True/ False
Singapore burns more than 90% of its garbage.
True – Paragraph 4.
Why does Singapore burn most of its garbage?
C – There is limited space – Paragraph 4
What major music genre has strong roots in Cleveland, Ohio?
A. Country
B. Classical
C. Rock and Roll
D. Reggae
Answer: C – Rock and Roll
(Cleveland is home to the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame!)
Proof that mangroves were successfully restored:
Paragraph 9 – “But they all survived. Now we have to trim them back.”
How long does it take to reach Singapore’s landfill by ferry?
20 minutes – Paragraph 1
Singapore’s only landfill is located on the main island of Singapore.
False – Paragraph 1.
It says the landfill is “a 20-minute ferry ride south from the main island.” It is on Pulau Semakau, not on the main island.
What happens to materials that cannot be burned or recycled?
B – Wrapped in plastic and buried – Paragraph 8
What major league baseball team plays in Cincinnati?
A. The Cincinnati Kings
B. The Ohio Tigers
C. The Cincinnati Reds
D. The River Bats
Answer: C – The Cincinnati Reds
(Fun fact: They are the oldest professional baseball team in America!)
Proof that Pulau Semakau is not an ordinary landfill:
Paragraph 2 – “This is no ordinary landfill…”
What does the island double as besides being a landfill?
A biodiversity hotspot – Paragraph 2
Pulau Semakau is closed to visitors and tourists.
False – Paragraph 10.
The island has been open for guided tours since July 2005 and receives thousands of visitors each year.
What creates the seven-kilometer rock bund?
C – Connected offshore islands – Paragraph 7
What Cincinnati Zoo animal became internet-famous in 2016?
A. A dancing penguin
B. A gorilla
C. A baby hippo
D. A panda
Answer: B – A gorilla (Harambe)
(You could also accept Fiona the hippo — another internet celebrity!)
Harambe was a 17-year-old western lowland gorilla at the Cincinnati Zoo. In May 2016, he became internationally famous after a child fell into his enclosure. Zoo officials made the difficult decision to shoot Harambe to protect the child. The event sparked huge debate about zoo safety, parenting, and animal protection. Harambe quickly became one of the biggest internet memes of the decade and is still referenced in pop culture today. His name became widely recognized around the world almost overnight.
Proof that visitors are impressed:
Paragraph 10 – “Visitors are stunned and amazed…”
What country created the island of Thilafushi by dumping trash?
The Maldives – Paragraph 3
Pulau Semakau was created by connecting two offshore islands.
True – Paragraph 7.
What unexpected result has happened on Pulau Semakau?
C – It developed rich biodiversity – Paragraphs 2 & 10
Cincinnati’s Findlay Market is known for being what?
A. The oldest continuously operated public market in Ohio
B. The largest mall in the Midwest
C. A floating market
D. A farmers market only open once a year
Answer: A – The oldest continuously operated public market in Ohio
Proof that incineration originally caused environmental concerns:
Paragraph 6 – “carbon emissions into the atmosphere rose sharply…”
What is placed over the landfill cells after they are filled?
Dirt and grass – Paragraph 8
The incinerator at Tuas pulls fresh air into the trash-receiving room.
False – Paragraph 5.
The incinerator creates a weak vacuum that sucks foul air from the trash-receiving room into the combustion chamber. It does not pull fresh air in.
Which animal is mentioned as living on or near the island?
B – Dolphins – Paragraph 10
True or False: Cincinnati once had one of the largest subway systems in the U.S.
Answer: False
(Cincinnati built a subway system in the early 1900s, but it was never completed or used. The tunnels still exist underground!)
Proof that Singapore faces space limitations:
Paragraph 4 – “…for reasons of space.”
By what year does the government predict landfills may become obsolete?
2045 – Paragraph 8