The Great Blue Hole is in the middle of a. Lighthouse Reef b. the Great Barrier Reef c. Tubbataha Reef
The sinkhole a. has existed for over 100,000 years b. has plenty of life even at the very bottom c. formed in a collapse caused by flooding
Over time, the sinkhole will likely a. grow even wider and deeper b. reach colder temperatures c. fill up with sand and debris
Discussion/essay questions
The Great Blue Hole is a popular destination for tourists. However, diving in it is very dangerous, and only experienced divers are allowed to explore the caves. Do you like risky adventures? Why or why not?
Transcript
The Great Blue Hole is a giant sinkhole in the ocean. It is in the middle of Lighthouse Reef, which lies along the coast of Belize. Although the reef is shallow, the sinkhole reaches over 100 metres deep, forming a dark blue circle in the middle of the water. Inside the sinkhole, there are many underwater caves. These caves have existed for over 100,000 years, but they only became submerged at the end of the most recent Ice Age, when melting glaciers flooded the area. The sinkhole formed when the weight of the water caused the ground to collapse. At the very bottom of the Blue Hole, there is so little oxygen that most creatures can’t survive. Over time, the Blue Hole will likely fill up with sand and debris.
The “cheese caves” are really a. large warehouses b. limestone mines c. natural caves
In the 1970s, the government bought dairy products in bulk to a. plan for food shortages b. stabilize dairy prices c. export them to other countries
Today, the government uses the cheese reserve to a. support food assistance programs b. collect money from tourism c. save for an emergency
Discussion/essay questions
The cheese caves are controversial. Some people argue that the government’s support of dairy farms is actively harming the environment. Do you think people will need to change their eating habits to protect the Earth? How might diets be different in the future?
Transcript
In Springfield, Missouri, limestone mines deep in the ground store over one billion pounds of cheese. These are called the “cheese caves”, and they are owned by the US government. The government began accumulating cheese in the 1970s, when the Department of Agriculture bought dairy products in bulk to help stabilize the prices of milk. They had the milk made into cheese so they could store it for longer. When they found that they had too much cheese and nowhere to put it, they built cold storage facilities underground. Today, there is still a national cheese reserve, which the government now uses to provide cheese to food assistance programs.
