Comprehension quiz

Life Around Deep Sea Hydrothermal Vents

Listen to the lesson carefully, then answer 10 comprehension questions. Pick one option per question.

Question 1What is the main topic of this lecture?

How sunlight reaches the deep ocean floor How volcanic eruptions destroy deep sea life How life thrives around hydrothermal vents without sunlight How mapping expeditions are planned and funded

Question 2How long did the expedition eventually last in total?

About one month, as originally scheduled Nearly three months, because of storms Exactly two weeks, due to bad weather A full year, after repeated delays

Question 3What forms the true foundation of the vent food chain?

The intense heat of the vent fluid Chemicals dissolved in the vent fluid Sunlight filtered through the water Minerals falling from the surface

Question 4How were the deep sea hydrothermal vents first discovered?

Completely by accident during a mapping expedition Through careful planning by a team of marine biologists By fishermen working near volcanic islands While testing a newly designed deep sea camera

Question 5What did biologists assume about the deep ocean floor before that discovery?

It was almost entirely empty of life It contained dense communities of creatures It was warmed by underwater chimneys It changed after every volcanic eruption

Question 6How do the bacteria living near the vents obtain their energy?

By harvesting chemicals dissolved in the vent fluid By capturing sunlight near the surface of the water By feeding on the remains of giant tube worms By absorbing heat directly from the hot chimneys

Question 7Which creature does the speaker give as an example of vent life?

A fish that survives without any oxygen A bacterium that performs photosynthesis A giant tube worm taller than a person A crab that lives inside the chimneys

Question 8What happens to vent communities after volcanic disturbances on the seabed?

They disappear permanently from the area They move into shallower and warmer waters They recover surprisingly quickly They shrink steadily over many decades

Question 9Which idea is closest in meaning to the deep ocean once being considered a desert?

It has become dry because of global warming It was once covered by drifting volcanic sand It remains impossible for scientists to explore It was previously thought to contain almost no life

Question 10What attitude does the speaker convey about the deep ocean at the end?

Disappointment at its slow recovery rate Fear of further volcanic damage Doubt about the value of the research Admiration for its resilience and diversity