Difficulty: Easy

Average Score: 77%

What is the main idea of the passage?

Rationale

Humans disrupted the ecosystem of the Farallon Islands and played a role in restoring it.

The main idea of the passage is that humans have both negatively affected the Farallon Islands' ecosystem through disruptive activities and positively contributed to its restoration efforts.

A (The Farallon Islands are currently used as an agricultural resource for San Francisco.) YOUR ANSWER

This choice is incorrect. The passage does not mention the Farallon Islands being used as an agricultural resource for San Francisco. The islands are primarily known for their significance in wildlife conservation, not agriculture.

B (The Farallon Islands are a dedicated sanctuary for western gulls.) YOUR ANSWER

This option is partly correct, as the Farallon Islands are indeed a sanctuary for many species, including western gulls. However, this does not capture the main idea of the passage, which emphasizes the human impact on the island's ecosystem and subsequent restoration efforts.

C (Humans disrupted the ecosystem of the Farallon Islands and played a role in restoring it.) CORRECT

This is the correct answer. The text discusses the negative impact humans have had on the Farallon Islands, including the introduction of invasive species and other disruptive activities. It also mentions the restoration efforts by humans to mitigate this damage and restore the natural ecosystem.

D (The ecosystem of the Farallon Islands has always been unstable.) YOUR ANSWER

The passage does not suggest that the ecosystem of the Farallon Islands was inherently unstable. Rather, it suggests that human intervention disrupted a previously stable ecosystem, which is now being restored.

Conclusion

The central theme of the passage is the human impact on the Farallon Islands' ecosystem and the subsequent attempts to restore it. While the islands are a sanctuary for numerous species and have experienced disruptions, the main focus lies in human-induced changes and remediation efforts. Therefore, the answer that best encapsulates the entire passage's main idea is that humans disrupted the ecosystem and are now playing a role in restoring it.

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