What does the word "response" in "responded by placing special nets" suggest about the towns?
Plastic does not disappear when it is thrown away. Over many years, sunlight and waves break large pieces into tiny fragments called microplastics, some smaller than a grain of rice. These fragments are eaten by plankton and small fish, and so they enter the food chain. Scientists are still studying how this affects the health of larger animals and of the people who eat seafood. What is clear, however, is that a large share of ocean plastic comes from discarded fishing gear and from rubbish carried out to sea by rivers. Several coastal towns have responded by placing special nets across stormwater drains to catch litter before it reaches the sea, and some fishing companies now collect old nets for recycling. Environmental groups argue that such measures help, but they add that reducing the amount of single-use plastic made in the first place would be more effective than cleaning up afterwards.
Answer and explanation
Correct answer: C. They took action
- Step 1: To respond means to take action as a reaction to a problem.
Answer
They took action.
Why not the others: They were forced by law to build the nets: no law is mentioned. They believed the problem would disappear on its own: placing nets shows active steps. They wanted to attract tourists to the coast: tourism is not mentioned.
Practise more Reading comprehension passages.
Free questions with an explanation for every one, and full timed National Benchmark Tests (NBT) mock tests.
More Reading comprehension passages questions
- According to the passage, why do farmers value windpumps?
- Which worry have some farmers begun to have, according to the passage?
- What does the hydrologist mean by "we must not treat it as free"?
- In the passage, the word "supply" in the last sentence most nearly means
- Why have some communities started to record the water level every month?
- According to the passage, why do teenagers find it hard to fall asleep early?