Life Sciences Grade 10 P2 November Mock Exam 2 2026 QP (Eng)

Mock hlayiso mock exams Practice Series: Grade 10 Exam Preparation WWW.HLAYISO.COM NATIONAL SENIOR CERTIFICATE GRADE 10 LIFE SCIENCES P2 NOVEMBER EXAMINATION 2026 (MOCK) MARKS: 150 TIME: 2½ hours This question paper consists of 16 pages. Copyright reserved Please turn over

Life Sciences/P2 2 Hlayiso/Mock 2026 NSC Mock INSTRUCTIONS AND INFORMATION Read the following instructions carefully before answering the questions. 1. Answer ALL the questions. 2. Write ALL the answers in the ANSWER BOOK. 3. Start the answers to EACH question at the top of a NEW page. 4. Number the answers correctly according to the numbering system used in this question paper. 5. Present your answers according to the instructions of each question. 6. Do ALL drawings in pencil and label them in blue or black ink. 7. Draw diagrams, tables or flow charts only when asked to do so. 8. The diagrams in this question paper are NOT necessarily drawn to scale. 9. Do NOT use graph paper. 10. You may use a non-programmable calculator, protractor and a compass, where necessary. 11. Round off ALL calculations to TWO decimal places, where necessary. 12. Write neatly and legibly. Copyright reserved Please turn over

Life Sciences/P2 3 Hlayiso/Mock 2026 NSC Mock SECTION A QUESTION 1 1.1 Various options are provided as possible answers to the following questions. Choose the answer and write only the letter (A to D) next to the question numbers (1.1.1 to 1.1.10) in the ANSWER BOOK, e.g. 1.1.11 D. 1.1.1 The chamber of the heart that receives oxygenated blood from the lungs is the … A right atrium. B left atrium. C right ventricle. D left ventricle. 1.1.2 The main function of white blood cells (leucocytes) is to … A transport oxygen. B help the blood to clot. C protect the body against disease-causing organisms. D transport digested food. 1.1.3 Which ONE of the following takes place during atrial systole? A The atria contract and blood is forced into the ventricles. B All the chambers of the heart relax. C The atria relax and fill with blood from the veins. D Blood flows from the ventricles back into the atria. 1.1.4 The soil type with the largest particles, the most air spaces and the lowest water-retaining capacity is … A clay. B loam. C sand. D humus. 1.1.5 The layer of gases that surrounds the Earth forms the … A lithosphere. B hydrosphere. C atmosphere. D biosphere. Copyright reserved Please turn over

Life Sciences/P2 4 Hlayiso/Mock 2026 NSC Mock 1.1.6 Study the list of characteristics below. (i) Most of the rain falls in summer (ii) Frost occurs in winter (iii) Tall trees form a closed canopy (iv) Fires occur frequently Which combination describes the GRASSLAND biome? A (i), (ii) and (iii) only B (i), (ii) and (iv) only C (ii), (iii) and (iv) only D (i), (ii), (iii) and (iv) 1.1.7 Eukaryotic organisms that are mostly unicellular (for example Amoeba), some of which contain chloroplasts (for example algae), belong to the kingdom … A Monera. B Protista. C Fungi. D Plantae. 1.1.8 Two organisms that belong to the same order must also belong to the same … A family. B genus. C class. D species. 1.1.9 The era that is often called the ‘Age of Reptiles’ is the … A Palaeozoic era. B Precambrian. C Cenozoic era. D Mesozoic era. 1.1.10 The amount of oxygen in the Earth’s early atmosphere increased mainly because of … A volcanic eruptions. B photosynthesis by cyanobacteria (blue-green bacteria). C cellular respiration by early animals. D the formation of ice sheets during ice ages. (10 x 2) (20) 1.2 Give the correct biological term for each of the following descriptions. Write only the term next to the question numbers (1.2.1 to 1.2.7) in the ANSWER BOOK. 1.2.1 The double membrane that surrounds and protects the heart 1.2.2 The circulation of blood between the heart and the lungs Copyright reserved Please turn over

Life Sciences/P2 5 Hlayiso/Mock 2026 NSC Mock 1.2.3 The height of a place above sea level 1.2.4 Plants that are adapted to survive in very dry habitats 1.2.5 The study of the distribution of plant and animal species in different geographical areas 1.2.6 A fossil of an organism that shows characteristics of two different groups of organisms 1.2.7 The branch of biology that deals with the naming, describing and classifying of organisms (7 x 1) (7) 1.3 Indicate whether each of the descriptions in COLUMN I applies to A ONLY, B ONLY, BOTH A AND B or NONE of the items in COLUMN II. Write A only, B only, both A and B or none next to the question numbers (1.3.1 to 1.3.4) in the ANSWER BOOK. COLUMN I COLUMN II 1.3.1 Blood vessels that carry blood A: Aorta with a high concentration of B: Pulmonary artery oxygen 1.3.2 Organisms that obtain their A: Herbivores energy by eating other B: Producers organisms 1.3.3 Organisms whose cells have A: Monera a true nucleus B: Protista 1.3.4 Evidence that Africa and A: The same fossil plants South America were once and animals are found on joined both continents B: The coastlines of the two continents fit together (4 x 2) (8) Copyright reserved Please turn over

Life Sciences/P2 6 Hlayiso/Mock 2026 NSC Mock 1.4 The diagram below represents the nitrogen cycle. The letters A to F represent processes. Nitrogen gas (N2 ) in the atmosphere A B F Nitrates C Plant in the soil proteins E feeding Ammonium Animal compounds proteins Dead plants, dead D animals and wastes B: by bacteria living in the soil and in the root nodules of legume plants 1.4.1 Name the type of bacteria responsible for process: (a) B (1) (b) E (1) (c) F (1) 1.4.2 Name the natural phenomenon in the atmosphere that is responsible for process A. (1) 1.4.3 Name process C. (1) 1.4.4 State ONE reason why plants and animals need nitrogen. (1) 1.4.5 Explain why farmers often plant beans (legumes) in a field in which maize was grown the previous season. (2) (8) Copyright reserved Please turn over

Life Sciences/P2 7 Hlayiso/Mock 2026 NSC Mock 1.5 The table below shows some characteristics of four organisms, P, Q, R and S. ORGANISM NUMBER NUCLEUS CELL OTHER OF CELLS WALL FEATURES P Unicellular Absent Present DNA is a single loop; no membrane-bound organelles Q Multicellular Present Present No chlorophyll; (chitin) absorbs food from dead organic matter R Multicellular Present Present Contains (cellulose) chlorophyll S Unicellular Present Absent Moves with cilia; lives in pond water [Data: examiner’s own] 1.5.1 Give the LETTER of the organism that is: (a) Prokaryotic (1) (b) Autotrophic (1) 1.5.2 Name the kingdom to which each of the following organisms belongs: (a) Q (1) (b) S (1) 1.5.3 Give ONE reason, visible in the table, why organism S is NOT classified in the same kingdom as organism P. (1) 1.5.4 Name TWO characteristics in the table that organisms Q and R have in common. (2) (7) TOTAL SECTION A: 50 Copyright reserved Please turn over

Life Sciences/P2 8 Hlayiso/Mock 2026 NSC Mock SECTION B QUESTION 2 2.1 The diagram below represents the double circulation of blood in a human. The letters A to F represent blood vessels. Lungs (capillaries) Head and brain B A Liver Right Left atrium atrium E Right Left ventricle ventricle Small intestine C HEART Kidneys F D Shaded chambers contain deoxygenated blood 2.1.1 Identify blood vessel: (a) A (1) (b) B (1) (c) D (1) 2.1.2 Give the LETTER of the blood vessel that: (a) Carries deoxygenated blood away from the heart (1) (b) Carries blood rich in absorbed food from the small intestine to the liver (1) 2.1.3 Name the type of circulation that includes blood vessels C and F. (1) 2.1.4 Explain why the circulation of blood in humans is described as a double circulation. (2) 2.1.5 Describe the events that take place in the heart during ventricular systole. (4) 2.1.6 Name the blood vessels that supply the muscle of the heart itself with oxygen and nutrients. (1) (13) Copyright reserved Please turn over

Life Sciences/P2 9 Hlayiso/Mock 2026 NSC Mock 2.2 Read the extract below. WHEN THE HEART’S OWN SUPPLY LINES BLOCK The heart muscle works without rest and needs a constant supply of oxygen and glucose. In coronary heart disease, fatty substances such as cholesterol are slowly deposited on the inner walls of the arteries that supply the heart muscle. These fatty deposits (plaque) make the lumen narrower and the walls harder. The risk of coronary heart disease increases with age and is higher in people whose parents had heart disease. Smoking, a diet high in saturated fats and salt, a lack of exercise, obesity and high blood pressure also increase the risk. A narrowed artery may be widened with a small wire-mesh tube called a stent. If the blockage is severe, a surgeon may perform a coronary bypass operation, in which a piece of a vein from the patient’s leg is attached to the artery above and below the blocked part. [Summary compiled by the examiner from various sources] 2.2.1 Name the process by which the arteries become narrow and hard. (1) 2.2.2 Explain how a blocked coronary artery can lead to a heart attack. (3) 2.2.3 List TWO risk factors mentioned in the extract that a person CANNOT change. (2) 2.2.4 Explain how a coronary bypass operation helps a patient. (2) (8) 2.3 Grade 10 learners in Pietermaritzburg investigated the effect of aspect on soil temperature. They chose a hill with a north-facing slope and a south-facing slope at the same altitude. On a clear winter day they measured the soil temperature at a depth of 5 cm on each slope every two hours, using the same thermometer. The results are shown in the table below. TIME SOIL TEMPERATURE (°C) North-facing slope South-facing slope 08:00 8 6 10:00 13 8 12:00 18 11 14:00 20 12 16:00 16 10 [Data: examiner’s own] 2.3.1 Identify the: (a) Independent variable (1) Copyright reserved Please turn over

Life Sciences/P2 10 Hlayiso/Mock 2026 NSC Mock (b) Dependent variable (1) 2.3.2 Apart from using the same thermometer, state TWO ways in which the learners ensured that the investigation was valid. (2) 2.3.3 Draw line graphs on the same set of axes to show the results of this investigation. (6) 2.3.4 Explain why the north-facing slope had a higher soil temperature than the south-facing slope. (2) (12) 2.4 The diagram below represents a food web in an estuary on the coast of KwaZulu-Natal. Fish eagle Kob Kingfisher Zooplankton Mullet Prawns Phytoplankton Eelgrass 2.4.1 Name ONE organism in this food web that is an omnivore. (1) 2.4.2 Explain why the fish eagle can be described as both a secondary consumer and a tertiary consumer. (2) 2.4.3 Explain the effect on the prawn population if people catch too many kob. (2) 2.4.4 The phytoplankton in a part of the estuary contains 45 000 kJ of energy. Assume that 10% of the energy is passed on to each next trophic level. Calculate the energy that will reach the kob through the food chain phytoplankton → mullet → kob. Show ALL your working. (2) 2.4.5 State TWO reasons why estuaries are important ecosystems. (2) (9) Copyright reserved Please turn over

Life Sciences/P2 11 Hlayiso/Mock 2026 NSC Mock 2.5 The map below shows the approximate positions of five of the biomes of South Africa, labelled P to T. BOTSWANA T NAMIBIA S Q R N ATLANTIC OCEAN P INDIAN OCEAN 2.5.1 Identify biome: (a) R (1) (b) S (1) 2.5.2 Give the LETTER of the biome: (a) That receives most of its rain in winter and in which many plants, such as proteas, need regular fires to complete their life cycles (1) (b) In which the ‘Big Five’ animals are most commonly found (1) 2.5.3 Describe the climate of biome R. (2) 2.5.4 Alien invasive plants, such as pine and wattle trees, are a serious threat to biome P. Explain how these plants threaten the indigenous plants. (2) (8) [50] Copyright reserved Please turn over

Life Sciences/P2 12 Hlayiso/Mock 2026 NSC Mock QUESTION 3 3.1 The diagram below represents the water cycle. The numbers 1 to 4 represent processes. Sun 3 Cloud Cloud 2 4 1 ff n-o ru river Wetland Sea Process 3: water vapour moves inland and cools to form clouds 3.1.1 Identify process: (a) 1 (1) (b) 2 (1) (c) 4 (1) 3.1.2 Name the source of energy that drives the water cycle. (1) 3.1.3 State TWO ways in which wetlands are important. (2) 3.1.4 Explain how the large-scale cutting down of forests may affect the water cycle in an area. (2) (8) 3.2 The African penguin is classified as follows: Animalia Chordata Aves Sphenisciformes Spheniscidae Spheniscus demersus The Humboldt penguin of South America is Spheniscus humboldti and the emperor penguin of Antarctica is Aptenodytes forsteri. 3.2.1 A learner wrote the scientific name of the African penguin as ‘spheniscus Demersus’. State TWO errors that the learner made. (2) 3.2.2 Which penguin, the Humboldt penguin or the emperor penguin, is more closely related to the African penguin? (1) 3.2.3 Explain your answer to QUESTION 3.2.2. (2) 3.2.4 Give TWO reasons why it is necessary to classify organisms. (2) (7) Copyright reserved Please turn over

Life Sciences/P2 13 Hlayiso/Mock 2026 NSC Mock 3.3 The diagram below shows how some of the southern continents were joined about 250 million years ago, and where the fossils of four extinct organisms have been found. AFRICA INDIA SOUTH AMERICA AUSTRALIA ANTARCTICA Mesosaurus (freshwater reptile) Lystrosaurus (land reptile) Cynognathus (land reptile) Glossopteris (seed fern) [Simplified; adapted from various sources] 3.3.1 Name the southern supercontinent shown in the diagram. (1) 3.3.2 Mesosaurus was a small reptile that lived in fresh water and could not swim across oceans. Explain how the distribution of its fossils supports the idea that South America and Africa were once joined. (2) 3.3.3 Fossils of Glossopteris and coal deposits have been found in Antarctica. What does this suggest about Antarctica in the past? (2) 3.3.4 Explain how the continents are able to move, according to the theory of plate tectonics. (2) 3.3.5 Explain how the break-up of the supercontinent led to the development of different species on different continents. (2) (9) Copyright reserved Please turn over

Life Sciences/P2 14 Hlayiso/Mock 2026 NSC Mock 3.4 The table below shows a simplified geological time scale. ERA PERIOD BEGAN SOME IMPORTANT EVENTS (mya) Quaternary 2,6 Modern humans appear Cenozoic Neogene 23 First hominids appear in Africa Palaeogene 66 Mammals become more diverse Cretaceous 145 First flowering plants; mass extinction at the end Mesozoic Jurassic 201 First birds Triassic 252 First dinosaurs and first mammals Permian 299 Mass extinction at the end Carboniferous 359 Large coal-forming forests; first reptiles Palaeozoic Devonian 419 First amphibians Silurian 444 First vascular land plants Ordovician 485 Early jawless fish common Cambrian 541 Cambrian explosion; trilobites common mya = million years ago [Approximate dates, adapted from various sources] 3.4.1 Name the era in which the first dinosaurs appeared. (1) 3.4.2 Calculate how long the Jurassic period lasted. Show ALL your working. (2) 3.4.3 Describe what happened during the Cambrian explosion. (2) 3.4.4 Many scientists believe that a large meteorite struck the Earth at the end of the Cretaceous period. Describe how this impact could have caused a mass extinction. (4) (9) Copyright reserved Please turn over

Life Sciences/P2 15 Hlayiso/Mock 2026 NSC Mock 3.5 The diagram below represents layers of rock exposed in the wall of a cliff. The layers have not been disturbed since they were formed. Fossils were found in layers 1 to 5. 5 Mammal teeth 4 Dinosaur bones volcanic ash layer 3 Ammonites 2 Fish 1 Trilobites 3.5.1 Name the type of rock in which most fossils are found. (1) 3.5.2 Give the NUMBER of the layer that contains the oldest fossils, and give a reason for your answer. (2) 3.5.3 Name the method of dating used in QUESTION 3.5.2. (1) 3.5.4 The volcanic ash layer contains a radioactive element with a half-life of 25 million years. Only 12,5% of the original radioactive element is left in the ash. Calculate the age of the ash layer. Show ALL your working. (3) 3.5.5 Are the dinosaur bones in layer 4 older or younger than 75 million years? Give a reason for your answer. (2) (9) 3.6 Read the extract below. SOUTH AFRICA’S HOMINID FOSSILS In 1924 a small fossil skull was found in a limestone quarry near Taung in the present-day North West province. In 1925 Professor Raymond Dart described it as a new species, Australopithecus africanus. The skull, known as the Taung Child, belonged to a young individual that lived between 2 and 3 million years ago. The position of the opening where the spinal cord enters the skull showed that it walked upright. In 1947 an almost complete adult cranium (skull without the lower jaw) of the same species, nicknamed ‘Mrs Ples’, was found in the Sterkfontein Caves. The caves form part of the Cradle of Humankind, which was declared a World Heritage Site in 1999. Thousands of tourists, learners and scientists visit the site every year. [Summary compiled by the examiner from various sources] 3.6.1 Give the genus of the Taung Child. (1) 3.6.2 Explain why the discovery of the Taung Child was important for the study of human origins. (2) Copyright reserved Please turn over

Life Sciences/P2 16 Hlayiso/Mock 2026 NSC Mock 3.6.3 Name the province in which the Cradle of Humankind is situated. (1) 3.6.4 Explain TWO ways in which the local community benefits from fossil sites such as the Cradle of Humankind. (2) 3.6.5 Suggest TWO reasons why very few complete fossil skeletons of hominids have been found. (2) (8) [50] TOTAL SECTION B: 100 GRAND TOTAL: 150 Copyright reserved