Question

question 9: setting → impact
how does the physical environment of coastal waters affect human communities?
a. it determines the types of crops that can be grown
b. it influences fishing, tourism, and economic stability
c. it prevents pollution from spreading
d. it limits scientific research

question 10: inference
what can be inferred about the relationship between ecosystems and economies?
a. economies are unaffected by environmental changes
b. only tourism depends on healthy ecosystems
c. environmental damage can lead to economic loss
d. economic growth always harms ecosystems

question 11: detail to support inference
which detail best supports the idea that dead zones affect people?
a. \all the fish perish.\
b. \plants use nitrogen to make proteins.\
c. \fewer shrimp could force higher prices... and could potentially cause fishermen to lose jobs.\
d. \dead zones are created by eutrophication.\

question 12: compare and contrast
how does chesapeake bay differ from the gulf of mexico dead zone?
a. chesapeake bay has never been polluted
b. the gulf dead zone is shrinking
c. chesapeake bay shows that restoration can improve ecosystems
d. the gulf dead zone no longer affects fishing

question 13: author’s purpose
why does the author include statistics about the number and size of dead zones?

Explanation:

• Question 9: Coastal water physical environment (like currents, water depth, salinity) supports fishing, which is tied to food supplies and local economies, so it impacts human, tourism, and economic stability.
• Question 10: Environmental damage (like ecosystem harm) disrupts resources that economies rely on, leading to financial losses.
• Question 11: This detail directly links dead zones to human economic and livelihood impacts (higher costs, job loss), unlike other options that focus only on ecological facts.
• Question 12: Chesapeake Bay has had successful restoration efforts showing ecosystem recovery, while the Gulf of Mexico dead zone has not had this demonstrated success.
• Question 13: (Note: No options provided, but standard reasoning: Statistics about dead zone number/size quantify the scale of the environmental problem, emphasizing its severity and the need for attention/action.)

Answer:

Question 9: B. It influences fishing, tourism, and economic stability
Question 10: C. Environmental damage can lead to economic loss
Question 11: C. "Fewer shrimp could force higher prices... and could potentially cause fishermen to lose jobs."
Question 12: C. Chesapeake Bay shows that restoration can improve ecosystems
Question 13: (No options provided; standard answer: To quantify the scale and severity of the dead zone environmental crisis, emphasizing the urgency of addressing the issue.)