Question

questions 13 and 14 refer to the following.
read the following passage carefully before you choose your answers.
note: pay particular attention to the requirement of questions that contain the words not,
least, or except.
(this passage is excerpted from a publication by a contemporary biologist.)
we know less about life on earth than we know about the surface of the moon and mars—
in part because far less money has been spent studying it. taxonomy, the study of
classification and hence of biological diversity, has been allowed to dwindle, while other
important fields such as space exploration and biomedical studies have flourished. like
glass-blowing and harpsichord manufacture, taxonomy of many kinds of organisms has
been left in the hands of a small number of unappreciated specialists who have had few
opportunities to train their successors. to take one of hundreds of examples, two of the
four most abundant groups of small animals of the soil are springtails and oribatid mites.
marvelously varied, having complex life cycles, and teeming by the millions in every acre
of land, these tiny animals play vital ecological roles by consuming dead vegetable
matter. thus they help to drive the energy and materials cycles on which all life depends.
yet there are only four specialists in the united states who can identify springtails—one is
retired—and only one is an expert on oribatid mites. the reason that so little is heard
about these important organisms in the scientific literature and popular press is that there
are so few people who know enough to write about them at any level.
the general neglect of expertise in the face of overwhelming need and opportunity
rebounds to the weakness of many other enterprises in science and education. museums
are understaffed, with too few biologists to develop research collections and prepare
exhibitions. systematics, the branch of biology that employs taxonomy and the study of
13 mark for review
the authors tone is best described as
a polite yet condescending
b concerned yet hopeful
c critical and indignant
d pessimistic and discouraged

Explanation:

The author expresses worry about the neglect of taxonomy and understudied vital organisms, noting issues like understaffed museums and few specialists. However, they also highlight the vital ecological roles of these organisms, framing the problem to draw attention rather than showing hopelessness, anger, or condescension. This fits a concerned yet hopeful tone.

Answer:

B. concerned yet hopeful