Question

And flood the land upstream. If the dam breaks suddenly, then the large amount of water held behind the dam can flood the areas downstream too.

Broken ice dams are not the only dam problems that can cause flooding. When a large human-made dam breaks or fails to hold the water collected behind it, the results can be devastating. Dams contain such huge amounts of water behind them that when sudden breaks occur, the destructive force of the water is like a great tidal wave. Unleashed dam waters can travel tens of kilometers, cover the ground in meters of mud and debris, and drown and crush everything and creature in their path.
Although scientists cannot always predict exactly when floods will occur, they do know a great deal about when floods are likely, or probably, going to occur. Deep snow, ice-covered rivers, and weak dams are all strong conditions for potential flooding. Hopefully, this knowledge of why floods happen can help us reduce the damage they cause.

a. What does "saturated" mean in the reading passage?

b. According to the passage, what can happen if a large human-made dam breaks suddenly?

c. In the context of the passage, why are deep snow, ice-covered rivers, and weak dams mentioned as conditions for potential flooding?

d. Based on the information provided, what is the purpose of the passage?

Answer 1

The passage explains the risks of dam failure leading to flooding, citing saturated ground, deep snow, ice-covered rivers, and weak dams as indicators of potential issues. The primary purpose is to highlight the destructive potential of dam failures and the importance of monitoring conditions that can lead to such disasters.

Step-by-step explanation:

The term saturated is not explicitly defined in the passage, but in general terms, it refers to something being completely soaked with water to the point where it can hold no more. In the context of the passage, human-made dam failure can lead to catastrophic events since dams hold back large volumes of water. If a dam breaks suddenly, it can release a tidal wave-like force of water that can travel great distances, inundating everything with mud and debris and potentially causing loss of life and destruction. The passage mentions deep snow, ice-covered rivers, and weak dams as indicators of potential flooding because they can either lead to sudden releases of water or are signs of vulnerable points in water control systems that, if breached, can cause flooding. The principal purpose of this passage is to explain how and why floods related to dam failures happen and to emphasize the importance of being aware of these risk factors in order to mitigate damage from potential flooding.