The polar regions

3/2/2022 8:48:23 PM
Image: epictomato.com

Do you know?

  • The polar regions are the most inhospitable places on the planet. They are also known as Frigid Zone because these regions are dominated by Earth's polar ice caps.
  • Winter temperatures there can reach deep into the negatives, and the winter night can last for months.

Let's explore more in the following passage!

Let's learn some new words before you read the passage:

Listen and complete the passage.

seal layer adapted mosses
polar walrus solid  


The polar regions are the coldest places on the Earth. The temperatures there have gotten as low as –126 degrees Fahrenheit. The sea is covered with a thick of ice. Days are very long in the regions. The sun doesn’t set during three to four of the summer months. Though there is a lot of sun, it doesn’t provide very much warmth. It doesn’t rain very often, either, but there is snow on the ground.

The living conditions in the polar regions are extreme. Plants cannot grow, but there are some animals that are able to survive. Some of these animals are the , , polar bear, wolf, caribou, whale, and the arctic fox. These animals have to this climate. For example, the polar bear has a thick layer of fat under its fur coat. This helps keep it warm.

Along the outer edges of the polar region and the ice caps, the ground is frozen . In the warmer months, and other plants can grow there. Reindeer live along the edges and eat some of the plants that grow on the outer edges. People who once lived in these frozen climates used reindeer. Today, most of these people live in cities and towns instead of on the frozen countryside.

Read and answer the following questions.

The polar regions

The polar bear has a thick layer of fat under its fur coat which keeps it warm. Image: istockphoto.com

The polar regions are the coldest places on the Earth. The temperatures there have gotten as low as –126 degrees Fahrenheit. The sea is covered with a thick layer of ice. Days are very long in the polar regions. The sun doesn’t set during three to four of the summer months. Though there is a lot of sun, it doesn’t provide very much warmth. It doesn’t rain very often, either, but there is snow on the ground.

The living conditions in the polar regions are extreme. Plants cannot grow, but there are some animals that are able to survive. Some of these animals are the seal, walrus, polar bear, wolf, caribou, whale, and the arctic fox. These animals have adapted to this climate. For example, the polar bear has a thick layer of fat under its fur coat. This helps keep it warm.

Along the outer edges of the polar region and the ice caps, the ground is frozen solid. In the warmer months, mosses and other plants can grow there. Reindeer live along the edges and eat some of the plants that grow on the outer edges. People who once lived in these frozen climates used reindeer. Today, most of these people live in cities and towns instead of on the frozen countryside.

Source: Daily Warm-up Reading Grade 5

The polar regions have _____ on the Earth. 

  • the most beautiful sceneries
  • the lowest temperatures
  • the most plants and animals
  • the narrowest borders

Which animal did people once living in the polar regions use?

  • reindeer
  • wolves
  • walruses
  • whales

Which paragraph mentions the adaptation of animals to the extreme climate in the polar regions?

  • the first paragraph
  • the second paragraph
  • the third paragraph
  • none of three paragraphs

Which of the following is NOT true according to the passage?

  • Mosses grow in the polar regions during the warmer months.
  • Plants have difficulty growing in the polar regions.
  • Sunset occurs in the polar regions during the summer months.
  • Some marine mammals can survive in the polar regions.

The main purpose of this passage is to _____.

  • provide knowlege of physics
  • provide knowledge of chemistry
  • provide knowlege of biology
  • provide knowledge of geography

Build your vocabulary by learning these intensive phrases/idioms

Complete the sentence by changing the form of the word in capitals.

She kept the children for hours. (AMUSEMENT)

Complete the second sentence so that it has a similar meaning to the first one, using the word in a bracket. You must use between THREE and SIX words, including the word given. Do not change the word given.

Despite his stardom, he still manages to remain humble and practical. (GROUND)

=> In spite of his stardom, he still manages to .

Complete the second sentence so that it has the same meaning to the first.

That ridiculous outcome has no influence on me. (ICE)

=> That ridiculous outcome ..........

Rearrange the words in the correct order to make a complete sentence.

When he was offered a professorship at Caltech, he felt that he had finally found his place in the _____.

  • star
  • moon
  • sun
  • planet