Question

Difficulty: MediumIdentifying Main Ideas and Supporting Details

An investigative feature in an environmental science review examines modern maritime ecology in the Macaronesian archipelago:

In the deep maritime corridors separating Tenerife and Gran Canaria, commercial maritime traffic has long posed an acute threat to resident cetacean populations, particularly deep-diving sperm whales. In response to recurring collisions, oceanographers and software engineers have deployed an innovative passive acoustic monitoring array comprising autonomous hydrophone buoys equipped with machine-learning algorithms. These submerged sensors capture ambient soundscapes in real time, filtering out propeller cavitation to isolate the distinct echolocation clicks of cetaceans up to twenty kilometers away. When whales are detected near shipping lanes, the system automatically transmits telemetry coordinates to maritime traffic control centers, which promptly issue speed reduction advisories to approaching cargo vessels and high-speed ferries. Preliminary evaluations indicate a seventy percent decrease in close-quarter encounters during the network's pilot semester. Beyond immediate collision mitigation, the accumulated audio data provides invaluable empirical records regarding seasonal migration dynamics and anthropogenic noise pollution, establishing a replicable framework for marine conservation in congested global waterways.

Which of the following statements best expresses the primary main idea of the journalistic report?

  1. A
    Autonomous hydrophone buoys filter propeller cavitation to detect whale clicks up to twenty kilometers away.
  2. An automated passive acoustic network mitigates vessel collisions with whales while offering a broader model for marine conservation.Answer
  3. C
    The mandatory rerouting of all commercial shipping lanes has permanently eliminated cetacean mortality across the archipelago.
  4. D
    Commercial shipping companies have actively resisted speed reduction advisories due to economic losses.

Answer

The statement that an automated passive acoustic network mitigates vessel collisions with whales while offering a broader model for marine conservation.
The correct response accurately synthesizes the complete central argument of the passage: the deployment of autonomous hydrophone buoys directly reduces vessel-whale collisions while generating critical scientific data that establishes a replicable framework for international marine conservation.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the passage to identify the central issue and the primary initiative described.
The text discusses an innovative acoustic buoy system implemented in the Canary Islands to detect sperm whales and prevent maritime collisions.
The introductory and body sentences establish the practical goal and technological implementation of the project.
2
Examine the concluding sentence to determine the broader context and overarching significance.
The concluding section highlights that beyond preventing collisions, the project provides valuable ecological data and serves as a replicable conservation model.
The main thesis of a journalistic article encompasses both the specific intervention and its broader implications.
3
Evaluate the choices to distinguish the comprehensive thesis from isolated supporting details and unsupported claims.
The option identifying the acoustic network's dual role in collision mitigation and global conservation accurately reflects the complete main idea.
Other options either focus narrowly on a single sensor specification or introduce inaccurate, unwarranted inferences not supported by the text.

Key Concept

Synthesizing the primary main idea of a journalistic text by integrating both the core intervention and its broader implications while avoiding isolated supporting details.
Estimated Time:1m 30s
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