Thermometer pills
tracy wilson

1 over the past ten years more than two dozen athletes have died from the medical condition known as heatstroke. heatstroke occurs when the body’s internal temperature becomes so elevated that its cooling system begins shutting down. who is most at risk? surprisingly, it is younger athletes. they often either do not recognize or ignore the warning signs until it’s too late. to make matters worse, children’s bodies are much less efficient than adults at cooling themselves. a promising new product hopes to end the all too common heatstroke trend. it is called a thermometer pill.

2 while it doesn’t look much different from the average vitamin capsule, the work it does inside the body is truly amazing. once ingested these capsules send an internal body temperature reading to a portable device that is not much bigger than an iphone. a coach or professional trainer monitors the device during practices or events held when temperatures and heat indexes are particularly high. if an athlete’s body temperature reaches a dangerous level, the monitor immediately transmits an alert. the player is then rushed indoors and placed in an ice bath to rapidly decrease his or her body temperature. this is important, since internal organs can begin shutting down at 105 degrees fahrenheit.

3 while these tiny lifesavers have proven to be effective, they are quite expensive. on average the cost is $50.00 per pill. however, many parents of young athletes say that it is a small price to pay for the peace of mind it gives them on a hot, sultry day.

read the passage on the left to answer the following questions:

3)
which statement provides the most concrete supporting evidence for the author's argument that heatstroke can be very dangerous to younger athletes?
a) on average the cost is $50.00 per pill.
b) while these tiny lifesavers have proven to be effective, they are quite expensive.
c) the player is then rushed indoors and placed in an ice bath to rapidly decrease his or her body temperature.
d) over the past ten years more than two dozen athletes have died from the medical condition known as heatstroke.
4)
what is the main purpose of this article?
a) to show the tremendous expense associated with thermometer pills
b) to explain to athletes the signs and symptoms associated with heatstroke
c) to inform the public about the use of thermometer pills to prevent heatstroke in young athletes
d) to inform coaches and trainers of the benefit of using ice baths to cool down overheated athletes
5)
which of these graphics would best support the information in this passage?
a) a chart of teenagers involved in summer sports
b) a graph of the medical conditions of teen athletes
c) a diagram showing how thermometer pills work inside the body
d) a map of states where the summer temperatures reach 105 fahrenheit