Question

harp seal pup
in the spring a female harp seal gives birth to a pup on top of the arctic ice. the harp seal pup nurses from its mother’s milk for about 10 to 12 days. the mother’s milk contains an abundance of fat, which allows the pup to gain at least five pounds a day. when the mother notices her baby pup weighs about 80 pounds, the mother harp seal leaves the pup all alone on the ice and jumps back into the freezing cold water.
the harp seal pup cannot swim at this time and has to wait a few weeks on the ice until it is ready to dive into the icy water to hunt for food. during this time, the pup cries out for its mother, but soon notices its mother will not return. the harp seal pup loses half its body weight due to not eating. the pup’s white fur helps it hide from other predators such as polar bears and killer whales until it’s mature enough to join the other harp seals in the sea.

part a
what is the main idea of the passage?
ⓐ the mother harp seal takes care of her pup for a short period of time.
ⓑ the pup feeds on its mother’s milk.
ⓒ the harp seal pup is born on ice.

part b
which two details support your answer to part a?
ⓐ \the harp seal pup nurses from its mother’s milk for about 10 to 12 days.\
ⓑ \the mother’s milk contains an abundance amount of fat...\
ⓒ \... the mother harp seal leaves the pup all alone on the ice...\

part a
what is the meaning of the word abundance?
ⓐ plenty
ⓑ scarce
ⓒ small

part b
which statement provides a clue to the meaning of the word abundance?
ⓐ \... allows the pup to gain at least five pounds a day.\
ⓑ \... the mother harp seal leaves the pup all alone on the ice...\
ⓒ \... the pup cries out for its mother...\

Explanation:

Part A (Main Idea):

The passage focuses on the mother harp seal's short period of caring for her pup (nursing for 10-12 days) followed by the pup's subsequent experience alone on the ice. The other options are supporting details, not the overarching main idea.

Part B (Supporting Details for Main Idea):

To support the main idea of the mother's short care period, we need details about the nursing time and the mother leaving. Option A confirms the short nursing window, and Option C confirms the mother abandons the pup, together covering the core of the main idea.

Part A (Meaning of "abundance"):

"Abundance" means a large quantity of something. The context of the milk letting the pup gain 5+ pounds a day shows there is a large amount of fat, so "plenty" matches this meaning.

Part B (Clue for "abundance"):

The detail that the pup gains at least five pounds a day directly results from the large amount (abundance) of fat in the milk, so this sentence provides the clearest clue to the word's meaning.

Answer:

Part A (Main Idea):

A. "The mother harp seal takes care of her pup for a short period of time."

Part B (Supporting Details):

A. "The harp seal pup nurses from its mother's milk for about 10 to 12 days."
C. "... the mother harp seal leaves the pup all alone on the ice..."

Part A (Meaning of "abundance"):

A. plenty

Part B (Clue for "abundance"):

A. "... allows the pup to gain at least five pounds a day."