Which statement accurately contrasts continental and alpine glaciers?

• A. Continental glaciers are large ice sheets that cover vast areas; Alpine glaciers are smaller, confined to mountains.
• B. Alpine glaciers cover continents; continental glaciers are mountain only.
• C. Alpine glaciers never move; continental glaciers glide.
• D. Continental glaciers exist only in the southern hemisphere.

Answer: (A)

The main idea being tested is how the size and location of glaciers differ. Continental glaciers form enormous ice sheets that blanket large areas of a continent, as seen in Antarctica and Greenland. Alpine glaciers, by contrast, are smaller and stay confined to mountainous regions, flowing down valleys. This contrast is exactly what the statement conveys and is why it’s the best description.

The other ideas don’t fit because alpine glaciers do move—they flow downhill like other glaciers, just in valleys. Continental glaciers aren’t limited to the southern hemisphere; they exist where the big ice sheets are, including Greenland in the north and Antarctica in the south.