Question

acap-style worksheet #2 - informational text (summary + central idea)
passage (informational - science & culture)
\salt in the ocean\
many people wonder why ocean water tastes salty. rivers carry tiny amounts of salt as they flow over rocks. when the rivers empty into the ocean, the salt stays behind. over millions of years, the amount of salt in the ocean has increased.
animals in the ocean depend on the salty water to survive. for example, some fish use the salt to help balance the fluids in their bodies. in addition, salt helps carry nutrients throughout the ocean, keeping marine life healthy.
even though the ocean is salty, it does not taste the same everywhere. some oceans are saltier than others depending on rainfall, temperature, and how quickly water evaporates.
questions

1. what is the central idea of the passage?

a. some oceans taste better than others.
b. oceans have different temperatures.

Explanation:

First, analyze option A: The passage doesn't discuss which oceans "taste better" as taste preference is subjective and not a focus. Option B: The passage mentions temperature as a factor affecting ocean salinity, not as a main topic about different ocean temperatures. Wait, but the given options seem incomplete or maybe misprinted? Wait, re - reading the passage, the main idea is about ocean salinity (why it's salty, its importance, and variation). But among the given options, neither A nor B is correct. But if we have to choose from the given, maybe there's a mistake. Wait, maybe the options were cut off. But based on the given, if we assume maybe a typo, but as per the given, neither A nor B is correct. But perhaps the original question had more options. Since the user provided these two, maybe there's an error. But if we have to choose between A and B, both are incorrect. But maybe the user made a mistake in providing options.

Wait, maybe I misread. Let me check again. The passage is about salt in the ocean: why it's salty, how it helps marine life, and why salinity varies. The options given: A says some oceans taste better (passage doesn't talk about taste quality, just salinity - related taste differences), B says oceans have different temperatures (passage mentions temperature as a factor for salinity, not as a main idea about different ocean temperatures). So both options are incorrect. But since the user provided these two, maybe there's a mistake. But if we have to choose, neither is correct. But perhaps the user intended different options.

Answer:

Neither A nor B is correct. The central idea of the passage is about the salt in the ocean, including why ocean water is salty, the importance of salt for marine life, and the reasons for the variation in ocean salinity. If forced to choose between the given options, both are incorrect.