Directions: Read the given passage carefully and answer the questions as follows:
Passage
The golden toad of Costa Rica, whose beauty and rarity inspired an unusual degree of human interest from a public generally unconcerned about amphibians, may have been driven to extinction by human activity nevertheless. In the United States, a public relations campaign featuring the toad raised money to purchase and protect the toad’s habitat in Costa Rica, establishing the Monteverde Cloud Forest Preserve in 1972. Although this action seemed to secure the toad’s future, it is now apparent that setting aside habitat was not enough to save this beautiful creature. The toad’s demise in the late 1980s was a harbinger of further species extinction in Costa Rica. Since that time, another twenty of the fifty species of frogs and toads known to once inhabit a 30 square kilometer area near Monteverde have disappeared.
The unexplained, relatively sudden disappearance of amphibians in Costa Rica is not a unique story. Populations of frogs, toads, and salamanders have declined or disappeared the world over. Scientists hypothesize that the more subtle effects of human activities on the world’s ecosystems, such as the build-up of pollutants, the decrease in atmospheric ozone, and changing weather patterns due to global warming, are beginning to take their toll. Perhaps amphibians - whose permeable skin makes them sensitive to environmental changes - are the “canary in the coal mine,” giving us early notification of the deterioration of our environment. If amphibians are the biological harbingers of environmental problems, humans would be wise to heed their warning.
Question for Practice Test: Reading Comprehension - 3
Try yourself:It can be inferred from the passage that
Explanation
A. Only thirty species of frogs and toads remain in Costa Rica
- The passage mentions that "another twenty of the fifty species of frogs and toads... have disappeared." However, it does not state explicitly that only 30 species remain. The passage only refers to a specific 30 square kilometer area near Monteverde, not the entirety of Costa Rica. This option cannot be inferred.
B. Humans do not usually take signals of environmental deterioration seriously
- The passage suggests that amphibians may be giving humans an "early notification of the deterioration of our environment" and that humans "would be wise to heed their warning," implying that humans are not currently taking these warnings seriously. This can be inferred.
C. The build-up of pollutants in the atmosphere causes a decrease in atmospheric ozone
- The passage mentions both the build-up of pollutants and a decrease in atmospheric ozone but does not directly state that pollutants cause the decrease in ozone. This option cannot be inferred from the passage.
D. Humans do have permeable skin
- The passage contrasts amphibians, who have permeable skin, with humans who might be less sensitive to environmental changes due to the difference in skin permeability. This can not be inferred as the passage implies humans are not as sensitive as amphibians because of this biological difference.
E. Costa Rica suffers from more serious environmental problems than many other countries
- The passage describes the situation in Costa Rica but does not compare it to other countries in terms of the seriousness of environmental problems. This option cannot be inferred.
Conclusion:
The correct inferences are B. Humans do not usually take signals of environmental deterioration seriously.
The best answer is:
B. Humans do not usually take signals of environmental deterioration seriously.
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Question for Practice Test: Reading Comprehension - 3
Try yourself:The passage implies that
Explanation
The first sentence of the passage states that the beauty of Costa Rica’s golden toad was one factor that generated interest from a public normally unconcerned with amphibians. Thus, many amphibians must not be considered beautiful.
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Question for Practice Test: Reading Comprehension - 3
Try yourself:The primary purpose of the passage is to
Explanation
The passage discusses the mysterious disappearance of amphibious populations worldwide and hypothesizes that subtle effects on ecosystems resulting from human activity may be responsible for these disappearances.
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Question for Practice Test: Reading Comprehension - 3
Try yourself:According to the passage, all of the following are true EXCEPT:
Explanation
False. The passage offers no information about the number of salamander species in Costa Rica that have disappeared since the late 1980s. We cannot assume that this omission indicates a lesser number than either toad or frog species.
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Question for Practice Test: Reading Comprehension - 3
Try yourself:The author uses the adjective “subtle” in the second paragraph most probably to emphasize that
Explanation
All of these effects happen on a global scale, so their immediate consequences on specific ecosystems are difficult to recognize. Furthermore, the passage states these effects are “beginning to take their toll,” indicating that the effects happen over time.
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