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.
why is paragraph 2 significant to the text?
a it discusses how an australian consortium finds wollemi trees.
b it focuses on the tree poachers lifestyle and habits.
c it discusses the background context of the wollemi trees.
d it focuses on the importance of growing endangered trees.

Explanation:

To determine the significance of paragraph 2, we analyze each option:

• Option A: Paragraph 2 does not discuss how the Australian consortium finds Wollemi trees. It talks about the discovery of the tree by a hiker and the decision to keep its location secret. Eliminate A.
• Option B: Paragraph 2 is not about the tree poacher’s lifestyle and habits. It focuses on the discovery and background of the Wollemi tree. Eliminate B.
• Option C: Paragraph 2 provides background context: it tells how the Wollemi tree was discovered in 1994 by a hiker, and why experts kept its location secret (to prevent poachers from exploiting its scarcity). This matches the description of providing background context for the Wollemi trees.
• Option D: Paragraph 2 is not focused on the importance of growing endangered trees. It is about the discovery and initial handling of the Wollemi tree’s location. Eliminate D.

Answer:

C. It discusses the background context of the Wollemi trees.