Which explains why conduction is unlikely when ice is placed on a freezer shelf? There is no direct contact. The ice is too cold. The shelf acts as an insulator. The ice and shelf are the same temperature.

The correct option is that ice and shelf are at the same temperature. Conduction will only occur when there will be temperature difference between the two objects, heat flows from a region of higher temperature to a region of lower temperature. In this case, both ice and shelf are at same temperature, so there will be no flow of heat via conduction