Read the following paragraphs about Antarctica,
then answer the 4 questions that follow.
Antarctica, which lies on the South
Pole, is the coldest continent. It is without sun for months at a
time. Even when the sun does shine, its angle is so slanted that
the land receives little warmth. Temperatures often drop to 100
degrees below zero, and a fierce wind blows almost endlessly. Most
of the land is covered by snow heaped thousands of feet deep. The
snow is so heavy and so tightly packed that it forms a great ice
cap covering more than 90 percent of the continent.
It is no wonder that there are no towns or
cities in Antarctica. There is no permanent population at all,
only small scientific research stations. Many teams of explorers
and scientists have braved the freezing cold sine Antarctica was
first spotted in 1820. Some have died in their efforts, but a
great deal of information has been learned about he
continent.
From fossils, pieces of coal, and bone
samples, we know that Antarctica was not always an ice-covered
land. Scientists believe that 200 million years ago it was
connected to southern Africa, South America, Australia, and India.
Forests grew in warm swamps, and insects and reptiles thrived
there. Today there are animals that live in and around the waters
that border the continent. In fact, the waters that surround
Antarctica hold more life than oceans in warmer areas of the
world.
Questions:
1. When was Antarctica first sighted by
explorers?
2. What do you think they saw as they
approached the cold continent?
3. What are some of the clues that lead us to
believe that Antarctica was not always so cold?
4. What do you think happened to make
Antarctica as cold as it is today?
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