Rita Colwell — Questions and answers
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What radical approach did Dr. Rita Colwell pioneer to help with cholera?
Choices
- A. She invented new types of microscopes to see bacteria better.
- B. She discovered the Vibrio cholerae bacteria for the first time.
- C. She linked microscopic bacteria to views from space to predict disease outbreaks. ✓
- D. She became the first woman to travel to space in 1999.
Answer: C. She linked microscopic bacteria to views from space to predict disease outbreaks.
From page 1
What was Dr. Colwell's groundbreaking idea about how Vibrio cholerae bacteria behaved?
Choices
- A. She thought the bacteria turned into fish when conditions were bad.
- B. She believed the bacteria could go into a 'sleepy' state where they were alive but hidden. ✓
- C. She proved that bacteria could fly away when they were in danger.
- D. She discovered that bacteria could talk to each other.
Answer: B. She believed the bacteria could go into a 'sleepy' state where they were alive but hidden.
From page 3
How did Dr. Colwell discover Vibrio cholerae survived in its hidden state?
Choices
- A. It hid inside big whales until the water got warm.
- B. It attached to tiny marine copepods, which then ate tiny plants in the water. ✓
- C. It burrowed into the mud at the bottom of the ocean.
- D. It changed its shape to look like a small rock.
Answer: B. It attached to tiny marine copepods, which then ate tiny plants in the water.
From page 4
What new technology did Dr. Colwell use to help predict cholera outbreaks from far away?
Choices
- A. She used giant telescopes to look at the ocean floor.
- B. She sent submarines to collect water samples from all over the world.
- C. She used satellite imagery to track ocean conditions like temperature and plant growth. ✓
- D. She built special robots to find sick people in the ocean.
Answer: C. She used satellite imagery to track ocean conditions like temperature and plant growth.
From page 5
What was the main goal of Dr. Colwell's team's model using satellite data?
Choices
- A. To find out how many people were already sick with cholera right now.
- B. To predict exactly where and when future cholera outbreaks would likely happen. ✓
- C. To teach people how to swim in the ocean more safely.
- D. To invent a new type of medicine that could cure cholera quickly.
Answer: B. To predict exactly where and when future cholera outbreaks would likely happen.
From page 6
What simple yet effective solution did Dr. Colwell's work lead to for preventing cholera?
Choices
- A. She taught people to only drink rainwater.
- B. She encouraged communities to build giant water purification factories.
- C. She found that filtering water with a folded sari cloth could remove the cholera bacteria. ✓
- D. She invented a special pill that people could take to protect themselves.
Answer: C. She found that filtering water with a folded sari cloth could remove the cholera bacteria.
From page 7
As Director of the National Science Foundation, what did Dr. Colwell strongly support?
Choices
- A. Building new science museums in every city.
- B. Only allowing scientists to work by themselves without help.
- C. Different types of science working together and more women and minorities in science. ✓
- D. Funding only research about outer space and planets.
Answer: C. Different types of science working together and more women and minorities in science.
From page 8
How has Dr. Colwell's work made a lasting impact on the world?
Choices
- A. It made all scientists agree on only one way to do research.
- B. It helped create new ways to predict cholera and understand other hidden germs. ✓
- C. It stopped all diseases from ever appearing again.
- D. It made everyone use only very old-fashioned ways to study microbes.
Answer: B. It helped create new ways to predict cholera and understand other hidden germs.
From page 9
What is the main message of Dr. Rita Colwell's legacy for future scientists?
Choices
- A. Scientists should only focus on problems that have already been solved.
- B. It's best for scientists to work alone and never share their ideas.
- C. To solve big problems, scientists should work together across different fields and welcome everyone. ✓
- D. Always follow old rules and never try new things in science.
Answer: C. To solve big problems, scientists should work together across different fields and welcome everyone.
From page 10