Secondary 4 Technology And Living Practice Paper: Food Science And Nutrition, Food Safety And Hygiene, Textiles And Clothing, Family And Consumer Education, Healthy Diet Planning, Design And Making

Secondary 4 Technology and Living Practice Paper: Food Science and Nutrition, Food Safety and Hygiene, Textiles and Clothing, Family and Consumer Education, Healthy Diet Planning, Design and Making

2026-11-14

Technology and Living – Secondary 4 – Practice Paper

S4 Technology and Living paper, 24 parts and 100 marks: food science, food safety, textiles, consumer education, diet planning and design and making.

Paper details　S4 Technology and Living practice paper: 24 parts, 100 marks, with food science, food safety, textiles, consumer education, diet planning and design tasks; every figure is computed and asserted.

Section A: Food Science and Nutrition (18 marks)

Source A: an S4 student takes in 2,010 kcal a day, from 270 g carbohydrate, 75 g protein and 70 g fat; carbohydrate and protein give 4 kcal per gram, fat 9 kcal per gram.
Source B: health authorities advise that fat should supply no more than 30 per cent of daily energy.
Source C: the student takes 14 g of dietary fibre a day; the recommended intake is at least 25 g.
Source D: the student lunch is plain rice with fried chicken and a can of sweetened drink.

#	Question	Answer and marking notes
1	(a) From Source A, calculate the energy supplied by carbohydrate, protein and fat in kcal, and check that the three add up.	Answer: carbohydrate 270 x 4 = 1080 kcal; protein 75 x 4 = 300 kcal; fat 70 x 9 = 630 kcal; total 2010 kcal. Marking: 1 mark each and 2 marks for the total.
2	(b) Calculate fat as a percentage of total energy (one decimal place) and judge against Source B whether the 30 per cent ceiling is exceeded; if so, state by how many kcal.	Answer: 630 / 2010 x 100 = 31.3 per cent; the ceiling is 603 kcal, so the intake is 27 kcal over. Marking: 2 marks for the percentage, 1 for the ceiling and 2 for the excess.
3	(c) From Source C, calculate fibre intake as a percentage of the recommendation (one decimal place) and state the shortfall in grams.	Answer: 14 / 25 x 100 = 56.0 per cent; the shortfall is 11 g. Marking: 2 marks each.
4	(d) From Source D, give two specific suggestions to improve the nutrient balance of the lunch.	Answer: for example, replace fried chicken with steamed or baked chicken to cut fat; add vegetables or use brown rice to raise fibre; replace the sweetened drink with water. Any two, 2 marks each, with a reason required.

Section B: Food Safety and Hygiene (18 marks)

Source E: minced pork is left at room temperature with an initial load of 200 colony forming units (CFU) per gram; at 20 degrees Celsius the count doubles every 20 minutes.
Source F: after 120 minutes at room temperature the pork is moved into a fridge at 4 degrees Celsius.
Source G: food safety guidance says ready-to-eat food should carry fewer than 10,000 CFU per gram.
Source H: the workshop has one chopping board and one knife for both raw pork and ready-to-eat vegetables.

#	Question	Answer and marking notes
5	(a) From Source E, calculate the bacterial count per gram after 120 minutes and state the number of doublings.	Answer: 120 / 20 = 6 doublings; count = 200 x 2^6 = 12800 CFU per gram. Marking: 2 marks for the doublings, 3 for the count.
6	(b) Using Source G, judge whether the pork meets the ready-to-eat standard and calculate the excess in CFU per gram.	Answer: the limit is under 10000 CFU per gram but the pork carries 12800, so it fails; the excess is 2800 CFU per gram. Marking: 2 marks for the judgement, 3 for the excess.
7	(c) From Source F, explain why storage at 4 degrees Celsius slows bacterial growth.	Answer: low temperature slows enzyme activity, so metabolism and cell division slow down and the doubling time lengthens; 4 degrees sits at the edge of the danger zone, so growth is much reduced but not stopped. Marking: 2 marks each.
8	(d) From Source H, identify the cross-contamination risk and give two practical measures.	Answer: risk – the same board and knife carry bacteria from raw pork to vegetables that are eaten without further cooking. Measures: use colour-coded boards and knives; handle vegetables before raw meat; wash with hot water and detergent after each use. Any two, 2 marks each.

Section C: Textiles and Clothing (16 marks)

Source I: a fabric is 1.5 metres wide and costs 48 dollars per metre.
Source J: one top needs 1.2 metres of fabric and one skirt needs 0.9 metres; cutting adds 15 per cent wastage.
Source K: the order is 24 tops and 18 skirts.
Source L: the tutor advises drawing a cutting layout before cutting.

#	Question	Answer and marking notes
9	(a) From Sources J and K, calculate the total fabric length needed for the order before wastage.	Answer: tops 24 x 1.2 = 28.8 m; skirts 18 x 0.9 = 16.2 m; total 45.0 m. Marking: 1 mark each and 2 for the total.
10	(b) Calculate the length to buy after 15 per cent wastage (two decimal places) and compare it with the raw length.	Answer: 45.0 x 1.15 = 51.75 m, which is 6.75 m more than the raw length. Marking: 2 marks for the calculation, 1 for the meaning of 1.15 and 1 for the difference.
11	(c) Using Source I and the answer to (b), calculate the total fabric cost.	Answer: 51.75 x 48 = 2484.0 dollars. Marking: 2 marks for using 51.75 m and 2 for the calculation.
12	(d) From Source L, explain how fabric width affects the cutting layout and wastage rate.	Answer: the width is fixed at 1.5 m, so patterns must be nested tightly across the width; when pattern sizes do not fit the width, more fabric is left at the selvedge and wastage rises. The better the width matches the pattern set, the more pieces per metre and the lower the wastage. Marking: 2 marks each.

Section D: Family and Consumer Education (17 marks)

Source M: a household earns 24,000 dollars a month and spends 30 per cent on housing, 22 per cent on food, 8 per cent on transport and 12 per cent on education; the rest is saved.
Source N: the household wants 120,000 dollars in an emergency fund within 18 months.
Source O: a consumer body advises comparing energy label grades and warranty periods when buying household appliances.
Source P: the household is considering replacing a fridge that is over ten years old.

#	Question	Answer and marking notes
13	(a) From Source M, calculate the monthly spending on housing, food, transport and education.	Answer: housing 7200, food 5280, transport 1920 and education 2880 dollars, giving 17280 in total. Marking: 1 mark each and 1 for the total.
14	(b) Calculate the monthly saving and the savings rate as a percentage (one decimal place).	Answer: saving = 24000 – 17280 = 6720 dollars, so the savings rate is 28.0 per cent. Marking: 2 marks each.
15	(c) Using Source N and the answer to (b), judge whether the household reaches the target in 18 months and calculate the 18-month total and the gap.	Answer: 18 months gives 6720 x 18 = 120960 dollars, above the 120000 target by 960; on saving alone it takes 17.9 months, under 18. Marking: 2 marks for the total, 1 for the judgement and 1 for the gap.
16	(d) From Sources O and P, give two principles for choosing a new fridge, with reasons.	Answer: compare energy label grades, since a better grade uses less electricity and cuts bills; compare warranty and repair support to limit future costs; match capacity to household size to avoid waste. Any two, 2 marks each with a reason.

Section E: Healthy Diet Planning (15 marks)

Source Q: it is recommended to eat at least 300 g of vegetables and 200 g of fruit a day.
Source R: the student actually eats 210 g of vegetables and 120 g of fruit a day for five days running.
Source S: the student says the vegetables are cooked until too soft to enjoy.
Source T: the school tuck shop sells only fried snacks and sweetened drinks.

#	Question	Answer and marking notes
17	(a) From Sources Q and R, calculate vegetable and fruit intake as percentages of the recommendations (one decimal place).	Answer: vegetables 210 / 300 = 70.0 per cent; fruit 120 / 200 = 60.0 per cent. Marking: 2 marks each.
18	(b) Calculate the five-day vegetable intake, the five-day recommendation and the gap.	Answer: intake 210 x 5 = 1050 g against a recommendation of 1500 g, a gap of 450 g. Marking: 2 marks for the intake, 1 for the recommendation and 1 for the gap.
19	(c) Explain the role of dietary fibre in gut health and state one consequence of long-term shortfall.	Answer: fibre adds bulk and holds water, so it speeds peristalsis and shortens the time waste stays in the bowel, and it feeds gut bacteria. A long-term shortfall causes constipation and raises the risk of bowel disease. Marking: 2 marks each.
20	(d) From Sources S and T, design a lunch that meets the targets and explain how it can work in the school setting.	Answer: for example vegetable soup, a plate of blanched greens of at least 150 g and an orange or apple, so the two together reach the targets; ask the tuck shop to stock blanched vegetables and fruit or bring fruit from home, and blanch briefly so the vegetables stay crisp. Marking: 2 marks for the menu and 1 for feasibility.

Section F: Design and Making (16 marks)

Source U: making one fabric storage box takes 45 minutes to draft, 30 minutes to cut, 90 minutes to sew and 15 minutes to press.
Source V: the school workshop opens 2 sessions a week, 3 hours each.
Source W: the class must finish 5 boxes; the stages cannot run in parallel and must be done one box at a time.
Source X: each box measures 24 cm long, 18 cm wide and 15 cm high.

#	Question	Answer and marking notes
21	(a) From Source U, calculate the time to make one box in minutes and in hours.	Answer: 45 + 30 + 90 + 15 = 180 minutes, that is 3.0 hours. Marking: 2 marks each.
22	(b) From Source W, calculate the total time for 5 boxes in minutes and in hours.	Answer: 180 x 5 = 900 minutes, that is 15.0 hours. Marking: 2 marks each.
23	(c) Using Source V and the answer to (b), calculate the minimum number of workshop weeks, rounding any part week up.	Answer: each week gives 2 x 3 = 6 hours, so 15.0 / 6 = 2.5 weeks; a part week still needs a whole session, so at least 3 weeks. Marking: 1 mark for the weekly hours, 2 for the division and 1 for rounding up.
24	(d) Suggest two ways to shorten the making time without lowering quality, with reasons.	Answer: make one master template and cut the rest from it to avoid repeated measuring; batch the same stage across boxes, for example cutting all five at once, to cut tool changeover; choose a fabric that holds shape easily to reduce pressing. Any two, 2 marks each with a reason.

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