input question: I read this background article the other day: The quantity of small plastic fragments floating in the north-east Pacific Ocean increased a hundredfold between 1972 and 2012.Marine pollution is a generic term for the harmful entry into the ocean of chemicals or particles. The main culprits are those using the rivers for disposing of their waste. The rivers then empty into the ocean, often also bringing chemicals used as fertilizers in agriculture. The excess of oxygen-depleting chemicals in the water leads to hypoxia and the creation of a dead zone.Marine debris, also known as marine litter, is human-created waste that has ended up floating in a lake, sea, ocean, or waterway. Oceanic debris tends to accumulate at the center of gyres and coastlines, frequently washing aground where it is known as beach litter.In addition, the Pacific Ocean has served as the crash site of satellites, including Mars 96, Fobos-Grunt, and Upper Atmosphere Research Satellite. I am facing a new situation today: Robert and his brother Jeff are both farmers whose farms are near large rivers. These rivers eventually flow into the Pacific Ocean. Robert recently switched to a different brand of fertilizer to increase the yield on his crops. This fertilizer contains a chemical that tends to destroy oxygen when it comes into contact with it. Due to heavy rains on his farm, large amounts of this fertilizer have been leaking into the river near Robert's farm. Meanwhile, Jeff uses fertilizer that is very stable and does not leak into the rivers near his farm. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Who will contribute more to the formation of dead zones in the Pacific Ocean????
output answer: Robert

input question: I read this background article the other day: While the Grants were on the Galapagos, a drought occurred. As a result, fewer seeds were available for finches to eat. Birds with smaller beaks could crack open and eat only the smaller seeds. Birds with bigger beaks could crack and eat seeds of all sizes. As a result, many of the small-beaked birds died in the drought. Birds with bigger beaks survived and reproduced (see Figure below ). Within 2 years, the average beak size in the finch population increased. Evolution by natural selection had occurred. I am facing a new situation today: The explorers visited Galapagos 1 and Galapagos 2, both islands part of the same archipelago. Island 1 had experienced a drought in recent years. Both islands had populations of birds living there. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Which island had fewer big-beaked birds survive????
output answer: Galapagos 2

input question: I read this background article the other day: Fish reproduce sexually. They lay eggs that can be fertilized either inside or outside of the body. In most fish, the eggs develop outside of the mother's body. In the majority of these species, fertilization also takes place outside the mother's body. The male and female fish release their gametes into the surrounding water, where fertilization occurs. Female fish release very high numbers of eggs to increase the chances of fertilization. I am facing a new situation today: Two students read about reproduction for biology class. Vic read more about reptile reproduction, while Fox read more about fish reproduction. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Which student learned more about fertilization taking place outside of the mother's body????
output answer: Fox

input question: I read this background article the other day: At the end of the Proterozoic, the supercontinent Pannotia had broken apart into the smaller continents Laurentia, Baltica, Siberia and Gondwana. During periods when continents move apart, more oceanic crust is formed by volcanic activity. Because young volcanic crust is relatively hotter and less dense than old oceanic crust, the ocean floors rise during such periods. This causes the sea level to rise. Therefore, in the first half of the Paleozoic, large areas of the continents were below sea level.Early Paleozoic climates were warmer than today, but the end of the Ordovician saw a short ice age during which glaciers covered the south pole, where the huge continent Gondwana was situated. Traces of glaciation from this period are only found on former Gondwana. During the Late Ordovician ice age, a few mass extinctions took place, in which many brachiopods, trilobites, Bryozoa and corals disappeared. These marine species could probably not contend with the decreasing temperature of the sea water.The continents Laurentia and Baltica collided between 450 and 400 Ma, during the Caledonian Orogeny, to form Laurussia (also known as Euramerica). Traces of the mountain belt this collision caused can be found in Scandinavia, Scotland, and the northern Appalachians. In the Devonian period (416359 Ma) Gondwana and Siberia began to move towards Laurussia. The collision of Siberia with Laurussia caused the Uralian Orogeny, the collision of Gondwana with Laurussia is called the Variscan or Hercynian Orogeny in Europe or the Alleghenian Orogeny in North America. The latter phase took place during the Carboniferous period (359299 Ma) and resulted in the formation of the last supercontinent, Pangaea.By 180 Ma, Pangaea broke up into Laurasia and Gondwana. I am facing a new situation today: Two space explorers are flying around through an unknown galaxy when they discover two new planets. Given that these planets have no names, the explorers decide to name them after themselves. The planet of Sarahn is currently going through a large geographic shift. Many of the continents on the planet are currently breaking apart and moving. Timon, however, has been a stable planet with no continental moving for quite awhile now. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Is the volcanic crust on Sarahn or Timon hotter????
output answer:
Sarahn