Problem: I read this background article the other day: As for the public health or food safety concern, organic foods are intended to be healthy, free of contaminations and free from agents that could cause human diseases. Organic milk is meant to have no chemical residues to consumers, and the restrictions on the use of antibiotics and chemicals in organic food production has the purpose to accomplish this goal. Although dairy cows in both organic and conventional farming practices can be exposed to pathogens, it has been shown that, because antibiotics are not permitted as a preventative measure in organic practices, there are far fewer antibiotic resistant pathogens on organic farms. This dramatically increases the efficacy of antibiotics when/if they are necessary. I am facing a new situation today: Two farms were growing food for several nearby cities. Vole farm grew organic produce and produced organic milk, while Anthill farm did not possess the USDA organic certification. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Which farm had fewer antibiotic resistant pathogens?

A: Vole

Problem: I read this background article the other day: Active transport occurs when a substance passes through the cell membrane with the help of extra energy. This happens when a substance moves from an area where it is less concentrated to an area where it is more concentrated. This is the opposite of diffusion. The substance moves up, instead of down, the concentration gradient. Like rolling a ball uphill, this requires an input of energy. The energy comes from the molecule named ATP (adenosine triphosphate). The energy allows special transport proteins called pumps to move substances to areas of higher concentration. An example is the sodium-potassium pump. I am facing a new situation today: John is trying to figure out how substance passes through the cell membrane. He noticed two different cases, case A and case B. In case A active transport is involved, but in case B diffusion is involved. He needs to do further study to learn about the details of these processes. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Which case would not require energy input, case A or case B?

A: case B

Problem: I read this background article the other day: Animals may avoid becoming prey by living out of sight of predators, whether in caves, burrows, or by being nocturnal. Nocturnality is an animal behavior characterized by activity during the night and sleeping during the day. This is a behavioral form of detection avoidance called crypsis used by animals to either avoid predation or to enhance prey hunting. Predation risk has long been recognized as critical in shaping behavioral decisions. For example, this predation risk is of prime importance in determining the time of evening emergence in echolocating bats. Although early access during brighter times permits easier foraging, it also leads to a higher predation risk from bat hawks and bat falcons. This results in an optimum evening emergence time that is a compromise between the conflicting demands.Another nocturnal adaptation can be seen in kangaroo rats. They forage in relatively open habitats, and reduce their activity outside their nest burrows in response to moonlight. During a full moon, they shift their activity towards areas of relatively dense cover to compensate for the extra brightness. I am facing a new situation today: John was studying the species in African Savannah. He noticed that elands, which is a prey animal, are basically nocturnal. On the other hand, wild boars, another prey animal, are not nocturnal. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Would wild boars be less or more active at night than elands?

A: less

Problem: I read this background article the other day: All fluids exert pressure like the air inside a tire. The particles of fluids are constantly moving in all directions at random. As the particles move, they keep bumping into each other and into anything else in their path. These collisions cause pressure, and the pressure is exerted equally in all directions. When particles are crowded together in one part of an enclosed space, such as the air particles first entering a tire, they quickly spread out to fill all the available space. That's because particles of fluids always move from an area of higher pressure to an area of lower pressure. This explains why air entering a tire through a tiny opening quickly fills the entire tire. I am facing a new situation today: Catherine is throwing her friend a birthday party and is starting to put up decorations. She has finished hanging streamers and now she has to fill the balloons. Having never used a helium tank before, she wants to test how much to fill each balloon. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: If the pressure gauge on the helium tank is low will the helium leave the tank more quickly or more slowly than if it were high?

A:
more slowly