If you were standing (outside, at noon, on a cloudless day) on the equator during the Autumnal or Vernal Equinox, you would have no shadow because:
O Peter Pan stole it
O The sun is directly over the equator
O The sun's rays are so weak at this time of year that they don't cause objects to cast shadows
O Trick question, there is 24 hour darkness on the equator during the Equinox

allowed for the prediction of the properties of missing elements.

the correct answer is - d. china has a large and growing population.

the fact that china has a large (the biggest) population, and it is still growing, doesn't hinder the agriculture production in the country. in fact, it can for increased production in the agriculture, since there's more labor force, as well the sheer mass of people produces lots of scientists that come up with new inventions as to how to improve this sector. nice example is the inner mongolia region in china, in general dominated by the gobi desert, but few scientist came up with a nice idea as to how to make the region productive by using plants that are very resistant to droughts, so lots of people have been employed, and the region is becoming greener and greener each year, and the production of food in this region is also increasing.