Central Idea and Development

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

According to the text, how does Valle de Oro help the people of New Mexico?

Urban refuges bring the great conservation and restoration work of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the front doors and backyards of large populations of people, some of whom have limited access to the outdoors. This is key for Valle de Oro -- 45 percent of New Mexico’s population lives within 30 minutes of the refuge. Providing a safe place for community members to get outside that’s easy to get to, allows people who may have never played in a field or experienced wildlife to learn about the connection between people and a healthy environment. This is critical not only to the success of Valle de Oro but also conservation work all over the country.

• It provides a refuge for people who have lost their homes due to environmental destruction.

  
  

• It provides internships where adults and children can learn more about environmental conservation.

• It provides residents with a place to learn about natural wildlife.

• It provides residents with farms and a place to grow fresh organic food.

Read the passage and answer the question that follows.

What is the purpose of Valle de Oro?

Urban refuges bring the great conservation and restoration work of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to the front doors and backyards of large populations of people, some of whom have limited access to the outdoors. This is key for Valle de Oro -- 45 percent of New Mexico’s population lives within 30 minutes of the refuge. Providing a safe place for community members to get outside that’s easy to get to, allows people who may have never played in a field or experienced wildlife to learn about the connection between people and a healthy environment. This is critical not only to the success of Valle de Oro but also conservation work all over the country.

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  It is a community conservation effort that allows residents to participate in restoring wildlife to the environment.

• It is a residential area in New Mexico with a large population of conservationists who support teaching the community about environmental protection.

• It is an urban wildlife refuge that gives residents of New Mexico an opportunity to learn more about the environment.

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  It is a branch of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife service that allows large populations of people to see what New Mexico is like.

Read the text and answer the question that follows.

Which of the following best explains the relationship between air pollutants and ventilation?

Natural ventilation is the uncontrolled air movement in and out of the cracks and small holes in a home. In the past, this air leakage usually diluted air pollutants enough to maintain adequate indoor air quality. Today, we are sealing those cracks and holes to make our homes more energy-efficient, and after a home is properly air sealed, ventilation is necessary to maintain a healthy and comfortable indoor environment. Opening windows and doors also provides natural ventilation, but many people keep their homes closed up because they use central heating and cooling systems year-round.

• Homes that are properly air sealed must have a ventilation system to reduce air pollution within the home.

• Homes that are not properly air sealed most likely need additional ventilation systems to dilute air pollutants.

• Newer homes are often properly sealed, decreasing the potential for air pollution within the home.

• Older homes often have more cracks and small holes, increasing the possibility of air pollution within the home.

Read the article and answer the question that follows.

Which of the following best defines the relationship between John Muir and Yosemite?

John Muir was living in Dunbar, Scotland, when his family decided to relocate to the United States when he was 11-years-old. Fountain Lake Farm in Wisconsin was his family’s homestead, a place where Muir first experienced a connection with nature. Later, he left to attend University of Wisconsin to study science, philosophy, and literature.

After his studies, Muir traveled extensively, from Mississippi to Canada and throughout the Midwest. In Indiana, he worked in a factory that left him temporarily blind. Consequently, this reinforced his love of the outdoors. He planned a trip to see Brazil’s Amazon rainforest. But due to sickness, he cancelled his plans, regrouped, and instead went to California. As soon as he arrived, Muir was enthralled with Yosemite and the Nevada mountains. He spent his time climbing and exploring the region, working at a ranch and then a sawmill just to stay in the area.

In 1871, Muir wrote his first article for publication, “Yosemite Glaciers,” published in the New York Tribune. John Muir’s work going forward was met with acclaim by both the scientific and artistic communities. Muir focused his efforts towards his ultimate vision of preservation and the establishment of National Parks. In the 1880’s, Muir advocated for greater federal preservation as well as a halt on the destruction of natural resources, especially in the Yosemite region. It was his mission to get the government to establish more national parks and he fought for the conversion of Yosemite from state park to national park, only to be met with fierce opposition. Nevertheless, in 1890, both Sequoia National Park and Yosemite National Park were established and later in 1896, Muir was appointed advisor to the National Forestry Commission under President Cleveland.

• Yosemite is the place where Muir first experienced a deep connection with nature.

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  Muir met many scientists and conservationists when he lived in Yosemite.

• Muir experienced a life-changing injury when he worked in a factory in Yosemite.

• Muir helped to establish Yosemite as a national park, rather than a state park.

Read the text and answer the question that follows.

Select two central ideas in this passage.

Fire is one of nature’s most powerful forces. While fire can be destructive, it can also be rejuvenating and a partner to the stewards of our nation’s public lands. Land management agencies like the Bureau of Land Management, the National Park Service, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, the Bureau of Indian Affairs, and the U.S. Forest Service have fire program responsibilities on more than 700 million acres of lands across the country. Working with fire is just part of the job.

Wildfires can be caused by nature -- mostly due to lightning strikes -- but the vast majority are caused by humans. Research estimates that 90 percent of wildland fires in the United States are caused by people. Some human-caused fires result from campfires left unattended, the burning of debris, and intentional acts of arson. It can also be caused unintentionally by heat and sparks from vehicles and equipment. Public education and personal responsibility can greatly reduce the number of wildfires each year. Learn how to enjoy public lands responsibly.

Every year, wildfires burn millions of acres across the country. The annual cost of fighting fires and the value of property destroyed has exceeded $2 billion in recent years. Fires know no borders. As development pushes neighborhoods into natural areas (called Wildland-Urban Interface), the need to protect people and property in this vulnerable area increases. These communities require additional fire prevention strategies and faster fire suppression responses. An increase in funds dedicated to firefighting drains money away from the other priorities of land management agencies.

• Wildfires can be extremely destructive.

• The Bureau of Land Management has one of the most important jobs in the country.

  
  

• Building homes near wildlands puts homeowners at an extreme risk.

• Arson is one of the leading causes of wildfires on public lands.

• Land management agencies work on fire prevention and suppression strategies

Read the following article and answer the question that follows.

Native bees pollinate plants like cherries, blueberries and cranberries, and were here long before European honeybees were brought here by settlers.

Honeybees, of course, are well known for pollinating almond and lemon trees, okra, papaya and watermelon plants. But native bees are estimated to pollinate 80 percent of flowering plants around the world. And none of them sting – really!

According to the USDA, bees of all sorts pollinate approximately 75 percent of the fruits, nuts and vegetables grown in the United States, and one out of every four bites of food people take is courtesy of bee pollination. In sum, bee pollination is responsible for more than $15 billion in increased crop value each year.

Bees are vegetarians who descended from wasps about 125 million years ago when the first flowering plants evolved. Some wasps switched from hunting prey to gathering pollen, evolving to become bees. Bees feed on both nectar and pollen – the nectar is for energy, and the pollen provides protein and other nutrients. Most pollen is used by bees as larvae food, but bees also transfer it from plant-to-plant providing the pollination services needed by plants and nature as a whole.

Source: https://www.usgs.gov/news/it-s-pollinator-week

Select two central ideas in this passage.

• Native bees are more important than honeybees.

• Bees eat pollen and feed it to their young.

• Native bees and honeybees help the ecosystem by pollinating plants.

• Bee pollination is important to food production.

• Wasps and bees increase the value of food crops by billions of dollars.

What does SOAPSTone stand for?

• Specific, Organized, Always Present, Tone

• Subject, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Speaker, Tone

• Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Problem, Subject, Tone

• Speaker, Occasion, Audience, Purpose, Subject, Tone