Question

part a: which statement best identifies the central idea of the article?

a. human expansion into wild lands has forced pumas to hunt in new areas where deer are more prevalent.

b. human expansion and disturbance of wild lands has altered pumas’ hunting habits, affecting their ecosystem.

c. humans’ refusal to comply with conservation laws has led to a decline of both pumas and deer near developed areas.

d. humans’ disturbance of wild lands has increased pumas’ fear and anxiety, impairing their mental health.

Explanation:

To determine the central idea, we analyze each option:

• Option A: Focuses only on pumas hunting in new areas with more deer, ignoring the ecosystem impact, so it's too narrow.
• Option B: States human expansion and disturbance altered pumas’ hunting habits and affected the ecosystem. This is a comprehensive view of the article's likely central idea, as it covers the cause (human actions) and the broader effect (ecosystem impact).
• Option C: Mentions non - compliance with conservation laws, which is not indicated in the other options' context, and the decline of both species is not the main focus of a typical article on this topic.
• Option D: Talks about pumas’ mental health, which is an unusual and unfounded focus for an article about human - puma - ecosystem interactions.

Answer:

B. Human expansion and disturbance of wild lands has altered pumas’ hunting habits, affecting their ecosystem.