Reading Passage Question
Sea turtles, reptilian amphibians that are classified into seven distinct sub-species, are quickly beginning to rank among some of the most endangered species on the planet. These ancient reptiles are vital to Earth’s ecosystem because they feed on botanical life that grows on sea beds and thereby help maintain the natural habitat of several other marine life forms. Further, unhatched sea turtle eggs provide nutrients for plants that grow beneath the surface of the sea, which in turn strengthen sand dunes through their root systems and help prevent beaches from eroding.
Ironically, human attempts to preserve the marine environment in which sea turtles live are causing the species’ numbers to dwindle even faster. In an effort to protect sea turtles that nest on the beaches, in some popular fishing areas local authorities have placed restrictions on the amount of fishing in order to protect the turtles from being caught in fishing nets and drowning. However, the reduction in the amount of fishing in these areas has led to an increase in the numbers of the giant cuttlefish, which feed on the same underwater plants as the sea turtles do. The subsequent decrease in the turtles’ food source, particularly the sea grass that is part of the turtles’ staple diet, has not only led to an alarming reduction in the number of sea turtles in these areas but also affected the balance of the marine ecosystem in these regions.
“Sea turtles, reptilian amphibians that are classified” - is a GMAT reading comprehension passage with answers. Nominees must have a firm understanding of English GMAT reading comprehension. There are four comprehension questions in this GMAT Reading Comprehension section. GMAT Reading Comprehension questions are conducted to examine candidates' skills to decipher, interpret, and utilize knowledge or ideas. Candidates can actively prepare by answering GMAT Reading Comprehension Practice Questions.
Solutions and Explanation
- The passage is primarily concerned with
- questioning certain human activities that are causing damage to not only the local fishing communities but also to a vital endangered species
- outlining the reasons behind the importance of a certain species to the Earth’s ecosystem
- establishing the relevance of a species and analyzing how a solution to protect it might be defeating its very purpose
- arguing that sometimes plans to rectify situations may actually cause more harm than good
- explaining how some attempts to reduce fishing have not been successful
Answer: C
Explanation: The focus of the passage is on proving the importance of a species and examining how a plan to protect it might be going against its very nature. The statement in the third option can correspond to this and therefore it is the right answer. The rest of the options are all wrong answers. The final option is inconsistent and the remaining three options are out of scope.
- The author suggests which of the following about sea turtles?
- An increase in the number of sea turtles will probably lead to a decrease in the number of giant cuttlefish.
- Restrictions in the amount of fishing in some areas have led to an increase in illegal poaching of sea turtles.
- In some areas, sea turtles would probably be less endangered if giant cuttlefish populations were lower in number.
- The plants that form part of the diet of sea turtles are found only on the seabed.
- Sea turtles are more endangered than turtle species that live on land.
Answer: C
Explanation: The third option is the correct answer. This is due to the fact that it claims that in some regions, sea turtle populations would likely be less threatened if giant cuttlefish populations were lower. This can clearly be inferred from the second paragraph where how the presence of giant cuttlefish affects sea turtles is described. The remaining options are all wrong answers as they are either inconsistent or out of scope.
- Which of the following CANNOT be inferred from the passage?
- The habitat of some marine organisms is impacted by the existence of the sea turtles.
- The staple diet of two marine organisms can be the same.
- Even without feeding on plants, sea turtles can be useful to the environment they are born in.
- Some attempts to help the endangered species of sea turtle have had effects that had not been predicted.
- The giant cuttlefish were being caught in greater numbers before certain restrictions on fishing were placed in some areas.
Answer: B
Explanation: The question asks for an answer that cannot be inferred with the passage. All the options have statements that can be inferred with the passage except the second option. Therefore, the second option is the correct answer. It states that two marine organisms' staple diet can be the same. Sentence meaning completely changed when the word staple was added.
- The author refers to the giant cuttlefish in order to
- explain how some species can thrive despite human activities
- provide an example of a marine organism that forms part of the staple diet of another marine organism
- identify a species that is highly endangered
- describe an event that has led to more than one adverse effect
- argue in favor of a way in which a particular species can be protected
Answer: D
Explanation: With the fourth option, it can be said that the author uses the enormous cuttlefish to describe an incident that had multiple negative effects. This can clearly be inferred from the last sentence of the second paragraph and therefore the fourth option is the right answer. The rest of the options are out of scope or inconsistent and so become wrong answers.
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