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The rediscovery of the coelacanth and the subsequent quest for its contemporary habitat is one of the most thrilling stories in the annals of biological science, but it began with a seemingly minor happenstance. In 1938, a South African museum curator named Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer laid eyes on a spiny, fourfinned creature while examining the contents of a common fisher's net. She immediately understood that the strange bluemauve fish was something out of the ordinary. Library research confirmed it: The only reference images that matched the appearance of the strange fish were those of a 250-millionyear-old fossil. Immediately, Courtenay-Latimer dispatched a message to British fish expert Professor J. L. B. Smith to confirm her discovery, and word came back that she was correct. However, in a hasty attempt to preserve the fish, its internal organs were unfortunately disposed of, leaving vital questions about the nature of this living fossil unanswered. Given the vast scientific appeal of the newly found coelacanth, the only solution was to find another specimen-a project that Professor Smith personally spearheaded.
An epic odyssey ensued as Smith joined forces with researchers, fishermen, and ship captains from around the Indian Ocean to spread word of the search for the coelacanth. Finally, in 1952, fishers in the partially French-controlled Comoros Islands produced a second coelacanth-this time with organs intact. Smith was overjoyed at the discovery but was soon deterred by French colonial officials, who, wanting to assert their sovereignty, put an embargo on all but French research into the matter. It was not until the 1970s, after the islands became independent, that the coelacanth's Comoros habitat was discovered: caves in deep sea reefs, which the creatures leave only for brief forays into the open water. This hermetic lifestyle helped to explain how these living relics remained such a secret for so long.
1. The author's main objective is to
A. describe the discovery of and hunt for a living fossil
B. highlight the amateurish methods of 1930s science
C. dramatize the rarity of the coelacanth's discovery
D. demonstrate the classic stages of a scientific investigation
E. provide a detailed description of a rare sea creature
The OA is A
2. It can be inferred from the passage that
A. the preserved coelacanth brought large sums of money to Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer
B. the search for the coelacanth initially focused on the wrong parts of the ocean
C. had the need not arisen to find another coelacanth, its habitat would never have been found
D. the discovery of the coelacanth was a surprise to the scientific community of the time
E. the coelacanth fossil had a considerably different appearance from that of the living example
The OA is D
3. The author mentions the fisher's net in the opening story in order to
A. underscore the struggle for survival in early 20thcentury South Africa
B. demonstrate the nature of 1930s marine biology methods
C. embellish the story with an interesting detail
D. highlight the ordinary circumstances that surrounded Courtenay-Latimer's discovery of the fish
E. give due credit for the discovery of the coelacanth
The OA is D
An epic odyssey ensued as Smith joined forces with researchers, fishermen, and ship captains from around the Indian Ocean to spread word of the search for the coelacanth. Finally, in 1952, fishers in the partially French-controlled Comoros Islands produced a second coelacanth-this time with organs intact. Smith was overjoyed at the discovery but was soon deterred by French colonial officials, who, wanting to assert their sovereignty, put an embargo on all but French research into the matter. It was not until the 1970s, after the islands became independent, that the coelacanth's Comoros habitat was discovered: caves in deep sea reefs, which the creatures leave only for brief forays into the open water. This hermetic lifestyle helped to explain how these living relics remained such a secret for so long.
1. The author's main objective is to
A. describe the discovery of and hunt for a living fossil
B. highlight the amateurish methods of 1930s science
C. dramatize the rarity of the coelacanth's discovery
D. demonstrate the classic stages of a scientific investigation
E. provide a detailed description of a rare sea creature
The OA is A
2. It can be inferred from the passage that
A. the preserved coelacanth brought large sums of money to Marjorie Courtenay-Latimer
B. the search for the coelacanth initially focused on the wrong parts of the ocean
C. had the need not arisen to find another coelacanth, its habitat would never have been found
D. the discovery of the coelacanth was a surprise to the scientific community of the time
E. the coelacanth fossil had a considerably different appearance from that of the living example
The OA is D
3. The author mentions the fisher's net in the opening story in order to
A. underscore the struggle for survival in early 20thcentury South Africa
B. demonstrate the nature of 1930s marine biology methods
C. embellish the story with an interesting detail
D. highlight the ordinary circumstances that surrounded Courtenay-Latimer's discovery of the fish
E. give due credit for the discovery of the coelacanth
The OA is D
