Question

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. 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 temperature 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... which statement is a main idea of the passage? 1. some deserts are hot, but other deserts are cold. 2. there are different kinds of deserts all over the world. 3. deserts that are found next to the ocean are called coastal deserts. 4. deserts can hold resources, such as metals, that are important to industry.

Explanation:

The passage discusses different types of deserts (subtropical, coastal, cold, etc.) and how they can vary in characteristics like temperature, location, and precipitation. Option 2 ("There are different kinds of deserts all over the world") captures the main idea as the text explains the various classifications and unique features of deserts globally. Option 1 is incorrect as the passage shows deserts can be hot or cold, not a division of "some hot, others cold" as a main idea. Option 3 is a detail, not the main idea. Option 4 introduces a new idea (deserts holding resources) not present in the passage.

Answer:

1. There are different kinds of deserts all over the world