Which conclusion follows from the passage? (Passage: Glacier retreat)
Measurements taken over forty years show that a particular alpine glacier has lost roughly 30 metres of ice thickness. Meltwater from glaciers feeds rivers during dry summers, so in the short term retreat can increase river flow. Hydrologists call the point at which flow reaches its maximum 'peak water'. After this point the shrinking glacier supplies less each year, and rivers that depend on it decline. For this glacier, peak water is thought to have passed in the 1990s, although the estimate depends on assumptions about future rainfall.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: A. If peak water has passed, flow from this glacier will tend to decrease each year
- Step 1: Apply the logic after the peak. Step 2. After peak water the glacier supplies less each year, though it still supplies some. Answer: If peak water has passed, flow from this glacier will tend to decrease each year. Why not the others: The passage does not say rivers have dried; 'less' is not 'none'; no disappearance date is given.
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