WorksheetsThe World's Most Valuable Vault
Total questions: 12
Worksheet time: 6mins
Read the information about the origin of the word replenish
Replenish - From Latin Plenus, meaning full
This information helps the reader understand that replenished in paragraph 2 means —
built up again
highly valued
properly managed
correctly used
The main reason for building the vault in an isolated, underground location was to —
ensure that it would be difficult for people to retrieve seeds they put in the vault
decrease the amount of power necessary to keep the seeds at a cold temperature
minimize the number of people that would be necessary to monitor the vault
prevent outside events from damaging the contents of the vault
Which of the following provides the best evidence for the previous answer?
This isolated location ensures that the treasure concealed in the vault will remain untouched by any human or natural disaster.
The idea of storing seeds has been discussed by global organizations since the 1980s.
The frigid arctic climate keeps the chamber at a constant temperature of −18°C, which ensures the life of the seeds, even in case of a power failure.
There is no full-time staff at the automated facility, and no single person has all the codes to gain entry to the chambers.
Read these sentences from the selection.
"We are losing biodiversity every day," Fowler explains. "It's kind of a drip, drip, drip--it's also inevitable."
The comparison in Fowler’s statement helps the reader understand that —
few people realize the consequences of losing seed varieties
seed varieties are lost slowly, but the loss accumulates over time
many seed varieties have been lost as a result of natural disasters
scientists think seed varieties could be saved through improved agricultural practices
Based on the selection, the reader can conclude that the seed vault —
stores rare seeds more securely than common seeds
can be toured by visitors at any time
is maintained by several different countries
provides a unique and vital resource
The author most likely included the following graph to-
Show the types of crops the vault holds
Start a discussion on why there arent more varieties of peas, corn, lettuce, tomato, and squash.
Explain why the vault is necessary for the preservation of biodiversity
Elaborate the exact changes for the 5 main crops.
Read the dictionary entry.
Which definition best fits how Critical is used in paragraph 1?
Definition 1
Definition 2
Definition 3
Definition 4
Paragraph 4 is mostly about —
how countries decide which seeds to send to the Svalbard Seed Vault
why Norway decided to sponsor the construction of the Svalbard Seed Vault
the process for shipping new seeds to the Svalbard Seed Vault
the diversity of the contents stored in the Svalbard Seed Vault
Which of the following best supports the answer to the previous question?
Sealed in foil packages and stored in boxes, corn seeds from Mexico and pea seeds from Nigeria have been deposited for future use.
This facility was built by the Norwegian government
On the vault’s four-year anniversary, it received seeds for amaranth, an ancient grain treasured by Aztecs and Incas
Fowler reports that when visitors tour the seed vault, they get emotional.
The problem–solution organization of paragraph 2 helps the author emphasize the —
difficulties other seed vaults have encountered in the past
severity of the decrease in seed varieties
reasons some seeds disappear more quickly than others
best way to prepare for a natural disaster
What is the best summary of the selection?
On the fourth anniversary of the Svalbard Seed Vault, rare seeds from North America and ancient grains were added to the vault. The vault contains many seeds with special genetic traits that may be useful in the future. Visitors are often awed by the biodiversity secured in the seed vault.
The seeds in the Svalbard Seed Vault are stored in rows of sealed boxes in a highly secure vault. The vault is made of steel, located inside a mountain, and requires the use of many codes to enter. The cold environment preserves the seeds even if power to the facility is lost.
The Svalbard Seed Vault is located in an isolated region of Norway. The vault was created to protect varieties of seeds from being lost and to preserve them for later use. Many rare seeds have already been sent to the vault and have contributed to the effort to maintain biodiversity.
The Svalbard Seed Vault is considered the greatest store of crop diversity to date. Efforts to build the seed vault began when scientists noticed that crop variety had decreased significantly in recent years. The vault contains many rare and ancient seeds.
Which statement is supported by the illustration of the vault that appears after paragraph 3?
The seeds are housed in a highly secure location.
Many donors help finance the maintenance of the vault.
Many people understand the importance of the vault.
Seeds are safer in separate chambers than in one open area.
