Science Knowledge Pre-Quiz (Pew Science Research)

Sophia, Mia, and Benjamin are discussing the primary sources of energy used in their city. They mention oil, natural gas, and coal. These energy sources are examples of …

• geothermal resources

• renewable resources

• biofuels

• fossil fuels

A scientist is conducting a study to determine how well a new medication treats ear infections. The scientist tells the participants to put 10 drops in their infected ear each day. After two weeks, all participants' ear infections had healed. Which of the following changes to the design of this study would most improve the ability to test if the new medication effectively treats ear infections?

• Have participants use ear drops for only one week

• Create a second group of participants with ear infections who do not use any ear drops

• Create a second group of participants with ear infections who use 15 drops a day

• Have participants put ear drops in both their infected ear and healthy ear

Maya is working on a science project about genetic engineering. Which of the following actions she took can be considered as an example of genetic engineering?

• She found the sequences of bases in a plant's DNA

• She grew a whole plant from a single cell

• She inserted a gene into a plant that makes it resistant to insects

• She attached the root of one type of plant to the stem of another type of plant

What is the main cause of seasons on the Earth?

• The tilt of the Earth's axis in relation to the Sun

• The speed that the Earth rotates around the Sun

• Changes in the amount of energy coming from the Sun

• The distance between the Earth and the Sun

These graphs show the monthly precipitation and average temperature for three cities in the United States over the course of one year. Based on the graphs, which city has the greatest annual range of temperatures?

• Los Angeles, California

• New York, New York

• They all have the same annual temperature range

• Chicago, Illinois

Elijah noticed that his laptop takes a lot longer to start up than it used to. Benjamin suggested that it might be because the laptop is running out of memory. This suggestion is a scientific...

• Conclusion

• Experiment

• Observation

• Hypothesis

Priya, Aria, and Avery were discussing about diseases in their biology class. They learned that many diseases have an incubation period. Avery asked, 'What does an incubation period mean in the context of diseases?' Which of the following best describes what an incubation period is?

• The effect of a disease on babies

• The recovery period after being sick

• The period during which someone has an infection, but is not showing symptoms

• The period during which someone builds up immunity to a disease

Elijah, Nora, and Priya are part of a local community group that is concerned about a large company's plans to clear a vast forest area for farming. According to their research, what is one of the potential negative impacts of this action?

• Greater oxygen production

• Decreased carbon dioxide

• Increased erosion

• Colder temperatures

Kai had a spicy meal for dinner and now his stomach feels overly acidic. He remembers that an antacid can help him. This is because the main components of antacids are …

• Acids

• Bases

• Neutral

• Isotopes

Liam, Arjun, and Jose are discussing the overuse of antibiotics. Liam is worried about a particular major concern. Which of these is he most likely worried about?

• It can lead to antibiotic-resistant bacteria

• Antibiotics can cause secondary infections

• There will be an antibiotic shortage

• Antibiotics will get into the water system