"The Last Wilderness Preserve" and "A New Land of Opportunity"

1. The author of "The Last Wilderness Preserve" believes that humans' main concern toward Antarctica should be to preserve it in its current and most natural state. Which sentence from the passage best support this statement?

• "Any human action that would harm Antarctica is a crime against nature and a threat to our future." (P1)
• "Scientists have claimed that Antarctica is useful for studies in many fields, such as astronomy and archaeology." (P3)
• "One positive result of the Antarctic Treaty and later agreements has been a series of protections for the natural resources of Antarctica." (P4)
• "There is nothing welcoming about Antarctica, and we may consider this nature's way of keeping humans at a sage distance." (P6)

2. Part A: Which of these claims is made by the author of "The Last Wilderness Preserve"?

• Nations around the world will be quick to share whatever natural resources the continent offers.
• The Antarctic Treaty gives all countries equal access to Antarctica's oil and minerals.
• Finding major mineral or oil deposits might create conflicts among competing nations.
• Global warming is preventing humans from accessing the benefits of Antarctica's bounty.

3. Part B: Which sentence from the passage best supports the correct answer to Part A?

• "According to the treaty, it is illegal to hunt or fish for many kinds of animals, mine for minerals, or drill for oil in Antarctica." (P4)
• "Although these restrictions may be removed in the future, most nations have cooperated with them so far." (P4)
• "This maybe simply because few large mineral or oil deposits have ever been located in Antarctica." (P5)
• "However, if any are ever discovered, nations will certainly be quick to begin fighting for them." (P5)

4. Which two claims from "A New Land of Opportunity" does "The Last Wilderness Preserve contradict?

• Antarctica is home to relatively few permanent residents.
• Antarctica has abundant wilderness and a cold climate.
• Antarctica welcomes tourists from all over the world.
• Antarctica has large amounts of useful minerals.
• Antarctica is protected in some ways by treaty agreements.

5. The author of "The New Land of Opportunity" _________________ scientific research in Antarctica.

• praises
• criticizes
• questions

6. The author of "The Last Wilderness Preserve" believes that this kind of research should be ______________

• conducted elsewhere
• conducted here
• conducted more often

7. Part A: Which one of the following claims is best supported by details in the article "A New Land of Opportunity"?

• Antarctica's rich store of mineral resources has not yet been fully explored.
• The ocean life of Antarctica is highly endangered by people who exploit the region.
• The global warming that threatens the planet is not a factor in the frozen landscape of Antarctica.
• The North Pole is more accessible to astronomers than the South Pole.

8. Part B: Which sentence from the passage is the best support for the correct answer to Part A?

• "Antarctica is a continent of untamed wilderness, wonderful beauty, and fantastic mystery."(P1)
• "Who knows what other materials are yet to be discovered?" (P2)
• "Our planet has a limited supply of natural resources, so humans need to take advantage of all possible sources." (P3)
• "Since that time, international teams of scientists have visited Antarctica to study its fascinating secrets." (P4)