SAT OwlIn cold northern regions, small mammals such as voles spend the winter in tunnels between the ground and the snowpack above it. A thick layer of snow traps heat rising from the soil, so temperatures in these tunnels stay near 0 degrees Celsius even when the air above falls far below freezing. Because of this, a winter with very little snow is likely ______
Which choice most logically completes the text?
to be easier on voles than a winter with deep snow.
to leave voles more exposed to dangerously cold temperatures.
to raise the temperature of the air above the ground.
to make voles more active above the snow during the warmest part of the day.
Show answer and explanation
Answer: B
Thick snow keeps the tunnels near 0 degrees Celsius by trapping heat from the soil. With little snow, that insulation is missing, so voles would face much colder temperatures, choice B.
Choice D brings in an idea the text never discusses: when voles are active above the snow.
Why the other choices are wrong
- A. Deep snow is what keeps the tunnels near 0 degrees Celsius, so a winter with little snow would be harder on voles.
- C. The text explains how snow insulates the tunnels. It gives no reason to think less snow would warm the air.
- D. The text never discusses when voles are active above the snow, so this has no support.
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