Antarctica
11/2/2023 3:52:27 PM
Do you know?
- The word 'Antarctica' comes from the Greek term 'antarktike' meaning 'the opposite to arctic' or 'opposite to north'. According to size, Antarctica is the fifth largest continent of our planet.
- Its size changes according to the seasons. Expanding sea ice along the coast means Antarctica nearly doubles in size in the winter months.
Let's explore more about this special continent!
Let's learn some new words before you read the passage:
Listen and complete the passage.
| fossil | covers | permanently |
| citizens | paradise | continent |
Antarctica is an ice-covered continent. It lies near the South Pole. It is larger than Australia and just a bit smaller than South America. Antarctica 5.4 million square miles. That is about 9.7 percent of Earth’s land area. It is not a nation, and there are no . No one lives there . However, several nations have scientific research posts there.
About 98 percent of the is covered with ice. Its ice cap holds about 70 percent of all of the fresh water on Earth. At its thickest point, the ice covering Antarctica is about three miles in depth. The ice sheet is so thick and heavy that it keeps most of the land underwater!
Antarctica is the coldest continent on Earth. Average temperatures rarely climb over -31°F. That is still 63°F below freezing! The lowest temperature recorded on Earth was in Antarctica. It was a bone-chilling -128°F. It is also one of the driest places on the planet. There is a great deal of wind but hardly any rain or snow.
Until about eighty million years ago, Antarctica was connected to Australia. We know this because of the record. Fossils of plants, reptiles, and other creatures prove that the continent was actually a tropical at that time.
Read and answer the following questions.
Antarctica
Antarctica is an ice-covered continent. It lies near the South Pole. It is larger than Australia and just a bit smaller than South America. Antarctica covers 5.4 million square miles. That is about 9.7 percent of Earth’s land area. It is not a nation, and there are no citizens. No one lives there permanently. However, several nations have scientific research posts there.
About 98 percent of the continent is covered with ice. Its ice cap holds about 70 percent of all of the fresh water on Earth. At its thickest point, the ice covering Antarctica is about three miles in depth. The ice sheet is so thick and heavy that it keeps most of the land underwater!
Antarctica is the coldest continent on Earth. Average temperatures rarely climb over -31°F. That is still 63°F below freezing! The lowest temperature recorded on Earth was in Antarctica. It was a bone-chilling -128°F. It is also one of the driest places on the planet. There is a great deal of wind but hardly any rain or snow.
Until about eighty million years ago, Antarctica was connected to Australia. We know this because of the fossil record. Fossils of plants, reptiles, and other creatures prove that the continent was actually a tropical paradise at that time.
Source: Daily Warm-ups- Nonfiction Reading Grade 6
What was the lowest temperature recorded in the world?
- - 98°F
- -128°F
- -31°F
- -63°F
What is true about Antarctica according to the passage?
- It is said that Antarctica will warm up in the near future.
- Antarctica is not as large as South America.
- Antarctica covers about 5.4 percent of Earth's land area.
- People used to live in Antarctica a long time ago.
How do we know that Antarctica was not always as cold as it is today?
- By analyzing historical documents
- By analyzing evidence from the fossil record
- By analyzing modern climate patterns
- By analyzing geological studies of ice cores
Where is this passage likely to be seen?
- in an explorer's diary about the Antarctic region
- in a record of Antarctica's natural disasters
- in a note of temperature change
- in a Geography textbook
Build your vocabulary by learning these intensive phrases/idioms:
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 FIVE words, including the word given. Do not change the word given.
Because the company can't secure more funding, the project has been delayed. (ICE)
=> The project has as the question of funding is not resolved.
Choose the word(s) CLOSEST in meaning to the underlined word(s).
Adam was partying till the early hours, so I don't imagine he'll be in the land of the living before lunchtime.
- calm
- hungry
- normal
- awake
He lived by his _____ and was involved with many shady characters.
- hits
- bets
- wits
- nets
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 FIVE words, including the word given. Do not change the word given.
I decided to move from the advanced class to the intermediate one because it was beyond my competence. (DEPTH)
=> I was in the advanced class, so I moved to the intermediate class.