Before you read 1 Checkyou understandthe meaningof these words.

shiP container seacurrents slipped float frozen appeared While you read 2 Draw the route which the duckstook on the maP.
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Pacfic 0cean

The biggest scientific experirnent in the world

was a terrible storm It was 1,gg2.Ahuge container ship was crossingthe Paci{icfrom China to Seattle.There water and the contents the hit as they broke and 350 containersslippedoffthe deck. Some of the containers fell into the ocean.It was the start of an incrediblejourney for 29,000 plasticducks. The seacurrentstook some of the ducks south to Hawaii. Mqst of the ducks floated north towardsAlaska.In the water is yearsbecause 1995 they arrived at the Bering Straits.Theywere in the Bering Straitsfor several at the other end of the Bering Straitsand some of them began to usually frozen.Bur in 2000 they appeared In 2003,people were reporting plasticducks on the east float down the easterncoastof the United States. and even the west coastof Europe! coastof the United States it was an an oceanographer, It soundslike an amusingstory,but itt more than that. For Curtis Ebbesmeyer, ocean of his theories test to ducks of the He used his observations opportuniry for scientificinvestigation. currents.An unusualaccidentbecamethe biggestscientific experiment tn the world.

After you read

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3 Match the sentencehalves. camefrom \ The ducks arrived at a the ducks Straits. the Bering

Ocean. ln thePactfrc
comeoff the ship? 1 Why ddthe containers

I The shipwascrossing b is an oceanographer. when the Pacific

2 1n1995 3 In2003 Ebbesmeyer 4 Curtis

c to test histheories.
C

go to Hawaii? 2 Ddmost of the ducks for Straits Why werethe ducksin the Bering 5 years? do? 4 What doesCurtisEbbesmeyer

therewasa terrible storm. s h ip . a container

nonnlo in Fr r r nno

5 CurtisEbbesmeyer ' usedthe information f

sawthe ducks.

5 How did the duckshelpCurtisEbbesmeyer?