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Difficulty: MediumEvaluating Whole-Essay Goals and Purpose

The following passage is about the ecological effects of reintroducing wolves to Yellowstone National Park.

Restoring the Balance

[1]
In 1995, conservationists reintroduced gray wolves to Yellowstone National Park, ending a seventy-year absence of the apex predator. During the wolves’ absence, the park's elk population had soared, leading to severe overgrazing of young willow, aspen, and cottonwood trees along valley bottoms. Lacking competition and predators, the elk had stripped the riverbanks bare, causing significant erosion and altering the local ecosystem.

[2]
The return of the wolves quickly initiated a phenomenon known as a trophic cascade. As wolves hunted the elk, the herbivores' behavior shifted; they began avoiding low-lying areas where they could be easily cornered. Consequently, the vegetation along the riverbanks began to recover. Willows and aspens grew taller, providing shade that cooled the water, which in turn benefited native trout species.

[3]
With the regrowth of trees, songbirds returned to the valleys, and beavers found the materials they needed to build dams. Beaver ponds created wetlands that supported insects, amphibians, and waterfowl. By modifying the behavior of a single herbivore, the wolves indirectly reshaped the physical geography and biological diversity of the entire park, proving that predators are essential to maintaining healthy ecosystems.

Suppose the writer’s goal had been to write an essay that explains how the reintroduction of a predator can restore biodiversity and physically alter an ecosystem's landscape. Would this essay accomplish that goal?

  1. A
    Yes, because it argues that the gray wolf is the single most important predator for maintaining the stability of North American river systems.
  2. B
    No, because the essay focuses primarily on the physical geography of Yellowstone's riverbeds rather than the relationships between different species.
  3. Yes, because it details how the wolves' return altered elk behavior, allowing riverbank vegetation to recover and beavers to create new wetland habitats.Answer
  4. D
    No, because the essay fails to explain how the reintroduction of the wolves had any measurable impact on other animal populations in the park.

Answer

Yes, because it details how the wolves' return altered elk behavior, allowing riverbank vegetation to recover and beavers to create new wetland habitats.
The essay successfully meets the goal because it details how the reintroduction of gray wolves altered elk behavior, which led to the recovery of riverbank plants (restoring biodiversity) and allowed beavers to construct dams that created wetlands (physically altering the landscape).

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the writer's goal stated in the prompt.
The goal is to explain how a reintroduced predator restores biodiversity and physically alters the landscape.
To evaluate if the essay meets the goal, we must first understand the criteria for success.
2
Examine the passage to see if the criteria are met.
The predator (gray wolf) is reintroduced. Biodiversity restoration is shown through the return of vegetation, songbirds, trout, and wetland species. Physical alteration is shown through recovered riverbank vegetation and beaver dams creating new wetlands.
This determines if the overall answer should be Yes or No.
3
Match the correct Yes/No direction with the most accurate reasoning.
The option stating that the essay succeeds because it details wolf-driven changes in elk behavior, vegetation recovery, and beaver wetland creation matches the passage content perfectly.
This identifies the correct choice among the Yes options.

Key Concept

Evaluating Whole-Essay Goals and Purpose
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Topics

Evaluating Whole-Essay Goals and Purpose

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