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Difficulty: EasyExplicit Main Point Identification

Many people believe that the most significant factor in the decline of honeybee populations is the widespread use of pesticides in modern agriculture. While it is true that certain pesticides, particularly neonicotinoids, have a detrimental effect on bee health, this view oversimplifies a complex ecological issue. In reality, the primary driver of the honeybee population decline is the loss of natural foraging habitats. As urban areas expand and industrial farming relies increasingly on single-crop fields, bees are deprived of the diverse floral resources they need to maintain strong immune systems and resilient colonies. Without adequate and varied nutrition from these natural habitats, bees become significantly more vulnerable to all other stressors, including pesticides and diseases.

Which of the following most accurately expresses the main point of the passage?

  1. A
    Environmental factors such as urban expansion are the primary cause of population decline across most insect species.
  2. B
    Certain pesticides, particularly neonicotinoids, have a severely detrimental effect on the health of honeybees.
  3. The loss of diverse, natural foraging habitats is the main cause of the decline in honeybee populations.Answer
  4. D
    The widespread use of pesticides in modern agriculture is the most significant factor in the decline of honeybee populations.
  5. E
    Honeybee populations will inevitably collapse unless industrial farming practices are completely abandoned.

Answer

The correct answer is the option stating that the loss of diverse, natural foraging habitats is the main cause of the decline in honeybee populations.
This option accurately captures the author's explicitly stated thesis found in the third sentence: 'the primary driver of the honeybee population decline is the loss of natural foraging habitats.' The entire passage is structured around establishing and explaining this central claim over the commonly held belief regarding pesticides.

Step-by-Step Solution

1
Identify the author's primary claim in the passage.
The author explicitly states: 'In reality, the primary driver of the honeybee population decline is the loss of natural foraging habitats.'
Locating the explicit thesis statement is the most direct way to answer a main point question.
2
Analyze how the rest of the passage supports this claim.
The first two sentences introduce and dismiss a competing theory. The final two sentences provide evidence for the author's claim by explaining how habitat loss deprives bees of nutrition.
Confirming that the identified sentence is supported by the surrounding text ensures it is the overarching main point and not just a passing detail.
3
Match the identified main point to the answer choices.
The correct choice accurately paraphrases the author's explicit thesis without broadening the scope or misrepresenting the degree of certainty.
The correct answer must precisely reflect the passage's central argument.

Key Concept

Identifying the author's explicitly stated thesis while distinguishing it from attributed viewpoints and subsidiary premises.
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Topics

Explicit Main Point Identification

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