| 1. Antarctica is the world's: |
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a. Fourth biggest continent
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b. Fifth biggest continent
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c. Sixth biggest continent
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| 2. The highest point in Antarctica is the peak of Vinson Massif in the Ellsworth Mountains along the coast of the Weddell Sea. The Vinson Massif peak rises: |
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a. 15,588 feet
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b. 16,860 feet
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c. 17,202 feet
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| 3. You've probably heard the saying "only the tip of the iceberg." It is no secret that there is more of an iceberg under the water than above. Approximately how large a percentage of an iceberg is below the water surface? |
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| 4. Which penguin species will gather in pairs in the fall, walk about 100 miles across the ice to its breeding colonies, where the male incubates the egg (holding it on top of his feet and below his belly) in the two coldest months in Antarctica: |
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a. The emperor penguin
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b. The Adelie penguin
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c. The chinstrap penguin
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5. Almost all the wildlife in Antarctica is (either directly or indirectly) is completely dependent upon the vast population of krill, the dominant species of animal plankton. The total weight of krill in the world's oceans is thought to weigh more than the entire human race! However, lots of krill is needed to feed the wildlife. An adult blue whale can daily consume up to:
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a. 3 tons of krill
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b. 4 tons of krill
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c. 8 tons of krill
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| 6. The wandering albatross has the longest wings of any living bird, with a total wingspan of up to 11.5 feet. These big, graceful birds are noted for their long distance flights; they have perfected a gliding flight that allows them to stay airborne with a minimum of effort. Scientists have discovered that parent birds in a single foraging flight can cover up to: |
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a. 9300 miles
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b. 7500 miles
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c. 6200 miles
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| 7. Large scale commercial whaling probably began in the 15th century and by the middle of the 19th century had had a disastrous effect on most of the easily caught species of whales. One of the whale species, seriously over-hunted in the whaling period to the point where it has not yet managed to make much of a recovery, is the blue whale. The blue whale is in fact the largest animal ever to have appeared on our planet with a maximum recorded weight of: |
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a. 150 tons
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b. 196 tons
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c. 210 tons
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| 8. If you haven't yet read Alfred Lansing's "Endurance" about Shackleton's incredible voyage, we strongly encourage you to do so. This is an amazing story about survival. In 1914 this expedition set sail for the South Atlantic - the goal was to cross the Antarctic overland. Their ship - the Endurance - was trapped and crushed in the ice, and for five months Shackleton and his men, drifting on ice packs, were castaways in one of the most inhuman regions of the world. How many men were lost during this expedition: |
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a. none
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b. four
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c. eleven
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