Why do chickens cluck and why do eggs have shells? The kids’ quiz

1. Magnus, 9, asks: why do chickens cluck?

   1. They don’t – they warble

   2. They like the sound of their own voice

   3. They cluck gently when they’re contented – and cluck quickly in excitement

   4. Chickens only cluck to tell you spring is coming

2. Helena, 6, asks: how do puddles disappear?

   1. Foxes, badgers and rabbits drink them all up

   2. The water evaporates into the atmosphere

   3. The puddle sinks deep below the Earth’s surface

   4. Puddles only disappear when messy children splash in them too much

3. Freddie, 8, asks: why is our natural instinct to blink when something moves quickly towards our eyes?

   1. It blows the object away with a tiny gust of wind

   2. To signal we’re in danger

   3. There’s no reason for it!

   4. It’s a natural reflex to protect our eyes from harm

4. Alfred, 7, asks: why are schools called schools?

   1. School comes from a Greek word for “leisure”

   2. It’s from a Latin word meaning “punishment”

   3. It’s from an old Germanic word meaning “friendship”

   4. It’s from a Turkish word meaning “celebration”

5. Angus, 4, asks: why do eggs have shells?

   1. To protect the embryo from the outside world

   2. Shells allow the embryo to breathe

   3. They are often absorbed by the embryo as a source of calcium for its bones

   4. All of the above

Solutions

1:C - Chickens make lots of different noises. When they cluck gently, it means they’re happy and healthy., 2:B - Evaporation happens when the water molecules on the puddle’s surface are warm enough to change from a liquid to a gas. The warmth of the sun speeds up this process. The puddle gets smaller as more water evaporates into the air., 3:D - When an unexpected object approaches our eyes quickly, we naturally blink. This is called the corneal reflex and it’s an attempt to protect our eyes from potential dangers., 4:A - The word school comes from the ancient Greek “scholē”, which means leisure. Later the word came to mean “a place for discussion” or “a place where lectures are given”., 5:D - Eggs are very important for growing embryos. They provide protection and feed the embryo calcium. The more calcium the embryo absorbs, the stronger it gets and the weaker the shell gets. This allows for hatching at the perfect time. The shells can also absorb oxygen and diffuse carbon dioxide, allowing the embryo to breathe.

Scores

1. 5 and above.

2. 4 and above.

3. 3 and above.

4. 2 and above.

5. 0 and above.

6. 1 and above.

Molly Oldfield hosts Everything Under the Sun, a podcast answering children’s questions. Do check out her books, Everything Under the Sun and Everything Under the Sun: Quiz Book, as well as her new title, Everything Under the Sun: All Around the World.