Gaokao Exam Compulsory Subjects 3 — Questions and Answers

Question 1: In Chinese high school chemistry (compulsory), the pH of a neutral aqueous solution at 25°C is:

7 (Correct answer)
0
14
Depends on the solute

Correct answer: 7

At 25°C, pure water has [H⁺] = [OH⁻] = 10⁻⁷ mol/L, giving pH = -log[H⁺] = 7. This is the neutral point.

The pH scale measures hydrogen ion concentration: pH = -log₁₀[H⁺]. At 25°C, the ionic product of water Kw = [H⁺][OH⁻] = 10⁻¹⁴. At neutrality, [H⁺] = [OH⁻] = 10⁻⁷ mol/L, so pH = 7. Solutions with pH < 7 are acidic and pH > 7 are basic. Note that at temperatures other than 25°C, the neutral pH changes because Kw is temperature-dependent — a point sometimes tested in higher-difficulty Gaokao chemistry questions.

Question 2: In Chinese high school physics (compulsory mechanics), if an object moves in a circle at constant speed, which of the following is true?

Its speed is constant but its velocity changes direction continuously (Correct answer)
Both its speed and velocity remain constant
Its acceleration is zero because speed is constant
It experiences no net force

Correct answer: Its speed is constant but its velocity changes direction continuously

Uniform circular motion has constant speed but changing velocity direction. Since velocity changes (direction), there is centripetal acceleration and therefore a centripetal force.

In uniform circular motion (匀速圆周运动), the magnitude of velocity (speed) is constant, but the direction of the velocity vector continuously changes as the object moves around the circle. Since velocity is a vector quantity, any change in direction constitutes acceleration (centripetal acceleration, a = v²/r, directed toward the center). By Newton's Second Law, this requires a centripetal force (向心力) directed toward the center. Common Gaokao applications include satellites, turning vehicles, and rotating objects.

Question 3: According to the Chinese politics curriculum, the National People's Congress (全国人民代表大会) is best described as:

The highest organ of state power in China (Correct answer)
The highest advisory body to the government
The military command headquarters
The judicial supreme court of China

Correct answer: The highest organ of state power in China

China's Constitution designates the National People's Congress (NPC) as the highest organ of state power (最高国家权力机关). It exercises legislative power and elects major state leaders.

According to China's Constitution (Article 57), the National People's Congress (NPC, 全国人民代表大会) is the highest organ of state power. It has the power to amend the Constitution, enact laws, approve state budgets, and elect/remove the President, Premier, and other major leaders. The NPC meets once a year; the Standing Committee of the NPC exercises legislative powers between sessions. Understanding the NPC's role is essential for the compulsory Politics subject on the Gaokao.

Question 4: In Chinese compulsory history, the Long March (长征, 1934-1935) is significant primarily because:

It preserved the Red Army and CPC leadership, allowing them to reach northern base areas and continue the revolution (Correct answer)
It resulted in the immediate defeat of the Nationalist (KMT) forces
It led to China's entry into World War II
It marked the end of the Sino-Japanese War

Correct answer: It preserved the Red Army and CPC leadership, allowing them to reach northern base areas and continue the revolution

The Long March (about 12,500 km) saved the CPC and Red Army from KMT encirclement, allowed the Zunyi Conference to consolidate Mao's leadership, and enabled the CPC to establish a base in Yan'an.

The Long March (长征, October 1934 – October 1935) began as a desperate military retreat by the Red Army from KMT encirclement in Jiangxi. Covering approximately 12,500 km across mountains, rivers, and marshes, it resulted in massive casualties but crucially preserved the CPC leadership and fighting force. The Zunyi Conference (遵义会议, January 1935) during the march established Mao Zedong's leadership. The Red Army eventually reached Yan'an in Shaanxi, establishing the base for their eventual victory in 1949. The Long March became a central myth in CPC revolutionary history.

Question 5: In Chinese high school biology, the process by which a cell produces energy in the absence of oxygen is called:

Anaerobic respiration (fermentation) (Correct answer)
Aerobic respiration
Photosynthesis
Osmosis

Correct answer: Anaerobic respiration (fermentation)

Anaerobic respiration (无氧呼吸) occurs without oxygen. In animals and some microbes, glucose is converted to lactic acid or ethanol/CO₂, yielding a small amount of ATP.

Anaerobic respiration (无氧呼吸) is the breakdown of glucose without oxygen. In plants and yeast: glucose → ethanol + CO₂ + small amount of ATP. In animal muscle cells (during intense exercise): glucose → lactic acid + small amount of ATP. This process yields only 2 ATP per glucose molecule (compared to ~36-38 ATP in aerobic respiration). It is covered in Chinese biology 必修1 (Compulsory 1) and is a common Gaokao topic alongside aerobic respiration and photosynthesis.

Question 6: China's geographic characteristic of '东西差异' (east-west differences) in the compulsory geography curriculum refers primarily to:

Differences in precipitation, economic development, and terrain moving from the humid eastern coast to the arid western interior (Correct answer)
Differences in temperature between northern and southern regions
Political divisions between provinces
Cultural differences between ethnic minorities and Han Chinese

Correct answer: Differences in precipitation, economic development, and terrain moving from the humid eastern coast to the arid western interior

The east-west gradient in China involves increasing aridity and elevation moving westward, with the monsoon-influenced eastern regions being wetter and more economically developed, while the west is characterized by arid climate, high plateaus, and deserts.

In Chinese high school geography (必修·自然地理), the east-west distinction is primarily driven by moisture (dry/humid zones, 干湿区). Moving from east to west, distance from the sea increases, monsoonal moisture decreases, and aridity increases — transitioning from humid and semi-humid zones in the east to semi-arid and arid zones in the west (Gobi and Taklimakan deserts). This also correlates with economic development gradients and China's three-step terrain (三级阶梯): low eastern plains, middle plateaus/basins, and the high Tibetan Plateau.

Gaokao Exam Compulsory Subjects 3

In Chinese high school chemistry (compulsory), the pH of a neutral aqueous solution at 25°C is: