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Difficulty: HardSelecting Concluding Sentences and Transitions

In 1995, conservationists reintroduced gray wolves to Yellowstone National Park, hoping to restore balance to an ecosystem that had suffered in their seventy-year absence. Without an apex predator, elk populations had swelled, leading to severe overgrazing of willow and aspen trees along riverbanks. The return of the wolves quickly corrected this imbalance; as they hunted the elk, the herbivores were forced to move more frequently and avoid open valleys. Consequently, the streamside vegetation regenerated, stabilizing the soil and providing habitats for songbirds, beavers, and fish. ______

Which choice most effectively concludes the paragraph by emphasizing the widespread and interconnected ecological impact of the wolves' reintroduction?

  1. A
    Regardless, the beaver populations thrived because they had access to more wood to build their dams.
  2. This resurgence of streamside flora set off a chain reaction of habitat restoration, illustrating the profound influence of a keystone predator on an entire ecosystem.Answer
  3. C
    While the vegetation recovered, park rangers also monitored the population of grizzly bears, which compete with wolves for food sources.
  4. D
    As a result, the park's physical geography transformed, the stabilization of the riverbanks prevented soil erosion.

Answer

The choice that begins 'This resurgence of streamside flora set off a chain reaction...'
The correct choice effectively concludes the paragraph by linking the recovery of the vegetation to a broader ecological cascade. It synthesizes the details of the paragraph (from wolves to elk to plants to other wildlife) and highlights the overarching theme of how a keystone predator's return can restore an entire ecosystem, satisfying the rhetorical goal without introducing new, unrelated details.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the prompt's specific rhetorical goal for the concluding sentence.
The sentence must conclude the paragraph by emphasizing the widespread and interconnected ecological impact of the wolves' reintroduction.
This ensures the chosen sentence aligns with the transition from vegetation to overall habitat restoration.
2
Evaluate the grammatical correctness of the choices.
Identify that the choice beginning with 'As a result, the park's physical geography transformed' contains a comma splice.
Eliminating grammatically incorrect choices helps narrow down the rhetorical options.
3
Assess the remaining options for transition accuracy and focus.
The choice starting with 'Regardless' uses an incorrect contrast transition and is too narrow. The choice starting with 'While the vegetation recovered' introduces unsupported details about grizzly bears. The choice starting with 'This resurgence of streamside flora' correctly summarizes the ecosystem-wide recovery.
This identifies the option that best fulfills the paragraph's purpose and the prompt's specific request.

Key Concept

Selecting Concluding Sentences and Transitions
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Topics

Selecting Concluding Sentences and Transitions

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