Hawaiian Islands - Marvel EDU

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Practice Reading: Multiple Choice, Single Answer ID: #33829 Hawaiian Islands

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Read the text and answer the multiple-choice question by selecting the correct response. Only one response is correct.

Since the Hawaiian Islands have never been connected to other land masses, the great variety of plants in Hawaii must be a result of the long-distance dispersal of seeds, a process that requires both a method of transport and an equivalence between the ecology of the source area and that of the recipient area. There is some dispute about the method of transport involved. Some biologists argue that ocean and air currents are responsible for the transport of plant seeds to Hawaii. Yet the results of flotation experiments and the low temperatures of air currents cast doubt on these hypotheses. More probable is bird transport, either externally, by accidental attachment of the seeds to feathers, or internally, by the swallowing of fruit and subsequent excretion of the seeds. While it is likely that fewer varieties of plant seeds have reached Hawaii externally than internally, more varieties are known to be adapted to external than to internal transport.

The author of the passage is primarily concerned with

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discussing different approaches biologists have taken to testing theories about the distribution of plants in Hawaii discussing different theories about the transport of plant seeds to Hawaii discussing the extent to which air currents are responsible for the dispersal of plant seeds to Hawaii resolving a dispute about the adaptability of plant seeds to bird transport

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Option 2: "discussing different theories about the transport of plant seeds to Hawaii"

Explanation: The text primarily discusses various theories regarding how plant seeds are transported to Hawaii, including ocean currents, air currents, and bird transport. This aligns directly with the author's main focus, making this option correct.

Option 1: "discussing different approaches biologists have taken to testing theories about the distribution of plants in Hawaii"

Explanation: This option suggests a focus on the methods biologists use to test theories, which is not the primary concern of the author. The text emphasizes the theories themselves rather than the testing approaches. Therefore, this option misrepresents the main idea.

Option 3: "discussing the extent to which air currents are responsible for the dispersal of plant seeds to Hawaii"

Explanation: While the text mentions air currents, it does not focus solely on their extent of responsibility. Instead, it presents them as one of several theories, indicating that the author is more concerned with the overall theories rather than just air currents.

Option 4: "resolving a dispute about the adaptability of plant seeds to bird transport"

Explanation: This option implies that the author is focused on resolving a specific dispute, which is not the case. The text discusses adaptability but does not aim to resolve disputes; rather, it presents various theories about transport methods.

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