Surface currents __________ the air above it, influencing the climate of the land near the coast.

• A. Warm or cool
• B. Heats
• C. Cools
• D. Stirs

Answer: (A)

Surface currents move heat with the ocean. When warm water flows toward higher latitudes, the air right above it is warmed; when cold water flows, the air above it is cooled. That heating or cooling of the air alters the temperature, humidity, and weather patterns of nearby land along the coast. So the best choice is “warm or cool” because the currents can make the air above them warmer or cooler, shaping coastal climates. The other options don’t fit: “heats” or “cools” would be wrong grammatically for plural currents, and “stirs” doesn’t describe the temperature effect on the air.