"The Not-So-Simple Life"

How does the author ensure the claims made are reliable? Choose two answers.

• by using a question-and-answer format as an explanation, such as "Why? There are no farms on the icy continent." (paragraph 1)

• by using descriptive language that appeals to readers' emotions, such as, "The only plants are mosses and lichens. There are certainly no cows, pigs, or chickens." (paragraph 1)

• by giving examples of how ideas in the passage relate to readers' lives, such as " . . . people are limited to two-minute showers twice a week!" (paragraph 4)

• by offering information from experts as support, such as "Water-plant manager Paul Jones says it takes energy and special technology to remove the salt from seawater to produce drinking water." (paragraph 4)

• by providing factual details as evidence, such as " Between 150,000 and 180,000 pounds a year of the remaining solid waste, called sludge, is packed into containers and sent back to the U.S." (paragraph 5)

Which statement describes the author’s point of view in the passage?

• Travel to Antarctica is prohibited during the winter months.

• Alternative plans need to be made when visiting Antarctica.

• Special effort and thinking ahead is required when spending time in Antarctica.

• Research in Antarctica is important to learning more about how plants survive.

Why does the author include information in What’s on the Cargo Ships?

• to give an opinion about visiting the McMurdo Station

• to identify the main differences between the summer and the winter in Antarctica

• to explain how ships are used to carry supplies while also reducing waste in Antarctica

• to give information about what kinds of supplies are mainly transported to McMurdo Station

What two sentences (from paragraph 6) best show why the author included information in "What's on the Cargo Ships?"

• There is one ship that brings fuel and another ship that brings cargo.

• The cargo ship takes back all of the waste, from construction materials to glass, paper, plastic, and metal that has been carefully recycled. . . .

• It takes 10 days to unload and reload the cargo ship and about 40 hours to unload the fuel.

• All fuel and supplies must be delivered during the short Antarctic summer. .

What does the author mean by stating that McMurdo Station has helped reduce its footprint in Antarctica?

• The amount of waste left behind by people in Antarctica has decreased.

• The amount of energy used at McMurdo Station has been adjusted to meet needs.

• The scientists have removed information that indicates people have been in Antarctica.

• The researchers at McMurdo Station have left fewer impressions in the ground when walking.

“The U.S. Antarctic Program is committed to reducing its impact—or footprint—on the Antarctic environment.”

Choose two sentences from the passage that support this statement

• "Whether your favorite food is pizza or burritos, all of the ingredients have to come from other continents." (paragraph 1)

• "As for drinking water, special systems and a great deal of energy are needed to take the salt out of seawater to make it useable." (paragraph 1)

• "That means that every bit of garbage a person might produce in a day has to be transported off the continent." (paragraph 2)

• "The U.S. research base has partnered with its nearby neighbor, New Zealand’s Scott Base, to share energy produced from three large wind turbines." (paragraph 3)

• "The people who live and work in McMurdo fly into and out of the continent along with their luggage and scientific equipment." (paragraph 6)

According to the passage, which fact limits the process of shipping to and from Antarctica?

• Ships cannot travel to Antarctica during the winter.

• The ships do not carry the belongings of researchers.

• It takes much longer to unload cargo than to unload fuel.

• Ships must transport waste from Antarctica to another location.

Why do the residents of McMurdo Station and South Pole Station need to take short showers?

• because so much energy is spent to make water usable

• because water has to be transported from other places

• because the water made from melting snow is cold

• because showering produces so much wastewater