Question

just like humans, fish and other marine life need oxygen to survive. unfortunately, scientists have recently discovered that many parts of earths oceans do not have enough oxygen for fish and plants to survive. these large areas of the ocean are called dead zones. dead zones are caused by pollution such as waste and fertilizer runoff from farms. the largest dead zone on earth is the gulf of oman in the arabian sea. this dead zone is almost as large as the state of florida, and its so oxygen - deprived that almost no fish or plants can survive in it. the second largest dead zone is located near the united states in the gulf of mexico. it is smaller than the one in the gulf of oman, but the size of this dead zone still worries scientists. select one: these parts of the ocean have too much oxygen. these parts of the ocean cannot keep plants and fish alive. these parts of the ocean are in the arabian sea. these parts of the ocean make scientists worry.

Explanation:

The text states that in dead zones (the parts of the ocean in question), there is not enough oxygen for fish and plants to survive. So we analyze each option:

• The first option "These parts of the ocean have too much oxygen" is incorrect as the text says there is not enough oxygen.
• The second option "These parts of the ocean cannot keep plants and fish alive" aligns with the idea that lack of oxygen (in dead zones) makes it hard for them to survive.
• The third option "These parts of the ocean are in the Arabian Sea" is wrong because there are dead - zones in other areas (like the Gulf of Mexico) too.
• The fourth option "These parts of the ocean make scientists worry" is a very general statement. The more specific and correct reason related to the text's description (about survival of plants and fish) is the second option.

Answer:

These parts of the ocean cannot keep plants and fish alive.