You are given a background paragraph that describes one or more causal or qualitative relationships such as a relationship in economics or a scientific law and a story that makes use of the concepts or the relationship described in the provided paragraph. You are also given a question about the story that requires an understanding of the relationship described in the background paragraph and the story. You need to come up with an answer to the given question; the answer will be a span from either the question or the story. In order to correctly answer the given question, you need to understand the relationship mentioned in the background paragraph and should be able to use it to understand that in the story. Your answer can not consist of any word that is not mentioned in any of these: the background paragraph, the story, or the question. You can directly copy and paste a span from the story or the question while answering the given question.

Background Paragraph: Passive transport occurs when a substance passes through the cell membrane without needing any energy to pass through. This happens when a substance moves from an area where it is more concentrated to an area where it is less concentrated. Concentration is the number of particles of a substance in a given volume. Let's say you dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a cup of water. Then you dissolve two teaspoons of salt in another cup of water. The second solution will have a higher concentration of salt.
Story: A man put two cups, cup A and cup B, filled with equal amounts of water on to a table and walked away to go check his mail. His son came along and saw the two cups and decided to put some sugar in them to make a tasty drink. The child poured two spoonfuls of sugar into cup A and three spoonfuls of sugar into cup B.
Question: Which cup has a higher concentration of sugar?


Background Paragraph: Passive transport occurs when a substance passes through the cell membrane without needing any energy to pass through. This happens when a substance moves from an area where it is more concentrated to an area where it is less concentrated. Concentration is the number of particles of a substance in a given volume. Let's say you dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a cup of water. Then you dissolve two teaspoons of salt in another cup of water. The second solution will have a higher concentration of salt.
Story: A man put two cups, cup A and cup B, filled with equal amounts of water on to a table and walked away to go check his mail. His son came along and saw the two cups and decided to put some sugar in them to make a tasty drink. The child poured two spoonfuls of sugar into cup A and three spoonfuls of sugar into cup B.
Question: Which cup has a lower concentration of sugar?


Background Paragraph: As a cell grows, its volume increases more quickly than its surface area. If a cell was to get very large, the small surface area would not allow enough nutrients to enter the cell quickly enough for the cell’s needs. This idea is explained in Figure below . However, large cells have a way of dealing with some size challenges. Big cells, such as some white blood cells, often grow more nuclei so that they can supply enough proteins and RNA for the cell’s requirements. Large, metabolically active cells often have lots of cell protrusions, resulting in many folds throughout the membrane. These folds increase the surface area available for transport of materials into or out of the cell. Such cell types are found lining your small intestine, where they absorb nutrients from your food through protrusions called microvilli .
Story: There are two cells inside a Petri dish in a laboratory, cell X and cell Z. These cells are from the same organism, but are not the same age. Cell X was created two weeks ago, and cell Z was created one month ago. Therefore, cell Z has had two extra weeks of growth compared to cell X.
Question: Which cell has a larger volume?


Background Paragraph: As a cell grows, its volume increases more quickly than its surface area. If a cell was to get very large, the small surface area would not allow enough nutrients to enter the cell quickly enough for the cell’s needs. This idea is explained in Figure below . However, large cells have a way of dealing with some size challenges. Big cells, such as some white blood cells, often grow more nuclei so that they can supply enough proteins and RNA for the cell’s requirements. Large, metabolically active cells often have lots of cell protrusions, resulting in many folds throughout the membrane. These folds increase the surface area available for transport of materials into or out of the cell. Such cell types are found lining your small intestine, where they absorb nutrients from your food through protrusions called microvilli .
Story: There are two cells inside a Petri dish in a laboratory, cell X and cell Z. These cells are from the same organism, but are not the same age. Cell X was created two weeks ago, and cell Z was created one month ago. Therefore, cell Z has had two extra weeks of growth compared to cell X.
Question: Which cell has a smaller volume?


Background Paragraph: As a cell grows, its volume increases more quickly than its surface area. If a cell was to get very large, the small surface area would not allow enough nutrients to enter the cell quickly enough for the cell’s needs. This idea is explained in Figure below . However, large cells have a way of dealing with some size challenges. Big cells, such as some white blood cells, often grow more nuclei so that they can supply enough proteins and RNA for the cell’s requirements. Large, metabolically active cells often have lots of cell protrusions, resulting in many folds throughout the membrane. These folds increase the surface area available for transport of materials into or out of the cell. Such cell types are found lining your small intestine, where they absorb nutrients from your food through protrusions called microvilli .
Story: There are two cells inside a Petri dish in a laboratory, cell X and cell Z. These cells are from the same organism, but have different characteristics. For example, cell Z is smaller than cell X. Furthermore, scientists studying the two cells have recorded that cell X is more metabolically active than cell Z.
Question: Which cell has more nuclei?


Background Paragraph: As a cell grows, its volume increases more quickly than its surface area. If a cell was to get very large, the small surface area would not allow enough nutrients to enter the cell quickly enough for the cell’s needs. This idea is explained in Figure below . However, large cells have a way of dealing with some size challenges. Big cells, such as some white blood cells, often grow more nuclei so that they can supply enough proteins and RNA for the cell’s requirements. Large, metabolically active cells often have lots of cell protrusions, resulting in many folds throughout the membrane. These folds increase the surface area available for transport of materials into or out of the cell. Such cell types are found lining your small intestine, where they absorb nutrients from your food through protrusions called microvilli .
Story: There are two cells inside a Petri dish in a laboratory, cell X and cell Z. These cells are from the same organism, but have different characteristics. For example, cell Z is smaller than cell X. Furthermore, scientists studying the two cells have recorded that cell X is more metabolically active than cell Z.
Question: Which cell has fewer nuclei?


Background Paragraph: As a cell grows, its volume increases more quickly than its surface area. If a cell was to get very large, the small surface area would not allow enough nutrients to enter the cell quickly enough for the cell’s needs. This idea is explained in Figure below . However, large cells have a way of dealing with some size challenges. Big cells, such as some white blood cells, often grow more nuclei so that they can supply enough proteins and RNA for the cell’s requirements. Large, metabolically active cells often have lots of cell protrusions, resulting in many folds throughout the membrane. These folds increase the surface area available for transport of materials into or out of the cell. Such cell types are found lining your small intestine, where they absorb nutrients from your food through protrusions called microvilli .
Story: There are two cells inside a Petri dish in a laboratory, cell X and cell Z. These cells are from the same organism, but have different characteristics. For example, cell Z is smaller than cell X. Furthermore, scientists studying the two cells have recorded that cell X is more metabolically active than cell Z.
Question: Which cell will have more folds throughout the membrane?


Background Paragraph: As a cell grows, its volume increases more quickly than its surface area. If a cell was to get very large, the small surface area would not allow enough nutrients to enter the cell quickly enough for the cell’s needs. This idea is explained in Figure below . However, large cells have a way of dealing with some size challenges. Big cells, such as some white blood cells, often grow more nuclei so that they can supply enough proteins and RNA for the cell’s requirements. Large, metabolically active cells often have lots of cell protrusions, resulting in many folds throughout the membrane. These folds increase the surface area available for transport of materials into or out of the cell. Such cell types are found lining your small intestine, where they absorb nutrients from your food through protrusions called microvilli .
Story: There are two cells inside a Petri dish in a laboratory, cell X and cell Z. These cells are from the same organism, but have different characteristics. For example, cell Z is smaller than cell X. Furthermore, scientists studying the two cells have recorded that cell X is more metabolically active than cell Z.
Question: Which cell will have fewer folds throughout the membrane?


Background Paragraph: As a cell grows, its volume increases more quickly than its surface area. If a cell was to get very large, the small surface area would not allow enough nutrients to enter the cell quickly enough for the cell’s needs. This idea is explained in Figure below . However, large cells have a way of dealing with some size challenges. Big cells, such as some white blood cells, often grow more nuclei so that they can supply enough proteins and RNA for the cell’s requirements. Large, metabolically active cells often have lots of cell protrusions, resulting in many folds throughout the membrane. These folds increase the surface area available for transport of materials into or out of the cell. Such cell types are found lining your small intestine, where they absorb nutrients from your food through protrusions called microvilli .
Story: There are two cells inside a Petri dish in a laboratory, cell X and cell Z. These cells are from the same organism, but have different characteristics. For example, cell Z is smaller than cell X. Furthermore, scientists studying the two cells have recorded that cell X is more metabolically active than cell Z.
Question: Will cell Z have a larger or smaller surface area to transport materials?


Background Paragraph: As a cell grows, its volume increases more quickly than its surface area. If a cell was to get very large, the small surface area would not allow enough nutrients to enter the cell quickly enough for the cell’s needs. This idea is explained in Figure below . However, large cells have a way of dealing with some size challenges. Big cells, such as some white blood cells, often grow more nuclei so that they can supply enough proteins and RNA for the cell’s requirements. Large, metabolically active cells often have lots of cell protrusions, resulting in many folds throughout the membrane. These folds increase the surface area available for transport of materials into or out of the cell. Such cell types are found lining your small intestine, where they absorb nutrients from your food through protrusions called microvilli .
Story: There are two cells inside a Petri dish in a laboratory, cell X and cell Z. These cells are from the same organism, but have different characteristics. For example, cell Z is smaller than cell X. Furthermore, scientists studying the two cells have recorded that cell X is more metabolically active than cell Z.
Question: Will cell X have a larger or smaller surface area to transport materials?


Background Paragraph: As a cell grows, its volume increases more quickly than its surface area. If a cell was to get very large, the small surface area would not allow enough nutrients to enter the cell quickly enough for the cell’s needs. This idea is explained in Figure below . However, large cells have a way of dealing with some size challenges. Big cells, such as some white blood cells, often grow more nuclei so that they can supply enough proteins and RNA for the cell’s requirements. Large, metabolically active cells often have lots of cell protrusions, resulting in many folds throughout the membrane. These folds increase the surface area available for transport of materials into or out of the cell. Such cell types are found lining your small intestine, where they absorb nutrients from your food through protrusions called microvilli .
Story: Gary, a high school student, is supposed to be studying two different cells under a microscope during his biology class. Gary doesn't like biology class at all though and can't find the motivation to look at the cells in detail. In his homework where students are supposed to write what they observed, Gary simply wrote down the first thing he saw under the microscope which was that Cell A is larger than cell B. It won't get him a great grade, but Gary is hoping it will at least get him a pass on the assignment.
Question: Which cell has more volume?


Background Paragraph: As a cell grows, its volume increases more quickly than its surface area. If a cell was to get very large, the small surface area would not allow enough nutrients to enter the cell quickly enough for the cell’s needs. This idea is explained in Figure below . However, large cells have a way of dealing with some size challenges. Big cells, such as some white blood cells, often grow more nuclei so that they can supply enough proteins and RNA for the cell’s requirements. Large, metabolically active cells often have lots of cell protrusions, resulting in many folds throughout the membrane. These folds increase the surface area available for transport of materials into or out of the cell. Such cell types are found lining your small intestine, where they absorb nutrients from your food through protrusions called microvilli .
Story: Gary, a high school student, is supposed to be studying two different cells under a microscope during his biology class. Gary doesn't like biology class at all though and can't find the motivation to look at the cells in detail. In his homework where students are supposed to write what they observed, Gary simply wrote down the first thing he saw under the microscope which was that Cell A is larger than cell B. It won't get him a great grade, but Gary is hoping it will at least get him a pass on the assignment.
Question: Which cell has less volume?


Background Paragraph: As a cell grows, its volume increases more quickly than its surface area. If a cell was to get very large, the small surface area would not allow enough nutrients to enter the cell quickly enough for the cell’s needs. This idea is explained in Figure below . However, large cells have a way of dealing with some size challenges. Big cells, such as some white blood cells, often grow more nuclei so that they can supply enough proteins and RNA for the cell’s requirements. Large, metabolically active cells often have lots of cell protrusions, resulting in many folds throughout the membrane. These folds increase the surface area available for transport of materials into or out of the cell. Such cell types are found lining your small intestine, where they absorb nutrients from your food through protrusions called microvilli .
Story: Gary, a high school student, is supposed to be studying two different cells under a microscope during his biology class. Gary doesn't like biology class at all though and can't find the motivation to look at the cells in detail. In his homework where students are supposed to write what they observed, Gary simply wrote down the first thing he saw under the microscope which was that Cell A is larger than cell B. It won't get him a great grade, but Gary is hoping it will at least get him a pass on the assignment.
Question: Does Cell A have more or less nuclei than Cell B?


Background Paragraph: As a cell grows, its volume increases more quickly than its surface area. If a cell was to get very large, the small surface area would not allow enough nutrients to enter the cell quickly enough for the cell’s needs. This idea is explained in Figure below . However, large cells have a way of dealing with some size challenges. Big cells, such as some white blood cells, often grow more nuclei so that they can supply enough proteins and RNA for the cell’s requirements. Large, metabolically active cells often have lots of cell protrusions, resulting in many folds throughout the membrane. These folds increase the surface area available for transport of materials into or out of the cell. Such cell types are found lining your small intestine, where they absorb nutrients from your food through protrusions called microvilli .
Story: Gary, a high school student, is supposed to be studying two different cells under a microscope during his biology class. Gary doesn't like biology class at all though and can't find the motivation to look at the cells in detail. In his homework where students are supposed to write what they observed, Gary simply wrote down the first thing he saw under the microscope which was that Cell A is larger than cell B. It won't get him a great grade, but Gary is hoping it will at least get him a pass on the assignment.
Question: Does Cell B have more or less nuclei than Cell A?


Background Paragraph: As a cell grows, its volume increases more quickly than its surface area. If a cell was to get very large, the small surface area would not allow enough nutrients to enter the cell quickly enough for the cell’s needs. This idea is explained in Figure below . However, large cells have a way of dealing with some size challenges. Big cells, such as some white blood cells, often grow more nuclei so that they can supply enough proteins and RNA for the cell’s requirements. Large, metabolically active cells often have lots of cell protrusions, resulting in many folds throughout the membrane. These folds increase the surface area available for transport of materials into or out of the cell. Such cell types are found lining your small intestine, where they absorb nutrients from your food through protrusions called microvilli .
Story: Gary, a high school student, is supposed to be studying two different cells under a microscope during his biology class. Gary doesn't like biology class at all though and can't find the motivation to look at the cells in detail. In his homework where students are supposed to write what they observed, Gary simply wrote down the first thing he saw under the microscope which was that Cell A is larger than cell B. It won't get him a great grade, but Gary is hoping it will at least get him a pass on the assignment.
Question: Which cell has more protrusions?


Background Paragraph: As a cell grows, its volume increases more quickly than its surface area. If a cell was to get very large, the small surface area would not allow enough nutrients to enter the cell quickly enough for the cell’s needs. This idea is explained in Figure below . However, large cells have a way of dealing with some size challenges. Big cells, such as some white blood cells, often grow more nuclei so that they can supply enough proteins and RNA for the cell’s requirements. Large, metabolically active cells often have lots of cell protrusions, resulting in many folds throughout the membrane. These folds increase the surface area available for transport of materials into or out of the cell. Such cell types are found lining your small intestine, where they absorb nutrients from your food through protrusions called microvilli .
Story: Gary, a high school student, is supposed to be studying two different cells under a microscope during his biology class. Gary doesn't like biology class at all though and can't find the motivation to look at the cells in detail. In his homework where students are supposed to write what they observed, Gary simply wrote down the first thing he saw under the microscope which was that Cell A is larger than cell B. It won't get him a great grade, but Gary is hoping it will at least get him a pass on the assignment.
Question: Which cell has less protrusions?


Background Paragraph: As a cell grows, its volume increases more quickly than its surface area. If a cell was to get very large, the small surface area would not allow enough nutrients to enter the cell quickly enough for the cell’s needs. This idea is explained in Figure below . However, large cells have a way of dealing with some size challenges. Big cells, such as some white blood cells, often grow more nuclei so that they can supply enough proteins and RNA for the cell’s requirements. Large, metabolically active cells often have lots of cell protrusions, resulting in many folds throughout the membrane. These folds increase the surface area available for transport of materials into or out of the cell. Such cell types are found lining your small intestine, where they absorb nutrients from your food through protrusions called microvilli .
Story: Gary, a high school student, is supposed to be studying two different cells under a microscope during his biology class. Gary doesn't like biology class at all though and can't find the motivation to look at the cells in detail. In his homework where students are supposed to write what they observed, Gary simply wrote down the first thing he saw under the microscope which was that Cell A is larger than cell B. It won't get him a great grade, but Gary is hoping it will at least get him a pass on the assignment.
Question: Does Cell A or Cell B have more folds across the membrane?


Background Paragraph: As a cell grows, its volume increases more quickly than its surface area. If a cell was to get very large, the small surface area would not allow enough nutrients to enter the cell quickly enough for the cell’s needs. This idea is explained in Figure below . However, large cells have a way of dealing with some size challenges. Big cells, such as some white blood cells, often grow more nuclei so that they can supply enough proteins and RNA for the cell’s requirements. Large, metabolically active cells often have lots of cell protrusions, resulting in many folds throughout the membrane. These folds increase the surface area available for transport of materials into or out of the cell. Such cell types are found lining your small intestine, where they absorb nutrients from your food through protrusions called microvilli .
Story: Gary, a high school student, is supposed to be studying two different cells under a microscope during his biology class. Gary doesn't like biology class at all though and can't find the motivation to look at the cells in detail. In his homework where students are supposed to write what they observed, Gary simply wrote down the first thing he saw under the microscope which was that Cell A is larger than cell B. It won't get him a great grade, but Gary is hoping it will at least get him a pass on the assignment.
Question: Does Cell A or Cell B have less folds across the membrane?


Background Paragraph: As a cell grows, its volume increases more quickly than its surface area. If a cell was to get very large, the small surface area would not allow enough nutrients to enter the cell quickly enough for the cell’s needs. This idea is explained in Figure below . However, large cells have a way of dealing with some size challenges. Big cells, such as some white blood cells, often grow more nuclei so that they can supply enough proteins and RNA for the cell’s requirements. Large, metabolically active cells often have lots of cell protrusions, resulting in many folds throughout the membrane. These folds increase the surface area available for transport of materials into or out of the cell. Such cell types are found lining your small intestine, where they absorb nutrients from your food through protrusions called microvilli .
Story: Gary, a high school student, is supposed to be studying two different cells under a microscope during his biology class. Gary doesn't like biology class at all though and can't find the motivation to look at the cells in detail. In his homework where students are supposed to write what they observed, Gary simply wrote down the first thing he saw under the microscope which was that Cell A is larger than cell B. It won't get him a great grade, but Gary is hoping it will at least get him a pass on the assignment.
Question: Will Cell B have an easier or harder time transporting materials than cell A?


Background Paragraph: As a cell grows, its volume increases more quickly than its surface area. If a cell was to get very large, the small surface area would not allow enough nutrients to enter the cell quickly enough for the cell’s needs. This idea is explained in Figure below . However, large cells have a way of dealing with some size challenges. Big cells, such as some white blood cells, often grow more nuclei so that they can supply enough proteins and RNA for the cell’s requirements. Large, metabolically active cells often have lots of cell protrusions, resulting in many folds throughout the membrane. These folds increase the surface area available for transport of materials into or out of the cell. Such cell types are found lining your small intestine, where they absorb nutrients from your food through protrusions called microvilli .
Story: Gary, a high school student, is supposed to be studying two different cells under a microscope during his biology class. Gary doesn't like biology class at all though and can't find the motivation to look at the cells in detail. In his homework where students are supposed to write what they observed, Gary simply wrote down the first thing he saw under the microscope which was that Cell A is larger than cell B. It won't get him a great grade, but Gary is hoping it will at least get him a pass on the assignment.
Question: Will Cell A have an easier or harder time transporting materials than cell B?


Background Paragraph: Rural development is the process of improving the quality of life and economic well-being of people living in rural areas, often relatively isolated and sparsely populated areas.[1]

Rural development has traditionally centered on the exploitation of land-intensive natural resources such as agriculture and forestry. However, changes in global production networks and increased urbanization have changed the character of rural areas. Increasingly tourism, niche manufacturers, and recreation have replaced resource extraction and agriculture as dominant economic drivers.[2] The need for rural communities to approach development from a wider perspective has created more focus on a broad range of development goals rather than merely creating incentive for agricultural or resource based businesses. Education, entrepreneurship, physical infrastructure, and social infrastructure all play an important role in developing rural regions.[3] Rural development is also characterized by its emphasis on locally produced economic development strategies.[4] In contrast to urban regions, which have many similarities, rural areas are highly distinctive from one another. For this reason there are a large variety of rural development approaches used globally.[5]

Rural development is a comprehensive term. It essentially focuses on action for the development of areas outside the mainstream urban economic system. we should think of what type of rural development is needed because modernization of village leads to urbanization and village environment disappears.
Story: Two rural communities from Jones county took different approaches on rural development as a means of adapting to increasing urbanization. Kent village remained  traditionally centered on the exploitation of land-intensive natural resources such as agriculture and forestry. The villagers of Long Grove on the other hand took a wider perspective and created more focus on a broad range of development goals rather than merely creating incentive for agricultural or resource based businesses. Education, entrepreneurship, physical infrastructure, and social infrastructure all played an important role in developing Long Grove village.
Question: Which villagers have a higher economic well-being as a consequence of their rural development strategy?


Background Paragraph: When peer feedback is established it allows students to interact with their peers and creates high social skills while learning material more effectively. Interaction with other students allows students to have better social approaches when interacting. Learning by peer feedback gives students more of an opportunity to work as a unit instead of individuals working alone. Working in groups gives students more useful life skill that well help prepare them for the future. Peer feedback gives more control to the student, the student can decide if they want to use the criticism their peers are giving them or not. When given options more students are more likely to give and absorb more feedback. Peer feedback has confirmed an increase in affect; students that have increasing responsibilities have more drive towards their work and a spike in confidence.[6] Furthermore, Kristanto (2018) found that peer feedback is an essential element of peer assessment. In peer assessment, feedback from peers can provide suggestions or correction for students' future works as companion of the received grade.[7].
Story: Two college groups did a one year experiment on each other. One group called Group Alpha spend more time and worked together. Group Beta let it's members study on their own and be less dependent on the group. Group Alpha had better results.
Question: Which group experienced more peer assessment?


Background Paragraph: The major zones in river ecosystems are determined by the river bed's gradient or by the velocity of the current. Faster moving turbulent water typically contains greater concentrations of dissolved oxygen, which supports greater biodiversity than the slow moving water of pools. These distinctions form the basis for the division of rivers into upland and lowland rivers. The food base of streams within riparian forests is mostly derived from the trees, but wider streams and those that lack a canopy derive the majority of their food base from algae. Anadromous fish are also an important source of nutrients. Environmental threats to rivers include loss of water, dams, chemical pollution and introduced species. A dam produces negative effects that continue down the watershed. The most important negative effects are the reduction of spring flooding, which damages wetlands, and the retention of sediment, which leads to loss of deltaic wetlands.
Story: Two rivers spring from the same mountain. Olt was a fast moving river, while Mures river was slow moving and deep. Both rivers are very important for the local economies.
Question: Which river didn't have a food source mostly derived from the trees?


Background Paragraph: Since AM fungi are biotrophic, they are dependent on plants for the growth of their hyphal networks. Growing a cover crop extends the time for AM growth into the autumn, winter, and spring. Promotion of hyphal growth creates a more extensive hyphal network. The mycorrhizal colonization increase found in cover crops systems may be largely attributed to an increase in the extraradical hyphal network that can colonize the roots of the new crop (Boswell et al. 1998). The extraradical mycelia are able to survive the winter, providing rapid spring colonization and early season symbiosis (McGonigle and Miller 1999). This early symbiosis allows plants to tap into the well-established hyphal network and be supplied with adequate phosphorus nutrition during early growth, which greatly improves the crop yield.
Story: Bubba and Dean are two farmers which realized the benefits of having AM fungi in their soil. Dean, however, took active steps in helping the growth of AM fungi so he grew cover crops on his lands.
Question: Which farmer extended AM fungi growth into the winter?


Background Paragraph: Old age begins in the mid-60s and lasts until the end of life. Most people over 65 have retired from work, freeing up their time for hobbies, grandchildren, and other interests. Stamina, strength, reflex time, and the senses all decline during old age, and the number of brain cells decreases as well. The immune system becomes less efficient, increasing the risk of serious illnesses such as cancer and pneumonia. Diseases such as Alzheimer’s disease that cause loss of mental function also become more common.
Story: Doctors studied two groups of individuals: group O with people over 65, and group S with people under 65 years old. They published the results in a magazine.
Question: Which group had fewer people that have free time for hobbies?


Background Paragraph: Desertification is a type of land degradation in which a relatively dry area of land becomes a desert, typically losing its bodies of water as well as vegetation and wildlife.[2] It is caused by a variety of factors, such as through climate change (particularly the current global warming)[3] and through the overexploitation of soil through human activity.[4] When deserts appear automatically over the natural course of a planet's life cycle, then it can be called a natural phenomenon; however, when deserts emerge due to the rampant and unchecked depletion of nutrients in soil that are essential for it to remain arable, then a virtual "soil death" can be spoken of,[5] which traces its cause back to human overexploitation. Desertification is a significant global ecological and environmental problem with far reaching consequences on socio-economic and political conditions.[6].
Story: People in Iran used extensive grazing, fell most of their trees so they have lots of problems with desertification. Iraq took a more mindful approach to land use, they preserved native species, planted trees and didn't overgraze the land.
Question: Which country was more exposed to land degradation?


Background Paragraph: The example of someone having a positive experience with a drug is easy to see how drug dependence and the law of effect works. The tolerance for a drug goes up as one continues to use it after having a positive experience with a certain amount the first time.[38] It will take more and more to get that same feeling. This is when the controlled substance in an experiment would have to be modified and the experiment would really begin. The law of work for psychologist B. F. Skinner almost half a century later on the principles of operant conditioning, "a learning process by which the effect, or consequence, of a response influences the future rate of production of that response.[39].
Story: The Roach Runners met to discuss their experiences. They all said they always had a great experience using roach and used the same amount each time. They told how many times they used roach. Chris used it 12 times, Johnny used it 22 times, Earl used it 32 times, Jimmy used it 42 times, Antonio used it 52 times, Danny used it 62 times, and Bryan used it 72 times.
Question: Who has a higher tolerance for roach: Jimmy or Danny?


Background Paragraph: Often, foreign exchange controls can result in the creation of black markets to exchange the weaker currency for stronger currencies. This leads to a situation where the exchange rate for the foreign currency is much higher than the rate set by the government, and therefore creates a shadow currency exchange market. As such, it is unclear whether governments have the ability to enact effective exchange controls.[1].
Story: On March 2015 Japans economy soared. There was a likelihood that the Japanese yen would rise in value. In the wake of this event, Japanese Government adjusted
the price of Japanese Currency Yen in accordance with the going market price. On the other hand, at he same time, UK was having economic downturn. There was a likelihood that the UK Currency Pound Sterling would go down. Fearing public backlash, UK Government kept the price of the Pound Sterling at the same level.
Question: Which country would most likely see a formation of shadow currency exchange market, Japan or UK?


Background Paragraph: 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.
Story: Two biologists studied different living creatures. Matt studied protozoa, while his friend Greg studied nematodes and insects.
Question: Which friend studied more about predatory protozoa?


Background Paragraph: Clouds on Earth are made of water vapor. Venus's clouds are a lot less pleasant. They are made of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and large amounts of corrosive sulfuric acid! The atmosphere of Venus is so thick that the pressure on the surface of Venus is very high. In fact, it is 90 times greater than the pressure at Earth’s surface! The thick atmosphere causes a strong greenhouse effect. As a result, Venus is the hottest planet. Even though it is farther from the Sun, Venus is much hotter even than Mercury. Temperatures at the surface reach 465°C (860°F). That’s hot enough to melt lead!.
Story: Two students studied the atmosphere of Earth and other planets from our solar system. Zack learned about Earth's atmosphere, while Ken learned about the atmospheric conditions on planet Venus.
Question: Which student learned more about water vapor clouds?


Background Paragraph: There is a zone of the atmosphere in which ozone absorbs some 98% of non-ionizing but dangerous UV-C and UV-B. This so-called ozone layer starts at about 20 miles (32 km) and extends upward. Some of the ultraviolet spectrum that does reach the ground (the part that begins above energies of 3.1 eV, a wavelength less than 400 nm) is non-ionizing, but is still biologically hazardous due to the ability of single photons of this energy to cause electronic excitation in biological molecules, and thus damage them by means of unwanted reactions. An example is the formation of pyrimidine dimers in DNA, which begins at wavelengths below 365 nm (3.4 eV), which is well below ionization energy. This property gives the ultraviolet spectrum some of the dangers of ionizing radiation in biological systems without actual ionization occurring. In contrast, visible light and longer-wavelength electromagnetic radiation, such as infrared, microwaves, and radio waves, consists of photons with too little energy to cause damaging molecular excitation, and thus this radiation is far less hazardous per unit of energy.
Story: John was interested in the Sun's radiations that Earth receives. One of the radiations was in the ultraviolet spectrum. He categorized it as spec A. The other radiation was the visible light. He categorized it as spec B. He then searched online to find the pros and cons of each of them.
Question: In spec B, would the photons have less or more energy than in spec A?


Background Paragraph: Common foodborne viruses include norovirus and hepatitis A virus. Norovirus, which causes inflammation of the stomach and intestines, has been a recent issue on cruise ships, infecting hundreds of passengers and crew on certain voyages. Hepatitis A causes inflammation of the liver, which is treated with rest and diet changes. Parasites are tiny organisms that live inside another organism. Giardia is a parasite spread through water contaminated with the stools of people or animals who are infected. Food preparers who are infected with parasites can also contaminate food if they do not thoroughly wash their hands after using the bathroom and before handling food. Trichinella is a type of roundworm parasite. People may be infected with this parasite by consuming raw or undercooked pork or wild game.
Story: Two brothers had very bad luck when they attended a wedding. Tom fell violently ill after eating some tainted food, and he was rushed to the hospital. His brother Rob felt sick later, after eating the main course. Tom was infected with norovirus and hepatitis A, while Rob was infected with Giardia and Trichinella.
Question: Which brother experienced less inflammation of the liver?


Background Paragraph: The example of someone having a positive experience with a drug is easy to see how drug dependence and the law of effect works. The tolerance for a drug goes up as one continues to use it after having a positive experience with a certain amount the first time.[38] It will take more and more to get that same feeling. This is when the controlled substance in an experiment would have to be modified and the experiment would really begin. The law of work for psychologist B. F. Skinner almost half a century later on the principles of operant conditioning, "a learning process by which the effect, or consequence, of a response influences the future rate of production of that response.[39].
Story: The Speed Squad met to discuss their experiences. They all said they always had a great experience using speed and used the same amount each time. They told how many times they used speed. Todd used it 36 times, Jesse used it 40 times, Craig used it 44 times, Alan used it 56 times, Shawn used it 69 times, Clarence used it 78 times, and Sean used it 86 times.
Question: Who has a higher tolerance for speed: Shawn or Sean?


Background Paragraph: Natural resources include energy, minerals and other materials. Natural resources may be renewable or non-renewable. Non-renewable resources cannot be replaced. When they're gone, they're gone. Renewable resources can be replaced. They can supply human activities forever. Fossil fuels are crucial for modern human society. Fossil fuels are essential for transportation, industry and agriculture. Renewable energy resources tend to be clean. They emit fewer pollutants and greenhouse gases than fossil fuels. Renewable resources often have other problems. They are more costly and less efficient than fossil fuels. Still, they have many advantages. Research is going into developing renewable resources. Conservation is the best way to increase resource availability. Anyone can conserve! You and your family can. Society can. The world can. Just reduce, reuse, recycle.
Story: A recent study compared the amount of pollution in the air of two towns, Kaya and Arcfield. Arcfield is mostly powered by solar panels. Kaya on the other hand uses fossil fuels to power most of the town.
Question: Given a third town, Shooze, has recently switched to using solar panels for energy, will the amount of pollution increase or decrease?


Background Paragraph: Glaciers, while geographically restricted, are effective agents of landscape change. The gradual movement of ice down a valley causes abrasion and plucking of the underlying rock. Abrasion produces fine sediment, termed glacial flour. The debris transported by the glacier, when the glacier recedes, is termed a moraine. Glacial erosion is responsible for U-shaped valleys, as opposed to the V-shaped valleys of fluvial origin.The way glacial processes interact with other landscape elements, particularly hillslope and fluvial processes, is an important aspect of Plio-Pleistocene landscape evolution and its sedimentary record in many high mountain environments. Environments that have been relatively recently glaciated but are no longer may still show elevated landscape change rates compared to those that have never been glaciated. Nonglacial geomorphic processes which nevertheless have been conditioned by past glaciation are termed paraglacial processes. This concept contrasts with periglacial processes, which are directly driven by formation or melting of ice or frost.
Story: Two geologists were researching agents of landscape change. Danny studied glaciated environments, while Manny researched those that have never been glaciated. They later compared and exchanged data.
Question: Which researcher studied more about plucking of the underlying rock?


Background Paragraph: Boys and girls between the ages of 9 and 13 should get 9 mg of iron every day. Girls between the ages of 14 and 18 should get 15 mg of iron every day. Boys between the ages of 14 and 18 should get 11 mg of iron every day. Pregnant women need the most iron—27 mg daily. Good sources of iron include shellfish, such as clams and oysters. Red meats, such as beef, are also a good source of iron. Non-animal sources of iron include seeds, nuts, and legumes. Breakfast cereals often have iron added to them in a process called fortification. Some good sources of iron are listed below ( Table below ). Eating vitamin C along with iron-containing food increases the amount of iron that the body can absorb.
Story: David works as a nutritionist with the public health department. He categorized the certain sections of his county's population. First he categorized boys and girls between nine and thirteen years as cat A. Then he put girls between fourteen and eighteen years in cat B, and boys of the same age in cat C. Lastly, he categorized pregnant women as cat D. He needs to recommend healthy diet, especially iron intake, for each group.
Question: For which group David would recommend more iron rich foods, cat B or cat C?


Background Paragraph: The theory of plate tectonics demonstrates that the continents of the Earth are moving across the surface at the rate of a few centimeters per year. This is expected to continue, causing the plates to relocate and collide. Continental drift is facilitated by two factors: the energy generation within the planet and the presence of a hydrosphere. With the loss of either of these, continental drift will come to a halt. The production of heat through radiogenic processes is sufficient to maintain mantle convection and plate subduction for at least the next 1.1 billion years.At present, the continents of North and South America are moving westward from Africa and Europe. Researchers have produced several scenarios about how this will continue in the future. These geodynamic models can be distinguished by the subduction flux, whereby the oceanic crust moves under a continent. In the introversion model, the younger, interior, Atlantic ocean becomes preferentially subducted and the current migration of North and South America is reversed. In the extroversion model, the older, exterior, Pacific ocean remains preferentially subducted and North and South America migrate toward eastern Asia.As the understanding of geodynamics improves, these models will be subject to revision. In 2008, for example, a computer simulation was used to predict that a reorganization of the mantle convection will occur over the next 100 million years, causing a supercontinent composed of Africa, Eurasia, Australia, Antarctica and South America to form around Antarctica.Regardless of the outcome of the continental migration, the continued subduction process causes water to be transported to the mantle. After a billion years from the present, a geophysical model gives an estimate that 27% of the current ocean mass will have been subducted. If this process were to continue unmodified into the future, the subduction and release would reach an equilibrium after 65% of the current ocean mass has been subducted.
Story: Two friends were in college. Hank studied plate tectonics, while his buddy Alex studied Earth's atmosphere. They were both very fascinated by the subjects.
Question: Which student learned more about plate subduction?


Background Paragraph: Clouds on Earth are made of water vapor. Venus's clouds are a lot less pleasant. They are made of carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide and large amounts of corrosive sulfuric acid! The atmosphere of Venus is so thick that the pressure on the surface of Venus is very high. In fact, it is 90 times greater than the pressure at Earth’s surface! The thick atmosphere causes a strong greenhouse effect. As a result, Venus is the hottest planet. Even though it is farther from the Sun, Venus is much hotter even than Mercury. Temperatures at the surface reach 465°C (860°F). That’s hot enough to melt lead!.
Story: Two friends studied different planets for their school project. Sean studied Earth's atmosphere, while Bill studied Venus's and Mercury's.
Question: Which friend studied more about clouds made of water vapor?


Background Paragraph: Quicksand forms in saturated loose sand when the sand is suddenly agitated. When water in the sand cannot escape, it creates a liquefied soil that loses strength and cannot support weight. Quicksand can form in standing water or in upwards flowing water (as from an artesian spring). In the case of upwards flowing water, forces oppose the force of gravity and suspend the soil particles.

The saturated sediment may appear quite solid until a sudden change in pressure or shock initiates liquefaction. This causes the sand to form a suspension and lose strength. The cushioning of water gives quicksand, and other liquefied sediments, a spongy, fluid-like texture. Objects in liquefied sand sink to the level at which the weight of the object is equal to the weight of the displaced soil/water mix and the submerged object floats due to its buoyancy.
Story: Rob is competing in a cross country race. After running about a mile he reached a place with two signs, sign A and sign B. Sign A says that it's a quicksand. But sign B says that it's not a quicksand. He has to decide which way to go.
Question: In which way Rob would most probably sink, sign A or sign B?


Background Paragraph: Thermoclines, or sudden changes in temperature. Where the air temperature is higher than the water temperature, shallow water may be warmed by the air and the sunlight but deeper water remains cold resulting in a lowering of temperature as the diver descends. This temperature change may be concentrated over a small vertical interval, when it is called a thermocline.[3][4]
Where cold, fresh water enters a warmer sea the fresh water may float over the denser saline water, so the temperature rises as the diver descends.[3]
In lakes exposed to geothermal activity, the temperature of the deeper water may be warmer than the surface water. This will usually lead to convection currents.[3].
Story: Ryan explored two lakes; Big lake, and Arrow lake to the south. Arrow lake had a river flowing into it, while Big lake presented evidence of underwater geothermal activity. Many divers drowned in Arrow lake because of temperature shock.
Question: Which lake had more geothermal activity?


Background Paragraph: In the U.S., the majority of electricity is produced by burning coal or other fossil fuels. This causes air pollution that harms the health of living things. The air pollution also causes acid rain and contributes to global warming. In addition, fossil fuels are nonrenewable resources, so if we keep using them, they will eventually run out. The main advantage of nuclear energy is that it doesn’t release air pollution or cause the other environmental problems associated with the burning of fossil fuels. On the other other hand, radioactive elements are nonrenewable like fossil fuels and could eventually be used up.
Story: The U.S. produces its energy using fossil fuels, while Germany uses nuclear power plants as their main energy source. The two countries impact the environment in different ways.
Question: Which country doesn't cause other environmental problems associated with the burning of fossil fuels?


Background Paragraph: Groundwater salinization compromises buffering properties. Vegetation clearance, along with irrigation, causes serious issues. Irrigation increases the water table and mobilizes salts, and vegetation clearance allows it to come in contact with water habitats and vegetation. This stresses species not adapted to high salinity. High levels of salinity reduces water uptake in plants, by causing stomatal closure, reducing photosynthesis. Forests undergo decline in areas of high salinity and shallow groundwater depths because these conditions make them more susceptible to droughts. Forests undergo decline in areas of high salinity and shallow groundwater depths making them more susceptible to droughts.
Story: A local farm has set up shop in the nearby town of Calico. They have cleared some vegetation and irrigated through nearby Calico Forest. Steven's Forest on the other side of town has not been touched however, and remains as it has been.
Question: Which forest is more likely to experience a drought?


Background Paragraph: Almost all earthquakes occur at plate boundaries. All types of plate boundaries have earthquakes. Convection within the Earth causes the plates to move. As the plates move, stresses build. When the stresses build too much, the rocks break. The break releases the energy that was stored in the rocks. The sudden release of energy is an earthquake. During an earthquake the rocks usually move several centimeters. Rarely, they may move as much as a few meters. Elastic rebound theory describes how earthquakes occur ( Figure below ).
Story: Two nearby villages are experiencing earthquakes. Bow village gets a lot of earthquakes annually, while Arrow village gets only a few.
Question: Which village experiences less stress build up in the rocks?


Background Paragraph: You generally can’t see, smell, taste, hear, or feel radiation. Fortunately, there are devices such as Geiger counters that can detect radiation. A Geiger counter, like the one pictured in the Figure below , contains atoms of a gas that is ionized if it encounters radiation. When this happens, the gas atoms change to ions that can carry an electric current. The current causes the Geiger counter to click. The faster the clicks occur, the higher the level of radiation. You can see a video about the Geiger counter and how it was invented at the URL below.
Story: Keith landed a job with the EPA. As part of his training he needed to learn how the Geiger counter works. To learn more about the counter he tested it in three different locations, location A, location B, and location C. Location A had very high radiation; location B had low radiation; and location C didn't have any radiation. Keith learned how the counter works in locations with varying degrees of radiation.
Question: In which location the counter would have electirc current, location B or location C?


Background Paragraph: Predators play an important role in an ecosystem. For example, if they did not exist, then a single species could become dominant over others. Grazers on a grassland keep grass from growing out of control. Predators can be keystone species . These are species that can have a large effect on the balance of organisms in an ecosystem. For example, if all of the wolves are removed from a population, then the population of deer or rabbits may increase. If there are too many deer, then they may decrease the amount of plants or grasses in the ecosystem. Decreased levels of producers may then have a detrimental effect on the whole ecosystem. In this example, the wolves would be a keystone species.
Story: Large birds are natural predators of rodents. Unfortunately, rodents consume crops in farmlands. In recent years, use of chemicals in agriculture has seen reduced number of large birds in Germany. But in some places in France farmers are cautions about using chemicals in agriculture. As a result, large bird population had been stable in France.
Question: In which country ecosystem would be more balanced, France or Germany?


Background Paragraph: If a zone undergoes dramatic changes in temperature with depth, it contains a thermocline. The tropical thermocline is typically deeper than the thermocline at higher latitudes. Polar waters, which receive relatively little solar energy, are not stratified by temperature and generally lack a thermocline because surface water at polar latitudes are nearly as cold as water at greater depths. Below the thermocline, water is very cold, ranging from −1 °C to 3 °C. Because this deep and cold layer contains the bulk of ocean water, the average temperature of the world ocean is 3.9 °C.
Story: Keith was measuring the attributes of thermoclines. He selected two locations. One is near Miami, which is in the tropic. The other is near New York, which is in higher latitude. In total, he took four samples, sample A, sample B, sample C, and sample D. From Miami thermocline he took sample A. Then from below Miami thermocline he took sample B. From New York thermocline he took sample C. Finally, from below New York thermocline he took sample D.
Question: Would sample A be warmer or colder than sample B?


Background Paragraph: Hepatitis B is a disease of the liver. It is caused by a virus called hepatitis B, which can be passed through sexual activity. Hepatitis B causes vomiting. It also causes yellowing of the skin and eyes. The disease goes away on its own in some people. Other people are sick for the rest of their lives. In these people, the virus usually damages the liver. It may also lead to liver cancer. Medicines can help prevent liver damage in these people. There is also a vaccine to protect against hepatitis B.
Story: Two sexually active men are currently at the doctor getting checked for sexually transmitted diseases. Before performing the actual tests, the doctor takes a brief physical examination of the men. The doctor notices that Jake's heart is beating irregularly and his arm appears to have a rash on it. While examining Scully, the doctor takes note of how yellow Scully's eyes are, and Scully also reports to the doctor that he has been throwing up lately. After the physical, the doctor has the men both pee into a cup so that he can run a standard STD test for them.
Question: Which man is more likely to have Hepatitis B?


Background Paragraph: As time passes, the number of HIV copies keeps increasing, while the number of helper T cells keeps decreasing. The graph in Figure below shows how the number of T cells typically declines over a period of many years following the initial HIV infection. As the number of T cells decreases, so does the ability of the immune system to defend the body. As a result, an HIV-infected person develops frequent infections. Medicines can slow down the virus but not get rid of it, so there is no cure at present for HIV infections or AIDS. There also is no vaccine to immunize people against HIV infection, but scientists are working to develop one.
Story: A doctor tested two people for HIV. Tom had the virus in his blood, while Nick didn't have HIV, he was healthy. Tom has apparently had the virus for 20 years.
Question: Which person didn't have the ability of the immune system to defend the body decreasing?


Background Paragraph: Any unused energy in food, whether it comes from carbohydrates, proteins, or lipids, is stored in the body as fat. An extra 3,500 Calories of energy results in the storage of almost half a kilogram (1 pound) of stored body fat. People who consistently consume more food energy then they need may become obese. Obesity occurs when the body mass index is 30.0 kg/m 2 or greater. Body mass index (BMI) is an estimate of the fat content of the body. It is calculated by dividing a person’s weight (in kilograms) by the square of the person’s height (in meters). Obesity increases the risk of health problems such as type 2 diabetes and hypertension.
Story: Two neighboring villages were living mostly off the land. Boar village was full of fat people, because they would overeat lots of animal products. Leap village was inhabited by vegetarians and vegans.Their food consumption was moderate.
Question: Which village had fewer people with B.M.I. over 30?


Background Paragraph: Often, foreign exchange controls can result in the creation of black markets to exchange the weaker currency for stronger currencies. This leads to a situation where the exchange rate for the foreign currency is much higher than the rate set by the government, and therefore creates a shadow currency exchange market. As such, it is unclear whether governments have the ability to enact effective exchange controls.[1].
Story: Pakistan tried to control the foreign exchange market and India didn't. By creating the foreign exchange control department, Pakistan tried to stop the devaluation of their currency. India chose to not interfere and let the exchange market regulate itself.
Question: Which country had a higher exchange rate for currencies?