The Iditarod: “Alaska’s Last Great Race”
The Iditarod, often called the “Last Great Race,” is an annual sled dog race from Anchorage to Nome in Alaska. It begins the first Saturday in March, and it usually takes teams between nine and fifteen days to reach the finish. The race is a salute to the “Great Race of Mercy” in 1925. This tribute refers to a relay of sled dogs that delivered medication to Nome during a diphtheria outbreak. These dogs saved many lives. The modern Iditarod did not begin until 1973.


An Iditarod team on part of the course near Nome
Each team involves a driver and up to sixteen dogs. The driver is called a musher. Teams mostly come from Alaska. However, there have been participants from fourteen countries. The dogs, typically Siberian huskies, are harnessed to a sled upon which the musher stands. At least six members of the team must be in the harness when crossing the finish line. Siberian huskies are not only used for their strength and endurance but also for their speed, tough feet, and positive attitude. These are dogs with the desire to run.

The race is grueling. The course can run through blizzards with whiteout conditions. Temperatures might creep far below zero with wind chills reaching -100°F. These conditions, in addition to the strenuous physical activity, increase the risk of injury to the dogs. As such, there are 26 mandatory checkpoints that are all staffed with veterinarians. Mushers must take two rests of eight hours and one of 24 hours to rest their dogs at three of these checkpoints.

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Questions
Which of the following pieces of evidence does not support the central idea of the text?

“Teams mostly come from Alaska. However, there have been participants from fourteen countries.”

“It begins the first Saturday in March, and it usually takes teams between nine and fifteen days to reach the finish.”

“Siberian huskies are not only used for their strength and endurance but also for their speed, tough feet, and positive attitude.”

“Temperatures might creep far below zero with wind chills reaching -100°F.”
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All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
“Teams mostly come from Alaska. However, there have been participants from fourteen countries.”

Reason: the other sentences describe core aspects of the race (when/how long it runs, the dogs' qualities, and the extreme weather) that support the central idea that the Iditarod is a difficult, notable sled-dog race. The sentence about where teams come from is background trivia and does not support that main point.