Question

read the following text from odd ocean animals by saul t. waters.
sea stars—also called starfish—are a type of invertebrate that can be found all over the world. though these creatures seem simple, they have developed amazing defenses. some sea stars have arms covered with short spikes to ward off predators. many can even regrow limbs that have been damaged during an attack.
a student used information from the above text to write a report about slime stars. select the sentence in the student’s report that plagiarizes the above text.
slime stars, which are a type of sea star, have five short arms and a puffy appearance. though these creatures seem simple, they have developed amazing defenses. when its disturbed or threatened, the slime star produces large amounts of slimy mucus. this substance can be harmful to its predators: crabs, snails, and other sea stars.

Explanation:

To identify plagiarism, we compare the student's sentence with the original text. The student's sentence about slime stars' appearance and defenses closely mirrors the structure and content of the original text's description of sea stars (including slime stars as a type of sea star), reusing key ideas and phrasing without proper citation. The sentence "Slime stars, which are a type of sea star, have five short arms and a puffy appearance. Though these creatures seem simple, they have developed amazing defenses. When it's disturbed or threatened, the slime star produces large amounts of slimy mucus. This substance can be harmful to its predators: crabs, snails, and other sea stars." plagiarizes the original by taking the description of sea stars (including slime stars) and adapting it with minor changes, maintaining the same overall content and structure.

Answer:

Slime stars, which are a type of sea star, have five short arms and a puffy appearance. Though these creatures seem simple, they have developed amazing defenses. When it's disturbed or threatened, the slime star produces large amounts of slimy mucus. This substance can be harmful to its predators: crabs, snails, and other sea stars.