Question

letter of the correct answer.

1. which detail supports the idea that hydrothermal vents are an

unlikely place to find life?
a life depends on hydrogen sulfide.
b other animals live off the microbes themselves.
c the vents release heavy metals and make water highly acidic.
d plants cannot survive because they get their energy from the sun.

1. paragraph two on page 25 is mainly about ______.

a why most life needs sunlight to survive
b how hydrogen sulfide is converted into energy
c the many obstacles to surviving around hydrothermal vents
d how life around hydrothermal vents survives without sunlight

1. this passage is about ______.

a how life is able to survive without sunlight
b why hydrothermal vents are a surprising place to find life
c how life has evolved and survived around hydrothermal vents
d why most life would not survive in the area around a thermal vent

1. which word on page 25 means “a system that organizes or ranks

things according to importance”?
a hierarchy
b ecosystem
c species
d challenges

Explanation:

Question 1

To determine which detail supports hydrothermal vents as an unlikely place for life, we analyze each option:

• Option A: Life depending on hydrogen sulfide doesn't suggest unlikeliness for life at vents (since vents have hydrogen sulfide). Eliminate.
• Option B: Animals living off microbes shows life exists, not unlikeliness. Eliminate.
• Option C: Vents releasing heavy metals and making water acidic creates harsh conditions, supporting it's unlikely for life. This fits.
• Option D: Plants not surviving (due to no sun) doesn't directly relate to the vent environment's unlikeliness for life (vent life doesn't rely on plants). Eliminate.

We need the main idea of paragraph 2 (page 25, context about hydrothermal vents).

• Option A: Focuses on most life needing sunlight, but the paragraph likely relates to vent life (which doesn't need sun). Eliminate.
• Option B: Converting hydrogen sulfide to energy is a detail, not main idea. Eliminate.
• Option C: Obstacles to surviving at vents—if the paragraph is about how life survives, obstacles are not the main focus. Eliminate.
• Option D: How life around hydrothermal vents survives without sunlight matches the vent life context (since vents are dark, life there survives differently). This is the main idea.

To find the passage's main topic:

• Option A: "How life survives without sunlight" is too broad (passage is about vent life specifically). Eliminate.
• Option B: Why hydrothermal vents are a surprising place for life—since vents seem unlikely (harsh conditions) but life exists, this matches.
• Option C: Evolution of life at vents—passage likely focuses on survival, not evolution. Eliminate.
• Option D: Why most life wouldn't survive at vents—passage is about life that does survive there, not just why others don't. Eliminate.

Answer:

C. The vents release heavy metals and make water highly acidic.

Question 2