Question

used under license. from the pages of time. this text was written in 2006.
rare trees for sale
by jeremy caplan
to preserve a threatened, ancient species, botanists are marketing its offspring.
①
to save an endangered tree, put it up for sale. and whatever you do, dont tell anyone where it is. thats how an australian consortium is protecting the wollemi pine tree, a rare species that dates back to the era of dinosaurs. fewer than 100 full - grown trees remain, and by selling plants grown from their cuttings, wollemi pine international hopes to raise funds for preservation and stop the poachers who could destroy the species forever.
②
the excitement over the wollemi started in 1994 when a hiker named david noble stumbled upon the previously unknown tree while exploring wollemi national park, a wilderness area that covers more than a million acres outside sydney. experts at sydneys royal botanic gardens pronounced the finding a new genus and decided to keep the trees location secret, since poachers would value its scarcity and thus commercial value.
after figuring out how to grow healthy, versatile plants from small cuttings, preservationists started marketing baby trees to reduce the potential for black - market sales. the consortium has already sold 50,000 in australia. starting nov. 15, the plants will ship to gardeners in the u.s. through the national geographic society for $99 apiece.
how does the author reveal the unusual nature of the wollemi pine in paragraph 5?
a through his discussion of the many varieties of the tree
b through his description of the tree’s characteristics and traits
c through his comparison of the tree to the t. rex
d through his evaluation of the tree as a great bedding plant

Explanation:

To determine the correct answer, we analyze each option:

• Option A: The text doesn't discuss "many varieties" of the Wollemi pine. It's a rare, ancient species with few remaining, so A is incorrect.
• Option B: In paragraph 5 (or related text), describing the tree's characteristics (e.g., dating back to dinosaurs, rare, how it's grown) would reveal its unusual nature. This aligns with how authors often show uniqueness through traits.
• Option C: There's no comparison to the T. rex in the relevant context (the provided text doesn't mention this comparison), so C is wrong.
• Option D: The text focuses on preservation, not the tree as a "great bedding plant" (this is an irrelevant or incorrect description), so D is incorrect.

Answer:

B. through his description of the tree’s characteristics and traits