ShmoopTube

00:04

Here’s your Shmoop du jour, brought to you by the uplands.

00:07

Though we prefer downlands ourselves. [Man with a rope by a river]

00:09

In the uplands, the rent is too high.

00:14

Check out the following passage...

00:22

Read the selection below from paragraph 4.

00:41

The word "dissipating" means which of the following??

00:43

And here are the potential answers... [Potential answers shown]

00:46

A combination of context and common sense will get us through this question—no sweat.

00:52

There’s no way (D) is true.

00:54

No neighborhood has ever benefited from stronger storm surges. [Plants blowing in a storm]

00:58

It’s just not cool when our house is underwater. [Man scubadiving at an under water house]

01:04

Answer (B) gives us another meaning of dissipating.

01:07

But we can rule this one out because of the context.

01:10

The idea of wasting a storm surge doesn’t make much sense. [Ocean waves]

01:13

Unless, you’re a lazy surfer. [Man in bed with a surfboard]

01:16

(C) is the most tempting option so far because estuaries could be viewed as getting rid of

01:23

storm surges. [Boy flying a kite and old man appears]

01:24

However, surges aren’t necessarily destroyed by the estuaries.

01:28

It’s not like the rising water is hurled into another dimension when it hits the wetlands.

01:33

Though that would be cool to see. [Boy disappears into a police box]

01:35

(A) is the correct answer.

01:37

When storm surges stream into the wetlands, the floodwater’s power is lessened because [Cloud hovers over an island and begins raining]

01:42

it gets caught up in all the plants and mud.

01:46

Try running a marathon through an estuary and you'll see what we mean. [Man running through an estuary]

01:54

Or maybe just take our word for it.

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