Which statement about black ice is true?

Which statement about black ice is true?

• A. A visible patch of ice
• B. A thin sheet of invisible ice
• C. Ice that forms only in the cold
• D. A patch of wet pavement

Answer: (B)

Black ice is a thin, nearly invisible layer of ice on the roadway. It forms when moisture on the surface freezes, often around freezing temperatures or from dew, mist, or drizzle that refreezes as cars drive over it. Because the ice is clear, it blends with the pavement, making it very hard to see—hence the name. That invisibility is what makes the statement about a thin sheet of invisible ice true. It’s a warning to treat wet-looking pavement as potentially icy, because traction can disappear suddenly. The other descriptions don’t fit: there isn’t a clearly visible patch of ice on black ice, since it’s usually hard to see. Describing it as just wet pavement isn’t accurate, because that wet look can hide a sheet of ice beneath. And icing isn’t limited to the coldest conditions; black ice can form when temperatures are near freezing and moisture is present, so it isn’t restricted to “only in the cold.”

Black ice is a thin, nearly invisible layer of ice on the roadway. It forms when moisture on the surface freezes, often around freezing temperatures or from dew, mist, or drizzle that refreezes as cars drive over it. Because the ice is clear, it blends with the pavement, making it very hard to see—hence the name. That invisibility is what makes the statement about a thin sheet of invisible ice true. It’s a warning to treat wet-looking pavement as potentially icy, because traction can disappear suddenly.

The other descriptions don’t fit: there isn’t a clearly visible patch of ice on black ice, since it’s usually hard to see. Describing it as just wet pavement isn’t accurate, because that wet look can hide a sheet of ice beneath. And icing isn’t limited to the coldest conditions; black ice can form when temperatures are near freezing and moisture is present, so it isn’t restricted to “only in the cold.”