Problem: Background: Another major cause of extinction is global warming , which is also known as global climate change. During the past century, the Earth's average temperature has risen by almost 1C (about 1.3F). You may not think that is significant, but to organisms that live in the wild and are constantly adapting to their environments, any climate change can be hazardous. Recall that burning fossil fuels releases gasses into the atmosphere that warm the Earth. Our increased use of fossil fuels, such as coal and oil, is changing the Earth's climate. Any long-term change in the climate can destroy the habitat of a species. Even a brief change in climate may be too stressful for an organism to survive. For example, if the seas increase in temperature, even briefly, it may be too warm for certain types of fish to reproduce. Paragraph: In Greenland there is a species of bird that thrives in cold climates. After years of burning fossil fuels the global average temperature has increased by 4 degrees F and during the mating season for this bird the temperature is on average 7 degrees higher. This is much warmer than the bird is used to and they begin to reproduce less. Given the paragraph above, please answer correctly the following question: Will the temperature returning to normal increase or decrease the bird species chance of survival?

A: increase

Problem: Background: Protozoa generally feed by engulfing and digesting other organisms. As consumers, they have various roles in food chains and webs. Some are predators. They prey upon other single-celled organisms, such as bacteria. In fact, protozoa predators keep many bacterial populations in check. Other protozoa are herbivores. They graze on algae. Still others are decomposers. They consume dead organic matter. There are also parasitic protozoa that live in or on living hosts. For example, the protozoan that causes malaria lives inside a human host. For their part, protozoa are important food sources for many larger organisms, including insects and worms. Paragraph: An astronaut has just landed on a new martian planet and encounters two different protozoa. The first protozoa he finds, protozoa X, is eating algae that is floating on top of water. The second protozoa, protozoa Y, is found eating bacteria. Upon further study, it is found that these are the only foods these two specific protozoa eat. Given the paragraph above, please answer correctly the following question: Which protozoa is a herbivore?

A: protozoa X

Problem: Background: Huge amounts of chemicals, such as fertilizers and pesticides, are applied to farm fields (see Figure below ). Some of the chemicals are picked up by rainwater. Runoff then carries the chemicals to nearby rivers or lakes. Dissolved fertilizer causes too much growth of water plants and algae. This can lead to dead zones where nothing can live in lakes and at the mouths of rivers. Some of the chemicals can infiltrate into groundwater. The contaminated water comes up in water wells. If people drink the polluted water, they may get sick. Paragraph: Lucy and Sarah are two people who each own a lake that they enjoy spending time at. They have to take care of the lake though and make sure everything is healthy so that the lake can continue to thrive and people will want to visit it. Sarah says she heard a secret that if you dump fertilizer into your lake, the fish will grow twice as large. Sarah says she has just started doing it this past week and can't wait to see the results. Lucy is skeptical and waits to see what happens at Sarah's lake. Given the paragraph above, please answer correctly the following question: Dead zones will be more prevalent in Lucy's lake or Sarah's lake?

A: Sarah's lake

Problem: Background: Another obvious change that occurs during puberty is rapid growth. This is called the adolescent growth spurt . In boys, it is controlled by testosterone. The rate of growth usually starts to increase relatively early in puberty. At its peak rate, growth in height is about 10 centimeters (almost 4 inches) per year in the average male. Growth generally remains rapid for several years. Growth and development of muscles occur toward the end of the growth spurt in height. Muscles may continue to develop and gain strength after growth in height is finished. Paragraph: Joseph and Walter are two brothers who have always gotten along well, but are now going to be separated for the first time in their lives. Walter has just graduated high school and is going off to live at college several states away from home. Joseph is about to be a freshman in high school, so he has several years before he will even have the possibility of going off to the same college as his brother. Given the paragraph above, please answer correctly the following question: Which boy is currently more likely to be shorter?

A:
Joseph