Question

read the following incomplete summary of the text. which is the best sentence to add in order to create a more complete summary?

quino checkerspot butterflies nearly disappeared from southern california.

biologists raised some in captivity and released them into the wild. the butterflies also helped themselves by relocating and using a new host plant. now it is possible these butterflies will survive.

the butterflies had suddenly begun losing their ability to go into a state of diapause.

it is important to save the quinos because they are such a beautiful sight in spring.

these little orange, white, and black butterflies are only about the size of a paper clip.

over time, the butterflies’ life cycle had been disrupted by climate change and habitat loss.

Explanation:

The summary is about the Quino checkerspot butterflies' near - disappearance and subsequent recovery efforts. We need a sentence that explains why they nearly disappeared. The option “Over time, the butterflies’ life cycle had been disrupted by climate change and habitat loss.” gives the cause of their near - disappearance, which fits well between the statement of their near - disappearance and the actions taken to help them. The other options either talk about a specific physiological change (losing diapause ability) which is not the main cause of their near - disappearance, or about their appearance (size and color) or the reason for saving them (beauty) which are not relevant to explaining the cause of their decline in the context of this summary.

Answer:

Over time, the butterflies' life cycle had been disrupted by climate change and habitat loss.