Background: When the temperature of reactants is higher, the rate of the reaction is faster. At higher temperatures, particles of reactants have more energy, so they move faster. As a result, they are more likely to bump into one another and to collide with greater force. For example, food spoils because of chemical reactions, and these reactions occur faster at higher temperatures (see the bread on the left in the Figure below ). This is why we store foods in the refrigerator or freezer (like the bread on the right in the Figure below ). The lower temperature slows the rate of spoilage. Paragraph: Sam and Jim are two bakers who both just finished baking a batch of muffins. They both baked more muffins than they needed, so they decided to store some of them for later. Sam decided to store his extra muffins in the refrigerator, where the temperature is relatively high. Jim instead decided to store his extra muffins in the freezer, where the temperature is relatively low. Given the paragraph above, please answer correctly the following question: Whose muffins will spoil slower?
Ans: Jim

Background: In many ways, bacterial metabolism provides traits that are useful for ecological stability and for human society. One example is that some bacteria have the ability to fix nitrogen gas using the enzyme nitrogenase. This environmentally important trait can be found in bacteria of most metabolic types listed above. This leads to the ecologically important processes of denitrification, sulfate reduction, and acetogenesis, respectively. Bacterial metabolic processes are also important in biological responses to pollution; for example, sulfate-reducing bacteria are largely responsible for the production of the highly toxic forms of mercury (methyl- and dimethylmercury) in the environment. Non-respiratory anaerobes use fermentation to generate energy and reducing power, secreting metabolic by-products (such as ethanol in brewing) as waste. Facultative anaerobes can switch between fermentation and different terminal electron acceptors depending on the environmental conditions in which they find themselves. Paragraph: Two regions, region A and region B, shared a common border, a river. Region A was favorable for sulfate-reducing bacteria and nitrogen fixing bacteria, while region B was more favorable for the developement of Non-respiratory anaerobes and facultative anaerobes. Given the paragraph above, please answer correctly the following question: Which region had more denitrification?
Ans: region A

Background: The Tasmanian devil is a nocturnal and crepuscular hunter, spending the days in dense bush or in a hole.[64] It has been speculated that nocturnalism may have been adopted to avoid predation by eagles and humans.[65] Young devils are predominantly crepuscular.[66] There is no evidence of torpor.[67] Young devils can climb trees, but this becomes more difficult as they grow larger.[68][69] Devils can scale trees of trunk diameter larger than 40 cm (16 in), which tend to have no small side branches to hang onto, up to a height of around 2.53 m (8.29.8 ft). Devils that are yet to reach maturity can climb shrubs to a height of 4 metres (13.1 ft), and can climb a tree to 7 m (23 ft) if it is not vertical.[70] Adult devils may eat young devils if they are very hungry, so this climbing behaviour may be an adaptation to allow young devils to escape.[71] Devils can also swim and have been observed crossing rivers that are 50 metres (160 ft) in width, including icy cold waterways, apparently enthusiastically. Paragraph: The scientists examined both the Eastern and the Western slopes of the mountain. They reached the conclusion that the Western slope was inhabited by many more adult Tasmanian devils than the Eastern slope. Given the paragraph above, please answer correctly the following question: Which slope had fewer devils eating young devils?
Ans: Eastern

Background: Marine pollution is a generic term for the entry into the ocean of potentially hazardous chemicals or particles. The biggest culprits are rivers and with them many agriculture fertilizer chemicals as well as livestock and human waste. The excess of oxygen-depleting chemicals leads to hypoxia and the creation of a dead zone.Marine debris, which is also known as marine litter, describes human-created waste floating in a body of water. Oceanic debris tends to accumulate at the center of gyres and coastlines, frequently washing aground where it is known as beach litter. Paragraph: Two countries are situated on the shores of the same sea. Turkey is a nation of farmers, they use conventional agricultural methods to produce food, including lots of fertilizers. Greece's economy is mostly based on tourism. Given the paragraph above, please answer correctly the following question: Which country causes more marine pollution?
Ans: Turkey