Living in the Darkness Under the Sea

Which detail from the article BEST supports the conclusion that the deep-sea organisms described in the article may have changed our understanding of life?

• 1. tall rock formations jutting up from the ocean floor and surrounded by black smoke

• 1. odd creatures are not only alive but living in this dark underworld away from light

• 1. large cracks, or vents, in the ocean floor where these creatures exist

• 1. energy is being released below the surface of the water

Which word BEST expresses the meaning of deriving in the sentence?

It’s as if these undersea vents have created a unique ecosystem, deriving energy from Earth itself.

• 1. Depositing

• Emptying

• 1. Extracting 

• 1. Wasting

What is the central idea of the passage?

• 1. Scientists continue to learn more about the organisms that live in vents on the ocean floor. 

• 1. It was shocking to scientists that organisms could live without sunlight. 

• 1. There are vents on the ocean floor. 

• 1. These organisms were discovered in 1977. 

  
  

What piece of evidence best supports the central idea: Scientists continue to learn more about the organisms that live in vents on the ocean floor. 

• 1. Marine biologists patrol an undersea world that resembles a rocky landscape.

• 1. If they shine a light, what they see is totally unexpected…

• 1.  Well, scientists always believed that life on Earth could not exist without sunlight. Yet somehow energy is being released below the surface of the water, and all without the benefit of the sun.

• 1. Extremophiles—a fancy name for organisms that live in an extreme environment. 

What strategy does the author use to help readers better understand deep-sea vents?

• 1. The author uses statistics to explain how commonly the vents are created. 

• 1. The author quotes experts on oceans. 

• 1. The author describes what the vents look like by comparing them to familiar land features readers would be more familiar with. 

• 1. The author explains how rare and unique the vents are. 

What is the text structure used in the passage?

• 1. Compare/contrast

• 1. Problem/solution

• Chronological

• Descriptive

How does paragraph 4 contribute to the passage?

• 1. It helps to prove the author’s credibility. 

• It explains why the organisms discussed in the article are so fascinating.

• 1. It describes to readers the concept of energy so that they can better understand the article. 

• 1. It shows how quickly science changes. 

Which sentence needs to be revised so that the entire paragraph is written in active voice?

An undersea world that resembles a rocky landscape more than it does an ocean floor is patrolled by marine biologists.  The scientists cruise through the water in a remote-controlled submarine in complete darkness. If they shine a light, what they see is something totally unexpected: tall rock formations jutting up from the ocean floor and surrounded by black smoke, similar to underwater chimneys. 

• 1. Sentence 1

• 1. Sentence 2

• Sentence 3

• 1. None of them need to be changed to make the paragraph written entirely in active voice. 

What verb mood is the following sentence written in?

 Circling these rocky peaks are worm-like organisms.

• 1. Subjunctive

• Imperative

• 1. Indicative

• 1. Interrogative

Which evidence does the author include to show that living without sunlight is unusual?

• 1. Yet somehow energy is being released below the surface of the water, and all without the benefit of the sun.

• 1. These deep-sea vents can be compared to the kinds of geysers you see on land.

• 1. They resemble red-and-white tubes—like giant peppermint sticks.

• 1. Scientists continue to study these extremophiles to determine just how the creatures turn ocean vents into sources of usable energy.