Reading Comprehension-2a

The Blue Lagoon     Week 10 day 2

            I have always loved going to unique, out-of-the-way places, but the strangest place I've ever visited was the Blue Lagoon in Iceland. The seawater of the Blue Lagoon is heated far beneath the Earth’s surface. Although most lagoons are natural, this one is man-made. A nearby power plant pumps the hot water up from a mile below the surface, through a lava form. The water that’s not used to make heat and electricity at the power plant is sent into the huge lagoon cut out of solid black rock formed from lava. The water is very warm—about 104 degrees Fahrenheit. It’s also full of minerals that make it appear a bright, shockingly blue color.

            When I visited, I walked along a pathway carved through rock toward a bathhouse. There, I changed into a swimsuit and ran outside. The air was freezing, so I plunged into the lagoon, shivering. In a minute I was warm—except the top of my head, which was out of the water. Clouds of steam rose into the chilly air above the water so thickly that I could hardly see the dozens of other people bathing. The water felt silky, and I slathered an unusual mud on my face from wooden tubs around the lagoon. I rinsed the mud off under a hot waterfall. By the time I left, I was sure I would never experience anything stranger or more wonderful than the Blue Lagoon.

Strategy Practice: Think about the words or phrases from the passage that helped you visualize the Blue Lagoon.

Skill Practice: Read each question. Fill in the bubble next to the correct answer.