Icebergs
Pieces of ice that form on land, and then float off into an ocean or lake,
are called icebergs. They come in a variety of sizes. But, the term iceberg
only refers to chunks of ice larger than sixteen feet across. Yet, the iceberg
we see is just a small part of these icy chunks. Up to 90% of each iceberg’s
mass is underwater.
Smaller icebergs have funny nicknames. They’re often referred to by ship
workers as bergy bits or growlers. So, the next time you want ice for your
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soda, say to your mom, “Can I have a growler?” She won’t know what
you’re talking about. But, you will.
To be sure, small icebergs are the most dangerous. They are tough to spot
in the water, at times. When ships crash into them, they can cause lots of
damage. In fact, icebergs have sunk many vessels in the history of sea
travel. The most famous incident is the sinking of the Titanic—a huge
passenger boat. It sunk near Newfoundland in the year 1912. Hollywood
even made a big budget movie about it. That’s right; one of the most
successful flicks of all is about an iceberg taking down a ship!
Icebergs form when chunks of ice break from glaciers or ice shelves. They
begin in the North Atlantic or Antarctica. And, in case you’re wondering,
sometimes penguins do live on icebergs. But, they can’t do so for long.
After a while, icebergs drift and travel with ocean currents. On occasion
they will even smash up against shore in seaside communities. Of course,
when icebergs reach warmer waters, they melt into liquid. This, in turn,
slowly raises the level of the sea.
Icebergs are clearly a danger to sea travelers. So, what can people do to
help stop tragedy from happening? It turns out The International Ice Patrol
uses airplanes and radar signals to track icebergs. They are often able to
warn ocean liners of these hazards ahead of time. This helps boats around
major shipping lanes steer away from icebergs. Also, The U.S. National Ice
Center uses satellite data to watch icebergs. But, they only track lumps of
ice larger than 5,400 square feet. It takes the effort of many people and
organizations to keep boat travel safe from these chunks of frozen water.
Our planet is slowly becoming a warmer place to live. That means more
icebergs are breaking away than ever. As this trend continues, expect to
hear a lot more news about icebergs in the future.
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Review Quiz
1. The term trend is used in the article’s last paragraph. It means—
Vocabulary (RI.4)
A event.
B tendency.
C
emergency.
D style.
2. Though not stated in the text, which conclusion makes sense?
Inferencing (RI.1)
A Penguins prefer small icebergs.
B Small icebergs melt slower in warmer waters than larger icebergs.
C
Small icebergs cause more wrecks than large ones, as they are harder to see.
D Ship captains have at least ten nicknames for small icebergs.
Sequencing (RI.3)
3. Which series of events is the life cycle of an iceberg?
A Icebergs float with currents, raise the sea, and break from glaciers.
B Icebergs break off, melt, and then slam into ships.
C
Icebergs float onto glaciers, smash into shore, and break apart.
D Icebergs break from glaciers, float with currents, and melt.
4. A penguin is to an iceberg, as a person camping is to—
Analogy (RI.10)
A a campfire.
B the campsite.
C
his or her sleeping bag.
D the park ranger.
Recalling Details (RI.1)
5. Which group uses satellite data to help track larger icebergs?
A The International Ice Patrol.
B The National Penguin Squad.
C
The North Atlantic Shipping Registry.
D The U.S. National Ice Center.
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Review Quiz
Appropriateness (RI.10)
6. This article would be most helpful for which audience?
A Writers of stories about cold weather sea travel who are new to it.
B Scientists who study global warming.
C
Fishermen who have worked in cold climates for years.
D Hunters who want to learn how to illegally trap penguins.
Article Structure (RI.5)
7. In the article, the author talked about what information first?
A Physical traits of icebergs.
B The dangers icebergs pose for the shipping industry.
C
The role of icebergs in movies.
D How icebergs are formed.
Author’s Purpose (RI.6)
8. Why did the author likely write this article?
A To teach ships how to avoid icebergs.
B To entertain people with funny stories about icebergs.
C
To persuade the reader that icebergs are bad.
D To explain the basics about icebergs.
Fact or Opinion (RI.1)
9. Of these ideas about the article, which is a fact, rather than just an opinion?
A In a way, it could be kind of exciting to be rescued from a sinking ship.
B All ship captains who hit icebergs are to blame for it.
C
To be a true iceberg, the block of ice must be at least sixteen feet across.
D It would probably be a blast to ride on a floating iceberg.
10. Which of these sentences is the best main idea for the passage?
Main Idea (RI.2)
A Penguins stay on icebergs to keep away from predators in the ocean.
B While really just blocks of floating frozen water, icebergs can be dangerous.
C
Icebergs sink ships and must be stopped at all cost.
D More icebergs are a good thing. That means our planet is warming up.
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Open Response
1. Imagine riding on a ship that smashes into an iceberg and starts to sink. What do
you think that might be like? What would you do, and how would you feel, in such a
terrible situation?
2. The article states ways that are used to track icebergs and help ships avoid hitting
them. Can you think of better, or more creative, methods to stop iceberg collisions
from happening? Describe your ideas.
3. The habitat of penguins in the southern hemisphere of our planet is very cold and
harsh to most living things. Would you want to live there among flocks of penguins if
you could? Explain why or why not.
4. Nicknames can be fun to give to others, as long as they are not cruel, of course.
Select a friend and give him or her a positive nickname. It should describe something
good about that person. Identify the pal, the nickname, and what it means.
5. Nature is frequently used as a destructive force in the movies. The article mentions
films made about the sinking of the Titanic as an example. Brainstorm more movies in
which Mother Nature does her worst.
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