Cleaning up Waste

Which sentence best describes the main idea of the article?

• More tourists would visit Mount Everest if there was less trash left behind by climbers.

• Efforts are being made to remove the large amounts of trash that have been left behind by climbers on Mount Everest.

• The government of Nepal should ban people from climbing Mount Everest as a response to the trash being left behind.

• The trash left behind on Mount Everest is harmless to the wildlife and people living nearby because it remains frozen on the mountain.

How does the author organize the information in the article?

• The author shares personal stories about their own experience of climbing Mount Everest.

• The author explains the problem of trash on Mount Everest and then shares possible solutions.

• The author summarizes the many reasons why climbers choose to leave trash on Mount Everest.

• The author provides facts about the experience of climbing Mount Everest and explains why people choose to climb it.

Which piece of evidence best highlights why trash remains on Mount Everest for so long?

• Climbers bring tents and sleeping bags to set up camp along the way. (Paragraph 2)

• Trash doesn't break down when the temperature is below freezing. (Paragraph 4)

• Trash and waste from the mountain ends up in the water. (Paragraph 5)

• Dawa Steven Sherpa is a mountain climber who wanted to do something about the trash. (Paragraph 6)

Which statement best describes the relationship between humans and Mount Everest?

• Humans are responsible for the trash on Mount Everest but are also a key part of the clean-up process.

• Humans are avoiding Mount Everest because the amount of trash left behind makes it too difficult to climb.

• Humans are the main cause of the trash on Mount Everest but are refusing to take part in the clean-up efforts.

• Humans are becoming less interested in climbing Mount Everest because of the new laws from the government of Nepal.

How does the author support the idea that "problems are just opportunities for us to change the world"?

Consider the steps that Dawa Steven Sherpa has taken to raise awareness of what is happening on Mount Everest. Based on the article, how do people create change? Is there a problem in your school or in your community that you think needs solving, such as littering? How would you go about solving this problem? Explain the steps you would take to solve it.

How does the text explore the close connection between humans and nature? How did humans' disposal of trash on Mount Everest affect the local communities and the environment? What are other examples of ways that the careless treatment of the environment has caused problems for plants, animals, humans, or entire ecosystems? What steps have been taken to solve these issues? What work is still needed?