Question

Read the excerpt from "Save the Coral Reefs.”

A study completed in 2004 found that seventy percent of our coral reefs are already destroyed or currently under threat of destruction. It also concluded that much of the wreckage to reefs has been caused by humans. The resiliency of the reefs is on our side, though. More can be done now to help the coral reefs bounce back—even flourish.

What is meaning of the word "resiliency” in this context?

the way an ecosystem supports plant and animal life
the manner in which an ecosystem decomposes
the ability of an ecosystem to recover from damage
the capability of one ecosystem to ruin another ecosystem

What is the author’s purpose in "Save the Coral Reefs”? Check all that apply.

to convince readers that practices that destroy coral reefs must be stopped
to entertain readers with a dramatic tale about the destruction of coral reefs
to inform readers about how the coral reefs are being destroyed
to inform readers about which fishing companies damage the coral reefs the most
to persuade readers to try scuba diving before the coral reefs are destroyed

Read the excerpt from "GM Food: Fuel for Our Future.”

Also, crops can be genetically engineered to be more nutritious. Golden rice, for example, has been altered to have more vitamin A than spinach. This is important because according to Scientific American, "Vitamin A deficiency causes more than one million deaths annually and half a million cases of irreversible blindness in the developing world.” Golden rice alone could help save millions of lives and prevent blindness.

Overall, our growing world desperately needs GM food to survive. The food these crops produce costs less and is safer and more nutritious than anything you could get from a traditional crop. As you can see, the benefits of GM food outweigh the far-fetched, unsubstantiated risks that critics have put forth.

Which phrases from the excerpt support the author’s argument that genetically modified food is safe? Check all that apply.

more vitamin A
you can see
could help save
traditional crop
unsubstantiated risks
more nutritious

Answer 1

Q1: The ability of an ecosystem to recover from damage.
In the text, it says "the resiliency of the reefs". From this we know that resiliency is a trait that the reefs have. In the next sentence, we see the context clues that define resiliency when it states "reefs bounce back-even flourish." When someone or something bounces back it recovers and returns to it's previous state.

Q2: to inform readers about how the coral reefs are being destroyed AND to convince readers that practices that destroy coral reefs must be stopped.
It is a "Check All That Apply" so more than one answer can be chosen. The passage title is "Save the Coral Reefs" and the selection ends with the sentence "More can be done now to help the coral reefs bounce back". These clues tell the reader that the author's purpose is to save the reefs. In order to do this the author needs to first explain how the reefs are being destroyed. Then convince readers to save the reefs by stopping the practices that destroy them.

Q3: "could help save" and "unsubstantiated risks".
It is important to pay attention to the question here. It is asking for phrases that support safety - not necessarily nutrition. A pixie stick is safe to eat, but not nutritious. The phrase "could help save" supports the idea that it is safe because it is being defined as possibly life and eye-saving. "Unsubstantiated risks" also shows safety because it state that any risks have not been proven and are therefore unfounded. Some of the other phrases such as "more vitamin A" and "more nutritious" support the argument that the food is healthier but are not used to specifically explain how safe it is.

Answer 2

Answer:

c

Explanation:

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