Worksheets10 Technologies We Stole from the Animal Kingdom
Total questions: 35
Worksheet time: 18mins
What is the science of copying nature called?
Biomimetics
Biology
Nanotechnology
Animology Copyology
"No matter how often doctors and nurses wash their hands, they inadvertently spread bacteria and viruses from one patient to the next." (p. 54) The word inadvertently most closely means...
accidentally
purposefully
successfully
intentionally
"And now, thanks to them, infections may go the way of the dinosaur." (p.54) The phrase, "go the way of the dinosaur," most nearly means...
will go away and never return
will make a great comeback in a Godzilla movie
will create its own problems
will continue to evolve and grow
The authors of this article are named...
David Goldenberg and Erik Vance
David Copperfield and Erik Estrada
David Goldenberg and Erik Vincent
David Goldenbird and Erik Tern
How are sharks different from other marine animals?
They don't collect slime, algae, or barnacles on their bodies.
They collect barnacles and remora as they swim.
Their skin is smooth and slick.
They carry around the most bacteria of all marine animals.
According to the article, sharkskin concepts are being used to develop all of the following consumer items except...
water bottles
light switches and door handles
hospital computer monitors
catheters
Sharklet is a company that is exploring how the sharkskin concept can...
make a coating that repels germs
make grippy welcome mats
disinfect or clean a germy surface
make a plastic wrap for microwaving food
How does the Ultracane help blind people?
by vibrating as it approaches objects
by allowing one to lead their seeing eye dog
by making beeping noises as it approaches objects
by lighting up with different colors as it approaches objects
The cane works by using...
echolocation
radio waves
microwaves
heat-sensing technology
"When the going gets tough, the tough play dead. That's the motto of two of nature's most durable creatures--the resurrection plant and the water bear." (p.55) What is a motto?
a sentence or phrase that expresses the spirit or purpose of something
one of the Ten Commandments
a regulation adopted by a school
a poem that is devoted to someone
"Under normal circumstances, the water bear looks like a sleeping bag with chubby legs..." (p.55) The sentence contains an example of...
a simile
a metaphor
personification
alliteration
A resurrection plant is a type of...
desert moss
arctic lichen
space bacteria
vaccine that brings one back to life
Resurrection plants and water bears can survive extreme environments. According to the article, what is their secret to survival?
intense hibernation
vaccines
sugar metabolism
freezing cryotherapy
What is the main idea of Section 3 entitled, "Playing Dead, Saving Lives"?
Because of their amazing ability to hibernate in extreme environments, water bears and resurrection plants are being studied for use in the preservation of life-saving vaccines.
Playing dead is a neat biochemical trick.
Sugar preservatives harden into microscopic glass beads.
Adding a little water to a hibernating water bear can cause an unexplained miracle.
What problem prompted a redesign of Japanese passenger trains?
Passengers would hear a loud boom and feel pressure when exiting tunnels.
Passengers complained there was not enough seating.
It took a long time to get to work in the morning on a bullet train.
Passengers could not read on the train because it was always so loud.
Which bird was Japanese designer Eiji Nakatsu insprired by for the redesign of the bullet train?
kingfishers
American robins
goldfinches
cranes
Which habit of the bird was the bullet train designer fascinated by?
plunging into water to catch fish
grabbing crabs off the beach
flying through storms
making wind-proof nests
According to the article, what is another benefit of having a redesigned beak-like nose on the bullet trains?
They are 10 percent faster and 15 percent more fuel-efficient.
There are fewer accidents.
People enjoy slicing through tunnels in a train more.
They are 50 percent faster and 25 percent more fuel-efficient.
What words accurately describe the sponges in Section 5?
orange, puffy, stationary
lime green, spiky, active
orange, smelly, runs fast
bright yellow, looks like a skeleton, long-limbed
"And yet, this unassuming creature might be the catalyst for the next technological revolution." (p.57) The word catalyst most nearly means...
something that causes acceleration
a new fad
a terrible thing
something that causes another thing to slow down
Studying orange puffball sponges has great implications for future development of...
solar panels and batteries
fast-moving trains
plastic wrap for light switches and handles
robot building
"In a few years, when solar panels are suddenly on every rooftop in America and microchips are sold for a pittance, don't forget to thank the little orange puffballs that started it all." (p.57) The word pittance most nearly means...
a small amount
a large sum
the amount you borrow
someone's life savings
The basilisk lizard is also known as the...
Jesus Christ lizard
stone death lizard
Godzilla, king of the monsters
robotic mechanical miracle
How does the basilisk lizard stay afloat?
by being super light
by breaking the surface tension of the water
by bicycling its feet at just the right angle on the water
by having really large webbed feet
What did the basilisk lizard inspire Professor Metin Sitti to do?
to create a robot that could walk on water
to create a robot that could change water into wine
to monitor water quality in reservoirs
to run a marathon across a lake
From his experience creating a robot that can walk on water, Professor Metin Sitti would probably say that...
If things don't work out, keep trying to make it better.
When things get hard, you should give up.
Robots should be made for fun experimentation.
When your ideas are good, progress will happen quickly and without problems.
Why was Frank Fish's discovery about humpback whale flipper bumps so surprising?
Because it seems that bumps on flippers would create drag or resistance on a surface
Because fins or flippers are like fan blades or wings
Because humpback whales are not known to play softball
Because smooth surfaces are ALWAYS aerodynamic
Humpback whale flipper bumps are called...
tubercles
softballs
brush bristles
wind energy
Frank Fish and Whalepower intend to use their whale flipper research to improve...
wind turbines and industrial fans
hair brushes and combs
softball bats
solar panels
Horntail wasps have a stinger that the author says is best compared to a...
drill bit
hammer
screwdriver
wrench
Scientists believe that the wasp's drill-like stinger may be useful...
for drilling on Mars or meteors
for deep ocean exploration
for construction work on Earth
for dental work, like drilling cavities
What could LEXID be used for?
finding contraband (illegal materials) inside other items
catching lobsters on the Maine coast
making visible light at doctor's offices
seeing into deep murky water
In literature, referring to something from popular culture is called an allusion. What is the allusion in Section 10?
Toucan Sam/Froot Loops
Tony the Tiger/Frosted Flakes
Captain Crunch/Crunch Berries
Fred Flinstone/Fruity Pebbles
Why is a toucan's bill so remarkable?
It is strong yet light.
It is really heavy and dense.
It is built just like a bike helmet.
It is much more dense than water.
The organization of this article could be best described as...
ten subsections under one larger umbrella topic
ten short stories or narratives connected with a common theme
ten different main ideas with examples for each
ten individual memoirs about past experiences
