Word Power

How well do you know the peaks and valleys of planet Earth? Can you tell a bluff (that’s a cliff) from a gulch (a narrow ravine)? Circumnavigate your way through this list of words, and then turn the page for answers. 1. biosphere ('by-uh-sfeer) n.— A: gases around Earth.

B: parts of Earth that support life. C: planet’s outer crust.

2. strata ('stray-tuh) n.—

A: rock layers. B: low clouds. C: seabed.

3. bayou ('by-oo) n.—a: tropical island. B: deep cavern. C: marshy waterway.

4. arroyo (uh-'roy-oh) n.—

A: gully. B: grassland. C: coral island.

5. cartography (kar-'tah-gruh-fee) n.—a: study of glaciers. B: art of mapmaking. C: science of erosion.

6. seismic ('siyz-mihk) adj.— A: prone to floods. B: related to earthquakes. C: covered in lava.

7. scree (skree) n.—a: loose rocks. B: peninsula. C: magma flow.

8. ecology (ih-'kah-luh-jee) n.— A: relationship of organisms to their environment. B: cycle of ocean currents. C: composting. 9. terra firma ('ter-uh 'fur-muh) n.—a: natural dam. B: sandbar. C: dry land.

10. aquifer ('a-kwuh-fur) n.— A: geyser. B: waterfall. C: underground water bed.

11. flora ('flohr-uh) n.—a: animal life. B: plant life. C: minerals.

12. tarn (tarn) n.—a: mountain lake. B: sinkhole. C: fossilized wood.

13. latitude ('la-tih-tood) n.—

A: distance east or west from the prime meridian. B: imaginary line through Earth’s center. C: distance north or south from the equator.

14. primordial (pry-'mohr-dee-uhl) adj.—a: densely forested. B: on highest ground. C: from earliest times.

15. hogback ('hahg-back) n.— A: U-turn in a river. B: steepsided ridge. C: tributary.

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1. biosphere—[b] parts of Earth that support life. The biosphere is home to a stunning variety of species, from tiny microbes to enormous whales.

2. strata—[a] rock layers. Did you know the strata of the Grand Canyon are hundreds of millions of years old?

3. bayou—[c] marshy waterway. Marie often paddles down the bayou in her canoe at sunrise.

4. arroyo—[a] gully. That’s my car at the bottom of the arroyo, Officer.

5. cartography—[b] art of mapmaking. “Why would anyone study cartography in the age of Google Maps?” Dora asked.

6. seismic—[b] related to earthquakes. After moving out west, Nick got used to regular seismic activity.

7. scree—[a] loose rocks. Petra had to scramble through piles of ankle-wrenching scree to reach the summit.

8. ecology—[a] relationship of organisms to their environment. Scientists are studying the effect of oil spills on deep-sea ecology.

9. terra firma—[c] dry land. After a week on the rickety sailboat, Alex couldn’t wait to return to terra firma.

10. aquifer—[c] underground water bed. The Ogallala Aquifer stretches all the way from South Dakota to Texas.

11. flora—[b] plant life. Walt’s art is inspired by the flora of Cape Cod.

12. tarn—[a] mountain lake. A dip in a tarn is just as bracing as a shot of espresso.

13. latitude—[c] distance north or south from the equator. Lines of latitude are also called parallels.

14. primordial— [C] from earliest times. This primordial forest looks like something straight out of Game of Thrones.

15. hogback—

[B] steep-sided ridge. Honey, I’m not sure you should take a selfie so close to the hogback’s rim! VOCABULARY RATINGS 9 & below: all over the map 10–12: salt of the earth 13–15: out of this world