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Question

Difficulty: MediumIdentification of Main Idea and Supporting Details

Read the passage below carefully and answer the question that follows.

For coastal communities across the Niger Delta, mangrove forests have long served as vital natural barriers against storm surges and shoreline erosion. Historically, local resource management relied on traditional taboos and seasonal fishing bans, which inadvertently maintained the ecological integrity of these coastal wetlands. In recent years, however, rapid urbanization, industrial expansion, and commercial aquaculture have accelerated the degradation of these ecosystems at an unprecedented rate. While modern satellite monitoring systems and government-backed reforestation projects have been introduced to curb mangrove depletion, environmental experts argue that technological solutions alone are insufficient. Effective long-term conservation requires integrating indigenous ecological stewardship with modern geospatial monitoring. Without community participation and local enforcement mechanisms embedded in restoration policies, high-tech intervention schemes will fail to stem the loss of vital coastal buffers.

Which of the following statements best expresses the central thesis of the passage?

  1. A
    Rapid urbanization and commercial aquaculture are the primary causes of wetland destruction in coastal regions.
  2. Sustainable mangrove conservation requires combining community-based traditional stewardship with modern technological monitoring.Answer
  3. C
    Modern satellite monitoring systems have successfully halted mangrove depletion across the Niger Delta.
  4. D
    High-tech intervention schemes should completely replace outdated local customs and traditional fishing bans.

Answer

Sustainable mangrove conservation requires combining community-based traditional stewardship with modern technological monitoring.
The correct answer accurately states the main point of the passage. The author introduces historical methods, modern threats, and technological interventions, culminating in the explicit claim that long-term preservation demands combining indigenous community stewardship with modern geospatial monitoring.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Analyze the passage structure to separate background context and supporting evidence from the main thesis.
The passage discusses historical mangrove protection, recent causes of degradation, current high-tech interventions, and concludes with a definitive recommendation.
Understanding paragraph movement helps locate where the author asserts their main claim.
2
Identify the author's primary assertion and core conclusion.
The author explicitly asserts that 'Effective long-term conservation requires integrating indigenous ecological stewardship with modern geospatial monitoring.'
The main idea of a comprehension passage expresses the overarching argument that ties all details together.
3
Evaluate the options against the identified central thesis.
The statement emphasizing the combination of community-based traditional stewardship with modern technological monitoring accurately synthesizes the main thesis, while other options focus on minor details or misstate the text.
Matching the synthesised thesis to the correct option ensures distinguishing the main idea from supporting arguments and erroneous inferences.

Key Concept

Identifying the Central Thesis vs Supporting Details
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Topics

Identification of Main Idea and Supporting Details

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