Arctic sea ice comes in two varieties. Seasonal ice forms in winter an

Question

Arctic sea ice comes in two varieties. Seasonal ice forms in winter and then melts in summer, while perennial ice persists year-round. To the untrained eye, all sea ice looks similar, but by licking it, one can estimate how long a particular piece has been floating around. When ice begins to form in seawater, it forces out salt, which has no place in the crystal structure. As the ice gets thicker, the rejected salt collects in tiny pockets of brine too highly concentrated to freeze. A piece of first-year ice will taste salty. Eventually, if the ice survives, these pockets of brine drain out through  fine , veinlike channels, and the ice becomes fresher; multiyear ice can even be melted and drunk.  
 For the following question, consider each of the choices separately and select all that apply.

1 
 1. The passage mentions which of the following as being a characteristic of seasonal ice?

A. It is similar in appearance to perennial ice.
B. It is typically filled with fine, veinlike channels.
C. It tastes saltier than perennial ice.

2 
 2. In the context in which it appears, “fine” ( Highlighted ) most nearly means

A. acceptable
B. elegant
C. precise
D. pure
E. small

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

1. The passage mentions which of the following as being a characteristic of seasonal ice?

Explanation

Choice A  is correct: the passage states that  “to the untrained eye, all sea ice looks similar” 
 
  Choice B  is incorrect: it is clear that perennial ice contains fine, veinlike channels, but the passage does not mention whether seasonal ice contains them.
 
  Choice C  is correct: the passage establishes that first-year ice tastes salty but eventually gets fresher if the ice survives.

Choices A and C are correct.

Sajjad1994 · Answer

Official Explanation

2. In the context in which it appears, “fine” (Highlighted) most nearly means

Explanation

“Fine”  appears in the context of an explanation of how the brine drains out; in such a context, it must be being used to describe a physical characteristic of the channels. In addition, the word  “Eventually”  implies that the draining is a slow process. Only Choice E, “small,” helps to explain why the process is slow and is therefore the best choice. None of the other choices contributes to the explanation.

Arctic sea ice comes in two varieties. Seasonal ice forms in winter an

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