Olibits / Science / Plants Enrichment
Primary 4 Science: Plants Enrichment Practice
Real Primary 4 Science questions on Plants Enrichment, pulled directly from the Olibits question bank — the same questions a child would actually see, not separately written for this page.
Curriculum alignment
Science Teaching & Learning Syllabus, Primary Three to Six (MOE, 2023 syllabus)
Science is not a taught subject at P1/P2 under MOE's own syllabus — our P1/P2 Science content is offered as enrichment beyond the official syllabus, not as a claim of syllabus coverage at those grades.
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Enrichment topic. This goes beyond what the MOE syllabus asks at this level. It is offered as extra practice, not as syllabus coverage.
Real Plants Enrichment practice questions
A potato has small buds called 'eyes' on its surface, from which new shoots can grow. Based on this, which plant part is a potato most likely to be?
A swollen underground stem, because it has buds that grow into new shoots ✓
A root, because it grows underground and stores food for the plant
A fruit, because people eat it and it stores food
A seed, because new plants can grow from it
Buds that sprout into new shoots normally grow on stems, not roots. Since a potato has 'eyes' (buds) that sprout, it is classified as a swollen underground stem rather than a root.
A bamboo stem is hollow but still stays upright and rarely snaps in strong wind. Explain using TWO properties of the stem why this design helps it survive windy conditions.
The stem is solid and stiff, so it stands firmly against the wind
The hollow shape makes the stem weak, but it grows back very quickly whenever it snaps in the wind
The hollow stem is so light that the wind cannot push it over at all
The hollow tube shape resists bending, and the stem is flexible and bends with the wind ✓
A hollow, tube-shaped stem, like a rolled-up paper tube, can still resist bending well despite being hollow. Combined with its flexibility to bend with strong wind rather than resisting it rigidly, this helps bamboo survive windy conditions without snapping.
One plant species produces very few, large, nutrient-rich seeds mainly dispersed by animals, while another produces thousands of tiny, light seeds dispersed by wind. Both strategies help each species survive over many generations. Suggest one advantage each strategy has over the other.
Large seeds give each seedling more food but are few, while tiny seeds are many and spread widely but each is less likely to survive ✓
Large seeds travel further by wind than tiny seeds, while tiny seeds give each seedling more stored food
Large seeds are made in greater numbers than tiny seeds and are carried further by the wind, while tiny seeds give every seedling a stronger start
Both kinds of seeds give the same advantages, since every seed grows into one plant
These are two different reproductive strategies with trade-offs: fewer, large seeds give each seedling more stored nutrients for a strong start, while huge numbers of tiny seeds increase the chance that at least some land in a good spot, even though each individual seed is less likely to survive.
A plant breeder wants to develop seeds that can survive being eaten and passed through a bird's digestive system without being destroyed, so they can still germinate afterwards. Which existing seed feature would most likely help, and why might a thin, soft seed coat be a poor choice?
A very large size, because big seeds are too hard for the gut to break down
A tough, hard seed coat, because a thin, soft coat would be digested before the seed passed out ✓
A sweet, juicy coat, because birds then swallow the whole seed without chewing it and the gut cannot reach it
A bright red coat, because birds avoid digesting red seeds
For a seed to survive being eaten and pass through an animal's gut intact, it needs a tough, hard outer coat to resist digestion. A thin, soft coat would likely be broken down before the seed can pass through and later germinate.