16Hit1600
Craft and StructureVery hardPurpose of a passage that reframes a term

Craft and Structure practice question

Ecologists speak of 'invasive' species as if invasion were a property of the organism. It is not. The same plant is a harmless native in one valley and a smothering pest in the next; what changes is not the plant but the absence, in its new home, of whatever ate it in the old one.

Which choice best states the main purpose of the text?

  1. A. To argue that 'invasiveness' describes a situation rather than a trait of the species itself.Correct
  2. B. To list the most invasive plants known to ecologists.
  3. C. To praise ecologists for their precise vocabulary.
  4. D. To explain how to remove a pest plant from a valley.

Answer: A. To argue that 'invasiveness' describes a situation rather than a trait of the species itself.

The passage's point is that invasiveness lies in the missing predators of the new home, not in the plant.

Why the other answers are wrong

B. To list the most invasive plants known to ecologists.
No species are named.
C. To praise ecologists for their precise vocabulary.
The text criticises the term, not praises it.
D. To explain how to remove a pest plant from a valley.
No removal method is given.

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