Question

read the passage. there are several questions about the 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. 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. 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... what is a central idea of the passage? 1. the orbital paths of planets and moons can help create volcanoes. 2. opinions differ about which part of the solar system is the smelliest. 3. active volcanoes have been repeatedly observed on the surface of io. 4. 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 2. by giving examples of bad smells caused by sulfur compounds 3. by describing how volcanoes continually add more sulfur compounds on io 4. by providing the results of scientific studies about the source of bad smells

Explanation:

Part A

• Option 1: The passage's central idea is not about orbital paths creating volcanoes. The passage focuses on stinky places, especially Io. Eliminate.
• Option 2: The passage doesn't discuss differing opinions on the smelliest Solar System part; it states Io is the stinkiest. Eliminate.
• Option 3: The passage's main idea isn't about observing active volcanoes on Io, but about Io being the smelliest due to sulfur. Eliminate.
• Option 4: The passage explains that large sulfur quantities (like hydrogen sulfide) make Io the smelliest in the Solar System, matching the central idea.

• To support the central idea (Io is smelliest due to sulfur), the author:
• Option 1: The passage doesn't explain why sulfur compounds are widespread on Io, but how they create smell/color. Eliminate.
• Option 2: The author gives examples (e.g., Venus' sulfuric acid clouds, Io's hydrogen sulfide) of bad smells from sulfur compounds. This supports the central idea.
• Option 3: The author describes how volcanic eruptions on Io add sulfur compounds (launching sulfur gas, photochemistry forming smelly compounds), supporting Io's stinkiness.
• Option 4: The passage doesn't provide scientific study results about bad smell sources. Eliminate.

Answer:

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

Part B