Plastic Pollution in the Ocean

What is the purpose of paragraph 1?

• to make readers curious about the “hidden” pollution

• to introduce the topic of pollution on the ground and in trees

• to claim that pollution is becoming harder to see because people are ignoring it

• to argue that pollution on land is a more serious problem than pollution in the ocean

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How does the laboratory experiment described in paragraphs 23-24 help develop the central idea?

• by showing that most zooplankton will not consume plastic particles if they are exposed to them

• by providing support for the theory that the missing plastic trash was consumed by organisms in the ocean

• by proving that zooplankton consume as much plastic as other species of sea animal even though they are extremely small

• by arguing that sea animals would be less likely to consume plastics if people could prevent them from breaking down into smaller particles

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How are zooplankton affected by the microbeads in the ocean?

• Zooplankton eat the microbeads, allowing more zooplankton to survive and reproduce.

• Zooplankton eat the microbeads, which causes them to get less nutrition from real food.

• The microbeads rub against the skin of the zooplankton causing damage to the outer layer.

• The microbeads break down in the zooplankton’s digestive system, releasing chemicals into the ocean.

What is a central idea in the article?

• Plastic pollution is a minor problem that does not impact humans.

• Researchers are focusing on larger animals to figure out where lost plastic is going.

• Plastic trash in the ocean affects the entire marine food web and must be reduced.

• It is impossible to stop plastic pollution, so scientists should develop methods for breaking down plastics.

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CCSS.RI.6.2

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