Question

read the passage. there are several questions about this passage.

stinkiest place—the rotten egg of io

1
what makes a place stinky? it is quite subjective, really. many scientists believe that smells warn us of potentially harmful chemicals—bad smells indicate things that are bad for us (although this theory does not explain why humans eat liver and onions). however, many things stinky to humans are beneficial to other living things. rats inhabit putrid trash bins, some bacteria eat methane, and flies like poop. so, we have taken a distinctly human perspective to determine the stinkiest place in the solar system. it’s really no contest—jupiter’s moon io produces the biggest stink of all.

2
this is not to say that the solar system lacks stinky places. earth has its fair share—boggy marshes, geothermal areas, landfills, and pig sties, to name a few. new zealand’s 55 million sheep and cattle produce about 90% of the country’s methane emissions (kiwi farmers have fervently opposed a “flatulence tax”). indonesia is home to the exotic and popular durian, a fruit with such an offensive odor that it is banned in singapore hotels and subways. on venus, corrosive clouds of sulfuric acid completely envelop the planet, producing an acrid funk of global proportions. hydrocarbons on saturn’s moon titan fall as toxic precipitation, pool in lakes and streams on the surface, and seep into the underlying goopy soil. titan smells like one big oil refinery.

3
but jupiter’s moon io smells like a jumbo rotten egg. hydrogen sulfide produces the characteristic rotten egg stench, and the stinky compound has been observed both on io’s surface and in the upper atmosphere. in fact, the sheer abundance of sulfur compounds creates the moon’s distinctive red and yellow coloration.

4
during explosive volcanic eruptions—spectacular events that are quite common on io—sulfur gas launches high into the atmosphere. although the mechanism is not completely understood, photochemistry decomposes some of this sulfur gas and forms sulfur dioxide, hydrogen sulfide, and other sulfuric compounds. sulfur molecules freeze on the surface to form red patches near volcano vents. eventually, the red frost turns yellow as sulfur molecules react to form stable sulfur rings.

what is a central idea of the passage?

1. the orbital paths of planets and moons can help create volcanoes.

1. opinions differ about which part of the solar system is the smelliest.

1. active volcanoes have been repeatedly observed on the surface of io.

1. large quantities of sulfur make io the smelliest place in the solar system.

part b
select the two main ways the author develops the correct central idea from part a.

1. by explaining why sulfur compounds are widespread on io

1. by giving examples of bad smells caused by sulfur compounds

1. by describing how volcanoes continually add more sulfur compounds on io

1. by providing the results of scientific studies about the source of bad smells

1. by contrasting volcanic activity on io with volcanic activity on nearby moons

reset
deliontae harry green, id#******38

Explanation:

Part A

• Option 1: The passage is about the smelliest place, not orbital paths creating volcanoes. Eliminate.
• Option 2: The passage concludes Io is the smelliest, not about differing opinions on which part is smelliest. Eliminate.
• Option 3: The passage's focus is on Io being smelly, not just observing volcanoes. Eliminate.
• Option 4: The passage explains Io has large sulfur quantities (from volcanic eruptions, sulfur compounds) making it the smelliest in the Solar System. This matches the central idea.

• To develop the central idea (Io is smelliest due to sulfur), we analyze options:
• Option 1: The passage doesn't explain why sulfur compounds are widespread on Io, but how they contribute to smell. Eliminate.
• Option 2: The author gives examples (New Zealand's methane, Indonesia's durian, Venus' sulfuric acid, Titan's hydrocarbons) of bad smells from sulfur compounds (and others) to set up Io's smell. This helps develop the idea.
• Option 3: The author describes how volcanoes on Io add sulfur compounds (sulfur gas launched, forms sulfur dioxide, freezes, etc.), showing how sulfur accumulates to make Io smelly. This develops the central idea.
• Option 4: The passage doesn't provide scientific study results about bad smell sources. Eliminate.
• Option 5: The passage doesn't contrast Io's volcanic activity with nearby moons. Eliminate.

Answer:

1. Large quantities of sulfur make Io the smelliest place in the Solar System.

Part B