Question

from the hidden life of trees
go, i stumbled across a patch of strange - looking mossy stones in
preserves of old beech trees that grows in the forest i manage.
mind back, i realized i had passed by them many times before
ying them any heed. but that day, i stopped and bent down to
d look. the stones were an unusual shape: they were gently
h hollowed - out areas. carefully, i lifted the moss on one of the
at i found underneath was tree bark. so, these were not stones,
ut old wood. i was surprised at how hard the \stone\ was, because
takes only a few years for beechwood lying on damp ground to
se. but what surprised me most was that i couldnt lift the wood. it
busly attached to the ground in some way.
out my pocketknife and carefully scraped away some of the bark
t down to a greenish layer. green? this color is found only in
yll, which makes new leaves green; reserves of chlorophyll are also
the trunks of living trees. that could mean only one thing: this
wood was still alive! i suddenly noticed that the remaining \stones\
a distinct pattern: they were arranged in a circle with a diameter of
feet. what i had stumbled upon were the gnarled remains of an
us ancient tree stump. all that was left were vestiges of the
st edge. the interior had completely rotted into humus long ago—
a dication that the tree must have been felled at least four or five
d years earlier. but how could the remains have clung onto life for so
ing cells must have food in the form of sugar, they must breathe, and
ust grow, at least a little. but without leaves—and therefore without
ynthesis—thats impossible. no being on our planet can maintain a
moderates extremes of heat and cold, stores
deal of water, and generates a great deal of
humidity.\ (paragraph 6)
what does the word moderates mean as it is
paragraph 6?

1. creates
2. lessens
3. shares
4. supports

part b
which excerpt from paragraph 6 best supports
correct answer from part a?

1. \there are advantages to working togeth
2. \a tree cannot establish a consistent loc

climate\

1. \fatalities would result in many large gap

the tree canopy\

1. \would reach the forest floor and dry it o

Explanation:

Part A

To determine the meaning of "moderates" in the context of "moderates extremes of heat and cold", we analyze the options. "Creates" (1) doesn't fit as it would imply making extremes, not controlling them. "Lessens" (2) makes sense as moderating extremes would involve reducing their intensity. "Shares" (3) and "supports" (4) are irrelevant to reducing heat/cold extremes.

We need an excerpt that supports "moderates" meaning "lessens" (from Part A). Option 4: "would reach the forest floor and dry it out" implies that without the moderating effect (of trees), heat/sun would dry the forest. This shows trees lessen the extreme (dryness) by moderating heat, supporting the meaning of "moderates" as lessening. Other options don't relate to moderating extremes.

Answer:

1. lessens

Part B