GED Science: Eek! Water Monsters!
Hey, kewl dudes! How’s all your GED science goin’? I seriously wanna talk about monsters, but I gotta say somethin’ first to all you GED studiers. I like, got a comment that science is totally whack, but I couldn’t post it (sorry dude) cuz of swearing. I get it, totally. I mean, science used to make me swear all the time, till I realized that all the kewl science fiction is based on science… and all the kewl stuff we got like iPods and iPhones and XBoxes and, hey, even the comment box to put your swearing into is all based on science. Yeah, I know, science’s got math and sometimes it’s tough to understand. But it so totally rocks, dudes, cuz of all the weird stuff that can CHANGE THE WORLD!
Speaking of weird stuff, and changing the world… Back to today’s GED stuff. I totally want a water monster. I mean, it’s like a monster, right? But you know what’s not kewl? Water monsters are goin’ extinct. That’s right. Gettin’ wiped off the face of the Earth. Here’s part of an article on it:
Mexico City’s ‘water monster’ nears extinction
…The axolotl, also known as the “water monster” and the “Mexican walking fish,” was a key part of Aztec legend and diet. Against all odds, it survived until now amid Mexico City’s urban sprawl in the polluted canals of Lake Xochimilco, now a Venice-style destination for revelers poled along by Mexican gondoliers, or trajineros, in brightly painted party boats.
But scientists are racing to save the foot-long salamander from extinction, a victim of the draining of its lake habitat and deteriorating water quality. In what may be the final blow, nonnative fish introduced into the canals are eating its lunch — and its babies….
Dudes! Doodzz!!! Their babies are getting EATEN! Huh, law of the jungle, right? I mean, water monsters really are kewl. They’re like these lizards with funny-lookin gills on the side of their head. I totally want one, dude. So, here’s the GED science question…
Based on the article, which factors are causing the kewl water monster to go extinct?
A) human hunting and pollution
B) gondolliers and being part of the Aztec diet
C) loss of habitat and competition from nonnative fish
D) competition from nonnative fish and human hunting
E) human hunting and loss of habitat
Hey, dudes, this is a comprehension question… that means, do you GET IT? That’s all… can you figure out what it’s sayin. And there’s lots of these on the GED science test. So, did you get it?
The answer’s C. Human hunting’s out…sure, the Aztecs ate water monsters (kewl, monster stew!), but that’s not when they started goin’ extinct! Here’s the part that’s important…I mean, the part where you can find the answer:
a victim of the draining of its lake habitat and deteriorating water quality. In what may be the final blow, nonnative fish introduced into the canals are eating its lunch — and its babies….
Ewww! Eating babies!!! Gross. Okay. Well, so, you got that the lake is losing water, and the water that’s left ain’t that great… that’s what ‘the draining of its lake habitat (where it lives) and deteriorating (worse!) water quality’ means. You can kinda put that together into ‘loss of habitat.’ There’s less place for it to live, and what there is ain’t too good to live in no more.
Then it says ‘nonnative fish introduced into the canals are eating its lunch — and its babies…’ Eating babies! Eating MONSTER babies! Sorry, dudes, got distracted. The point is, that’s competition. The fish are competing with the WATER MONSTERS for food… so ‘competition from nonnative fish’ is pretty much what it’s sayin’. So, answer C’s gotta be right.
An’ the one about the gondaliers is just silly. Study hard, dudes! Get that GED!
For more information about the GED test and GED test preparation, visit The GED Academy at http://www.passGED.com.
November 17th, 2008 at 9:17 am
[...] is back: with a GED science comprehension practice question. He’s found a news article on Mexican water monsters, and what’s causing them to go [...]