Single correct option
Read the paragraph and choose the option that best captures its essence.
Coral reefs, though occupying less than one percent of the ocean floor, support roughly a quarter of all marine species, making them among the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth. Rising ocean temperatures cause corals to expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues, a process known as bleaching, which if prolonged, starves and kills the coral. Some reef systems have shown surprising resilience, with certain coral species adapting to warmer waters or forming new symbiotic relationships, but scientists caution that this adaptive capacity has limits and cannot be assumed to offset the pace of ongoing warming.
Coral reefs, though occupying less than one percent of the ocean floor, support roughly a quarter of all marine species, making them among the most biodiverse ecosystems on Earth. Rising ocean temperatures cause corals to expel the symbiotic algae living in their tissues, a process known as bleaching, which if prolonged, starves and kills the coral. Some reef systems have shown surprising resilience, with certain coral species adapting to warmer waters or forming new symbiotic relationships, but scientists caution that this adaptive capacity has limits and cannot be assumed to offset the pace of ongoing warming.
- A. Coral reefs are disproportionately biodiverse and threatened by warming-induced bleaching, though some show limited adaptive resilience that scientists warn should not be overestimated.
- B. Coral bleaching has no significant effect on marine biodiversity.
- C. All coral species are equally resilient to rising ocean temperatures.
- D. Coral reefs cover a majority of the ocean floor.
Show answer and solution
Answer: (A) Coral reefs are disproportionately biodiverse and threatened by warming-induced bleaching, though some show limited adaptive resilience that scientists warn should not be overestimated.
The paragraph covers coral reefs' outsized biodiversity, the threat of bleaching, and a cautious note on limited resilience — all captured in option A. B contradicts the passage's point about bleaching killing coral; C and D misstate details (resilience varies by species; reefs cover under 1% of the ocean floor).
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