 26 OGhana 26 ORomania 25 OLithuania 25 OHungary 25 OLebanon 25 OEngland 25 OIndonesia 25 OBotswana 23 qItaly 23 qMacedonia, Republic of 23 qBulgaria 22 qChile 22 qTunisia 21 qScotland 20 qSerbia and Montenegro 19 qEstonia 18 qLatvia 18 qNorway 18 qIsrael 18 qCyprus 17 qIran, Islamic Republic of 13 qSouth Africa 10 q

Correct Response:

182








Fishorganlikehumanlung


C

S032607

Which of the following organs in fish has the same functionas the human lung?

a kidney

b heart

c gill

d skin

Italy 91 pKorea, Republic of 90 pHungary 85 pRussian Federation 84 pNetherlands 83 pIran, Islamic Republic of 82 pChinese Taipei 80 pBelgium (Flemish) 78 pMoldova, Rep. of 77 pSweden 76 pBahrain 76 pBulgaria 76 pHong Kong, SAR 75 pSlovenia 74 pEstonia 74 pRomania 72 pSlovak Republic 71 pJapan 68 pMorocco 68 pIsrael 64 OJordan 64 OEngland 64 OInternational average 63 OSerbia and Montenegro 63 OSaudi Arabia 63 OSingapore 62 OLithuania 62 OEgypt 62 OMacedonia, Republic of 62 OMalaysia 62 OAustralia 61 OLatvia 61 OChile 60 OUnited States 60 qScotland 59 qArmenia 58 OPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 56 qNorway 55 qIndonesia 54 qNew Zealand 49 qLebanon 45 qTunisia 40 qPhilippines 37 qSouth Africa 35 qCyprus 25 qBotswana 23 qGhana 18 q

183






Howglasses/contactlenseswork



ProcessesinOrganismsReasoningandAnalysis

S022161

Briefly explain how eyeglasses and contact lenses help some people to seemore clearly.

SCORInGNote:Creditisgivenforhigher-levelresponsesthatdemonstrateknowledgeofvisionbydescribinghowlensesmodifythewaylightenterstheeyeandhitstheretinaorbackoftheeye(aswellaslesssophisticatedresponsesbasedonhelpingeyestofocus,toseeobjectsatdifferentdistancesor to magnification.

Correct Response

• Mentionsthatglasses/contactlensesbend(refract)orfocuslightraysontotheretina(orbackoftheeye).[Mayuseadiagramtoshowthis.]Examples: The glasses focus the light onto the retina.

• Mentionsthecurvature(shape)oflenses(concave/convex)and/orbendingoflightbylenses.[Basedprimarilyonthepropertiesoflenseswithnoexplicitmentionofthefocusingoflightontheretinaorbackofeye.]Examples: You can focus better because glasses bend the light into your eye.

• Mentionsthatglasses/contactlenseshelptheeyesfocusand/orallow(near-sighted/far-sighted)peopletoseeimagesatadistanceorcloseup.Examples: Some people can see close up but need glasses in order to see things far away. Far-sighted people can only read with glasses that correct their close-up vision. Eyeglasses can help your eyes to focus more clearly on things.

• Mentionsthatglasses/contactlensesmagnifyorenlarge(images).Examples: They magnify. Themagnificationintheglassesmakethingsmoreclearandbigger. The lenses make things look bigger.

• Othercorrect.

Incorrect Response

• Givesonlyavaguereferencetoglasses/contactlenseshelpingpeopleseemoreclearlyorcontainingprescriptions(chemicals,specialtype/shape/thicknessofglass,etc.)withoutfurtherexplanationofvisionorhowlenseswork.Examples: They make you see more clearly. If you are near sighted, you need glasses to help you see. Contacts help vision because of the prescription injected into them. Lensesareprescribedtofixeyeproblems. The lenses in glasses are made thick so you can see better.


New Zealand 68 pJordan 64 pEstonia 56 pEngland 56 pBahrain 55 pAustralia 55 pArmenia 54 pMoldova, Rep. of 53 pLatvia 52 pKorea, Republic of 52 pRussian Federation 51 pPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 50 pNetherlands 50 pSweden 49 pLithuania 48 pHungary 48 pUnited States 48 pScotland 48 pNorway 47 pHong Kong, SAR 46 pSlovak Republic 44 pSingapore 44 pChile 42 OIsrael 42 OSlovenia 41 OEgypt 39 OInternational average 39 ORomania 37 OBulgaria 37 OMalaysia 35 OBelgium (Flemish) 34 qJapan 34 qMacedonia, Republic of 33 qIran, Islamic Republic of 32 qSerbia and Montenegro 30 qItaly 30 qChinese Taipei 28 qIndonesia 26 qSaudi Arabia 19 qTunisia 18 qCyprus 17 qMorocco 15 qPhilippines 14 qBotswana 12 qSouth Africa 9 qLebanon 6 qGhana 5 q

184

Student Responses


Howglasses/contactlenseswork(continued)Item Number: S022161

Correct Response:

Incorrect Response:

Correct Response:

185






A


Characteristicsofanimalgroups

LIfE SCIEnCETypes,Characteristicsand

Classification of Living ThingsConceptualUnderstanding

S012028

A person sorted some animals into the two groups listed on the table.Which characteristic of animals was used for the sorting?

a Legs

b Eyes

c Nervous system

d Skin

Group 1 Group 2

Humans Snakes

Dogs Worms

Flies Fish

Korea, Republic of 79 pJapan 76 pAustralia 70 pNew Zealand 68 pChinese Taipei 66 pEngland 66 pScotland 64 pMalaysia 63 pHong Kong, SAR 62 pEstonia 62 pSlovak Republic 62 pUnited States 62 pNorway 60 pSingapore 59 pNetherlands 58 pIsrael 57 pLatvia 56 pSweden 54 pBelgium (Flemish) 53 pHungary 49 pRussian Federation 48 OItaly 47 OSlovenia 46 OInternational average 45 OArmenia 43 OCyprus 42 OMoldova, Rep. of 41 OLithuania 40 qBahrain 37 qBulgaria 36 qSerbia and Montenegro 35 qRomania 33 qMacedonia, Republic of 32 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 31 qTunisia 31 qChile 31 qSaudi Arabia 26 qMorocco 25 qEgypt 25 qJordan 24 qIndonesia 24 qBotswana 23 qPhilippines 23 qIran, Islamic Republic of 23 qSouth Africa 19 qLebanon 19 qGhana 11 q

Correct Response:

186






B


Catsmostcloselyrelatedtowhichanimal

LIfE SCIEnCETypes,Characteristicsand

Classification of Living ThingsConceptualUnderstanding

S032595

Cats are most closely related to which of the following animals?

a crocodiles

b whales

c frogs

d penguins

Japan 65 pRussian Federation 47 pMalaysia 46 pSingapore 43 pBulgaria 42 pMoldova, Rep. of 41 pChinese Taipei 40 pItaly 39 pArmenia 36 pEstonia 35 pLatvia 35 pLithuania 33 pHungary 32 pSlovenia 31 pIsrael 31 pHong Kong, SAR 28 ORomania 27 OMacedonia, Republic of 26 OInternational average 26 OUnited States 25 OSerbia and Montenegro 25 OKorea, Republic of 25 OEngland 25 OSlovak Republic 24 OAustralia 22 qBotswana 22 qIran, Islamic Republic of 21 qPhilippines 20 qBelgium (Flemish) 20 qLebanon 19 qNew Zealand 18 qChile 18 qScotland 18 qJordan 18 qEgypt 17 qNetherlands 17 qBahrain 16 qGhana 15 qSouth Africa 15 qCyprus 15 qSaudi Arabia 15 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 14 qSweden 13 qNorway 13 qIndonesia 8 qMorocco 0 qTunisia 0 q

187






PhysICs ElectricityandMagnetism ConceptualUnderstanding

Polesoncutmagnet


sCORINGNote:Toreceivecredit,thepolarityofBOTHendsofthecenterpiecemustbeindicated.Answeriscorrectifpolarityisindicatedcorrectly(N-S),butlettersareshownabove,below,oroutsidetheboxes,aslongasthepolarityofbothendsofthecenterpieceisclear.

Correct Response

• N-S

Incorrect Response

• S-N

• Poleofcutendsofouterpiecesareindicated(S-N)insteadofpolesoncenterpiece.


S022035

The diagram shows a bar magnet which is cut into three pieces with ahacksaw.

Write an “N” or an “S” in each box on the diagram to show the polarity ofeach end of the center piece.

N

North

S

South

Japan 64 pSingapore 62 pMacedonia, Republic of 62 pKorea, Republic of 59 pBahrain 58 pSweden 58 pLithuania 56 pBelgium (Flemish) 55 pCyprus 53 pRussian Federation 52 pNew Zealand 51 pAustralia 51 pUnited States 51 pEstonia 51 pSerbia and Montenegro 51 pIsrael 51 pNetherlands 49 OBulgaria 48 OItaly 48 OMorocco 47 OScotland 47 OMoldova, Rep. of 46 ORomania 46 OEngland 46 OLatvia 45 OSlovenia 45 OInternational average 44 OChinese Taipei 44 OSlovak Republic 43 OHungary 43 OMalaysia 43 ONorway 41 OHong Kong, SAR 40 qBotswana 39 qJordan 38 qSaudi Arabia 37 qLebanon 36 qChile 35 qPhilippines 34 qTunisia 33 qIndonesia 32 qIran, Islamic Republic of 32 qEgypt 30 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 27 qArmenia 25 qGhana 19 qSouth Africa 17 q

188

student Responses


Polesoncutmagnet(continued)Item Number: S022035

Correct Response:

Incorrect Response:

Correct Response:

189






PhysICs ElectricityandMagnetism FactualKnowledge

Diagram of batteries in a flashlight


A

S012037

The diagrams show a flashlight and three ways to put batteries in it.

+ – +– +– + –+– +–

In order to make the flashlight work, which way must the batteries beplaced?

a Only as in K

b Only as in L

c Only as in M

d None of these ways would work.

K L M

Singapore 97 pEngland 95 pKorea, Republic of 93 pJapan 93 pHong Kong, SAR 93 pRussian Federation 93 pSlovak Republic 93 pEstonia 93 pChinese Taipei 92 pMalaysia 91 pRomania 91 pLatvia 91 pHungary 91 pBulgaria 91 pBahrain 90 pLithuania 90 pMoldova, Rep. of 90 pSweden 89 pUnited States 89 pArmenia 88 pNew Zealand 88 OSlovenia 87 pLebanon 86 ONetherlands 86 OAustralia 85 OBelgium (Flemish) 85 OCyprus 85 OInternational average 85 OScotland 84 OIndonesia 84 OSerbia and Montenegro 84 OMacedonia, Republic of 84 OItaly 83 OIran, Islamic Republic of 83 OChile 82 OIsrael 82 ONorway 81 qBotswana 81 qMorocco 81 OJordan 78 qSaudi Arabia 78 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 78 qPhilippines 77 qEgypt 67 qTunisia 59 qGhana 55 qSouth Africa 52 q

190






PhysICs ElectricityandMagnetism ReasoningandAnalysis

Compassplacednexttoamagnet/draw


S032625

The diagram above shows a compass needle with its North and Southpoles labeled (N and S). It is placed next to a strong magnet as shown in thediagram below.

A. Draw the compass needle in the circle on the diagram above.Label the North (N) and South (S) poles of the needle.

B. Explain your answer using your knowledge of magnets.

N S

N

S

sCORINGCorrect Response

• Drawsa“horizontal”needlewithNtotheleftandStotheright.[Seediagrambelow.]

Note:Creditshouldbegivenevenifonelabelismissing(NtotheleftORStotherightshown).

Incorrect Response

• Drawsa“horizontal”needlewithpolesreversed(Ntotherightand/orStotheleft).[Seediagrambelow.]

• Drawsa“horizontal”needlewithnopolesindicated.[Seediagrambelow.]

• Drawsa“vertical”needlewithorwithoutpolesindicated.[Seediagrambelow.]


Japan 88 pKorea, Republic of 87 pChinese Taipei 86 pSingapore 76 pSlovak Republic 74 pHungary 67 pEngland 65 pHong Kong, SAR 61 pMalaysia 58 pBulgaria 57 pBahrain 56 pArmenia 54 pSweden 52 pAustralia 50 pRussian Federation 48 pRomania 45 pSerbia and Montenegro 45 pUnited States 45 pNetherlands 44 OIran, Islamic Republic of 43 OScotland 41 OInternational average 40 OJordan 38 OMoldova, Rep. of 37 OItaly 33 qMacedonia, Republic of 33 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 33 qLebanon 31 qNew Zealand 31 qNorway 30 qEstonia 29 qMorocco 28 qIsrael 27 qIndonesia 26 qEgypt 26 qSlovenia 25 qBelgium (Flemish) 25 qTunisia 24 qLatvia 23 qLithuania 21 qCyprus 20 qPhilippines 17 qSaudi Arabia 16 qChile 15 qBotswana 14 qSouth Africa 5 qGhana 2 q

191

student Responses


Compassplacednexttoamagnet/draw(continued)Item Number: S032625A

Correct Response:

Incorrect Response:

192







Compassplacednexttoamagnet/explain

PhysICs ElectricityandMagnetism ReasoningandAnalysis

ScoringforExplanationCorrect Response

• Explainsthatoppositepolesattract(NtowardS,etc.)orlikepolesrepel(orsimilar).Examples: The south point of the compass is attracted to the north pole of the magnet. North and south attract together. The magnets which have different poles attract one another. The N pole on the magnet will attract the S pole on the compass. Opposites attract and likes repel. The magnet pushes the N pole of the compass away.

• Othercorrect.

Incorrect Response

• Referstomagneticattraction/repulsionbutwithanincorrectapplication.Examples: Because the same pole will be attracted. The magnet is closer to the compass and will have a stronger attraction to the N end. The needle of the compass is metal, so it is attracted to the magnet and turns. It attracts the needle to North and South poles.

• ExplainsthatthecompassneedlealwayspointsNorth,orsimilar.Examples: The needle of North always goes to the magnetic North. North always goes toward North.


S032625




N S

N

S

Korea, Republic of 81 pJapan 77 pChinese Taipei 70 pSingapore 67 pHungary 59 pEngland 59 pSlovak Republic 56 pHong Kong, SAR 47 pArmenia 45 pBahrain 43 pMalaysia 43 pBulgaria 42 pAustralia 41 pIran, Islamic Republic of 40 pSweden 39 pUnited States 37 pSerbia and Montenegro 37 pRomania 33 ONetherlands 31 OJordan 30 OPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 30 OInternational average 29 ORussian Federation 29 OMoldova, Rep. of 28 OScotland 28 OMacedonia, Republic of 21 qItaly 20 qIndonesia 20 qEgypt 17 qNew Zealand 17 qIsrael 16 qLebanon 16 qMorocco 14 qEstonia 13 qNorway 13 qBotswana 11 qBelgium (Flemish) 11 qSlovenia 10 qSaudi Arabia 9 qTunisia 9 qPhilippines 8 qLatvia 8 qChile 5 qLithuania 5 qSouth Africa 4 qCyprus 4 qGhana 2 q

193

student Responses


Correct Response:

S032625




N S

N

S

Compassplacednexttoamagnet/explain(continued)Item Number: S032625B

194


Incorrect Response:

S032625




N S

N

S

Compassplacednexttoamagnet/explain(continued)Item Number: S032625B

student Responses(continued)

Correct Response:

195






PhysICsEnergyTypes,Sources

andConversionsConceptualUnderstanding

Storedenergyintwosprings


B

S012002

Spring 1 and Spring 2 were the same. Then, Spring 1 was pushed together alittle and clamped in place. Spring 2 was pushed together a lot andclamped.

Which spring has more stored energy?

a Spring 1

b Spring 2

c Both springs have the same energy.

d You cannot tell unless you know what the springs are made of.

1 2

Singapore 84 pEngland 84 pKorea, Republic of 84 pUnited States 83 pNew Zealand 83 pJapan 81 pNetherlands 79 pAustralia 78 pScotland 78 pEstonia 77 pHungary 75 pItaly 75 pNorway 74 pLithuania 74 pRussian Federation 73 pBelgium (Flemish) 71 pSweden 71 pIsrael 70 pHong Kong, SAR 69 pSlovenia 68 pMalaysia 67 pLatvia 64 OChinese Taipei 64 OLebanon 63 OJordan 63 OInternational average 62 OBulgaria 61 OArmenia 60 OChile 59 OCyprus 58 OIndonesia 57 qIran, Islamic Republic of 56 qMacedonia, Republic of 56 qSerbia and Montenegro 55 qBotswana 52 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 50 qPhilippines 48 qSlovak Republic 47 qMorocco 46 qRomania 39 qSouth Africa 39 qEgypt 39 qMoldova, Rep. of 38 qSaudi Arabia 37 qGhana 36 qBahrain 35 qTunisia 28 q

196






PhysICsEnergyTypes,Sources

andConversionsConceptualUnderstanding

Nailpulledoutofawoodenboard



• Explanationreferstofriction(implicitlyorexplicitly).Examples: Because it is rubbed against the wood. Nail resists when you pull it out. Because of the force on the nail to pull it out. Because of friction. There is friction between the nail and the wooden board.

• Explanationreferstoenergychange.Examples: There is more energy in the nail after the transition. Because energy is used to get it out. Kinetic energy changes to heat energy when you pull it out.

• Othercorrect.

Incorrect Response

• Explanationrefersonlytothenailortheactiontakenwithinadequateconnectiontofrictionorenergy.Examples: It is hard to get it out. You must pull hard. Because it was in the wood for too long.


S032131

When a nail is pulled out of a wooden board, the nail becomes warm.Explain why.

Chinese Taipei 84 pHungary 84 pSlovak Republic 78 pEngland 75 pHong Kong, SAR 74 pJapan 74 pUnited States 73 pRussian Federation 72 pLithuania 72 pNetherlands 71 pAustralia 71 pKorea, Republic of 70 pLatvia 68 pSingapore 67 pEstonia 66 pScotland 66 pArmenia 66 pBelgium (Flemish) 64 pRomania 64 pMalaysia 63 pMoldova, Rep. of 62 pBulgaria 61 pNew Zealand 57 OSlovenia 54 OInternational average 52 OIran, Islamic Republic of 52 OSweden 51 OIsrael 48 ONorway 47 qJordan 44 qCyprus 44 qSerbia and Montenegro 44 qMacedonia, Republic of 41 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 40 qItaly 40 qChile 40 qIndonesia 39 qBahrain 33 qMorocco 27 qTunisia 27 qSaudi Arabia 26 qPhilippines 24 qLebanon 22 qEgypt 20 qBotswana 11 qSouth Africa 11 qGhana 5 q

197

student Responses


Nailpulledoutofawoodenboard(continued)Item Number: S032131

Correct Response:

Incorrect Response:

Correct Response:

198






PhysICs ForcesandMotion ConceptualUnderstanding

Pathofballreleasedfromorbit


A

S022040

The diagram on the left shows a ball on the end of a string being whirled ina circle. The diagram on the right shows the whirling ball as viewed fromabove.

After several whirls, the string is released when the ball is at Q. Which ofthese diagrams shows the direction in which the ball will fly the instant thestring is released?

Q

(View from above)

Q

Q

Q

a b

c d

Korea, Republic of 87 pNetherlands 82 pEstonia 80 pSingapore 79 pAustralia 77 pJapan 77 pHungary 77 pScotland 77 pNew Zealand 77 pBelgium (Flemish) 76 pUnited States 76 pLithuania 75 pMalaysia 75 pSweden 74 pEngland 74 pRussian Federation 74 pSlovak Republic 72 pNorway 72 pLatvia 71 pSlovenia 70 pHong Kong, SAR 69 pChinese Taipei 68 pItaly 61 OBulgaria 60 OSerbia and Montenegro 60 OInternational average 60 OCyprus 59 OIsrael 58 ORomania 58 OChile 58 OArmenia 58 OMacedonia, Republic of 54 qMoldova, Rep. of 52 qIran, Islamic Republic of 48 qJordan 47 qIndonesia 47 qBahrain 44 qPhilippines 42 qSaudi Arabia 38 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 36 qMorocco 33 qTunisia 31 qEgypt 30 qLebanon 30 qBotswana 30 qSouth Africa 22 qGhana 22 q

Correct Response: A

199







Whyheliumballoonmovesupward


S032281

A balloon filled with helium gas is set free and starts to move upward.Which of the following best explains why the helium balloon moves upward?

a The density of helium is less than the density of air.

b The air resistance lifts the balloon up.

c There is no gravity acting on helium balloons.

d The wind blows the balloon upward.

Korea, Republic of 89 pHungary 88 pSlovak Republic 86 pChinese Taipei 86 pEstonia 83 pSingapore 81 pSlovenia 79 pSweden 77 pRussian Federation 75 pJapan 74 pUnited States 72 pHong Kong, SAR 71 pMalaysia 69 pLithuania 69 pNorway 69 pScotland 69 pLatvia 69 pNew Zealand 67 pEngland 66 pAustralia 66 pSerbia and Montenegro 65 pRomania 65 pItaly 61 OBulgaria 60 OInternational average 58 ONetherlands 58 OJordan 56 OMoldova, Rep. of 56 OArmenia 56 OIsrael 54 qChile 52 qMacedonia, Republic of 52 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 50 qPhilippines 49 qBelgium (Flemish) 49 qLebanon 47 qEgypt 45 qBahrain 43 qIran, Islamic Republic of 38 qCyprus 35 qSaudi Arabia 33 qIndonesia 32 qGhana 28 qBotswana 25 qSouth Africa 21 qTunisia 21 qMorocco 19 q

200







Metalcrown:whyscientistsrepeatedmeasurement


S032712

The scientists measured the volume of the crown five times. They computedthe density for each volume measurement. Their results are shown in thetable below.

Trial Volume of Crown (cm3) Density of Crown (g/cm3)

1 202 11.88

2 200 12.00

3 201 11.94

4 198 12.12

5 199 12.06

A. Why did the scientists measure the volume five times?

B. The scientists reported to the king that the density of the crown was12.0 g/cm3. Show how the scientists used their results to obtain thisvalue for the density.


Chinese Taipei 76 pKorea, Republic of 67 pEstonia 60 pSingapore 58 pHong Kong, SAR 56 pJapan 53 pMalaysia 53 pLithuania 53 pBelgium (Flemish) 47 pUnited States 47 pAustralia 44 pJordan 44 pSlovenia 42 pSweden 42 pScotland 41 pNew Zealand 40 pPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 38 pSlovak Republic 34 OEngland 34 ONetherlands 33 OIsrael 33 OInternational average 30 OMoldova, Rep. of 30 OLatvia 29 OEgypt 29 ORussian Federation 26 qSerbia and Montenegro 23 qNorway 22 qHungary 22 qCyprus 21 qMorocco 21 qTunisia 19 qIran, Islamic Republic of 18 qBahrain 17 qMacedonia, Republic of 15 qIndonesia 15 qItaly 15 qRomania 14 qBulgaria 13 qArmenia 11 qBotswana 10 qPhilippines 8 qChile 6 qLebanon 6 qSouth Africa 6 qGhana 5 qSaudi Arabia 1 q

201


sCORING

WhyScientistsRepeatMeasurementsCorrect Response

• Referstoaccuracy,precision,reliability,experimentaluncertainty,estimationofmeasurementerror(orsimilar).Examples: Because there is experimental error. So measuring it 5 times you can calculate

the average to know how much error there is. Each time they measure the volume it is close but not exactly the same. So, it’s better

to measure it a few times to be sure. They want a more exact answer. To get an accurate measure of the volume. It’s more reliable.

• Refersonlytocomputinganaverageormeanvalue(ormedianorrange).Examples: To find the average volume. To work out the mean.

• Othercorrect.

Incorrect Response

• Refersonlyto‘mistakes’orchangesinthemeasurements(orsimilar);noexplicitmentionofaccuracy,precision,experimentaluncertainty,etc.Examples: In case mistakes happen. To make sure it wasn’t changing. To make sure the answer was right and he did not make a mistake. To make sure they did it right. To check if it was correct.

• Refersonlytoa‘fairtest’orsimilar;noexplicitmentionofcomputationofaverage,accuracy,precision,experimentaluncertainty,etc.Examples: To make sure it was a fair test. To ensure a fair test.


Metalcrown:whyscientistsrepeatedmeasurement(continued)Item Number: S032712A

202

student Responses


Correct Response:

Incorrect Response:

Metalcrown:whyscientistsrepeatedmeasurement(continued)Item Number: S032712A

203







Metalcrown:determinationofaverage/medianvalue


sCORINGCorrect Response• Shows(ordescribes)acorrectmethodforcomputingtheaverage(mean)value.

Examples: (11.88+12.00+11.94+12.12+12.06) = 60. 60/5=12.0 (202+200+201+198+199)/5 = 200. 2400/200=12.0 They added together all of the densities and then divided by 5 to get the average.

• Shows(ordescribes)acorrectmethodfordeterminingthemedianvalue.Examples: 202, 201, 200, 198, 199. 200 is the median volume, so 2400/200 is the median density

(12). 12 is the middle value when placed in order (12.12, 12.06, 12.00, 11.94, 11.88).

• Othercorrect

Incorrect Response• Statesthatitistheaverage,meanormedianvaluewithnoorincorrectworkshown.

• Showsacomputationofdensity(mass/volume).[Nodeterminationofaverageormedianincluded.]Examples: They did mass divided by volume. 2400g/200cc = 12 g/cc


S032712

The scientists measured the volume of the crown five times. They computedthe density for each volume measurement. Their results are shown in thetable below.

Trial Volume of Crown (cm3) Density of Crown (g/cm3)

1 202 11.88

2 200 12.00

3 201 11.94

4 198 12.12

5 199 12.06

A. Why did the scientists measure the volume five times?

B. The scientists reported to the king that the density of the crown was12.0 g/cm3. Show how the scientists used their results to obtain thisvalue for the density.


Singapore 47 pJapan 44 pEstonia 36 pLithuania 31 pUnited States 29 pNetherlands 29 pChinese Taipei 28 pScotland 26 pSweden 24 pHong Kong, SAR 24 pAustralia 23 pEngland 22 pLatvia 22 pNew Zealand 21 pMalaysia 20 pBelgium (Flemish) 20 pKorea, Republic of 15 ONorway 14 OSlovenia 14 OInternational average 14 OIsrael 13 OMoldova, Rep. of 13 OHungary 12 qSerbia and Montenegro 11 qSlovak Republic 10 qRussian Federation 10 OCyprus 9 qBulgaria 9 qRomania 7 qJordan 7 qMacedonia, Republic of 7 qArmenia 6 qItaly 6 qLebanon 6 qIndonesia 4 qTunisia 4 qPhilippines 4 qEgypt 4 qBahrain 3 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 3 qChile 3 qMorocco 3 qBotswana 2 qIran, Islamic Republic of 2 qSouth Africa 1 qGhana 1 qSaudi Arabia 0 q

204

student Responses


Metalcrown:determinationofaverage/medianvalue(continued)Item Number: S032712B

Correct Response:

205

student Responses


Metalcrown:determinationofaverage/medianvalue(continued)Item Number: S032712B

Incorrect Response:

Correct Response:

206






D


Extrapolationofdistance/timegraph

PhysICs ForcesandMotion ReasoningandAnalysis

S022041

The graph shows the progress made by a beetle moving along a straightline.

If the beetle keeps moving at the same speed, how long will it take totravel 10 cm?

a 4 seconds

b 6 seconds

c 20 seconds

d 25 seconds

Dis

tance

(cm

)

Time (seconds)

5 10 15 20 25 30

14

12

2

10

8

6

4

0

Netherlands 91 pSingapore 90 pKorea, Republic of 90 pJapan 89 pMalaysia 89 pBelgium (Flemish) 89 pScotland 88 pAustralia 87 pUnited States 87 pHungary 86 pEngland 85 pSweden 84 pHong Kong, SAR 84 pLithuania 83 pNew Zealand 82 pEstonia 82 pChinese Taipei 80 pSlovenia 80 pLatvia 79 pIsrael 79 pRussian Federation 79 pNorway 75 pItaly 74 OChile 73 OMoldova, Rep. of 73 OBulgaria 71 OInternational average 71 OLebanon 70 OCyprus 68 OSlovak Republic 68 ORomania 67 OBotswana 64 qMacedonia, Republic of 64 qMorocco 61 qIndonesia 61 qBahrain 58 qIran, Islamic Republic of 56 qArmenia 56 qSerbia and Montenegro 55 qTunisia 55 qJordan 54 qPhilippines 52 qEgypt 51 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 44 qSaudi Arabia 40 qSouth Africa 35 qGhana 32 q

Correct Response:

207







Controlledexperimentwithcart


E

S022222

The diagrams show nine different trials Michael carried out using carts with

wheels of two different sizes and different numbers of blocks of equal mass.

He used the same ramp for all trials, starting the carts from different heights.

He wants to test this idea: The higher the ramp is placed, the faster the cart

will travel at the bottom of the ramp. Which three trials should he compare?

a G, H and I

b I, W and Z

c I, V and X

d U, W and X

e H, V and Y

U

G

ZY

H I

V W

X

Singapore 79 pJapan 78 pKorea, Republic of 75 pHong Kong, SAR 66 pEngland 65 pChinese Taipei 63 pNetherlands 59 pMalaysia 58 pAustralia 58 pScotland 58 pUnited States 57 pHungary 56 pLithuania 54 pNew Zealand 54 pEstonia 51 pSweden 48 pBelgium (Flemish) 48 pRussian Federation 47 OSlovenia 45 OArmenia 45 OItaly 44 OInternational average 43 OSlovak Republic 43 OLatvia 42 ONorway 41 OIsrael 41 OSerbia and Montenegro 39 qBahrain 37 qRomania 36 qBulgaria 36 qJordan 35 qCyprus 34 qChile 33 qSaudi Arabia 32 qMacedonia, Republic of 31 qLebanon 31 qIran, Islamic Republic of 31 qMoldova, Rep. of 30 qPhilippines 30 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 25 qIndonesia 25 qEgypt 23 qBotswana 23 qTunisia 23 qMorocco 22 qSouth Africa 18 qGhana 18 q

208







Datatrendofmassesonspring


S022286

The table below shows the results of an experiment to investigate how thelength of a spring changes as different masses are hung from it.

Mass (grams) Length of Spring (cm)

0 5

10 7

20 9

30 11

40 12

50 13

60 13

Describe how the length of the spring changed as different masses werehung from it.

Singapore 75 pHungary 73 pSlovak Republic 71 pKorea, Republic of 68 pChinese Taipei 67 pEstonia 66 pNew Zealand 65 pArmenia 65 pChile 62 pItaly 60 pJapan 56 pNorway 56 pAustralia 55 pHong Kong, SAR 55 pSerbia and Montenegro 53 pLithuania 52 pSweden 50 pSlovenia 49 pLatvia 47 OIran, Islamic Republic of 46 pUnited States 45 ONetherlands 45 ORussian Federation 43 OBulgaria 42 OInternational average 42 OIsrael 41 OMoldova, Rep. of 40 OBelgium (Flemish) 39 OJordan 37 qMacedonia, Republic of 36 qRomania 36 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 35 qScotland 34 qMalaysia 33 qEgypt 33 qEngland 30 qPhilippines 29 qSaudi Arabia 27 qCyprus 26 qLebanon 20 qIndonesia 17 qMorocco 17 qBahrain 13 qTunisia 12 qBotswana 7 qSouth Africa 6 qGhana 2 q

209


sCORINGNote:Toreceivecredit,responsesmustaddresstwobasicregionsinthetabletodescribethetrendinspringlengthasafunctionofthemassadded:

(i)initially,thespringincreasesinlength(ataconstantrate)asmoremassisadded.

(ii)afterapoint(40grams),thespringlengthstartstoleveloffandthenremainsconstantasmoremassisadded.

Responsesmaybequantitativeorqualitativeinnature.[Nocreditislostforusingwrongornounitsindescribinglengthormass.]

Correct Response

• Responseincludesbothregions(i)and(ii).Examples: At low mass, it grew 2 for every 10 grams. Then it changed by 1 at 40g. Then at 50g,

it did not grow any more. It increases by 2’s until 30, increases by 1’s until 50, and increases by 0 at 60. The length increased steadily up to 40g, and then it increased just a little bit more

until it was 13cm at 50 and 60 grams. At first it got longer every time you added a mass, but then after a while, it did not

get any longer.

• Othercorrect.

Incorrect Response

• Includesonlyregion(i).Responsereferencesonlyanincreaseinlengthasmoremassisaddedbutdiscussionoflevelingoffisinadequateormissing.Examples: The length increased as more mass was added. The spring length got 2cm longer with each mass. It increased by 2cm each time until 40 grams.

• Refersonlytolevelingoffofspringlengthordecreasingincrementsathighermasses.[Descriptionofchangeinregion(i)isinadequateormissing.]Examples: It stretches but only up to 13 cm. After 50 grams it did not change. It stretches less at higher masses.


Datatrendofmassesonspring(continued)Item Number: S022286

210

student Responses



Correct Response:

211



student Responses (continued)

Incorrect Response:

212







Metal crown: procedure to find volume of crown


S032711

The scientists then needed to find the volume of the crown in order todetermine its density. The following equipment and materials wereavailable for them to use.

Describe a procedure that the scientists could use to find the volume of thecrown using some or all of the equipment and materials shown above. Youmay use diagrams to help explain your procedure.

water supply

plastic tray glass container

graduated cylinder


Singapore 38 pJapan 36 pHong Kong, SAR 33 pKorea, Republic of 33 pChinese Taipei 32 pJordan 27 pRussian Federation 25 pEstonia 21 pLithuania 20 pSlovak Republic 20 pSweden 19 pSlovenia 19 pUnited States 17 pBelgium (Flemish) 16 pNew Zealand 16 OHungary 15 OIsrael 15 OAustralia 14 OInternational average 13 ORomania 13 OLatvia 13 ONetherlands 13 OItaly 12 OMalaysia 11 OCyprus 11 OBulgaria 11 OSerbia and Montenegro 10 qNorway 9 qSaudi Arabia 9 qScotland 8 qMacedonia, Republic of 8 qEngland 8 qBahrain 8 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 7 qEgypt 5 qArmenia 5 qIndonesia 5 qLebanon 5 qIran, Islamic Republic of 4 qBotswana 4 qPhilippines 3 qSouth Africa 2 qChile 2 qGhana 2 qTunisia 1 qMorocco 0 qMoldova, Rep. of 0 q

213


Metal crown: procedure to find volume of crown (continued)Item Number: S032711

sCORINGNote:Forfullcredit,responsesmustdescribeordiagramaprocedurebasedondisplacementandclearlyidentifyhowthevolumeofthecrownisdetermined.Partialcreditisgivenforproceduresordiagramsthatdemonstrateknowledgeofdisplacementwithoutacompletedescriptionofthesteps/measurementstobemade.Responsesmayalsoimplicitlyrefertoothermaterialsnotindicatedinthediagram(e.g.,ruler,marker,etc.).Becauseitisnottotallyclearfromthediagramwhattherelativesizeofthecrown,beaker,andtrayare,creditisgivenforproceduresthatuseanyofthesematerialsfordisplacementeveniftheactualproceduremightnotbecompletelysuccessful.

Correct Response

• Describesordiagramsaprocedurebasedondisplacementofwaterusingmeasuredwaterleveldifferences:

i)Addingwatertothebeaker(sinkortray)andmarkingthewaterlevel.

ii)Placingthecrowninthebeaker(sinkortray)andmarkingthenewwaterlevel.

iii)Measuringthevolumedifferencebefore/afteraddingthecrownusingthegraduatedcylinder

• Describes or diagrams a procedure based on displacement of water using measured overflow:

i)Fillingthebeaker(ortray)withwater.

ii) Placing the crown in the beaker (or tray) and collecting the overflow.

iii) Measuring the volume of the overflow using the graduated cylinder



• Describesordiagramsapartialprocedurethatincludesdisplacementofwaterbutwithinadequateornodescriptionofthesteps/measurementstodeterminethevolume.Examples: Put some water in the beaker and add the crown. Measure how much the level of water

went up. Add the crown to the beaker filled with water. See how much overflowed.


Incorrect Response

• Mentionsputtingthecrowninthebeaker(sinkortray)ofwaterwithnoexplicitmentionthatthewater level will rise/overflow and no or incorrect procedure given for measuring the volume.Examples: Fill the beaker to the top with water and add the crown. You can get the volume that way.


214

student Responses



Correct Response:

215





216


Incorrect Response:



Correct Response:

217






D


Thermometerscaleforboilingwater

PhysICs HeatandTemperature ReasoningandAnalysis

S022225

At different altitudes, the boiling point of water ranges from about 80° C to100° C. Which of the Celsius thermometers shown below would give themost accurate measurement of the boiling point of water at differentaltitudes?

a Thermometer A

b Thermometer B

c Thermometer C

d Thermometer D

e Thermometer E

A EDB C

80

50750750

95 100 125 150

Thermometers

Hong Kong, SAR 38 pKorea, Republic of 33 pNetherlands 33 pSlovak Republic 33 pEstonia 31 pChinese Taipei 30 pJapan 29 pBelgium (Flemish) 27 pIsrael 27 pLithuania 26 pUnited States 26 pSingapore 25 pHungary 24 pRussian Federation 23 pSweden 22 OSlovenia 22 ONew Zealand 22 OAustralia 22 OLatvia 22 OPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 21 OEgypt 21 OJordan 20 OEngland 20 OInternational average 20 OBulgaria 20 OScotland 19 OCyprus 17 ORomania 16 qItaly 16 qSerbia and Montenegro 16 qBahrain 16 qNorway 16 qMacedonia, Republic of 15 qSouth Africa 14 qTunisia 13 qMoldova, Rep. of 13 qPhilippines 13 qLebanon 12 qIndonesia 11 qIran, Islamic Republic of 10 qArmenia 9 qChile 9 qGhana 8 qBotswana 8 qMalaysia 6 qMorocco 0 qSaudi Arabia 0 q

Correct Response:

218






A


Seeingpersoninadarkroom

PhysICs Light ConceptualUnderstanding

S012004

A person in a dark room looking through a window can clearly see a personoutside in the daylight. But a person outside cannot see the person inside.Why does this happen?

a There is not enough light being reflected off the person in the room.

b Light rays cannot pass through a window twice.

c Outside light does not pass through windows.

d Sunlight is not as intense as other sources of light.

Singapore 87 pEngland 83 pScotland 81 pNew Zealand 81 pSweden 80 pUnited States 79 pLithuania 79 pChinese Taipei 79 pNetherlands 79 pKorea, Republic of 78 pAustralia 76 pEstonia 76 pNorway 75 pIsrael 75 pHong Kong, SAR 73 pLatvia 72 pBelgium (Flemish) 71 pSlovenia 70 pRomania 69 OHungary 69 OSerbia and Montenegro 69 OIndonesia 68 OItaly 68 OMoldova, Rep. of 68 OIran, Islamic Republic of 66 OBahrain 66 OInternational average 66 OPhilippines 66 OJordan 65 OCyprus 62 qChile 61 qJapan 61 qSaudi Arabia 60 qTunisia 60 qMacedonia, Republic of 59 qSlovak Republic 59 qBotswana 58 qMorocco 57 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 57 qRussian Federation 52 qBulgaria 50 qEgypt 50 qMalaysia 47 qGhana 44 qArmenia 42 qSouth Africa 42 qLebanon 35 q

Correct Response:

219






B


Angle of reflected light ray


S022058

A ray of light strikes a mirror as shown.

Which picture best shows the direction of the reflected light?

a

dc

b

mirrormirror

mirrormirror

mirror

Estonia 83 pEngland 83 pKorea, Republic of 81 pNetherlands 81 pJapan 80 pSingapore 79 pArmenia 76 pNew Zealand 76 pChinese Taipei 75 pLatvia 74 pMalaysia 72 pCyprus 72 pSweden 71 pLithuania 71 pHong Kong, SAR 68 pBelgium (Flemish) 67 pScotland 67 OAustralia 66 OBulgaria 66 OHungary 66 OInternational average 63 OSlovenia 63 OSerbia and Montenegro 62 OIran, Islamic Republic of 62 OSlovak Republic 62 OIsrael 61 ORussian Federation 61 OMacedonia, Republic of 61 OIndonesia 61 OPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 60 ORomania 59 OUnited States 59 qJordan 59 qMoldova, Rep. of 58 qLebanon 57 qNorway 57 qItaly 57 qEgypt 54 qBahrain 54 qMorocco 51 qPhilippines 51 qSaudi Arabia 49 qChile 45 qTunisia 44 qGhana 41 qBotswana 38 qSouth Africa 33 q

220







Sunlightthroughaglassprism


S032375

The diagram shows a ray of sunlight entering a glass prism.

Describe what will be seen on the screen.(You may draw on the diagram to help explain your answer.)

screen

prism

sunlight

sCORINGNote:Forfullcredit,responsesmustexplicitlyindicatethatdifferentcolorsareseenonthescreen,eitherbytextualdescriptionorbydrawingonthediagram.Acompletelycorrectorcompletesequenceofcolorsisnotrequiredforfullcredit.Partialcreditwillbegivenforresponsesthatshowordescriberefractioneveniftheappearanceofthelightbeamsonthescreenisnotfullydescribed.

Correct Response

• Describesordrawsthevisiblecolorspectrum.Examples: A spectrum of seven colors which is red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, violet.

• Referstoaspectrum,rainbow,colors,etc.(nocolorspectrumshown)Examples: I will see many colors on it like the rainbow. All the colors of the color spectrum. There will be seven colors.



• Describesordrawsmultiplerefractedraysbutwithnoexplicitconnectiontocolor.Examples: There will be a lot of rays coming out the other side of the prism. The light will spread out across that side of the prism and be seen on most of the screen.

• Describesordrawsonlytherefraction(bending)oflightbeam(nomentionofcolordispersion).Examples: The light inside the prism will bend. The sunlight would go through at an angle.


Incorrect Response

• Describesordrawsashadoworimageoftheprism(orsimilar).Examples: The prism will make a shadow on the screen.

• Refersonlytoseeingsunlightorlightonthescreen.[Nomentionofcolordispersionorrefraction.]Examples: Sunlight hitting the screen. The screen will be bright because there is light falling on it.


Korea, Republic of 74 pSingapore 65 pMalaysia 53 pHong Kong, SAR 49 pUnited States 49 pEngland 47 pNetherlands 45 pNew Zealand 43 pChinese Taipei 38 pJordan 36 pBahrain 34 pArmenia 33 pPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 33 pLithuania 32 pIran, Islamic Republic of 31 pScotland 28 OSweden 25 OEgypt 24 OHungary 24 OItaly 24 OInternational average 23 OAustralia 22 OEstonia 20 ORomania 18 qIsrael 17 qLatvia 17 qBelgium (Flemish) 15 qNorway 15 qSlovenia 15 qSaudi Arabia 14 qChile 11 qRussian Federation 11 qPhilippines 10 qJapan 10 qIndonesia 9 qLebanon 7 qBulgaria 7 qMacedonia, Republic of 7 qSlovak Republic 6 qBotswana 5 qCyprus 4 qSouth Africa 3 qMoldova, Rep. of 2 qSerbia and Montenegro 2 qGhana 1 qMorocco 1 qTunisia 0 q

221

student Responses


Sunlightthroughaglassprism(continued)Item Number: S032375

Correct Response:


222


Incorrect Response:

student Responses (continued)

Sunlightthroughaglassprism(continued)Item Number: S032375

223







Lightningseenbeforethunderheard


S032626

Mary was looking out her window on a stormy night. She saw lightning andthen heard thunder a few seconds later.

Explain why she saw lightning before she heard thunder.


• Referstolighttravelingfasterthansound(orsimilar).Examples: Speed of light is faster than speed of sound. Light travels quicker than sound. It takes more time for sound to reach her than light.

• Othercorrect.

Incorrect Response

• Refersonlytolightningbeingcloserorthunderbeingfurtheraway(explicitlyorimplicitly).Examples: Thunder has a longer way to go. Thunder is striking from kilometers away.

• Refers to lightning occurring first, causing thunder, or similar. [Noexplicitmentionoftherelativespeedoflight/soundtotravel.]Examples: Lightning is so quick, thunder only happens afterward. The noise occurs later. Thunder occurs from lightning. Thunder is the echo of lightning.


Singapore 88 pEngland 74 pChinese Taipei 70 pJapan 65 pHong Kong, SAR 62 pLithuania 61 pSweden 59 pBotswana 54 pHungary 54 pNorway 54 pEstonia 53 pLatvia 52 pNetherlands 52 pAustralia 51 pKorea, Republic of 47 pMalaysia 47 pIsrael 46 OUnited States 46 pBahrain 45 OSaudi Arabia 45 ORomania 44 OSlovenia 44 OBulgaria 43 ONew Zealand 43 OScotland 43 OBelgium (Flemish) 42 OInternational average 42 OItaly 41 OSlovak Republic 41 OMacedonia, Republic of 41 OEgypt 40 OJordan 39 OSerbia and Montenegro 37 qRussian Federation 36 qCyprus 35 qMoldova, Rep. of 35 qLebanon 32 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 31 qArmenia 26 qChile 19 qIndonesia 19 qIran, Islamic Republic of 15 qPhilippines 13 qMorocco 12 qTunisia 8 qSouth Africa 4 qGhana 1 q

224

student Responses


Lightningseenbeforethunderheard(continued)Item Number: S032626

Correct Response:

Incorrect Response:

Correct Response:

225






B


Candle position reflected on grid

PhysICs Light ReasoningandAnalysis

S012015

A candle is placed on a ruled grid in front of a mirror, as shown. At whatpoint will the reflection of the candle appear to be?

a Point A

b Point B

c Point C

d Point D

Mirror

A B

C D

Belgium (Flemish) 89 pSingapore 88 pNetherlands 87 pNew Zealand 86 pEngland 86 pScotland 83 pHungary 80 pHong Kong, SAR 80 pEstonia 80 pAustralia 80 pSlovak Republic 77 pKorea, Republic of 77 pChinese Taipei 77 pJapan 75 pBahrain 74 pMalaysia 73 pUnited States 73 pSlovenia 72 pRussian Federation 71 pNorway 70 pLatvia 69 pLithuania 68 pCyprus 65 OArmenia 65 OInternational average 64 OItaly 64 OIsrael 63 OChile 63 OIndonesia 60 qSweden 60 qSerbia and Montenegro 59 qMoldova, Rep. of 56 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 55 qBulgaria 54 qRomania 53 qMacedonia, Republic of 53 qEgypt 53 qIran, Islamic Republic of 52 qLebanon 51 qSaudi Arabia 48 qMorocco 46 qJordan 45 qTunisia 43 qBotswana 42 qPhilippines 41 qGhana 28 qSouth Africa 25 q

Correct Response:

226






D


Shadowsizefromdistancediagram


S012029

A tiny light bulb is held 20 centimeters to the left of a square card, which isin turn held 20 centimeters to the left of a poster board, as shown. Theshadow of the card on the poster board has a side of 10 centimeters.

If the poster board is moved 40 cm further to the right so that it is 80 cm fromthe light, what will be the new side of the card’s shadow on the poster board?

a 5 cm

b 10 cm

c 15 cm

d 20 cm

Card

Shadow

20 cm 20 cm

PosterBoard

LightBulb

Korea, Republic of 79 pSweden 69 pBelgium (Flemish) 69 pEstonia 68 pChinese Taipei 68 pJapan 67 pRussian Federation 67 pSingapore 66 pNetherlands 64 pLithuania 63 OLebanon 63 OMalaysia 63 pScotland 63 ORomania 62 OHungary 61 OUnited States 61 OLatvia 61 OHong Kong, SAR 61 OSlovenia 61 OBotswana 60 OArmenia 60 OIsrael 60 OEngland 60 OInternational average 59 OItaly 59 OMoldova, Rep. of 59 OMacedonia, Republic of 58 OAustralia 58 OSerbia and Montenegro 58 OBahrain 58 ONew Zealand 57 OIran, Islamic Republic of 57 OPhilippines 57 ONorway 57 OBulgaria 56 OMorocco 56 OJordan 56 OPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 56 qCyprus 55 qTunisia 53 qSlovak Republic 53 qSouth Africa 51 qIndonesia 50 qSaudi Arabia 49 qEgypt 48 qChile 47 qGhana 47 q

227







Brush reflected in mirror at angle


S022279

The picture shows a paint brush that is lying on a shelf in front of a mirror.Draw a picture of the paint brush as you would see it in the mirror. Use thepatterns of lines on the shelf to help you.

mirror

New Zealand 75 pNetherlands 72 pBelgium (Flemish) 71 pEngland 71 pScotland 70 pEstonia 67 pJapan 66 pAustralia 61 pHungary 61 pHong Kong, SAR 60 pSingapore 59 pLatvia 59 pLithuania 58 pRussian Federation 56 pArmenia 54 pNorway 53 pSlovenia 53 pSlovak Republic 52 pChinese Taipei 52 pSweden 51 pMalaysia 51 pMoldova, Rep. of 51 pUnited States 51 pKorea, Republic of 46 OSerbia and Montenegro 45 OBahrain 44 OInternational average 44 OItaly 42 ORomania 41 OBulgaria 37 qIsrael 36 qChile 35 qIndonesia 35 qMacedonia, Republic of 35 qIran, Islamic Republic of 32 qCyprus 31 qTunisia 26 qPhilippines 24 qMorocco 23 qEgypt 22 qPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 22 qSaudi Arabia 21 qLebanon 21 qJordan 20 qBotswana 17 qSouth Africa 8 qGhana 4 q

228


sCORINGNote:Abrushontheborderlineofthecorrectsquaresshouldbeacceptedascorrect.Creditisgivenforabrushinthecorrectsquaresevenifthehairsarenotclearlyshown.Onlyifthehairsareclearlyshowninthewrongdirectionistheanswerincorrect.

Correct Response

• Correctplacement:angle,gridposition,anddirection(hairstotheright).(SeeFigure1.)

Incorrect Response

• Correct angle and placement, but image flipped with hairs clearly turned to the left. (See Figure 2.)

• Imageparalleltooriginal(hairstotherightorleft).(SeeFigure3;otherrows/columnsarepossible).

• Correctanglebutimagetranslated(hairstotherightorleft).(SeeFigure4;otherrows/columnsarepossible).


Brush reflected in mirror at angle (continued)Item Number: S022279

229

student Responses


Correct Response:

Incorrect Response:

Brush reflected in mirror at angle (continued)Item Number: S022279

Correct Response:

230







PhysICsPhysicalStates

andChangesinMatterFactualKnowledge

Wettoweldriesinthesun

D

S032055

A wet towel will dry when it is left in the Sun. Which process occurs to makethis happen?

a melting

b boiling

c condensation

d evaporation

Chinese Taipei 98 pSingapore 95 pHungary 95 pEstonia 94 pSlovak Republic 94 pHong Kong, SAR 94 pJapan 94 pRussian Federation 94 pKorea, Republic of 93 pTunisia 91 pLithuania 91 pSlovenia 90 pEngland 89 pMoldova, Rep. of 89 pNew Zealand 88 pAustralia 88 pLatvia 88 pNetherlands 88 pMalaysia 87 pBulgaria 87 pScotland 87 OJordan 86 ORomania 86 OArmenia 86 OBelgium (Flemish) 85 OUnited States 85 OIsrael 85 OSerbia and Montenegro 85 OBahrain 84 ONorway 84 OInternational average 83 OIran, Islamic Republic of 83 OMorocco 83 OSweden 82 OSaudi Arabia 82 OItaly 81 OPalestinian Nat’l Auth. 78 qMacedonia, Republic of 78 qCyprus 77 qIndonesia 77 qChile 76 qLebanon 76 qPhilippines 69 qBotswana 67 qEgypt 59 qSouth Africa 51 qGhana 39 q

Content Domain Page

Earth Science

B01 LayersofEarth 3

B05 Elevationdiagramofwind/temperature 4

D03 Contourmapshowingriver 5

F05 Oxygenequipmentonmountaintops 6

H03 Whymoonshines 7

H04 Diagramofsoillayers 8

J01 Earth’splatesovermillionsofyears 9

J06 FactorexplainingseasonsonEarth 10

J09 Lifeonotherplanets 11

R04 Atmosphericconditionsinjets 12

Z02 Diagramofrainfromsea 13

Life Science

B04 Pulse/breathingrateafterexercise 14

D05 Sensorymessagestothebrain 15

D06 Seeddevelopmentfromplantpart 16

F01 Characteristicofmammal 17

F03 Interpretationofsenses 18

H01 NOTafunctionofblood 19

H02 Roleofvitamins 20

J02 Featuresharedbyallinsects 21

J07 Reasonforproteinindiet 22

L02 Largeleavesonseedlings 23

L03 Physicalcharacteristicofprey 24

L05 Wolvesmarkingterritory 25

L08 Completefoodweb 26

N02 Foodweb:effectofcropfailure 27

N03 Bacteriatoconvertmilktoyogurt 28

N05 Bonemealforplantgrowth 29

N06 Definitionoftissue 30

N08 Mammals/lizardslivingincoldregions 31

P03 Treegrowth 32

P04 Hibernatinganimals 33

P06 Digestioninstomach 34

R03D Twooutcomesofintroducingnewspecies 35

X02A Importanceoftrees/suninrainforest 36

X02B Importanceoftrees/suninrainforest 37

Content Domain Page

Physics

B02 Energyreleasedfromcarengine 38

B03 Greatestdensityfrommass/volumetable 39

B06 Colorreflectingmostlight 40

D01 Lightraysthroughmagnifyingglass 41

D02 Magneticsubstances 42

D04 Sequenceofenergychanges 43

F02 Whylight-coloredclothesarecooler 44

H05 Energystoredinfood 45

J04 Evaporationratebysurfacearea 46

J05 Gravityactingonrocket 47

J08 Sunscreentoprotectagainstradiation 48

L01 Rotatingforcesonwheel 49

L04 Efficiencyofmachines 50

N01 Completecircuits 51

N09 Balancing10and5literbuckets 52

N10 Flashlightswithwhite/blackreflectors 53

P01 Determinationofspeedfromgraph 54

P02 Amountoflightonwallandceiling 55

R02 Appearanceofreddressingreenlight 56

X01 Conversionofelectrical/lightenergy 57

Z03 Heatexpansionofballoons 58

Chemistry

F06 Bestreasonforpaintingironsurfaces 59

H06 Burningwoodabsorbs/releasesenergy 60

J03 Compounds,moleculesandatoms 61

L06 Filtrationofmixtures 62

N07 Exampleofchemicalreaction 63

R05 Smallpiecesofwoodburnfaster 64

Z01A Galvanizationofsteel 65

Z01D Galvanizationofsteel 66

Environmental and Resource Issues

F04 Areawheresoiliswashedaway 67

L07 Effectivenessofinsecticides 68

P05D Tworeasonsforfamine 69

R06 Resultofglobalwarming 70

Scientific Inquiry and the Nature of Science

N04 Evaporationofvinegarandoil 71

P07 Replicationofmeasurements 72

R01 Bacteria/moldexperiment 73

X03 Heartrateexperimentdesign 74

Item Index 1999

Content Domain Page

Chemistry

S032057 Litmustest 75

S012003 Fanningawoodfire 77

S022188 Reactionsreleasingenergy 78

S022198 Chemicalchangeinvolvingelements 79

S022191 Candlesburningin3jars 80

S022187 NOTamixture 85

S032564 Solutionhalfasconcentrated 86

S032574 Whichsubstancesareelements 87

S032709 Metalcrown:densityofmetalblock 88

S012016 Substancetypeofblack/white powder 91

S022206 Reactionofchlorineandsodium 92

S032562 Separationofsalt/sand/ironfilingsmixture 93

S032713A Metalcrown:whatmetalblock 98wasmadeof

S032713B Metalcrown:whatcrownwasmadeof 101

S012040 Atomsremovedfromchair 104

S012025 Particlesinnucleusofatom 105

S022202 Neutralatomgainselectron 106

Earth Science

S022283 AppearanceofJupiterandMoon 107

S032437 Whythemoonchangesshape 109

S032532 Positionofthemoonduringsolareclipse 110

S032714 Directiondroppedballwillfall 112

S032150 Sunisanexampleofastar 113

S032301 ThesurfacetemperaturesofVenusandMercury 114

S012013 Truestatementofmountainage 115

S032656 PacificRingofFire 116

S012018 SubstanceNOTafossilfuel 117

S012041 Rockatbottomoflake/ocean 118

S022074 Fossilfuels 119

S012027 Time/temperaturetable 120

S032652 Mapoftheworldwithlinesoflatitude 121

S012030 Stoneinundergroundcaves 122

S022275 Abundanceofgasesinatmosphere 123

S012006 Changesinrivershape/speed 124

Content Domain Page

Environmental Science

S012017 Increasedcarbondioxide inatmosphere 125

S022240 Maincauseofacidrain 126

S032446 Activitytoreduceairpollutioninacity 127

S012042 Nonrenewablenaturalresource 128

S032242 Renewableenergysource 129

S032422 Groupofrenewableenergysources 131

S012005 Overgrazingbylivestock 132

S022088A Positive/negativeeffectofdam 133

S022088B Positive/negativeeffectofdam 137

S032063 Drinkingwaterfromseawater 141

Life Science

S012038 Mainfunctionofredbloodcells 144

S022235 Plantgrowthexperiment 145

S032083 Fossilsinsedimentaryrock 146

S032706A GalapagosIslands:comparebeakdepthsofSpecies1and2 147

S032706B GalapagosIslands:sizeofseedseachspecieseats 151

S032707 GalapagosIslands:graphsofbeakdepthsforSpecies3and4 155

S032704 GalapagosIslands:plants/animalsinhabitedislandfirst 158

S032705A GalapagosIslands:effectofcats 160

S032705B GalapagosIslands:effectofgoats 162

S032682 Elementsthatmakeupanimalsandplants 164

S032202 Communityofmice,snakesandwheatplants 165

S032637 Leafyvegetablesimportantforhumanhealth 168

S022154 Transmissionofcoldinclassroom 169

S012026 Soninheritstraits 171

S012039 Traitstransferredfromgenerations 172

S022117 Biologicalcontrolofinsectpopulation 173

S032008 Fertilizationinanimals 174

S022152 Bodilyprocesstopreventoverheating 175

S022160 Advantageofhavingtwoears 177

S012001 OrganNOTinabdomen 179

S012014 Messagefromeyestobrain 180

Item Index 2003

Content Domain Page

Life Science (continued)

S032386 Absorptionoffoodintothebloodstream 181

S032607 Fishorganlikehumanlung 182

S022161 Howglasses/contactlenseswork 183

S012028 Characteristicsofanimalgroups 185

S032595 Catsmostcloselyrelatedtowhichanimal 186

Physics

S022035 Polesoncutmagnet 187

S012037 Diagramofbatteriesinaflashlight 189

S032625A Compassplacednexttoamagnet/draw 190

S032625B Compassplacednexttoamagnet/explain 192

S012002 Storedenergyintwosprings 195

S032131 Nailpulledoutofawoodenboard 196

S022040 Pathofballreleasedfromorbit 198

S032281 Whyheliumballoonmovesupward 199

S032712A Metalcrown:whyscientistsrepeatedmeasurement 200

S032712B Metalcrown:determinationofaverage/medianvalue 203

S022041 Extrapolationofdistance/timegraph 206

S022222 Controlledexperimentwithcart 207

S022286 Datatrendofmassesonspring 208

S032711 Metalcrown:proceduretofindvolumeofcrown 212

S022225 Thermometerscaleforboilingwater 217

S012004 Seeingpersoninadarkroom 218

S022058 Angleofreflectedlightray 219

S032375 Sunlightthroughaglassprism 220

S032626 Lightningseenbeforethunderheard 223

S012015 Candlepositionreflectedongrid 225

S012029 Shadowsizefromdistancediagram 226

S022279 Brushreflectedinmirroratangle 227

S032055 Wettoweldriesinthesun 230

Item Index 2003

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