"Donna O'Meara: The Volcano Lady" Quiz

Which sentence from the following passage (paragraph 4) best shows Donna O’Meara’s interest in the forces of nature?

"O’Meara grew up in the New England countryside. There are no volcanoes in Connecticut, but in the spring and summer there were fierce thunder and lightning storms that thrilled Donna. In school, her favorite classes were earth science and biology. However, instead of turning her love for science into a career after graduation, she became an artist, photographer, and writer. As she worked on different magazines and books, she gradually began to realize that something was missing in her life."

• “O’Meara grew up in the New England countryside.”

• “There are no volcanoes in Connecticut, but in the spring and summer there were fierce thunder and lightning storms that thrilled Donna.”

• “However, instead of turning her love for science into a career after graduation, she became an artist, photographer, and writer.”

• “As she worked on different magazines and books, she gradually began to realize that something was missing in her life.”

What is most closely the meaning of document as it is used in the following passage (paragraph 8)?

"From their home, Donna and Steve run Volcano Watch International (VWI). The O’Mearas’ organization is dedicated to understanding how Earth’s active volcanoes work. VWI uses photos and video to educate people about the dangers of volcanoes. Their mission is to travel to active volcanoes and document the eruptions. The first volcano Donna studied was Kilauea, which is a shield volcano."

• noun | a written form of communication

• noun | a computer file containing information

• verb | to record in written or photographic form

• verb | to furnish with references or citations

Which of the following inferences about Donna O’Meara is best supported by the entire text?

• Donna quietly regrets her decision to study volcanoes.

• Donna and Steve don’t have anything in common other than their interest in volcanoes.

• Donna loves her work so much that she is willing to risk her safety for it.

• Donna wouldn’t have been interested in volcanoes if she’d grown up near them.

The following passage (paragraph 5) adds to the development of the text mainly by .

"When Donna went back to school at the age of 32 to study science, her passion for volcanoes began. She took geology classes to learn more about what rocks and soil tell us about the earth. She found out that volcanism is one of the most dynamic forces in nature. Volcanoes constantly shape and change the earth. Many islands, such as the islands that make up Hawaii, were formed by volcanic activity."

• showing why working on magazines and books is boring

• explaining why readers should pursue a career in studying volcanoes

• suggesting that Donna was becoming more passionate about studying volcanoes

• stating that studying volcanoes was the wrong career choice for Donna

Match each vocabulary word with its synonym.

• ongoing

• predict

• forecast

• active

• explosions

• dynamic

• changing

• eruptions

If you were a scientist or researcher like Donna and Steve, what kind of natural phenomenon would you want to explore? Would you want to be like Donna and explore volcanoes or something else? Why?