I read this background article the other day: Soil is well developed in the forest as suggested by the thick humus layers, rich diversity of large trees and animals that live there. In forests, precipitation exceeds evapotranspiration which results in an excess of water that percolates downward through the soil layers. Slow rates of decomposition leads to large amounts of fulvic acid, greatly enhancing chemical weathering. The downward percolation, in conjunction with chemical weathering leaches magnesium (Mg), iron (Fe), and aluminum (Al) from the soil and transports them downward, a process known as podzolization. This process leads to marked contrasts in the appearance and chemistry of the soil layers. I am facing a new situation today: Brad and Frank are two cousins. they both own land in the same county. Frank's parcel is a pine forest, while Brad's is a nice dry grassland with wild flowers and a few shrubs. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Which parcel has a rich diversity of large trees?
Ans: Frank's

I read this background article the other day: A firm with high fixed costs requires a large number of customers in order to have a meaningful return on investment. This is where economies of scale become important. Since each firm has large initial costs, as the firm gains market share and increases its output the fixed cost (what they initially invested) is divided among a larger number of customers. Therefore, in industries with large initial investment requirements, average total cost declines as output increases over a much larger range of output levels. I am facing a new situation today: City D's mayor wants to invite more businesses in the city. Three firms, firm A, firm B, and firm C, took advantage of this opportunity. Firm A does not require large initial costs, but firm B and firm C require large initial costs. Firm B managed to increase its market share, but firm C failed to increase its market share. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Which firm would most likely have meaningful return on investment even if they don't get large number of customers, firm A or firm B?
Ans: firm A

I read this background article the other day: The advantage of asexual reproduction is that it can be very quick and does not require the meeting of a male and female organism. The disadvantage of asexual reproduction is that organisms do not receive a mix of traits from both parents. An organism that is born through asexual reproduction only has the DNA from the one parent. In fact, the offspring is genetically an exact copy of the parent. This can cause problems for the individual. For example, if the parent has a gene that causes a particular disease, the offspring will also have the gene that causes that disease. Organisms produced sexually may or may not inherit the disease gene because they receive a mix of their parents' genes. I am facing a new situation today: A species of animal called a markalong was discovered that can reproduce either sexually or asexually. Two markalongs were just born from different families in a zoo. The first markalong, animal A, has only one parent. The second markalong, animal B, has two parents. Although they used different forms of sexual reproduction, both animals are healthy and doing well at the zoo. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Which markalong was produced sexually?
Ans: animal B

I read this background article the other day: Lake-effect snow is produced during cooler atmospheric conditions when a cold air mass moves across long expanses of warmer lake water, warming the lower layer of air which picks up water vapor from the lake, rises up through the colder air above, freezes and is deposited on the leeward (downwind) shores.[1] The same effect also occurs over bodies of salt water, when it is termed ocean-effect or bay-effect snow. The effect is enhanced when the moving air mass is uplifted by the orographic influence of higher elevations on the downwind shores. This uplifting can produce narrow but very intense bands of precipitation, which deposit at a rate of many inches of snow each hour, often resulting in a large amount of total snowfall. I am facing a new situation today: Hammond and Trip were two cities on the Eastern and Western shores of lake Michigan. They both get lots of snow during winter, but the lake effect snow which adds feet of snow to the yearly total, lingers much longer on the eastern side of the lake. Using the knowledge I acquired from the background article, how should I answer correctly the following question regarding my new situation: Which city has fewer lake-effect snow conditions related expenses?
Ans: Trip