read the excerpt from e.o. wilson’s he environmental ethic.\

species are disappearing at an accelerating rate through human action, primarily habitat destruction but also pollution and the introduction of exotic species into residual natural environments. i have said that a fifth or more of the species of plants and animals could vanish or be doomed to early extinction by the year 2020 unless better efforts are made to save them. . . . as the last forests are felled in forest strongholds like the philippines and ecuador, the decline of species will accelerate even more. in the world as a whole, extinction rates are already hundreds or thousands of times higher than before the coming of man. they cannot be balanced by new evolution in any period of time that has meaning for the human race.

what message does the author convey in this excerpt?

- humans need to take action to end further destruction of the natural environment.
- in the coming years, humans will put forth stronger efforts to save plants and animals.
- the extinction of plant and animal species is problematic in the philippines and ecuador.
- in recent years, the extinction rate for many animal species has significantly increased.

Question

read the excerpt from e.o. wilson’s 	he environmental ethic.\

species are disappearing at an accelerating rate through human action, primarily habitat destruction but also pollution and the introduction of exotic species into residual natural environments. i have said that a fifth or more of the species of plants and animals could vanish or be doomed to early extinction by the year 2020 unless better efforts are made to save them. . . . as the last forests are felled in forest strongholds like the philippines and ecuador, the decline of species will accelerate even more. in the world as a whole, extinction rates are already hundreds or thousands of times higher than before the coming of man. they cannot be balanced by new evolution in any period of time that has meaning for the human race.

what message does the author convey in this excerpt?

- humans need to take action to end further destruction of the natural environment.
- in the coming years, humans will put forth stronger efforts to save plants and animals.
- the extinction of plant and animal species is problematic in the philippines and ecuador.
- in recent years, the extinction rate for many animal species has significantly increased.

Accepted Answer

# Brief Explanations:
1. Analyze Option A: The excerpt says species are vanishing due to human actions (habitat destruction, pollution, exotic species) and that better efforts are needed to save them, implying humans should act to stop further destruction. But let's check other options.
2. Analyze Option B: The excerpt states "unless better efforts are made", which is a conditional, not a statement that humans will put forth stronger efforts. So B is incorrect.
3. Analyze Option C: The excerpt uses Philippines and Ecuador as examples of forest strongholds being felled, accelerating species decline globally, not that the problem is only in those countries. So C is incorrect.
4. Analyze Option D: The excerpt says "extinction rates are already hundreds or thousands of times higher than before the coming of man" and they can't be balanced by new evolution in meaningful human time, meaning extinction rates have significantly increased recently. This matches the content.

Wait, wait, let's re - evaluate. Wait, the question is about the message. Let's re - check the options:

Option A: The author says "unless better efforts are made to save them", so the implication is that humans need to take action to stop further destruction. But let's check the original text again. The text says species are disappearing at an accelerating rate due to human action, and unless better efforts are made, a fifth or more will vanish. So the message is that human action is causing species loss and we need to act. But wait, the fourth option: "In recent years, the extinction rate for many animal species has significantly increased." Let's check the text: "extinction rates are already hundreds or thousands of times higher than before the coming of man". So that's a fact stated. But what's the main message?

Wait, the first option: "Humans need to take action to end further destruction of the natural environment." The text says species are disappearing due to human action (habitat destruction, etc.) and unless we make better efforts, more will go extinct. So the message is that we need to act. But let's check the options again.

Wait, maybe I made a mistake. Let's re - read the excerpt:

"Species are disappearing at an accelerating rate through human action... a fifth or more of the species... could vanish or be doomed to early extinction by the year 2020 unless better efforts are made to save them... extinction rates are already hundreds or thousands of times higher than before the coming of man. They cannot be balanced by new evolution..."

So the key points: human action is causing species extinction at an accelerating rate, and we need to make better efforts (i.e., take action) to stop further destruction. But let's check the options:

Option A: "Humans need to take action to end further destruction of the natural environment." This is a call to action based on the problem (species extinction due to human - caused destruction) presented.

Option D: "In recent years, the extinction rate for many animal species has significantly increased." The text says "extinction rates are already hundreds or thousands of times higher than before the coming of man" which supports that extinction rates have increased. But is this the main message? The author is not just stating a fact, but also implying that action is needed (because unless we act, more will go extinct). However, let's check the options again.

Wait, maybe the correct answer is A? No, wait, let's check the options again. Wait, the fourth option: "In recent years, the extinction rate for many animal species has significantly increased." The text says "extinction rates are already hundreds or thousands of times higher than before the coming of man" which is a statement of fact about the increase in extinction rates. But the first option is a call to action. Which is the main message?

Wait, the question is "What message does the author convey". The author is conveying that human actions are causing species to go extinct at a high rate and that we need to take action (implied by "unless better efforts are made"). But let's check the options again.

Wait, maybe the correct answer is A. But let's check the options:

Option A: Humans need to take action to end further destruction of the natural environment.

Option D: In recent years, the extinction rate for many animal species has significantly increased.

The text says "extinction rates are already hundreds or thousands of times higher than before the coming of man" - this is a fact about the increase in extinction rates. But the author's message is more than just stating the fact; it's about the need for action. But let's check the options again.

Wait, maybe I was wrong earlier. Let's analyze each option:

- Option A: The author says that species are disappearing due to human action and that unless better efforts are made, more will go extinct. So the message is that humans need to take action to stop further destruction. This is a call to action based on the problem presented.

- Option B: The text says "unless better efforts are made", which is a conditional, not a prediction that humans will make stronger efforts. So B is wrong.

- Option C: The text uses Philippines and Ecuador as examples of places where forests are being felled, leading to accelerated species decline globally, not that the problem is limited to those countries. So C is wrong.

- Option D: The text states that extinction rates are hundreds or thousands of times higher than before humans, which means extinction rates have significantly increased. But is this the main message? The author is highlighting the problem (high extinction rates due to human action) to urge action. But the option D is a statement of fact about the increase in extinction rates.

Wait, maybe the correct answer is A. But let's check the original question again.

Wait, perhaps I made a mistake in the initial analysis. Let's re - examine the options:

The author's main message: The text is about species extinction due to human action and the need for humans to take action (implied by "unless better efforts are made to save them"). So Option A is correct? But wait, the fourth option is a fact stated. But the question is about the message, which is the author's intended communication. The author is not just stating that extinction rates have increased, but also that human action is the cause and that action is needed. So Option A is the message (a call to action), while Option D is a supporting fact.

But wait, let's check the options again. The first option: "Humans need to take action to end further destruction of the natural environment." The text says species are being destroyed by human action (habitat destruction, pollution, exotic species) and that unless we act, more will go extinct. So the message is that we need to take action.

Yes, so the correct answer is A.

# Answer:
A. Humans need to take action to end further destruction of the natural environment.

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