Dr. Watt's 2007 Amazing Agriculture Quiz!

Happy New Year, Sci4Kids fans! It's time to see how much you've learned this year, with Dr. Watt's 2007 Amazing Agriculture Quiz!

1) What insects make a rock-hard substance out of chewed-up wood, saliva and feces?
            A) Ants.
            B) Termites.
            C) Grasshoppers.
            D) Saliva beetles.

Need a hint? Read this story.

2) John "Johnny Appleseed" Chapman planted apples throughout Pennsylvania, Ohio, Indiana and Illinois, but apples had been around for centuries before that. Which countries are most likely the birthplace of modern apples?
            A) Spain and France.
            B) Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan.
            C) Applestan and Seedica.
            D) Mexico and Canada.

Need a hint? Read this story.

3) What does the word "entomopathogenic" mean?
            A) The genetic qualities of mops.
            B) Delicious.
            C) Helpful.
            D) Insect-killing.

Need a hint? Read this story.

4) Which of the following statements is true about sunflowers?
            A) They are native to the United States.
            B) They are carnivorous.
            C) They burn if they are not protected with sunscreen.
            D) They only bloom at night.

Need a hint? Read this story.

5) Tracheal mites cause a lot of trouble for bees. How do they do it?
            A) They make it difficult to breathe.
            B) They make hilarious prank calls late at night.
            C) They swarm beehives and steal large amounts of honey.
            D) They compete for pollen.

Need a hint? Read this story.

6) Complete this sentence: Old World hunter flies will only attack insects that are ____.
            A) Ugly.
            B) Smaller than they are.
            C) A good source of dietary fiber.
            D) Flying.

Need a hint? Read this story.

7) Which of the following tasks would your spit NOT help you achieve?
            A) Whistling Beethoven's 9th symphony.
            B) Eating a peanut butter and honey sandwich.
            C) Making a rock-hard substance called "carton."
            D) Speaking a foreign language.

Need a hint? Read this story.

8) Which of the following is a good example of food safety?
            A) Eating raw meat.
            B) Leaving deviled eggs in a warm car for several days.
            C) Licking both sides of your cookie so your brother or sister won't eat it.
            D) Washing fruits and vegetables.

Need a hint? Read this story.

9) Why do food safety organizations subject some foods to radiation?
            A) To make the food safer.
            B) To create an army of crime-fighting superfoods.
            C) Because they're bored.
            D) It's a trick question. People never irradiate food.

Need a hint? Read this story.

10) Scientists are trying to develop peanuts that are safe for people with peanut allergies. What surprising source have ARS scientists used for this purpose?
            A) Elephants.
            B) Jelly.
            C) Seaweed.
            D) Apples.

Need a hint? Read this story.

 11) What amazing use have ARS scientists found for chicken poop?
            A) Substituting for airplane fuel.
            B) Killing insects.
            C) Cleaning up water.
            D) Preventing obesity.

Need a hint? Read this story.

Answers

1) B. These gross ingredients make a concrete-like substance called carton, which termites use to fortify their underground homes.
2) B. Kazakhstan and Kyrgyzstan are in Central Asia, where traders and explorers first discovered apples hundreds and hundreds of years ago.
3) D. Entomopathogenic [EN-toe-mo-PATH-oh-GEN-ick] is a fancy word for something that kills insects.
4) A. Sunflowers, unlike many of the large commercial crops grown in this country, are actually native to the United States.
5) A. The mites invade the bees' breathing passages, or tracheas, making it hard to breathe. Bees that groom often have better luck avoiding mites. Unfortunately, no studies have shown whether grooming affects their ability to get a date to the prom.
6) D. Old World hunter flies, or killer flies, only attack insects that are in flight. They stab them through the neck with a sharp part of their mouth and suck out their guts. Gross!
7) C. To be fair, spit could help you make carton if you were a termite. But if you were a termite, you wouldn't be taking this quiz. Saliva has many uses, such as helping people to chew, swallow, sing, whistle and speak.
8) D. To keep food safe, you should refrigerate spoilable items, cook your meat very well and wash your fruits and vegetables. Licking your food is an effective––and disgusting––way to keep other people from eating it, but it's not an example of food safety.
9) A. Some kinds of radiation can kill microorganisms in your food without changing flavor, texture or smell. Many kinds of food can all be made safer this way. In fact, it's so effective that the U.S. government recommends it to treat ground beef in school lunches.
10) D. Apples and other fruits contain a natural protein called PPO. When PPO is added to ground-up peanuts, it changes the way the peanut proteins are structured and makes them less allergenic. This could make them safer for kids with peanut allergies.
11) C. Chicken poop can actually be used to treat water pollution. When heated in a super-hot oven, chicken pellets can be turned into a big, dried-out sponge that locks in substances like chemicals or harmful heavy metals that might be present in the water.

How did you do?

9-11  Nice work. You're a Sci4Kids expert!
5-8  Good job. Keep up the good work!
0-4  Nice try, but you should spend more time reading Sci4Kids!

—By Laura McGinnis, Agricultural Research Service

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