The Polish documentary Gruba Kaśka—which translates to Fat Kathy in English—was released in 2019 and has introduced the world to an unusual team of workers: clams at a pumping station. The mollusksfeatured in the short film live and work at Warsaw’s Gruba Kaśka pumping station and ensure that the millions of litersof water going into the city is uncontaminated and safe.
The short, directed by Julia Pełka, offers a quick breakdownof the clams and how exactly they help monitor the city’s water supply. At any time, there are eight bivalvesat the pumping station, which can only be accessed by a 300-meter tunnel that runs beneath the Vistula River. The clams are hooked up to a complex magnetic computer system which can detect if the clams are open or closed. This acts as an early-warning system because the clams will close up if they encounter heavy metals, pesticides, or other pollutants.
As the clams make for fascinating, yet silent, film subjects, the documentary also follows the malacologistswho care for the creatures. These scientists are responsible for maintaining the mollusks in the pumping station as well as regularly replacing the clams. Each individual clam works for roughly three months before being released back into a local pond. The old bivalves are also marked so that they are not mistakenly selected again.
In discussing her documentary, Peɫka has stated that she finds it fascinating that humans rely on nature to protect themselves from environmental problems of their own doing. Viewerswill notice that respect for the natural world underscores the lessons in the film.
1. What can be inferred from the passage?
(A) One clam has the nickname Fat Kathy.
(B) Julia Peɫka used to work at the pumping station.
(C) Old clams can be adopted after they are released.
(D) The documentary was named after a water station.
2. Which of the following is NOT true about the clams at the Warsaw pumping station?
(A) They are connected to computers.
(B) They are used for three-year periods.
(C) They react to harmful substances in water.
(D) They are sent to lakes after they have been used.
3. What idea does Peɫka find fascinating, as mentioned in the last paragraph?
(A) Humans have already solved the water problem.
(B) It’s easy for humans to handle these problems.
(C) The problem is caused by the actions of humans.
(D) Actions should be taken soon to get rid of the problem.
