Author's Purpose

Why does the author of the article “Dial it up to Category 6? As warming stokes storms, some want a bigger hurricane category” include "the traditional Saffir-Simpson scale" in paragraph 3?

• To provide background information on hurricane formation

• To explain how hurricanes are categorized currently

• To describe the regions affected by hurricanes

• To introduce the concept of maximum sustained wind speed

How is the article "Dial it up to Category 6? As warming stokes storms, some want a bigger hurricane category" organized to develop the thesis?

• By discussing the traditional Saffir-Simpson scale

• By introducing the concept of Category 6 hurricanes

• By detailing the characteristics of hurricanes

• By summarizing the history of tropical storms

 In the article “Five Storms Since 2013 Would Qualify For New Category,” what is the primary purpose of paragraph 6?

• 1. To provide examples of extreme weather events

• 1. To discuss the geographic distribution of hurricanes

• To analyze the potential impacts of a new hurricane category

• To present opposing viewpoints on the need for a new hurricane category

Read this quotation from paragraph 5.

"Since 2013, five storms — all in the Pacific — had winds of 192 mph (309 kph) or higher that would have put them in the new category."

Why does the author use this comparison?

• To highlight the increasing frequency of extreme storms in recent years

• To illustrate the potential impact of climate change on storm intensity

• To demonstrate the need for a new category to classify exceptionally powerful storms

• To emphasize the geographical distribution of storms in the Pacific Ocean

Part A

What is the author’s primary purpose for writing the article “Climate Change Is Making Storms Worse”?

• To discuss historical data on storm intensity

• To propose solutions for mitigating storm damage

• To analyze the impact of climate change on storm seve

• To provide safety guidelines for storm preparation

 Part B

Which quotation does NOT supports the answer to Part A?

• As the world warms, conditions grow more ripe for such whopper storms. (Paragraph 14)

• Climate change is making the worst storms worse," said study lead author Michael Wehner. (Paragraph 15)

• It's not that there are more storms because of climate change. (Paragraph 16)

• If the world sticks with just five storm categories, “as these storms get stronger and stronger it will more and more underestimate the potential risk,” said study co-author Jim Kossin. (Paragraph 17)

In paragraph 16 of the article why does the author mention “The proportion of major hurricanes among all storms is increasing, and it's because of warmer oceans?”

• To describe the impact of warmer oceans on storm frequency

• To explain the role of ocean temperature in storm intensity

• To discuss the geographical distribution of major hurricanes

• To provide evidence supporting the link between climate change and storm severity

What is the most likely reason the author included paragraphs 18 through 23?

• To provide geographical context and explain why Pacific storms tend to be stronger compared to Atlantic storms.

• 1. To discuss the potential for Category 6 storms in the Gulf of Mexico and the likelihood of their occurrence as temperatures rise. 

• To present expert opinions, such as those of MIT hurricane expert Kerry Emanuel, on the necessity of changing the storm categorization scale.

• To highlight the focus of the National Hurricane Center on warning people about various storm hazards beyond just wind, such as storm surges, rainfall, and tornadoes.

Which sentence best supports the idea that some experts doubt the necessity of a sixth and stronger storm category?

• “Pacific storms are stronger because there's less land to weaken them and more room for storms to grow more intense, Kossin said." (Paragraph 18)

• So far no Atlantic storm has reached the 192 mph potential threshold. (Paragraph 19)

• Jamie Rhome, deputy director of the National Hurricane Center, said when warning people about storms his office tries “to steer the focus toward the individual hazards.” (Paragraph 21)

• The particular category of the storm only provides information about the hazard from wind, and Category 5 already captures “catastrophic damage” from wind." (Paragraph 22)

The purpose of the conclusion is to -

• support the thesis

• provide new evidence

• explain the evidence

• highlight key points