Question 14

Humans disrupted the ecosystem of the Farallon Islands and played a role in restoring it.

The passage highlights how human activities, particularly fur trading and egg harvesting, severely impacted the ecosystem of the Farallon Islands. It also details the subsequent efforts made to restore the natural environment, culminating in protective legislation and the return of various wildlife populations.

A) The Farallon Islands are currently used as an agricultural resource for San Francisco.

This statement is incorrect as the passage indicates that the Farallon Islands were used as an agricultural resource during the gold rush era primarily for harvesting bird eggs. Currently, the islands are protected, and agricultural exploitation is no longer allowed, making this option outdated and misleading.

B) The Farallon Islands are a dedicated sanctuary for western gulls.

While the passage mentions that the Farallon Islands are home to the world's largest population of western gulls, it does not state that they are solely a sanctuary for this species. This option is too narrow and does not encompass the broader theme of human impact and ecological restoration described in the text.

C) Humans disrupted the ecosystem of the Farallon Islands and played a role in restoring it.

This option accurately captures the essence of the passage. It discusses how human actions initially harmed the ecosystem through overexploitation but also emphasizes the legislative measures taken to protect and rehabilitate the islands, leading to a resurgence of wildlife.

D) The ecosystem of the Farallon Islands has always been unstable.

This option is incorrect as the passage does not suggest that the ecosystem has always been unstable. Instead, it describes a history of disruption caused by human activity and subsequent recovery efforts, indicating that the ecosystem has the capacity for stability and restoration.

Conclusion

Option C is definitively correct as it encapsulates the main idea of the passage, which discusses both the human-induced disruption of the Farallon Islands' ecosystem and the subsequent restoration efforts. The other options either misrepresent the current status of the islands or do not address the interplay between human activity and ecological change as effectively as Option C.