Question

Read the excerpt from E.O. Wilson's "The Environmental Ethic."
Species are disappearing at an accelerating rate through human action, primarily habitat destruction but also
pollution and the introduction of exotic species into residual natural environments. I have said that a fifth or
more of the species of plants and animals could vanish or be doomed to early extinction by the year 2020
unless better efforts are made to save them.... As the last forests are felled in forest strongholds like the
Philippines and Ecuador, the decline of species will accelerate even more. In the world as a whole, extinction
rates are already hundreds or thousands of times higher than before the coming of man. They cannot be
balanced by new evolution in any period of time that has meaning for the human race.
What message does the author convey in this excerpt?

Answer 1

Answer:

In recent years, the extinction rate for many animal species has significantly increased.

Explanation:

The options you were given are the following:

• Humans need to take action to end further destruction of the natural environment.
• In the coming years, humans will put forth stronger efforts to save plants and animals.
• The extinction of plant and animal species is problematic in the Philippines and Ecuador.
• In recent years, the extinction rate for many animal species has significantly increased.

The message that the author of the given passage conveys is that, in recent years, the extinction rate for many animal species has significantly increased.

The sentence that points to this is the first one: Species are disappearing at an accelerating rate through human action, primarily habitat destruction but also pollution and the introduction of exotic species into residual natural environments. This sentence is the topic sentence of the given paragraph - its most important sentence, the one that summarizes what the rest of the paragraph will be about. The rest of the paragraph explains how severe this problem is.

Answer 2

Answer:

A

Explanation:

Edge 2021