Problem: I read this background article the other day: White blood cells also make chemicals that cause a fever. A fever is a higher-than-normal body temperature. Normal human body temperature is 98.6F (37C). Most bacteria and viruses that infect people reproduce fastest at this temperature. When the temperature is higher, the pathogens cannot reproduce as fast, so the body raises the temperature to kill them. A fever also causes the immune system to make more white blood cells. In these ways, a fever helps the body fight infection. I am facing a new situation today: Stephanie is a nurse at the local high school. Recently, the flu has been going around and she has had many students come into her office feeling ill. When a student comes in, the first thing she does is check their temperature to test for a fever. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: If Stephanie checks a student's temperature and it is at 98.6 is the student's body making a normal amount of white blood cells or extra white blood cells?

A: normal

Problem: I read this background article the other day: All of these animal behaviors are important. They help the animals get food for energy, make sure their young survive, or ensure that they, themselves, survive. Behaviors that help animals or their young survive, increase the animals' fitness. Animals with higher fitness have a better chance of passing their genes on to the next generation. If genes control behaviors that increase fitness, the behaviors become more common in the species. This occurs through the process of evolution by natural selection. I am facing a new situation today: Two bears are living in the same forest. One bear, named Teddy, often runs and is active in its daily life. The other bear, Fluffy, is lazy and hardly moves at all. Their levels of fitness are very different with Teddy having a much higher overall fitness level than Fluffy. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Who will make a better parent?

A: Teddy

Problem: I read this background article the other day: The Human Immunodeficiency Virus ( HIV ) is the virus that causes Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome ( AIDS ). Most researchers believe that the HIV originated in sub-Saharan Africa during the 20th century. HIV is transmitted by sexual contact and by contact with infected bodily fluids, such as blood, semen, breast milk, and vaginal secretions. It is also passed from mother to fetus. HIV is now a pandemic , with an estimated (as of 2008) 38.6 million people now living with the disease worldwide. It is estimated that AIDS has killed more than 25 million people since it was first recognized in 1981. For further information about HIV/AIDS, see the CDC (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) web site at http://www.cdc.gov/hiv/resources/factsheets/ . I am facing a new situation today: Two friends had unprotected sex with their respective dates on the same night. Everything went fine for both of them. They later found out the bad news. Mike had been infected with HIV. Luckily enough Pete was healthy, he didn't get any diseases. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Which friend had a virus that is transmitted by contact with infected blood?

A: Mike

Problem: I read this background article the other day: If a solution has a higher concentration of hydronium ions than pure water, it has a pH lower than 7. A solution with a pH lower than 7 is called an acid . As the hydronium ion concentration increases, the pH value decreases. Therefore, the more acidic a solution is, the lower its pH value is. Did you ever taste vinegar? Like other acids, it tastes sour. Stronger acids can be harmful to organisms. For example, stomach acid would eat through the stomach if it were not lined with a layer of mucus. Strong acids can also damage materials, even hard materials such as glass. I am facing a new situation today: Mike is studying chemistry for his exam. Today, he is studying the properties of acids. He picks up an acid solution that he labels as solution A. To compare it with another solution he chooses a solution that is not an acid. He labels it as solution B. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: If it is stronger, would solution B more likely or less likely be harmful to organisms than solution A?

A:
less likely