TASK DEFINITION: In this task, you're given a question, along with a context passage. The passage will not have a direct answer to the question, but can include some information and a clue for the answer. Assuming you can only obtain information about one entity in the passage, your job is to determine whether information from the passage can be used to answer the question. Indicate your choice as 'a' for Yes or 'b' for No.
PROBLEM: Question: When was the star in Draco that is visible primarily in the northern hemisphere discovered? Passage:Like the star Epsilon Draconis in the constellation of Draco, Beta Cephei is visible primarily in the northern hemisphere, given its extreme northern declination of 70 degrees and 34 minutes. It is nevertheless visible to most observers throughout the world reaching as far south as cities like Harare in Zimbabwe, Santa Cruz de la Sierra in Bolivia or other settlements north 19South latitude. It is circumpolar throughout all of Europe, northern Asia, and North American cities as far south as Guadalajara in west central Mexico. All other locations around the globe having a latitude greater than 20North will notice that the star is always visible in the night sky. Because Beta Cephei is a faint third magnitude star, it may be difficult to identify in most light polluted cities, though in rural locations the star should be easily observable.

SOLUTION: a

PROBLEM: Question: How many years had Tortola been a British colony when Smith was born? Passage:Ethlyn Eugenie Smith was born on 23 April 1940 in the village of Huntums Ghut, on the island of Tortola, at the time a British colony known as the British Leeward Islands to Gladys and Ernest Smith. She completed her primary and secondary education in the islands and worked briefly as a clerical trainee in the civil service of the island. To further her education, she pursued an associates degree from the College of the Virgin Islands in Charlotte Amalie, in the U. S. Virgin Islands. She completed her degree program in accounting in 1968 and went on for further studies at Wandsworth Technical College in London and at the University of Calgary. She graduated from Calgary in 1970 with a bachelor's degree in accounting. During her schooling the country was decolonized and became the British Virgin Islands (BVI), one of the dependencies of the British Overseas Territories.

SOLUTION: a

PROBLEM: Question: How old was the man whose grandson later deposed him? Passage:In 1341, the Byzantine Empire was in a state of turmoil, and despite the restoration of the Empire's capital to Constantinople and the recovery of a measure of its former power by Michael VIII Palaiologos (r. 12591282), the policies implemented during his reign had exhausted the state's resources, and the Empire's strength waned under his successor, Andronikos II Palaiologos (r. 12821328). During Andronikos II's long reign, the remaining Byzantine possessions in Asia Minor slowly fell to the advancing Turks, most notably the newly established Ottoman emirate. This caused a flood of refugees into Byzantium's European provinces, while at the same time the Catalan Company wrought havoc in the imperial domains. Taxes also rose dramatically to finance tributes to the Empire's enemies. A combination of these failures and personal ambition moved the Emperor's grandson and heir, the young Andronikos III Palaiologos, to revolt. Supported by a group of young aristocrats led by John Kantakouzenos and Syrgiannes Palaiologos, Andronikos III deposed his grandfather after a series of conflicts during the 1320s. Although successful in removing the old Emperor from power, the war did not augur well for the future, as the Empire's neighboursthe Serbs, Bulgarians, Turks, Genoese and Venetianstook advantage of Byzantine infighting to gain territory or expand their influence within the Empire.

SOLUTION:
b