Science in the News Quiz.

Directions: Read the late-breaking science news stories in our Science News section on pages 4-7. Then, test your knowledge by answering the questions below. Circle the correct letter.

1. Unlike most amphibians, Mexican
axolotls

   a. start life as tadpoles.
   b. never leave the water.
   c. metamorphose into land-dwelling
   adults.
   d. migrate from Central America to
   the U.S.

2. Scientists generally think that major
characteristics in animals, like
metamorphosis, are controlled by

   a. several genes.
   b. a single gene.
   c. animals' environment.
   d. animals' upbringing.

3. A recent survey by the U.S. Fish and
Wildlife shows that the southern sea
otter population

   a. has been decreasing for the last
   three years.
   b. has increased from last year.
   c. has largely stayed the same.
   d. none of the above.

4. Sea otters ultimately protect the coastal-water
ecosystem in which they live.

   a. true
   b. false

5. Ice-resurfacing machines in indoor
skating rinks

   a. pollute the air inside the rinks.
   b. use nitrogen dioxide ([NO.sub.2]),
   a brownish-red gas, for fuel.
   c. run on solar energy.
   d. both a and b.

6. Electric-powered ice-resurfacing
machines emit

   a. more [NO.sub.2] than propane-powered
   machines.
   b. more [NO.sub.2] than gas-powered machines.
   c. about the same amount of [NO.sub.2]
   as propane-powered machines.
   d. the least amount of [NO.sub.2] compared to
   propane- and gas-powered machines.

7. Last year, teen astronomers spotted an
asteroid that will smash into Earth.

   a. true
   b. false

8. Unlike most asteroids, this particular
space rock can be found

   a. between the orbits of Mars and Jupiter.
   b. between the sun and Earth's orbit.
   e. beyond the orbit of Neptune.
   d. orbiting the moon.

9. Last December, space-shuttle astronauts
hooked up the first two modules of

   a. the space shuttle Endeavour.
   b. the International Space Station.
   c. Unity, a six-sided space capsule.
   d. the Mir space station.

10. To connect the two modules, astronauts

   a. used a robotic arm to bring one
   module close to the shuttle.
   b. spacewalked for three, 6-hour periods.
   c. connected power cables between
   the two.
   d. all of the above.