Due in Large Part to Agricultural Runoff and Pollutants From Industrial Wastewater

Reading Passage Question

Due in large part to agricultural runoff and pollutants from industrial wastewater, increasingly large areas of the ocean are being pronounced irreparably hypoxic, a condition that poses serious threats to marine species that require abundant oxygen to survive. Some fish may be able to tolerate this environment, and some species are more successful than others at escaping from these "dead zones." But they escape to unfamiliar habitats where they are less capable of defending themselves against predators and are less likely to be fertile. The infertility is linked directly to the lack of oxygen in the environment from which they escaped; this lack appears to wreak the most havoc on the female members of the species.

The threat of hypoxic zones to the marine ecosystem has been known for some time, but recent research has revealed an additional threat that increases the likelihood of species extinction. It appears that low levels of dissolved oxygen inhibit the function of genes that control gender specificity in some fish, which means that the hypoxic water can induce sex changes in certain species. This causes an overabundance of males and reduces their opportunities to reproduce. Furthermore, the hypoxic waters compromise the quantity and quality of the female eggs. The females that do survive their deadly habitat may therefore either be functionally infertile or may produce offspring that are biologically ill equipped to contribute to population growth and help ensure survival of the species.

“Due in large part to agricultural runoff and pollutants from industrial wastewater”- is a GMAT reading comprehension passage with answers. Candidates need a strong knowledge of English GMAT reading comprehension.

This GMAT Reading Comprehension consists of 3 comprehension questions. The GMAT Reading Comprehension questions are designed for the purpose of testing candidates’ abilities in understanding, analyzing, and applying information or concepts. Candidates can actively prepare with the help of GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.

Solution and Explanation

Question1
The author's primary objective in discussing hypoxic zones is to explain how they

1. compromise the health of marine ecosystems.
2. contribute to the extinction of certain marine life.
3. alter the chemical composition of ocean habitats.
4. have been linked to altered gene expression in fish.
5. are depleted of oxygen over long periods of time.

Question 2
The passage implies that fish that can survive in hypoxic zones

1. have developed a tolerance for anoxia as the species evolved.
2. belong to species that are indigenous to less oxygenated areas of the ocean.
3. suffer damage that is more apparent in their offspring than in themselves.
4. must move to healthier waters in order to reproduce.
5. rely on a biological self-defence mechanism to compensate for the oxygen depletion.

Question 3
The first paragraph primarily performs which of the following functions in the passage?

1. It links compositional changes in ocean water to irresponsible human behavior.
2. It explains how environmental damage can cause effects that last for generations.
3. It stresses that oxygen levels are paramount in determining ocean survival rates.
4. It pinpoints the cause of species destruction in specific marine habitats.
5. It argues that survival in the changing ocean depends on genetic factors.

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