Extreme Environments: reading informational text; What Is Antarctica? 3

Read the passage, then answer the TWO practice questions.

by NASA

Antarctica is a continent. It is Earth’s fifth largest continent. Antarctica is covered in ice. Antarctica covers Earth’s South Pole.

Antarctica is the coldest place on Earth. The temperature in the winter is cold enough to freeze water all the time. The temperature in the middle of Antarctica is much colder than the temperature on the coasts.

Antarctica has two seasons: summer and winter. Earth is in space and the direction of tilt never changes. During summer, Antarctica is on the side of Earth tilted toward the sun. It is always sunny. In winter, Antarctica is on the side of Earth away from the sun. Then, the continent is always dark.

Antarctica is a desert. It does not rain or snow a lot there. When it snows, the snow does not melt and builds up over many years to make large, thick sheets of ice, called ice sheets. Antarctica is made up of lots of ice in the form of glaciers, ice shelves, and icebergs.

Antarctica has no trees or bushes. The only plants that can live in a place that cold are moss and .

Antarctica is too cold for people to live there for a long time. Scientists take turns going there to study the ice. Tourists visit Antarctica in the summers. The oceans around Antarctica are home to many types of whales. Antarctica is also home to seals and penguins.

This question has two parts. Answer Part A, then Part B.

Psst! Don't forget to choose an answer for both questions :)