CAEC: Science: technology, society and environment

All 8 questions in this test

Every question and its answer choices. The correct answers and explanations appear when you take the test above.

1. A town is deciding whether to add fluoride to its water. Which approach best weighs risks and benefits?

   1. Decide based only on which choice is the cheapest for the town
   2. Ask one long-time resident what they would personally prefer
   3. Compare evidence on dental health with evidence on possible harms
   4. Choose whatever the neighbouring towns decided many years ago

2. A new pesticide protects crops but also harms bees that pollinate them. What is the harm to bees an example of?

   1. An intended benefit
   2. An unintended consequence
   3. A controlled variable
   4. A testable hypothesis

3. Electric cars produce no tailpipe emissions. Which consideration is part of a fair risk–benefit analysis?

   1. Only the paint colour options offered by local car dealers
   2. The environmental cost of mining materials for their batteries
   3. How quiet the radio and speakers sound inside the car
   4. Whether the cars are popular on social media this year

4. Antibiotics save many lives. What unintended consequence can result from overusing them?

   1. Stronger human bones
   2. Fewer viruses in the air
   3. Faster healing of broken legs
   4. Bacteria that resist the drugs

5. Plastic shopping bags are cheap and light. Which is an unintended environmental consequence of their wide use?

   1. Litter that harms wildlife in waterways
   2. Lower prices for groceries at the store
   3. Easier carrying of shopping bags home
   4. Less weight to carry in delivery trucks

6. Which factor most often influences which research projects get done?

   1. The weather on the first day
   2. The researcher's birthday
   3. The colour of the laboratory
   4. Available funding

7. Public concern about a disease outbreak leads governments to fund more vaccine research. What does this show?

   1. Research topics are chosen at random
   2. Vaccines are developed without testing
   3. Science ignores what society needs
   4. Society can influence what scientists study

8. A city plans a dam for hydroelectric power. Which pair correctly matches a benefit and a risk?

   1. Benefit: higher water bills for residents; risk: clean energy
   2. Benefit: fewer fish in the river; risk: more electricity for homes
   3. Benefit: low-emission electricity; risk: flooding of land and habitats
   4. Benefit: more flooding of the river valley; risk: cheaper power