YÖKDİL questions: Science, Health and Social Sciences samples with answers

Question 1 · Grammar

The samples were stored at -80 °C; ___, some degradation of the proteins was still detected.

1. A) nevertheless — correct answer
2. B) therefore
3. C) similarly
4. D) for instance
5. E) in addition

Explanation: Degradation despite deep-freeze storage is unexpected, so the contrast needs "nevertheless". Therefore signals a result.

Question 2 · Translation

Bu çalışmanın amacı, sıcaklık artışının deniz canlıları üzerindeki etkisini incelemektir.

Choose the English sentence closest in meaning.

1. A) This study was aimed at organisms that live only in warm seas.
2. B) Marine organisms were examined in order to raise the temperature of the study.
3. C) The aim of rising temperatures is to study marine organisms.
4. D) This study shows that rising temperatures have no effect on marine organisms.
5. E) The aim of this study is to examine the effect of rising temperatures on marine organisms. — correct answer

Explanation: "Amacı ... incelemektir" means "the aim ... is to examine". The second option claims a finding; the fourth mixes up the subject and the aim.

Question 3 · Vocabulary

Solar panels installed on rooftops can ___ a significant share of a household’s electricity demand during the summer months.

1. A) suspect
2. B) neglect
3. C) postpone
4. D) refuse
5. E) meet — correct answer

Explanation: A demand is met: "meet a demand" is the collocation. Refuse and neglect make the sentence meaningless.

Question 4 · Reading

Lithium-ion batteries lose capacity with every charging cycle because tiny deposits build up on the electrodes. ___ As a result, several manufacturers now limit routine charging to about 80 per cent of full capacity.

Choose the sentence that best completes the paragraph.

1. A) Recycling schemes for used batteries vary widely between countries.
2. B) Older nickel-based batteries suffered from a different problem known as the memory effect.
3. C) Laboratory tests show that this build-up is fastest when the battery is charged all the way to 100 per cent. — correct answer
4. D) Lithium is mined mainly in Australia, Chile and Argentina.
5. E) Most smartphones can be fully charged in under two hours.

Explanation: "As a result ... limit charging to 80 per cent" needs a cause: the build-up is fastest at a full charge. The other options do not explain the 80 per cent limit.

Question 5 · Reading

According to the passage, bleaching ___.

1. A) occurs only in the deepest parts of the ocean
2. B) is reversible if the water temperature drops in time — correct answer
3. C) kills the coral within a few days
4. D) is caused by the algae leaving the ocean floor
5. E) affects a quarter of marine species directly

Explanation: The last sentence says bleached corals are not dead and recover if the water cools soon. "Kills within days" contradicts the text; "a quarter of species" describes what reefs support, not bleaching.

Question 6 · Vocabulary

Regular physical activity has been shown to ___ the risk of developing type 2 diabetes in adults.

1. A) provoke
2. B) inherit
3. C) diminish — correct answer
4. D) disguise
5. E) sustain

Explanation: Regular exercise lowers the risk: diminish. Provoke gives the opposite meaning, and sustain does not fit with risk.

Question 7 · Reading

Antibiotic resistance develops when bacteria change in ways that reduce the effectiveness of drugs designed to kill them. Overuse of antibiotics, including their use for viral infections against which they are ineffective, speeds up this process.

It is stated in the passage that antibiotics ___.

1. A) were originally designed to treat viruses
2. B) strengthen the immune system over time
3. C) always cause resistance in bacteria
4. D) do not work against viral infections — correct answer
5. E) should never be prescribed to adults

Explanation: The passage states that antibiotics are ineffective against viral infections. Options with "always" or "never" go beyond the text.

Question 8 · Reading

Vitamin D is produced in the skin when it is exposed to sunlight, and only a few foods contain it naturally. ___ For this reason, health authorities in northern countries often recommend supplements during the winter months.

Choose the sentence that best completes the paragraph.

1. A) Excessive sun exposure is a well-known risk factor for skin cancer.
2. B) The vitamin was first isolated by researchers in the early twentieth century.
3. C) In regions with short winter days, people therefore struggle to produce enough of it between November and March. — correct answer
4. D) Oily fish and egg yolks are among the richest dietary sources.
5. E) Supplements are sold in both tablet and liquid form.

Explanation: The gap is followed by "For this reason ... supplements in winter", so the cause must be low production in short winter days. The other options do not lead to winter supplements.

Question 9 · Vocabulary

The survey found that income ___ between the richest and poorest districts of the city had widened over the past decade.

1. A) curriculum
2. B) inequality — correct answer
3. C) ceremony
4. D) ancestry
5. E) tradition

Explanation: What widens between rich and poor districts is income inequality. Tradition and curriculum do not pair with income.

Question 10 · Reading

Urbanisation has transformed patterns of family life across the region. ___ As a result, the traditional multigenerational household is becoming less common in large cities.

Choose the sentence that best completes the paragraph.

1. A) Family businesses remain important in agriculture.
2. B) Public transport in large cities has improved considerably.
3. C) Rural areas still produce most of the region's food.
4. D) Historians disagree about when the first cities in the region appeared.
5. E) Young adults increasingly move to cities for education and work, often living far from their parents. — correct answer

Explanation: "As a result" needs a cause: young adults moving away explains why multigenerational households decline. The other options break the flow.

Question 11 · Reading

It can be understood from the passage that early compulsory schooling laws ___.

1. A) were rejected by most European governments
2. B) raised attendance rapidly in rural villages
3. C) ended child labour within a few years
4. D) applied only to children working in factories
5. E) were not enough on their own to bring children into school — correct answer

Explanation: The laws spread but attendance rose slowly, and only became widespread after child labour was restricted and schools were built: the laws alone were not enough. "Rapidly" and "ended child labour" contradict the text.