Year 11 Paper 2: Body Systems, Fitness Testing and Society
Covers the skeletal system, the cardiorespiratory system, movement analysis, components of fitness and fitness testing data, and socio-cultural influences on participation.
Year 11 here means a typical teaching order, not a syllabus rule. No exam board defines what belongs to Year 11, and schools sequence the course differently. Check it against your own scheme of work before using it to decide what a class has covered.
Questions
Question 1 [2 marks]
Components of Fitness
A 100 m sprinter needs to reach maximum speed as quickly as possible after the starting gun.
Name the skill-related component of fitness most needed at the start of the race, and give its definition.
Question 2 [2 marks]
Training Methods and Fitness Testing Data
A rugby player trains using circuit training, moving between different exercise stations.
State two advantages of circuit training as a method of improving fitness.
Question 3 [3 marks]
Socio-cultural Influences on Participation
A national governing body launches a free campaign encouraging more women to take part in grassroots sport, using relatable everyday role models.
State two barriers to participation this type of campaign is designed to address, and give a reason for one of them.
Question 4 [3 marks]
The Skeletal System
A rugby player is tackled and lands heavily on his shoulder.
State three functions of the skeletal system that are important to this rugby player.
Question 5 [3 marks]
Movement Analysis: Levers, Planes and Axes
A PE student performs a star jump, moving her arms and legs out to the sides and then back in again.
Name the plane and axis this movement takes place in, and name the joint action occurring at the hip and shoulder as the limbs move outward.
Question 6 [4 marks]
The Cardiorespiratory System and Effects of Exercise
A PE teacher explains the process of breathing out (expiration) during recovery after a sprint, when the athlete needs to expel air quickly and forcefully.
Describe what happens to the diaphragm, the intercostal muscles, and the volume and pressure inside the chest cavity during forced expiration.
Question 7 [4 marks]
Components of Fitness
A basketball player dodges past a defender by suddenly changing direction while sprinting.
Identify the skill-related component of fitness shown, and explain the difference between this component and speed.
Question 8 [5 marks]
Socio-cultural Influences on Participation
Video assistant referee (VAR) technology is used in top professional football leagues but is far too expensive for grassroots and school football matches.
Explain one benefit of technology such as VAR for the top level of a sport, and explain one way its cost could create inequality within the sport as a whole.
Question 9 [5 marks]
The Skeletal System
A marathon runner relies on a high number of red blood cells to transport oxygen, and on strong bones to cope with the repeated impact of training.
Explain how the bone marrow and the mineral content of bone support this runner's training, referring to blood cell production and mineral storage.
Question 10 [5 marks]
Components of Fitness
A gymnast holds a handstand perfectly still on the balance beam, while a surfer constantly adjusts her body position to stay upright on a moving wave.
Identify the component of fitness both performers rely on, and explain the difference between static and dynamic balance using these two examples.
Question 11 [6 marks]
The Cardiorespiratory System and Effects of Exercise
A club runner has followed an aerobic training programme for six months.
Explain the long term effects of this training on her cardiovascular and respiratory systems, and how these adaptations improve her performance.
Question 12 [6 marks]
The Skeletal System
An archer must grip, draw and release the bowstring with very fine control from her fingers and wrist, while her legs simply provide a stable, strong base to stand on.
Explain why having many small bones in the hand and wrist, compared to one large bone in the thigh, suits the very different jobs these body parts do for the archer.
Question 13 [6 marks]
Movement Analysis: Levers, Planes and Axes
A weightlifter's biceps must produce a far greater force than the actual weight of the dumbbell she lifts during a bicep curl, because of how the lever system at her elbow is arranged.
Explain why most joints in the human body, including the elbow, are arranged as third class levers rather than second class levers, and explain one disadvantage this creates for lifting heavy loads.
Question 14 [6 marks]
The Cardiorespiratory System and Effects of Exercise
A rower has trained aerobically for two years and her resting cardiac output is unchanged, but the way her heart produces it has changed considerably.
Explain why a trained rower's resting cardiac output can stay similar to an untrained person's, despite her having a lower resting heart rate and a higher stroke volume.
Model solutions
| Question 1[2 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| reaction time | B1 |
| a correct definition, e.g. the time taken to respond to a stimulus | B1 |
| Final answer: Reaction time - the time taken to respond to a stimulus | |
| Question 2[2 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| many components of fitness being trainable in one session, e.g. strength, muscular endurance and cardiovascular fitness | B1 |
| the method being easy to adapt to be sport specific, or suiting large groups training at once | B1 |
| Final answer: Any two of: trains multiple components at once, easy to adapt/make sport-specific, suits large groups, easy to monitor progress | |
| Question 3[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| a correct barrier, e.g. lack of confidence or fear of judgement about appearance/ability | B1 |
| a further correct barrier, e.g. a lack of awareness of opportunities available locally | B1 |
| a correct reason for one barrier, e.g. showing ordinary women taking part can reduce the fear of being judged, making participation feel more achievable | B1 |
| Final answer: Barriers such as lack of confidence and lack of awareness of local opportunities; showing relatable role models reduces the fear of judgement | |
| Question 4[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| support, e.g. holding the body upright and maintaining posture | B1 |
| protection, e.g. protecting organs such as the lungs from the impact | B1 |
| movement, e.g. providing attachment points for muscles so joints can move (accept blood cell production or mineral storage) | B1 |
| Final answer: Any three of: support, protection, movement (muscle attachment), blood cell production, mineral storage | |
| Question 5[3 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| the frontal plane | B1 |
| the sagittal axis | B1 |
| abduction, occurring at both the hip and shoulder as the limbs move outward | B1 |
| Final answer: Frontal plane, sagittal axis; abduction at the hip and shoulder | |
| Question 6[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| the diaphragm relaxing and returning to its domed shape | B1 |
| the internal intercostal muscles contracting, pulling the ribcage down and in | B1 |
| the volume of the chest (thoracic) cavity decreasing | B1 |
| the pressure inside the chest cavity increasing above atmospheric pressure, forcing air out of the lungs | B1 |
| Final answer: Diaphragm relaxes and domes upward, internal intercostals contract to pull the ribcage down, chest volume decreases and pressure increases, forcing air out | |
| Question 7[4 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| agility | B1 |
| a correct definition of agility, e.g. the ability to change the position of the body quickly and control the movement of the whole body | B1 |
| a correct definition of speed, e.g. the maximum rate at which a person is able to move over a set distance | B1 |
| a clear comparison, e.g. speed is moving quickly in a straight line, whereas agility also needs a quick change of direction with control | B1 |
| Final answer: Agility - changing direction quickly and with control, unlike speed which is straight-line pace | |
| Question 8[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| a correct benefit, e.g. it helps officials make more accurate decisions on close or controversial incidents at the highest level | B1 |
| a correct additional detail, e.g. this can reduce errors that might otherwise unfairly affect the result of a high profile match | B1 |
| a correct explanation of the cost issue, e.g. the equipment and staff needed to run VAR are very expensive, so only the wealthiest leagues or competitions can afford it | B1 |
| a correct link to inequality, e.g. grassroots and lower level matches continue to rely only on human officials, so decision-making accuracy is not equally shared across the whole sport | B1 |
| a correct overall link, e.g. this shows how a genuine benefit of technology at the top level does not automatically reach, or benefit, the sport at every level | B1 |
| Final answer: VAR improves decision accuracy at the top level, but its high cost means only the wealthiest competitions can afford it, so the benefit does not reach grassroots and lower level football | |
| Question 9[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| red bone marrow, found inside certain bones, producing red blood cells | B1 |
| a correct application, e.g. more red blood cells increase the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood, supporting her aerobic training | B1 |
| bones storing minerals such as calcium and phosphorus | B1 |
| a correct application, e.g. these minerals keep bones strong and dense, helping them withstand the repeated impact forces of running | B1 |
| a correct overall link, e.g. both functions support her ability to train hard and recover, by supplying oxygen and providing a strong structural base | B1 |
| Final answer: Bone marrow produces red blood cells for oxygen transport; bones store calcium and phosphorus, keeping them strong enough to withstand repeated impact | |
| Question 10[5 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| balance | B1 |
| a correct definition, e.g. the ability to keep the body's centre of mass over its base of support | B1 |
| a correct description of static balance, e.g. keeping the body stable while stationary, as in the gymnast's held handstand | B1 |
| a correct description of dynamic balance, e.g. keeping the body stable while moving, as in the surfer constantly adjusting on the moving wave | B1 |
| a correct additional detail, e.g. both still rely on continually making small muscular adjustments to keep the centre of mass over the base of support | B1 |
| Final answer: Balance; the gymnast's held handstand shows static balance (stable while still), while the surfer shows dynamic balance (stable while moving) | |
| Question 11[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| cardiac hypertrophy, the heart muscle (especially the left ventricle wall) becoming thicker and stronger | B1 |
| stroke volume increasing, so more blood is pumped out per beat | B1 |
| resting heart rate decreasing (bradycardia), as a stronger heart needs fewer beats to pump the same amount of blood | B1 |
| the number of capillaries around the alveoli and muscles increasing, improving gaseous exchange and oxygen delivery | B1 |
| vital capacity increasing, allowing more air into the lungs with each breath | B1 |
| correctly linking these adaptations to performance, e.g. more oxygen delivered to the working muscles, delaying fatigue and improving aerobic endurance | B1 |
| Final answer: Cardiac hypertrophy, increased stroke volume, decreased resting heart rate, increased capillarisation and vital capacity, improving oxygen delivery and endurance | |
| Question 12[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| the hand and wrist containing many small bones, such as the carpals, metacarpals and phalanges, creating many small joints | B1 |
| a correct explanation, e.g. many small joints allow a very fine, precise range of movement, needed to grip, draw and release the string accurately | B1 |
| the thigh containing one large long bone, the femur | B1 |
| a correct explanation, e.g. one large, strong bone is better suited to bearing the body's weight and providing a stable, powerful base to stand on | B1 |
| a correct comparison, e.g. more small bones and joints generally increases the possible range and precision of movement, while fewer, larger bones increase strength and stability | B1 |
| a correct overall link to the archer, e.g. this combination lets her make fine adjustments with her hand while her legs hold a completely still, solid stance | B1 |
| Final answer: Many small bones in the hand and wrist give fine, precise control for gripping and releasing the string; the single large femur gives the leg strength and stability to hold a solid stance | |
| Question 13[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| a third class lever having the effort positioned between the fulcrum and the load | B1 |
| a correct explanation of the advantage, e.g. this arrangement allows a large range of movement and fast movement of the load, even from a small movement of the muscle | B1 |
| correctly linking this to most sporting movements, e.g. speed and range of movement matter more than raw lifting force in most sports, so the body is built this way | B1 |
| a correct statement of the disadvantage, e.g. this arrangement gives a mechanical advantage of less than 1, meaning the effort force must always be greater than the load | B1 |
| a correct application, e.g. this is why the biceps must generate a force much larger than the actual weight of the dumbbell being curled | B1 |
| a correct overall link, e.g. the body trades lifting efficiency for speed and range of movement, which is why very heavy loads feel disproportionately hard to lift | B1 |
| Final answer: Most joints, including the elbow, are third class levers because this favours speed and range of movement over force, which suits most sporting actions; the disadvantage is a mechanical advantage below 1, meaning the effort must always exceed the load being lifted | |
| Question 14[6 marks] | |
|---|---|
| Answer or working | Marks |
| cardiac output = heart rate x stroke volume, so the same cardiac output can be produced by different combinations of the two | B1 |
| cardiac hypertrophy occurring with training, the heart (especially the left ventricle) becoming larger and stronger | B1 |
| this increased strength allowing more blood to be ejected with each beat, increasing stroke volume | B1 |
| the increased stroke volume meaning fewer beats are needed each minute to produce the same cardiac output, causing bradycardia (a lower resting heart rate) | B1 |
| correct reasoning, e.g. a higher stroke volume multiplied by a lower heart rate can still give the same, or a very similar, cardiac output as before training | B1 |
| a correct overall link, e.g. this shows the heart has become more efficient, doing the same job (resting cardiac output) with fewer, more powerful beats | B1 |
| Final answer: Cardiac output = heart rate x stroke volume; training raises stroke volume (cardiac hypertrophy) while lowering resting heart rate (bradycardia) by a similar proportion, so the resting cardiac output stays about the same but the heart works more efficiently | |