Question

Excerpt adapted from The Unicorn of the Seaby the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration The narwhal is a toothed whale, but it is different from all other toothed whales in that it has no teeth in its mouth. Instead, male narwhals have a single, long, straight tooth (or tusk) that protrudes two to three meters out of the upper left jaw. Females almost never have a tusk. The tooth grows in a counterclockwise spiral. It is this tusk for which narwhals are best known. There are many legends about the tusk of the narwhal. It is essentially the origin of the myth of the unicorn"European whalers that were in the Arctic would catch narwhals and bring tusks back to Europe with great stories about what kind of animals the tusks were attached to. But in terms of the biology of the animal, the tusk is actually used for social structure, to establish hierarchies of dominance for the males within narwhal pods. Narwhals have a black-and-white mottled skin pattern and are white underneath. The scientific name for these whales, Monodon monoceros, means "one tooth, one horn." Not very much is known about narwhals, largely because they are difficult to study. They live in remote places, far from civilization, in a habitat that is dark for one half the year, covered in ice for the other half of the year, and not easy to access. We do know that narwhals have adapted to be one of the deepest diving marine mammals, capable of diving to depths of more than 1,800 meters and able to spend a large amount of their time below 800 meters. Not many animals can sustain such intense pressures below the surface of the water and stay under the water for so long. The primary prey of narwhals include Greenland halibut, polar and Arctic cod, shrimp, and squid. They change their diets seasonally, feeding intensely in the winter and eating little during the ice-free summer season. This feeding pattern is the opposite of other subarctic whale species, who tend to migrate south in the winter and feed in the summer. Scientists believe the narwhal's intense winter feeding period may be an adaptation to relatively low productivity in the high Arctic summering areas or perhaps a behavioral trait to avoid competition with lower-latitude whales feeding in summer. How does the second paragraph of the passage support the author's purpose? A. It relates a funny anecdote about the narwhal that demonstrates its gentle nature. B. It describes a physical attribute of the narwhal that makes it unique. C. It argues that the population of narwhals is approaching a dangerously low number. D. It explains why the narwhal is a difficult animal for scientists to study.

Answer 1

The second paragraph supports the author's purpose by highlighting the unique physical attribute of the narwhal, its tusk. The tusk's both mythological significance and actual usages in social structures of narwhal groups.

Step-by-step explanation:

The second paragraph of the passage supports the author's purpose by providing detailed information about the physical attribute of the narwhal - its tusk, which stands out as a unique feature distinguishing it from all other toothed whales. The author goes onto explain the mythological significance and actual usage of the tusk, adding color to the image they are painting about the narwhal. Additionally, the mention of the whale's scientific name, Monodon monoceros, meaning 'one tooth, one horn,' further supports this emphasis on the unique physical feature.

The second paragraph does not share a humorous anecdote about the narwhal, nor does it discuss the population of narwhals. Also, while the challenges of studying narwhals are addressed later in the text, they are not the focus of the second paragraph.The second paragraph of the passage supports the author's purpose by explaining why the narwhal is a difficult animal for scientists to study. It mentions that narwhals live in remote and inaccessible places, have a dark and icy habitat, and are difficult to access. This information highlights the challenges researchers face in studying narwhals and emphasizes the limited knowledge about them. Therefore, option D - explaining why the narwhal is a difficult animal for scientists to study - is the correct choice.

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