Question

distinct deserts 1 say the word desert and most people imagine an extremely dry, desolate place with very little water, a few cacti, and lots of sand. while that can be true of some deserts, it is not true for all of them. deserts can be rocky, can contain small shrubs or grasses, can have soil, and can be located close to the ocean. a desert might even be frozen and covered in snow year - round. the definitive mark of a desert is that it receives very little precipitation in a year. there are many ways in which deserts can be classified, but four main desert classifications are: subtropical (or hot and dry), semiarid, coastal, and cold (including polar). although a common misconception is that all deserts are basically alike, each type of desert has unique characteristics. 2 subtropical deserts a subtropical desert is the typical desert most people think of—it is excessively hot during the day and can be bitterly cold at night. here, yearly precipitation can be as little as one inch or less. the land is at least partially covered with sand. clouds are rarely seen here because clouds cannot form without moisture from the surface. the lack of cloud cover and the low humidity mean the desert is subject to intense radiant energy from the sun, resulting in extremely high temperatures during the day. at night, the temperatures plunge because the low humidity in the atmosphere cannot trap the heat on the surface. plants found here such as cacti, must be strong enough to withstand the severe temperatures and minimal water and nutrients. some animals, like the kangaroo rat, are adapted to this harsh environment by being nocturnal and foraging for food and water at night, when the desert is cooler. semiarid desert ... how is information organized in paragraphs 2 through 5? 1. each paragraph describes a place on earth where deserts are found. 2. each paragraph describes different ways to protect earth’s many deserts. 3. each paragraph describes the characteristics of one type of desert environment. 4. each paragraph describes how different deserts have an impact on the world as a whole.

Explanation:

To determine the organization of the paragraphs, we analyze each option:

• Option 1: The paragraphs don't focus on where deserts are formed. The first paragraph corrects misconceptions about deserts, and the second describes a subtropical desert's characteristics.
• Option 2: The paragraphs don't describe ways to protect Earth's deserts. The content is about desert characteristics and types, not protection.
• Option 3: The first paragraph addresses the misconception that all deserts are alike and introduces desert classifications. The second paragraph describes the characteristics of a subtropical desert (a type of desert). So each paragraph describes the characteristics of one type of desert environment (the first paragraph sets the stage about desert diversity and the second focuses on subtropical deserts).
• Option 4: The paragraphs don't describe how different deserts impact the world. The content is about what deserts are like, not their impact.

Answer:

1. Each paragraph describes the characteristics of one type of desert environment.