Question

1. poison was also discussed in paragraph 7. what do the two instances of poison have in common?

1. what purpose does the quote serve in paragraph 10? explain your answer.

1. find one comma error in paragraph 10 and fix it.

1. in paragraph 11, mark what has been done in the past to address the problem of invasive rodents in the galapagos islands.

1. what mental images does the description of rat poison evoke?

1. what problems are likely to arise by using rat poison again? explain.

1. what was significant about the allusion the author started and ended the argument with?

Explanation:

Analyze the commonality of poison in paragraph 7 and paragraph 10

Both instances refer to human-introduced chemical interventions used to eradicate invasive species (specifically rodents/pests) to protect native ecosystems.

Analyze the purpose of the quote in paragraph 10

The quote highlights the deep philosophical, ethical, and social uncertainties scientists face regarding how to define and value "nature" when using gene drives.

Identify and correct the comma error in paragraph 10

The comma splice error occurs in: "...says Packard, though the group..." (which is actually in the paragraph above 10, but within paragraph 10's block, the error is the comma before the coordinating conjunction or missing comma in compound structures). Specifically, in paragraph 10: "...says the report. 'They are left here as open questions, and are part of..." -> The comma before "and" is incorrect because "are part of..." is not an independent clause.
Correction: Remove the comma before "and".

Identify past actions to address invasive rodents in the Galapagos

A massive helicopter-dropped rat poisoning campaign was conducted from 2007 to 2014 to rid the islands of pests.

Analyze the mental images evoked by dropping rat poison

It evokes images of unnatural, widespread chemical rain falling from the sky onto pristine, isolated natural habitats.

Identify problems likely to arise from using rat poison again

Re-infestation via boat traffic means poisoning must be repeated, leading to toxic bioaccumulation, non-target species death, and high recurring costs.

Analyze the significance of the opening and closing allusion

The allusion (referencing Darwin's observations) frames the entire argument around evolution, highlighting how human-driven genetic tools like gene drives alter the very mechanisms of natural selection Darwin first studied there.

Answer:

Question 24

Both instances of poison refer to human-administered chemical eradication methods aimed at destroying invasive rodent populations to protect native ecosystems.

Question 25

The quote serves to demonstrate that scientists recognize they are "out of their depth" regarding the complex philosophical, ethical, and social definitions of what is truly "natural."

Question 26

• Error: "...open questions, and are part of..." (incorrect comma before a coordinating conjunction that does not join two independent clauses).
• Fix: "...open questions and are part of..." (remove the comma).

Question 27

A major helicopter-delivered rat poisoning campaign was carried out from 2007 to 2014 to eradicate the invasive pests.

Question 28

It evokes a stark, jarring image of toxic chemicals raining down from the sky over a pristine, isolated natural landscape.

Question 29

Rodents will likely return via boat traffic, requiring repeated poisoning cycles that threaten non-target wildlife and cause chemical accumulation in the food chain.

Question 30

The allusion to Charles Darwin's evolutionary observations grounds the argument in the history of natural selection, emphasizing how gene drives represent a profound human intervention in the evolutionary process.