Reading Comprehension: Lake Vostok

The purpose of the passage is to __________.

• explain how Lake Vostok was discovered

• provide satellite data concerning Antarctica

• discuss future plans for Lake Vostok

• present an unexpected aspect of Antarctica’s geography

The word “lies” in paragraph 1 could best be replaced by __________.

• sleeps

• sits

• tells falsehoods

• inclines

What is true of Lake Vostok?

• It is completely frozen.

• It is a saltwater lake.

• It is beneath a thick slab of ice.

• It is heated by the sun.

Which of the following is closest in meaning to “frigid” in paragraph 1?

• extremely cold

• never changing

• quite harsh

• rarely recorded

All of the following are true about the 1970 survey of Antarctica EXCEPT that it __________.

• was conducted by air

• made use of radio waves

• did not measure the exact size of the lake

• was controlled by a satellite

It can be inferred from the passage that the ice would not be flat if __________.

• there were no lake

• the lake was not so big

• Antarctica were not so cold

• radio waves were not used

The word “microbes” in paragraph 3 could best be replaced by __________.

• pieces of dust

• trapped bubbles

• tiny organisms

• rays of light

The passage mentions which of the following as a reason for the importance of Lake Vostok to scientists.

• It can be studied using radio waves.

• It may contain uncontaminated microbes.

• It may have elevated levels of ultraviolet light.

• It has already been contaminated.

The word “downside” in paragraph 3 is closest in meaning to __________.

• bottom level

• negative aspect

• underside

• buried section

The paragraph following the passage most probably discusses __________.

• further discoveries on the surface of Antarctica

• problems with satellite-borne radar equipment

• ways to study Lake Vostok without contaminating it

• the harsh climate of Antarctica