Garbage Patches

What are the main ideas of the text?

• Garbage patches are found in many oceans around the world. These areas of garbage mainly contain plastics and old fishing gear.

• Garbage patches are formed when water creates whirlpools in oceans. The garbage stretches from the surface down to the ocean floor.

• Garbage patches are areas of the ocean that are full of trash and harmful materials. Scientists are working to develop ideas to remove the garbage.

• Garbage patches are sections of the ocean with large amounts of floating trash. This garbage is harmful to ocean life and must be addressed in some way.

What does the word 'constantly' mean as it is used in paragraph 4?

• directly

• noisily

• regularly

• slowly

What can the reader infer about microplastics?

• People are unable to see microplastics without using special tools.

• Ghost nets can be used to catch microplastics to remove them from the ocean.

• It is more important to remove microplastics from the ocean than other types of garbage.

• More research must be done to determine how microplastics impact humans.

What point does the author make about garbage patches?

• Although garbage patches are found all around the world, most people have trouble finding them.

• Garbage patches are more likely to form in oceans that are near large countries with many people.

• Although garbage patches are full of different types of trash, most of the garbage is food that can be eaten easily by animals.

• Garbage patches are so large and have so many small pieces of trash that people can be in the middle of one without realizing it.

Which quotation from the text best supports the answer to Part A?

• There are five gyres in the ocean: one in the Indian Ocean, two in the Atlantic Ocean, and two in the Pacific Ocean. Garbage patches of varying sizes are located in each gyre.

• The debris ranges in size, from large abandoned fishing nets to tiny microplastics, which are plastic pieces smaller than 5 mm in size.

• You may come across larger items, like plastic bottles and nets, but it’s possible to sail through some areas of a garbage patch and not see any debris at all. Garbage patches are huge!

• Garbage patches, especially the Great Pacific Garbage Patch, are far out in the middle of the ocean where people hardly ever go. Because they are so remote, it can be hard to study them.

What does the word remote mean as it is used in paragraph 5?

• broken into pieces

• difficult to catch

• far from people

• full of power

Which quotation from paragraph 5 best supports the answer to Part A?

• ...out in the middle of the ocean...

• ...hard to study them.

• ...see the impacts of garbage patches.

• ...marine debris found in garbage patches...

What can the reader infer about animals based on paragraph 5?

• They are able to locate plastic more easily than real food.

• They are trapped in nets more often than plastic bags.

• They are not able to find their way out of garbage patches.

• They are not aware that they have eaten garbage.

Why is plastic bad for animals?

• Animals can become trapped in plastic and be unable to get free.

• Animals can get lost after swimming around in plastic pieces and be unable to get home.

• Animals can lose sight of their food due to plastic pieces in the water and become hungry.

• Animals can be fooled into thinking that plastic is food and choke.

How does the image help the reader better understand the text?

• The reader can see why garbage patches are dangerous for animals.

• The reader can see the location of one of the largest garbage patches in the world.

• The reader can see a garbage patch that has gotten smaller over time.

• The reader can see which countries contribute the most trash to garbage patches.