GRE Verbal
Passage 17
Previous Solution Next
  • Direction

    Little is known about the elusive section of
    the earth’s atmosphere known as the mesos-
    phere. Located between the stratosphere (the
    maximum altitude that airlines can achieve)
    5 and the thermosphere (the minimum altitude
    of spacecraft), the mesosphere is poorly under-
    stood and little explored. The most significant
    feature of the mesosphere is the various tides
    and waves that propagate up from the tropo-
    10 sphere and stratosphere. The dissipation of
    these waves is largely responsible for propelling
    the mesosphere around the globe. These wave
    patterns are future affected when gas particles
    in the mesosphere collide with meteoroids,
    15 producing spectacular explosions, which usually
    generate enough heat to consume the meteor
    before it can fall to earth. The conflagration
    leaves behind traces of iron and other metals
    and fuels the atmospheric tides radiating out-
    20 ward from the mesosphere.

Consider each of the choices separately and select all that apply.

The passage suggests that the mesosphere is influenced by

  • Solution

    ( A.collisions with extraterrestrial debris , B.vibrations from the troposphere )

    This question asks about things which could affect the mesosphere. According the passage, the mesosphere is affected by tides and waves that propagate up from the troposphere and stratosphere, so choice (B) is correct.The mesosphere is also further affected when gas particles in the mesosphere collide with meteoroids, so choice (A) is also correct. Although the passage mentions tides, it does not specify that they are oceanic tides, so choice (C) is incorrect, and the answers are choices (A) and (B).

The author primarily describes the mesosphere as

  • Solution

    (C. unfamiliar)

    The passage describes the mesosphere as elusive, poorly understood and little explored. The answer closest to this is choice (C), unfamiliar. Although the passage states that waves travel through it, it never says it is turbulent: The waves could be small or large. Choices (A), (B), (D), and (E) are never mentioned in the passage.

Attempted

0

Correct

0

Wrong

0

Complete
Reading Comprehension
Attempted
Wrong
Correct