Question

in the late 1800s, a russian explorer described a breed of mongolian horse previously unknown to science. this breed, known in mongolia as takhi, ceased to exist in the wild by the 1960s. fortunately, by then some captured takhi had been taken to breeding reserves in europe. this action saved the small but hardy breed from becoming extinct. the breed was later reintroduced to mongolia, where now several hundred takhi live on a nature reserve. how does the final sentence contribute to the paragraph? 1 it shows that the takhi have been restored to their original numbers and strength in the wild. 2 it ends on an optimistic note, while still showing the takhi are few in number. 3 it raises awareness about the need for further scientific study of mongolian horses.

Explanation:

The final sentence states several hundred takhi live on a Mongolian nature reserve. It is optimistic because the breed was saved from extinction, but "several hundred" confirms they remain a small population. Option 1 is wrong as there's no mention of original numbers. Option 3 is incorrect because the sentence doesn't focus on scientific study needs.

Answer:

1. It ends on an optimistic note, while still showing the takhi are few in number.