U5L1 Core Vocabulary

The geologist found many uncovered fossils in the valley.

• a scientist who studies living things including how plants, animals, and even bacteria live, grow, and interact with their environment
• a scientist who studies everything beyond Earth's atmosphere, like the stars, planets, and galaxies
• a scientist who studies the interrelationship of organisms and their environments
• a scientist who studies the makeup of the earth and the forces and processes that shape and change it

These facts are based on close observation of the birds in the wild.

• paying careful attention in order to gather information
• being unattended to or not cared for
• to put into good shape or working order
• to separate into pieces usually suddenly or by force

Scientists say the volcano could erupt again soon.

• something that offers protection from a volcano explosion
• when lava cools down and creates a rock
• to send out rock, lava, and ash in a sudden explosion
• to make information known or reveal a secret

Wegener presented his hypothesis about how the earth’s continents had moved over time.

• an idea that has been suggested and may be true but has not yet been proven
• an idea that has been proven to be true

• an idea created by the imagination and has no true reality
• taking a close look or inspecting something in order to judge its condition

The country's warm, dry climate makes it ideal for growing cacti and other desert plants.

• a small area of usually open land
• the physical features of a region as a whole
• average weather conditions of a particular area
• an elevation of land higher than a hill

Scientists found layers of rock on mountain peaks that contained fossils of ancient plants and animals.

• rocks containing rare minerals like gold
• the preserved remains of something that lived long ago
• the fuel used to run machinery like cars, trucks, and buses
• the highest part of a mountain

The scientists found evidence that seemed to show that sea levels had been higher—and lower—at different times in the past.

• proof
• guesses

• discoveries

• answers

The oil spill was an environmental catastrophe.

• a sneaky trick
• a great accomplishment
• a successful event
• a terrible, sudden event

The fog was so dense I couldn't see my hand.

• thick or heavy
• thin or light
• gray and wispy
• wet and cold

The largest bays have developed as a result of continental drift.

• earth's continents have never moved and have been compared to sleeping giants
• continents slowly move over time on the surface of the earth
• the wind creates deep snow drifts on colder continents
• wind blowing against icebergs can cause them to drift across the ocean