Oceans

Select two sentences from paragraph 1 that express the central idea of the passage.

• "It's easy to feel powerless, but we're not powerless at all."

• "Oceans cover more than 70% of the Earth's surface."

• "Each person, however, can make a difference in helping to save our oceans."

• "Ocean life is diverse."

Choose the correct phrase for each blank to complete the following sentence. According to the information in the passage, improved fishing by farmers affects our lives by ______, and improving our own behavior on beaches can help to _________.

• increasing the numbers of rare fish

• protect marine animals from harmful litter

• helping to provide fish for the years to come

• remove jellyfish from beachfront areas

Read paragraph 5.

Our coastal areas are home to some of our most valuable natural resources. These areas are becoming overcrowded, so many of the ocean’s problems are the most acute in and around the coasts. Scientists at the World Economic Forum fear that ocean and seaside habitats may not be able to renew themselves fast enough because of the serious threat of overcrowding. When reefs, mangroves, and seagrass beds are lost, coastal areas often bear the effects of erosion. This makes the problem more urgent because the areas can become even more vulnerable to damages from storms.

Which two phrases help to provide context for the word acute as it is used in the passage.

• "because of the serious threat"

• "makes the problem more urgent"

• "many of the ocean's problems"

• "bear the effects of erosion"