Question

read the passage.

from great lakes ecoregion

1
the great lakes system includes five large lakes, one small lake, four connecting channels, and the st. lawrence seaway. the large lakes are superior, michigan, huron, erie, and ontario. they hold about 90% of the freshwater in the united states and approximately 20% of the world’s freshwater supply. forty million residents of the united states and canada depend on this system for clean drinking water. . . .

2
during the last ice age, the mile-thick laurentide ice sheet covered most of canada and the northern contiguous united states. the massive weight and movement of this glacier gouged out the earth to form the lake basins. about 20,000 years ago, the climate warmed and the ice sheet retreated. water from the melting glacier filled the basins, forming the great lakes. approximately 3,000 years ago, the great lakes reached their present shapes and sizes. today, the great lakes ecoregion contains a variety of habitats, including aquatic, forest, marsh, wetland, and dune ecosystems.

(from “great lakes ecoregion” by noaa)

which statement best describes the connection between the ideas in paragraphs 1 and 2?

1. paragraph 1 focuses on why the great lakes system is important, and paragraph 2 focuses on why it is unique.

1. paragraph 1 focuses on why people need the great lakes system, and paragraph 2 focuses on why animals need it.

1. paragraph 1 focuses on what the great lakes system consists of today, and paragraph 2 focuses on the way it formed.

1. paragraph 1 focuses on what changes are ahead at the great lakes system, and paragraph 2 focuses on past changes.

Explanation:

• Analyze Option 1: Paragraph 1 describes the components and importance (freshwater, people's dependence) of the Great Lakes system, not just "why it's important". Paragraph 2 explains its formation, not "why it's unique". Eliminate 1.
• Analyze Option 2: Paragraph 1 mentions people's dependence but also the system's components. Paragraph 2 is about the formation, not animals' need. Eliminate 2.
• Analyze Option 3: Paragraph 1 lists what the Great Lakes system consists of (lakes, channels, seaway, freshwater content, residents' dependence). Paragraph 2 explains how it formed (glacier gouging, ice retreat, water filling, reaching present shape). This matches.
• Analyze Option 4: Paragraph 1 is about current composition, not "changes ahead". Paragraph 2 is about past formation, not "past changes" in a general sense (it's about formation, not changes to the system over time). Eliminate 4.

Answer:

1. Paragraph 1 focuses on what the Great Lakes system consists of today, and paragraph 2 focuses on the way it formed.