Question

the worlds shortest river
grades 4, 7-10
extra focus words
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most people know that the nile is the worlds longest river, but do you know what the worlds shortest river is?
the answer is not completely clear. it can be hard to get a precise measure of how long a river is because rivers often change their courses. plus, a rivers length can also change depending on a few different things, such as the weather or things people do.
many people say that the worlds shortest river is the tamborasi river, which is found in indonesia. the tamborasi river is about 20 meters (65 feet) long. its clear, great waters flow into the gulf of boni. people enjoy swimming in the tamborasi and relaxing on its sandy beach.
other people say that the worlds shortest river is the ombla river, which is in...
the author of the passage probably thinks that?
a many people already know about the tamborasi and ombla rivers
b no one is interested in learning about the worlds shortest river
c no one really knows what the worlds longest river is
d most people have heard of the nile river

Explanation:

To solve this, we analyze each option:

• Option A: The passage says "Many people say..." about the shortest river, not that "many people already know" (implies widespread knowledge, but passage shows differing claims), so A is wrong.
• Option B: The passage discusses the shortest river, so the author doesn't think no one is interested. Eliminate B.
• Option C: The passage states "The answer is not completely clear. It can be hard to get a precise measure..." about the world’s shortest river (and similar for longest as Nile is longest but measurement issues exist). This matches "no one really knows what the world’s longest river is" (due to measurement challenges).
• Option D: The passage says "Most people know that the Nile is the world’s longest river", so D is wrong.

Answer:

C. no one really knows what the world’s longest river is