Why was the location chosen, according to the passage?
In a cold storage vault dug into a frozen hillside, thousands of seed samples sleep in sealed foil packets. The vault was not designed for farmers who need seed for next season; it is a back-up copy of collections held in seed banks around the world. If a bank's collection is lost to war, flood or equipment failure, its depositors can ask for their own samples back. The depth of the vault and the permafrost around it keep the temperature low even if the power fails, which is the main reason the location was chosen. Each sample is stored with a record of where it was collected and how it was dried. Without this record, a sample is of limited use, because breeders need to know what conditions a variety was grown in before they can use its traits. Only the depositor may open its boxes: the vault's operators hold the building but not the contents.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: D. The permafrost keeps temperatures low even without power
- Step 1: The passage says depth and permafrost keep the temperature low if power fails. Step 2. It calls this the main reason. Answer: The permafrost keeps temperatures low even without power. Why not the others: The other reasons are not given.
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