1. Part A: Which statement identifies the central idea of the text? Group of answer choices

a. Soil has a unique makeup that, if studied carefully, can help solve present-day puzzles and reveal more about the past.

b. Humans’ release of carbon dioxide is altering the composition of soil and keeping it from completing its main functions.

c. Forensic soil science is still a new technique for solving crimes and is not widely trusted by the forensic community.

d. While soil can teach us much about the past, it is most important because it will help reverse global warming in the future.

2. Part B: Which detail from the text best support the answer to Part A?
Group of answer choices

a. “‘It’s the most important part of the planet, because it covers everything,’ says Lorna Dawson. She’s a soil scientist at the James Hutton Institute in Aberdeen, Scotland.” (Paragraph 2)

b. “Human activities in recent decades have been spewing excess carbon dioxide and other greenhouse gases into the atmosphere.” (Paragraph 6)

c. “She recalls one 2014 case where the soil she analyzed from the bottom of a suspect’s boot helped to convict one of Scotland’s most notorious serial killers.” (Paragraph 21)

d. Alas, such clues weren’t always reliable. One person’s description of a shade of brown, for instance, could vary from someone else’s.” (Paragraph 18)

3. Which statement describes how the author introduces the idea of studying soil?

Group of answer choices

a. The author emphasizes all of the important things that soil does for people and the earth.

b. The author explains that something so common can be both fascinating and important.

c. The author describes how Lorna Dawson became interested in studying soil.

d. The author explains the unique makeup of soil and the techniques used to study it.

4. What is the author’s main purpose in the text?

Group of answer choices

a. to emphasize the important jobs that soil has

b. to suggest that soil will change the way crimes are solved

c. to encourage readers to take the time to study soil

d. to explain what people can learn by studying soil